2000 Toyota Sienna

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINTAED, DEALER STATED THE TORQUE CONVERTER NEEDED REPLACED, ON DECEMBER 25TH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AGAIN AND NOW THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACED, AXLE SHAFT WAS REPLACED DUE TO IT NOT BEING SEATED PROPERLY, HOWEVER THE DEALER PUT THE WRONG BOLTS IN CAUSING A METAL TO METAL SOUND TO HAPPEN WHILE TRAVELING OVER THE SLIGHTEST BUMPS. *SLC

WE WISH TO PLACE THIS REPORT AS IT IS AN UNUSUAL FAILURE FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THE APPARENT BACK ORDER OF TRANSMISSIONS FROM TOYOTA SHOWS FAILURES MUST BE OVERWHELMING. IT IS A SUDDEN FAILURE AND PRESENTS A TREMENDOUS DANGER TO DRIVERS. OURS FAILED WHILE AT HIGH SPEED ON THE INTERSTATE. WE WERE NEARLY REAR ENDED AND THE CRASH WOULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTING. WE CERTAINLY ARE INTERESTED IN DISCOVERING HOW MANY OTHER SIENNA'S OR SIMILARLY EQUIPPED VEHICLES USING THE SAME TRANSMISSION HAVE FAILED.*AK

TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH ON FLORIDA TURNPIKE. THE VAN HAD TO BE TOWED TO BEV SMITH TOYOTA IN FT. PIERCE WHERE IT REMAINS TODAY. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION ARE ON BACK ORDER IN CALIFORNIA WHICH MEANS THEY MUST COME FROM JAPAN. IN DOING SOME RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT SEVERAL HUNDRED SIENNA OWNERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THAT OUR REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WILL HAVE A "FIX" BUT NO ONE WILL TELL US WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION. IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE INCURRED NEARLY $2,000 ADDITIONAL EXPENSES TO DATE, WILL BE INCURRING ADDITIONAL EXPENSES FOR RENTING A VEHICLE, HAVE LOST FOUR DAYS OF WORK (THREE FAMILY MEMBERS), AND HAVE NO IDEA WHEN OUR VEHICLE WILL BE RETURNED TO US. IT APPEARS THAT TOYOTA MOTOR SALES IS AWARE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE 2000 SIENNA TRANSMISSIONS, BUT ISN'T TELLING OWNERS OR POTENTIAL BUYERS OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

