2000 Toyota Sienna

WHITE SMOKE COMES OUT OF THE TAILPIPE WHEN THE ENGINE IS STARTED. TOYOTA DEALER SAYS THAT THE RINGS ARE BAD DUE TO SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. THEY, AND TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICE, SAY THAT THE SLUDGE IS DUE TO NEGLIGENT MAINTENANCE. HOWEVER, OIL CHANGES WERE MADE AT THE PROPER INTERVALS ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE DEALER SAYS THAT REPAIRS WILL COST BETWEEN $2300 AND $5700 AND THAT THE WARRANTY IS VOIDED BY THE PRESENCE OF SLUDGE. I TRIED, UNSUCCESSFULLY, TO CONVINCE THEM THAT THIS LEVEL OF SLUDGE BUILD-UP WAS NOT REASONABLE FOR AN ENGINE OF THIS AGE. I'M AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT TO DO TO GET TOYOTA TO HONOR THEIR WARRANTY. THIS SEEMS LIKE FRAUD TO ME. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT NHTSA CAN DO? GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINT THAT I'VE SEEN ON THIS SITE REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, I THINK SOME GOVERNMENTAL PRESSURE WOULD HELP TO GET TOYOTA TO DO THE RIGHT THING.*AK

NOTICED WHITE SMOKE UPON STARTING CAR FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY, THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON WHILE TRAVELING-STOPPED AND PUT IN 1 QUART OF OIL, LIGHT WENT OUT. THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, THE ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON. THE NEXT MORNING, TUESDAY I TOOK THE CAR TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT OUR ENGINE WAS FULL OF SLUDGE DUE TO IMPROPER OR LACK OF MAINTENANCE. THE REPAIRS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY. WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF $9K TO REPLACE THE ENGINE OR $5500 TO REBUILD THE ENGINE. WE THEN TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR, AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING, ONLY THIS ESTIMATE WAS $2K TO "CLEAN" THE ENGINE. THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED THE TOYOTA REP ON OUR BEHALF AND WAS DENIED ANY HELP THROUGH THE WARRANTY. IN FILING A REPORT WITH TOYOTA WAS TOLD MY NEXT STEP WAS ARBITRATION - "THE PAPERWORK IS IN YOUR WARRANTY BOOK". I HAD TO HAVE THE ENGINE CLEANED AT MY OWN EXPENSE.*AK

THE ENGINE PRODUCE CLOUDS OF GREY/WHITE SMOKE FOR 5 TO 10 SECONDS AFTER A COLD START UP. UPON CHECKING, FOUND THE ENGINE OIL 1.5 TO 2 QUARTS LOW. ADDED OIL AND DROVE VEHICLE FOR A FEW DAYS WITH SIMILAR SYMPTOMS - SMOKE AFTER COLD START OF AFTER BEING PARKED FOR MORE THAN 2 HOURS. ON 7/3/01 BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER LOOKED UNDER ONLY ONE CAMSHAFT COVER, FOUND EVIDENCE OF SLUDGE AND - EVEN THOUGH I HAD RECEIPTS AND PROOF OF THREE PRIR OIL & FILTER CHANGES AT 5800, 11000, AND 16595 MILES - DECLARED MY ENGINE WARRANTY NULL & VOID AND MADE NO OTHER ATTEMPT TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. I AM CURRENTLY TRYING TO GET TOYOATA TO HONOR MY WARRANTY AND TO HAVE ANOTHER DEALER OR MECHANIC DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, RESEARCH ON THE WEB INDICATES THAT TOYOTA IS STONEWALLING MANY CUSTOMER LIKE MYSELF.