2000 Toyota Sienna

THERE IS AN ADMITTED DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE 1999-2001 TOYOTA SIENNA AND CAMRY ENGINES. THE COOLING CHAMBER PASSAGES TO THE CYLINDERS WERE REDUCED IN SIZE TO REDUCE HAZARDOUS EMISSIONS WHICH HAD THE UNANTICIPATED SIDE EFFECT OF CAUSING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CYLINDER HEADS TO REACH UP TO 130 DEGREES. FOR MANY OWNERS, THIS HAS CAUSED THE OIL TO OXIDIZE FORMING A SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE WHICH IN OUR CASE LED TO ENGINE FAILURE IN OUR 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN REQUIRING ENGINE REPLACEMENT AT 59,000 MILES COSTING OVER $8,000. THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED WITH OUR 1999 CAMRY. TOYOTA CLAIMS THAT THIS IS DUE TO NOT CHANGING THE OIL FREQUENTLY ENOUGH, AND THIS MAY BE TRUE. HOWEVER MY BROTHER'S FRIEND BOUGHT A TOYOTA CELICA BACK IN THE 1970'S AND NEVER CHANGED THE OIL, NEVER EVEN OPENED THE HOOD TO ADD OIL OR MAINTENANCE IT AT ALL - JUST DROVE IT UNTIL QUIT - AT 80,000 MILES. GRANTED THIS IS NOT ADVISABLE BUT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT WHILE LESS THAN OPTIMAL OIL CHANGE FREQUENCIES MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THIS ENGINE FAILURE PROBLEM IN THE 1999-2001 MODELS, BASED ON OTHER RESEARCH I HAVE READ WITH OTHER OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM LEADING TO ENGINE FAILURE IN THESE MODELS EVEN WITH MILEAGES AS LOW AS 29,000 MILES, I DON'T BUY TOYOTA'S ARGUMENT. WE OWNED 3 TOYOTA'S AT THE TIME, 2 CAMRYS AND 1 SIENNA. BECAUSE TOYOTA DID NOT OWN UP TO THIS DESIGN DEFECT AND REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THEIR FLAWED ENGINE DESIGN WITHOUT THEIR PROVIDING OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS - (E.G. WHAT IF YOU DON'T SAVE RECEIPTS AND/OR WHAT IF YOU CHANGE YOUR OIL YOURSELF)? - FOR THIS REASON I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA. I OWN A SUBARU WRX AND AM PLANNING TO PURCHASE ANOTHER SUBARU SOON.

DT: THE CALLER STATES THAT THE OIL IN VEHICLE WAS DISAPPEARING FROM THE ENGINE. HE DROVE 800 MILES TO FLORIDA AND HAD TO PUT 4 OR 5 QUARTS OF OIL. HE HAS TO PUT THAT MUCH OIL EVERY 1500 MILES. DEALER HAD THE VEHICLE SINCE AUGUST 5, 2005 AND THEY COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER SENT THE CALLER A LETTER STATING THE ENGINE COULD FAIL BECAUSE OF THE OIL PROBLEM. IT WAS AN OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM. *AK

ENGINE OIL LIGHT CAME ON WHEN DRIVING, WHEN TAKEN TO DEALER, SERVICE REP. INDICATED THIS WOULD POTENTIALLY BE A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. AFTER A QUICK SEARCH ON THE INTERNET REVEALED AN "ISSUE" WITH THIS ENGINE AND A CALL TO TOYOTA NATIONAL AND SOME "DISCUSSIONS" WITH THE DEALER THE CAR WAS TAKEN FOR "DESLUDGING". PROOF OF OIL CHANGES HAD TO BE PROVIDED, MUCH DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW IT WAS "OUR FAULT". SINCE WE ARE BOTH ENGINEERS AND TYPICALLY KEEP OUR VEHICLES A VERY LONG TIME, THIS WAS INSULTING. VAN WAS RETURNED, BUT OIL LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN 10 MILES. IT THEN STAYED FOR QUITE A WHILE (I THINK THEY SAID IT HAD AT LEAST 6 OIL CHANGES). NO OFFER OF RENTAL CAR WAS MADE. AFTER IT WAS RETURNED WITHIN A MONTH IT BLEW A HOLE THROUGH THE VALVE COVER (MECHANIC FORGET TO TORQUE ONE OF THE HEAD/CAM BOLTS, BOLT BACKED OFF AND WASHER BLEW A SMALL HOLE IN VALVE COVER).OIL/SMOKE EVERYWHERE. IT BURNED OFF OIL FOR MONTHS AFTERWARD. IT WAS TOWED BACK. HOLE WAS ON EXTREME DRIVERS SIDE OF ENGINE. VALVE COVER WAS REPLACE, BOLT/WASHER EITHER REPLACED OR RETORQUED. *NM