ON THE MORNING OF OCT. 27, MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR TO MID TOWN, MANHATTON. SHE DROVE THE CAR FROM A CAR PARK AT 43 STREET. SUDDENLY SHE HEARD A SLIGHT SOUND AND THE CAR LOST GEAR AND SLIDED TO THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND DEAD OFF. SHE PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL, NO REACTION. SHE USED BRA AND STEERING SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. THAT IS A BUSY STREET, A CAR ALMOST HIT HER. SHE PUT THE CAR BACK TO PARKING AND RESTARTED THE CAR AND DROVE AWAY. SHE THOUGHT THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE SHE FORGOT TO START. ( SHE FORGOT SHE DROVE 10 FEET FROM THE CAR PARK). THAT WAS A BUSY DAY, SHE FORGOT TELLING ME. ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE SAME DAY. I DROVE THE CAR TO BOSTON TO SEE AN CUSTOMER. ON THE WAY BACK, I FOUND THERE WAS A STRANGE SOUND WHENEVER I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL IT SOUNDS LIKE AN OLD SHABBY CAR DRIVEN OVER 10 YEARS. I STOPPED ON THE SHOUDER AND CHECKED THE TIRES AND I COULD NOT FOUND ANYTHING. I DROVE BACK TO THE HIGH WAY I-91 SOUTH AGAIN, SUDDENLY, I HEARD AND STRANGE SOUND, THE CAR LOST GEAR AGAIN, IT BECAME SLOWLY AND SLOWLY. I PRESSED THE GAS PEDDLE HARDLY AND THAT WAS NO USE. I PRESSED THE EMMERGENCY LIGHTS AND CHANGE TO THE SLOW LANE. A TRUCK BEHIND ME REACHED ME FAST. MY CAR FORCED HIS TRUCK PASSED ME OVER THE SHOULDER BECAUSE THERE HAPPENED TO BE A CAR IN THE MIDDLE LANE. I WAS SHOCKED TO DEATH. WITHOUT THE TRUCK DRIVER'S ALERT AND SKILLFUL CHANGING LANE, I WOULD DEFINATELY A DEAD MAN. I STOPPED ON THE SHOULDER AND TRIED ALL DEARS, NONE OF THEM WAS WORKING. I RESTARTED THE ENGINEAND NO USE. I CALLED THE AAA TOW TRUCK AND I WAS TOWED BACK TO FORT LEE NEW JERSEY AT 2:30 IN THE MORNING. BEFORE THIS INCIDENCE, THE LEFT REAR STRUT WAS LEAKING, THEY CHANGED THE LEFT REAR SHOCK AND WE DID A TUNE UP AND ROTATE AND BALANCE 10/01/2000. BOTH ME AND MY WIFE RISKED OUR LIVES FOR TOYOTA'S DEFFECTS CARS. I WOULD NOT WANT TO RISK MY FAMILY LIVES TO THIS CAR AGAIN. I STRONGLY REQUIRE TOYOTA RECALLS THIS CAR. I WOULD RATHER BUY AN AMERICAN CAR. IF THEY DO NOT ALLOW US TO RETURN, CHANGE A NEW CAR.

BOTH PROBLEMS/INCIDENTS OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER ARE TIED TOGETHER. THE TOYOTA SIENNA WAS LESS THAN A YEAR OLD AND HAD 9,900 MILES ON IT. CRUISING AT 70MPH THE TRANSMISSION DISENGAGED AND THE ENGINE RACED TO 7,000RPMS. PULLING THE SIENNA OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN ANY OF THE FORWARD OR REVERSE GEARS. THE SIENNA HAD TO BE TOWED TO DUBLIN TOYOTA FOR WARRANTY REPAIR ABOUT 65 MILES AWAY. DEALER CANNOT TELL ME WHAT FAILED, THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO SEND PARTS INTACT BACK TO THE FACTORY FOR POST MORTEM DIAGNOSIS. I HAVE OPENED A REPORT WITH THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER ON 8/31, #20000-8311289. ALSO HAVE BEEN SPEAKING TO THE DUBLIN TOYOTA CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER, JANET FRASER ABOUT FINDING THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND EXTENDING THE WARRANTY TO THESE DRIVE TRAIN COMPONENTS. IT HAS BEEN TWO WEEKS WITH NO RESPONSE.

ACCORDING TO AN EMPLOYEE OF THE GLENDALE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT, THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TORQUE CONVERTER. MANY CARS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT IN FOR REPAIR. THE PART WAS MANUFACTURED TO BE PLACED IN THE SMALLER TOYOTA CAMARY, AND APPARENTLY CAN NOT TAKE THE SIZE/WEIGHT OF THE LARGER VAN. IT SEEMS THAT THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME NOW - BUT THEY CONTINUE TO SELL THE VEHICLE WITHOUT NOTIFIYING POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS; AND CUSTOMERS WHO BOUGHT THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM BECOMING KNOWN.*AK

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT 50 MILES, WE WERE TOLD CAR NEEDS A NEW TORQUE CONVERTER AND THAT IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR WHILE THE PART COMES IN. SIX WEEKS LATER AND 2400 MILES ON THE CAR WITH ENGINE LIGHT ON AND OFF THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. WHEN CAR WAS RETURNED TO US IT SHIFTED WITH A JOLT. BACK IN THE SHOP WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. NOT ACCEPTABLE ON A NEW CAR. *AK