1998 Toyota Sienna

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND A BUILD UP OF SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. A NEW ENGINE WAS INSTALLED. TWO YEARS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM RECURRED AND A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. *AK ON MARCH 22, 2004 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON. ON MARCH 23, 2004 THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER WHO SUGGESTED THAT SLUDGE WAS THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB

WE LEASED A 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA BECAUSE IT WAS THE SAFEST VAN OUT THERE AT THE TIME. TWO YEARS LATER I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, WHEN THE ( DUMMY GAUGE) FOR THE OIL LIGHT TURNED ON. I STOPPED AT THE FIRST GAS STATION AND CHECKED THE OIL IT WAS FINE. ON MY WAY HOME THAT MORNING FROM WORK ON THE FREEWAY. THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, THEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE STALLED & I HEARD SOME KNOCKING NOISE , I PULLED OVER, AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALEARSHIP WHERE WE LEASED THE VAN. THEY HAD IT CHECKED OUT THEN TOLD US THAT THERE WAS OIL SLUDGING AND HAS CAUSED ENGINE DAMAGE. THEY TOLD US THAT THE VAN NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AND IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE WE HAD GONE OVER THE WARRANTY MILES. THE ESTIMATE WAS OVER 5,000.00 , WE DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDS, OR CREDIT AVAILABLE TO COVER FOR THE ESTIMATE ON THE VAN. SO WE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO GIVE IT UP AS A VOLUNTARY REPO. KNOWING THAT THE LEASING COMPANY WAS GOING TO TRY TO GET THEIR MONEY. THERE WAS NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY. I HAD EXCELLENT CREDIT AND NOW MY CREDIT IS RUINED. IN THE YEAR 2002 I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER STATING THAT THEY WERE REIMBURSING AND OR EXTENDING THE WARRANTY ON THE ENGINE AT NO COST TO ALL CUSTOMERS WHO HAD THE PROBLEM WITH ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO OIL SLUDGING. WELL I NO LONGER HAD THE VAN IN MY POSSESION BUT I DID SUFFER SOME DAMAGES AND I ONLY THINK IT IS FAIR THAT I GET SOME COMPENSATION FROM THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER DUE TO THEIR OWN DEFECTIVE ENGINE. I WROTE A LETTER TO TOYOTA AND I HAVE NOT HEARD A RESPONSE FROM THEM YET.*AK

WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS, STEERING WHEEL OFTEN "HANGS" (DOESN'T SMOOTHLY RETURN TO CENTER POSITION), REQUIRING CONSTANT VIGILANCE TO AVOID COLLISION OR LOSS OF CONTROL. THIS WAS REPORTED TO DEALER AT FIRST SERVICE AFTER PURCHASE, AND I HAVE REQUESTED INFORMATION AS TO A "FIX" SEVERAL OCCASSIONS, MOST RECENTLY WITH DERBY AT STAR TOYOTA ON 4/7/04. STATED "NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM". I AM AWARE THAT THERE IS A TSB ON THIS ISSUE HOWEVER, AND WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED AFTER 5+ YEARS. ADDITIONALLY, THE CAR GOES THROUGH TIRES LIKE CRAZY... PERHAPS RELATED TO THIS PULL TO THE LEFT? I'VE PUT ON A COMPLETE NEW SET PLUS 2 TIRES IN THE 50K MILES I'VE HAD THE VEHICLE.*AK

PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR HANDLE/BUTTON (INTERIOR) JAM 6 OUT OF 10 TIMES, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR PASSENGERS TO EXIT CAR. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, ONLY TO BE TOLD IT'S A BILLABLE REPAIR, DESPITE THERE BEING A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE/HANDLE. MANY OCCASIONS MY KIDS HAVE HAD TO CLIMB OUT THROUGH THE FRONT SEATS OR TAILGATE, MAKING THIS A LEGITIMATE SAFETY HAZARD. 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA LE VID4T3GF13CWU068998.*AK

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING A 98 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH KIDS ON THE FREEWAY IN A COMUTER LANE. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED VIBRATING AND LOCKED IN LEFT POSITION. AS A RESULT THEY ENDED UP CRASHING IN THE MIDDLE DIVIDER HEAD ON. THE VAN TOOK A 180 DEGREE SPIN AND HIT FROM THE BACK. WE HAVE DONE 99000 MILES ON THIS VAN IN LAST 5 YEARS. THIS IS TOTALLY A MALFUNCTION OR MECHANICAL FAILURE OF STEERING WHEEL. WE HAVE DONE LONG TRIPS WITH OUR VAN IN THE PAST 5 YEARS AND NEVER HAD PROBLEM. ALSO THE AIR BAGS DID NOT OPEN UP EVEN THOUGH THE IMPACT WAS SO SEVERE.

ENGINE OIL SLUDGE: MY SIENNA WAS FINALLY FIXED BY TOYOTA CANADA AFTER I MADE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE DEALERSHIP (JIM PATTISON TOYOTA) THAT REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE WHOLE ENGINE WAS OVERHAULED BY A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP. I WAS REALLY HAPPY THE WAY THEY HANDLED THE CASE. I JUST RECEIVED A MEMO FROM TOYOTA YESTERDAY THAT SIENNA BETWEEN 1998-2000 HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON TRANSMISSION FOR THESE PARTICULAR VEHICLES TO 8 YRS OR 100,000 MILES .

MY CAR'S ENGINE FAILED AT 20,000 MILES. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS DUE TO SLUDGE, BASED ON MY NOT CHANGING THE OIL OFTEN ENOUGH. I HAD CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 6000 MILES, NOT EVERY 3000 MILES. THE DEALER, JIM COLEMAN TOYOTA OF BETHESDA MD STATED THAT I WAS AT FAULT AND THAT TOYOTA WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. FIRST COLEMAN FLUSHED THE ENGINE, AT A COST OF 1000. WHEN THIS REPAIR ONLY HELD FOR 2000 MILES OR SO, I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY ENGINE. I DID SO AT ERNIE'S, A TOP-RATED REPAIR SHOP IN BETHESDA (CONSUMER CHECK LIST)AT A COST OF 5600, CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN TOYOTA'S PRICE OF 7500. I HAVE FAITHFULLY CHANGED MY OIL SINCE THAT TIME ON OR BEFORE THE 3000 MILE MARK. THE ENGINE HAS AGAIN FAILED DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD-UP!!! I AM NOW EXPECTING THAT TOYOTA WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE AT NO COST TO ME, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE WILL BE SOME CATCH TO THIS...