Turbochargers "fail" for a number of reasons including foreign object damage, contaminated oil supply, restricted oil supply or issues related to the turbo oil drain system and/or the engine breather system. More specific reasons why your turbo may fail are; contaminated oil, dirty oil, lack of lubrication, low oil pressure, kinks in the oil inlet lines, clogs in the oil inlet line, plugged air cleaners, collapsing hose connections, undersized air pipes, prolonged engine idling, over-fueling, hot engine shut-down, improperly installed gaskets and nuts/washers dropped into exhaust system.

Preventing Turbocharger Failure

Taking preventative measures when using a turbocharging system can and will increase the life of any turbocharger (not to mention aide in keeping your engine safe from damage by a failing turbo). Keep in mind these steps when using a turbocharging system; keep clean oil in your engine (always a good idea for any engine, not just a turbocharged one), keep the air filter clean and unrestricted, the duct work from the air cleaner should be free of holes, the duct work connections should be tight to prevent leaks, warm up the engine for two to five minutes prior to throttling up and let engine idle for approximately 2 minutes prior to engine shut down.