Another member PMd me about this so I figured I would update this thread in case anyone else runs into this problem.

The dis-assembly and reassembly of the airbox and cleaning of the maf fixed the issue for me. I did notice that the airbox was unhinged from the bottom when I disassembled it...this may have been the root cause.

I am still on the synthetic oil and the problem has not come back at all (but I have only driven about 2K miles) in 4 months.

 

Yes, sealing the airbox properly fixed the issue for me. Thanks.

 

thanks for keeping us updated. Why does this always happen after dealer visits ? Im losing faith

 

Losing faith in what? Auto maintenance is done by "book" rate. There is a manual which prescribes the amount of time just about any repair will take. The technician's job is to get the work done faster than the book allows because he gets paid based on the book hours, not the actual hours. It's a lot like ICD coding. You get paid based on a standard activity, not on actual time.

It is not a recipe for quality work, and never has been.

 

You would be amazed how NO ONE understands that.

 

I concur Flat Raters rarely want to take longer to do a job than it pays, and neither do their respective Service Writers or Service Managers. On those rare occasions you can find an enthusiast who also happens to wrench, thus subsequently capable (theoretically) of doing a quality job. A Toyota or Lexus factory trained Master Tech with some years of tenure, particularly with one dealer, is a rare commodity.

That is exactly why I typically service/repair/modify any of my own vehicles.