This 260k-Mile Toyota Corolla Engine Died From a $1 Mistake

The 2ZR-FE Was One of the Good OnesToyota’s 2ZR-FE is generally known to be reliable. You’ll find it in the 2009-2013 Corolla and a handful of other Toyotas, quietly shrugging off missed oil changes, long commutes, and the kind of neglect that would sideline most.That said, high-mileage Corollas from this era are everywhere – unless one crosses paths with a botched repair. That’s exactly what happened here: a 260,000-mile engine showed up with connecting rods poking right through the block, as seen in a recent I Do Cars teardown.According to the driver, the car started losing power on the road, but instead of stopping, the driver floored it. The engine answered with a bang, but that wasn’t exactly the main culprit here.Oil Pressure ProblemsThe teardown began with removing the valve cover, which revealed sludge and metallic flakes in the oil. As expected, the oil …