THE ENGINE IN MY 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA HAS A DEFECT THAT CAUSES ENGINE OIL JELLING AND LEADS TO A TOTAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED AT 38000 MILES WHILE STILL UNDER THE NEW CAR WARRANTY. TOYOTA FIXED THE PROBLEM BY CLEANING THE SLUDGE FROM THE VALUE AREA OF THE ENGINE BUT THIS DID NOT ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM. AT 68000, THERE WAS A COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE THAT WAS A RESULT OF ENGINE OIL GELLING. A TOYOTA TECHNICIAN WHO INSPECTED THE CAR STATED THAT THERE IS SCARING OF THE INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS THAT INDICATE A HISTORY OF OIL STARVATION. THE OIL STARVATION PROBLEM THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE FAILURE IS DUE TO OIL GELLING PROBLEM. TOYOTA HAS AGREED TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON MY VEHICLE TO COVER THIS PROBLEM FOR A PERIOD OF EIGHT YEARS WITH UNLIMITED MILEAGE, HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOW REFUSING TO HONOR THIS WARRANTY.*AK

2000 TOYOTA SIENNA'S ENGINE WAS REBUILT LAST FEBRUARY/MARCH 2004 DUE TO ENGINE OIL GEL. HAD AN OIL CHANGE AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP LAST JUNE. HAD 82,500 MAINTENANCE DONE AT ANOTHER TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER. IT CAUGHT FIRE. DROPLETS OF FIRE SEEN FALLING UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE. NEIGHBOR TRIED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE BUT TO NO AVAIL. CALLED 911 AND THEY EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE.*AK

2000 TOYOTA SIENNA EXPERIENCED SERIOUS SLUDGING PROBLEM AND HAD "SLUDGE/GEL REPAIR" DONE BY TOYOTA AT 58K MILES. SERVICE DATES: OCT 14 AND 15, 2002. ON JULY 18, 2004, THE SIENNA (WITH 81K MILES) BROKE DOWN DURING A VACATION TRIP. DIAGNOSIS: RESIDUAL ENGINE DAMAGE FROM SLUDGE PROBLEM AND INADEQUATE REPAIR LED TO FAILURE OF A THRUST WASHER/BEARING THAT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE FROM METAL FRAGMENTS THAT SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE. ESTIMATED REPAIR COST: $7,300. I AM CURRENTLY TRYING TO GET TOYOTA TO REPAIR THE ENGINE AT THEIR COST AND TO COVER ALL OF MY RELATED COSTS DUE TO THE FAILURE (E.G. HOTEL COSTS, RENTAL CAR). *JB

TOYOTA SIENNA LS, YEAR 2000, APPROX 73000 MILES. ALWAYS SERVICED BY TOYOTA, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM / ENGINE NOT MODIFIED OR ALTERED. DROVE LAST FRIDAY MORNING (JULY 16, 2004) FROM NC TO THE DC AREA. JUST BEFORE DC, CAR COMPLETELY STALLED 3 TIMES ON I-95, AT INTERSTATE SPEED, APPROX 15 TO 20 MINUTES APART. EACH TIME, THE ABS AND LOW TIRE PRESSURE DASHBOARD LIGHT CAME ON. CLOCK FLASHED. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR RECOVERED WITHIN 2 TO 3 SECONDS WHILE MOVING, BUT LOST SPEED, AS THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING. RADIO WAS NOT TURNED ON, NOT SURE IF IT WOULD HAVE LOST POWER ALSO. COULD DUPLICATE ONE STALL BY TURNING THE HEADLIGHTS ON WHILE MOVING. AGAIN, ENGINE STALLED FOR 2 TO 3 SECONDS, ABS AND LOW TIRE PRESSURE DASHBOARD LIGHT CAME ON. I'M NOT TOTALLY SURE, BUT I THINK THAT THE RPM AND THE ODOMETER NEEDLE WENT BACK TO 0 DURING THE ENGINE STALLS. BUT AGAIN, I'M NOT 100% SURE ON THE ODOMETER NEEDLE GOING TO "0" , AS IT ALL HAPPENED FAIRLY FAST. REPAIR ATTEMPTS: DROVE TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER IN DC ON THE SAME DAY, CAR STALLED AGAIN AS WE DROVE INTO THE DEALER SHIP AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STAND STILL. (TOYOTA OF STAFFORD, TEL: 1-540-720-4700, REPAIR TICKET 16153) THEY TEST DROVE CAR FOR 2 X 20 MINS, FOUND NO PROBLEM, COMPUTER DID NOT LOG ANY ERROR CODES WHAT SO EVER ACCORDING TO DEALER. DROVE BACK TO NC, WENT TO TOYOTA DEALER IN DURHAM, NC TODAY (JULY 19). DEALER TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO, UNLESS THE CAR IS STALLING RIGHT NOW AND TOLD US TO RETURN ONCE THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT IS ON. IT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING FOR ME THAT THE DEALERS CAN NOT LOCATE THIS PROBLEM AND THAT THERE IS APPARENTLY NO PROCEDURE FROM TOYOTA FOR FINDING CRITICAL PROBLEMS THAT DO NOT SHOW UP IN THE COMPUTER LOG. IT IS CERTAINLY NO FUN TO HAVE AN ENGINE STALLING ON I-95, WHILE THE 18 WHEELERS CATCH UP WITH YOU. *JB

