2000 Toyota Sienna

THIS 2000 SIENNA IS A LEMON. AT 50 MILES THE TORQUE CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AT 100 MILES I NOTICED THAT THE VAN PULLS TO THE LEFT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OF 65 TO 70 MPH. AT 28,000 MILES THE FRONT TIRES FIRESTONE WERE ALL CHEWED UP BELTS SHOWING EVEN THOUGH WE HAD 3 ALIGNMENTS DONE IN LESS THAN A YEAR. THE AUTOMATIC SIDE PASSENGER DOOR GOT STUCK AND WOULD NOT CLOSE, DEALER REPLACED DOOR COMPUTER, AT 15,000MILES PAINT WAS CHIPPING OFF THE DOOR HANDLES AND A SHORT TIME LATER PAINT WAS CHIPPING OFF THE FRONT HOOD AS WELL. AT AROUND 20K THE REMOTE KEY/ALARM STARTED BLOWING FUSES, IT'S BEEN BACK 4 TIME TO GET FIXED W/ NOTHING DONE TO FIX IT. THIS IS THE CIRCUT THAT HAS THE ALARM, CLOCK AND DOME LIGHT. FROM THE VERY BEGINING THE TRANS. SOMETIMES WOULD SHIFT EITHER HARD OR W/ A DELY BETWEEN 1ST & 2ND GEAR THEN AT ABOUT 30,100 MILES THE CLUTCH CABLE WAS REPLACED. A CLUNK NOW HAPPENS WHEN GOING FROM PARK TO REVERSE ESP. WHEN ON A HILL. IT STILL DOES NOT SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND RIGHT ALL THE TIME. THE SUN VISOR, WHEN IT'S COVERING THE LEFT DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW, WILL MOVE AND HIT THE DRIVER WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN AT ANYTHING OVER 5 MPH. SO NOW EVERY TIME I MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN ONE HAND IS ON THE VISOR AND THE OTHER ON THE WHEEL, WHEN I BLEW ONE OF THE FRONT TIRES THE AAA SERVICEMAN COULDN'T CRANK THE CABLE THAT HOLDS THE TIRE BACK UNDER THE VAN, DEALER REPLACED CABLE AND OTHER PARTS. THE RADIOCD PLAYER SKIPS A LOT WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, HAVE BEEN WAITING ALMOST 2 MONTHS FOR THE REPLACMENT. MIND YOU WE'VE ONLY HAD THIS VAN LESS THAN 2 YRS!!! OTHER STUFF, BATTERY WAS REPLACE WITHIN A YEAR, WHY I DON'T KNOW, CHANGE DOOR KEEPS POPPING OPEN (DRIVERS LEFT SIDE) WEATHER STRIPPING ON DRIVERS SIDE AT THE BOTTOM ON THE CAR (NOT DOOR) IS FALLING APART. HEAD LIGHTS ARE EITHER NOT AIMED RIGHT WHEN IN SPEC. OR BAD DESIGN. I THINK THIS IS DUE TO THE WAY THE LIGHTS ARE SHAPED, THERE IS VERY LITTLE LIGHT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF YOU BUT PLENTY OF LIGHT ON THE 2 SIDES OF THE ROAD.

OUR SIENNA WAS DIAGNOSED WITH SLUDGE BUILDUP IN MAY 2000. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AS EVENTUALLY WE WILL ENCOUNTER ENGINE FAILURE AT SOME POINT. TOYOTA REFUSES TO TAKE RESPONSIBLITY OF THIS MATTER AND CONTINUALLY BLAMES THE OWNERS FOR LACK OF MAINTANENCE. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER OWNERS WHO HAVE ENCOUNTERED ENGINE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO NOT HAVE HAD THAT. HOWEVER, WE HAVE NO PEACE OF MIND IN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE EVERY DAY, WITH OUR CHILDREN MIND YOU, AND KNOWING WE COULD HAVE ENGINE FAILURE AT ANY TIME. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER BE DONE. IT IS OBVIOUS THERE IS A PROBLEM AS TOYOTA HAS HAD OVER 3000 COMPLAINTS SUCH AS OURS. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED AS A RESULT OF TOYOTAS NEGLIGENCE IN THIS MATTER. IS THERE A STIPULATION THAT SOMEONE NUST BE INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE AN AGENCY SUCH AS YOURS WILL INVESTIGATE? THAT MAKES NO SENSE. WHEN THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR INJURY YOU MUST FOLLOW THROUGH. PLEASE. *AK

SLUDGE PROBLEM STARTED AT 11111 MILES - ALSO TIRES NEEDED REALIGNMENT AND REPLACEMENT AT ONLY 13115 MILES. THE VAN BLOWS BLUE SMOKE UPON STARTUP. WE HAVE BEEN BLAMED FOR THE SLUDGE PROBLEM. WE HAVE RECEIPTS FOR OIL CHANGES AND HAVE DONE SOME OURSELVES. NOW WE ARE TOLD, BY THE SERVICE DPT. THAT WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR OIL EVERY 1000 MILES AND CHECK THE OIL EVERY TWO DAYS. BEEN DOING A LOT OF READING ON THIS, AND HAVE TALKED TO OTHERS - THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE SIENNA AND OTHER CARS, LEXUS BEING ONE. WAS TOLD THE ENGINE WOULD SEIZE EVENTUALLY AND I WOULD HAVE TO PUT OUT $5000 - $8000 FOR A NEW ONE. THIS ISN'T COVERED UNDER WARRANTY EITHER.*AK

ENGINE HAS FAILED DUE TO OIL LEAKING AT PISTON RINGS/SLUDGE. TOYOTA CLAIMING IMPROPER MAINTENANCE. HAVE MAINTENANCE RECORDS FOR OIL CHANGES AT INTERVALS BETTER THAN RECOMMENDED. TOYOTA CLAIMS DENIED BECAUSE SERVICE NOT PERFORMED AT TOYOTA. ESTIMATE FROM DEALER FOR REPAIR IS $8,300. THERE APPEARS TO BE SOME OTHER PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE BUT THEY WON'T INVESTIGATE FURTHER DUE TO SLUDGE EVEN THOUGH I CAN PROVE PROPER MAINTENANCE.*AK