The Problem with “Free” FA24 RTV Recalls: Speed Over Quality

by Derek Wong September 23, 2025

Should You Want a Dealer Recall for FA24 RTV? Why “Free” Might Cost You More

If Toyota/Subaru ever issue a recall for FA24 excess RTV (the GR86/BRZ Gen-2 oil-strainer concern), you might not want the dealer to do it. The way dealership pay works (flat-rate + reduced warranty time) can incentivize speed over quality, and sloppy RTV cleanup can send silicone debris through your engine before it ever reaches the filter.

The Background: FA24, RTV, and Strainer Clogging

Many Gen-2 owners have heard about excess RTV (sealant) from the lower oil pan migrating into the oil pickup strainer. When enough debris accumulates, it can restrict flow and, in worst cases, risk oil-starvation events. Proactive owners have asked dealers to drop the pan and clean the strainer; results have been… mixed.

A Real-World Case: “We Cleaned It”… Did They?

A local GR86 owner persuaded a dealer (early in the issue) to perform a paid pan drop and strainer cleaning.

No photo documentation provided. The service advisor showed images on a screen but refused to release them.
At the next oil change, we performed our complimentary RTV inspection (borescope + filter autopsy).
What we found:
- Long “string cheese” RTV strands still hanging inside the crankcase—classic sign of insufficient scraping/cleanup on the upper pan rail.
- Even more RTV smeared on the lower pan than factory—over-application that can squeeze inward and shear off.
- Dark gray silicone pieces trapped across the oil-filter pleats—evidence that debris circulated through the engine before capture.

Bottom line: the pan was removed, but the cleanup was poor and the re-seal was excessive.

Why This Happens at Dealerships: The Flat-Rate Problem

Dealership technicians are often paid under flat-rate—compensation tied to book hours billed, not clock hours worked. For warranty/recall work, the paid time can be significantly reduced versus customer-pay.

What that means in practice:

Speed is rewarded; thoroughness isn’t.
Labor-intensive, messy tasks (careful scraping, solvent flushing, meticulous pick-work inside a 5-sided strainer) are disincentivized.
Some technicians, under pressure, may over-apply RTV (faster than careful bead control), or “spray and pray” solvent into the pickup area rather than hand-picking debris.
In the worst cases, jobs get shortcutted or documented as complete when the hard parts weren’t done to spec.

Add one more constraint: OEM RTV requires ~24 hours to fully cure for best sealing. In a flat-rate, high-throughput environment, stalls can’t sit that long—cars are often resealed, refilled, and returned far sooner, increasing leak risk and bead displacement.

If a Recall Lands: What It Would Likely Include

A sensible recall would outline:

Pan removal and mechanical cleanup of both sealing rails (no wire-wheels that blast debris into the crankcase).
Strainer inspection/cleaning using small picks and low-pressure flushing that doesn’t damage the plastic pickup tube (FA24 timing cover removal is required if you break it).
Controlled RTV bead thickness/placement per spec.
Cure time and post-service verification.

The problem? Under flat-rate + warranty time, each of those steps is time-expensive and easy to rush.

What “Good” Looks Like (Our Standard of Care)

Evidence-based inspection:
- Borescope the lower pan and crankcase edges before/after.
- Cut the used oil filter and inspect every pleat for silicone.
Hand cleanup only on sealing rails (no wire wheels).
Strainer cleaning with shaped picks (we keep a set dedicated to FA24) and gentle solvent to coax debris down and out—without harming the pickup.
Measured RTV bead per application spec—no “caulk gun” blobs.
Proper cure window before refill, start, and leak-check.
Photo documentation included with the work order.

Owner Playbook: How to Protect Your FA24

Ask for documentation. If anyone drops your pan, request before/after photos and a filter autopsy photo set.
Insist on the method. No powered wire brushes inside the crankcase. Hand tools and careful solvent only.
Verify bead control. Excess RTV is as bad as too little. A neat, continuous, thin bead is the goal.
Respect cure time. If the car is sealed and sent home an hour later, that’s a red flag.
Schedule a follow-up check. After the next oil interval, cut the filter again. You want zero new silicone.

FAQ

“If the recall is free, why not just take it?”
Because “free” can be expensive if the work is rushed. Debris left in the engine or an over-beaded re-seal can create future problems.

“Is strainer cleaning one-and-done?”
For most cars, yes. Once cleaned correctly and re-sealed with a controlled bead, subsequent inspections typically show negligible debris—especially for street-driven cars.

“Can I just overfill oil and call it a day?”
Oil level strategies address starvation, not RTV debris. You still need a clean strainer and proper seal.

Final Thought

If a factory recall appears, read the fine print—but don’t outsource your engine’s health to a process that incentivizes fast over right. Choose a shop that proves its work with borescope images, filter cuts, bead photos, and cure-time discipline. That’s how you keep an FA24 healthy for the long haul.