2001 TOYOTA SIENNA HAD SLUDGE PROBLEM. TOYOTA FIXED BUT STILL CALLS THIS AN OWNER ISSUE!?? HAVE SEEN COMPLAINTS THAT THESE ENGINES HAVE STILL FAILED A COUPLE THOUSAND MILES AFTER FIX. TOYOTA ORIGINALLY INSISTED PEOPLE BUY NEW ENGINES BUT ONLY CLEANS THEM NOW. WHAT ABOUT THEIR MODIFYING THIS ENGINE STARTING IN JULY 2001? NO PROBLEMS WITH THOSE ENGINES. THIS V6 IS IN 9 MODELS OVER 6 YEARS AND SOMEHOW IT'S THE OWNERS? THEY REPLACED MY VALVE COVERS STATING THE PCV SYSTEM IS INETGRATED INTO THE VALVE COVERS. THEY GET CLOGGED AND CAN'T BE CLEANED. WILL IT TAKE AN ENGINE SEIZING UP DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND A FATALITY TO GET TOYOTA'S ATTENTION ON THIS? I NEVER RECEIVED THEIR "LETTER" OF NOTIFICATION. I HAD OWNED IT BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT. I CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP A TICKING FINANCIAL TIME BOMB IN MY GARAGE.*AK

I AM NOT SURE OF DATES, BUT OUR TOYOTA DEALER TRIED TO BLAME US FOR THE "SMOKING" PROBLEM DUE TO THE LACK OF OIL CHANGES. WE DID NOT SLACK OFF ON THE OIL CHANGES, AND NOW THEY ADMIT THAT THE "SMOKING" PROBLEM IS DUE TO BAD ENGINE DESIGN, OR WHATEVER. WE HAVE HAD THE VAN IN FOR REPAIRS SEVERAL TIMES, BUT I AM NOT SURE OF DATES, OR HOW MUCH WE HAVE SPENT. THE PROBLEM HAS STARTED AGAIN, AND THIS TIME, NOT ONLY IS IT SMOMKING, AND READS LOW OIL (ON THE DIP STICK), BUT WE ARE NOW GOING THRU A QUART OF OIL PER TANK OF GAS!!! I AM ABOUT TO DEAL WITH TOYOTA, AND SEE WHAT THEY CAN/WILL DO FOR US. THEY ORIGINALLY CLAIMED WE HAD TO SEND THEM ALL KINDS OF INFO, NOW, WHAT I AM READING, IS THAT THEY HAVE (NOT QUITE) ADMITTED THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO A MANUFACTUREING DEFECT, AND THEY CLAIM THEY WILL FIX IT. TOYOTA HAS REPLACED OUR MOTOR. WE BROUGHT OUR VAN IN ON A WENDS, AND HAD IT BACK THE FOLLOWING WENDS. IT TOOK THEM A WEEK BECAUSE WE HAD SOME BIG STORMS IN GA AND THE POWER WENT OUT FOR A FULL DAY. OTHER WISE, I BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE HAD THE VAN BACK BY TUES. AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE VAN SEEMS TO BE FINE. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE MOTOR, BECAUSE OUR OLD MOTOR (116,000 MILES, BY THE WAY) WAS SHOT. TOYOTA ALSO PAID FOR A RENTAL CAR THE WHOLE TIME OUR VAN WAS IN THE SHOP. OUR NEXT STEP IS TO SEE IF TOYOTA HOLDS TRUE TO THEIR PROMISE OF REIMBURSING ALL THE MONEY WE SPENT ON OIL AND OIL TREATMENTS.