2001 Toyota Sienna

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 TO 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART SO IT WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, THEY ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD-UP AND OIL JELLING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 134,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I HAVE A SIENNA LE 2001. 118,000 MILES. WE HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNERS SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. WE HAVE NO PERFECT RECORD OF OIL CHANGES BUT WE HAVE DONE IT PERIODICALLY. ABOUT 3-4 MONTHS AGO, IT WAS RUNNING OK, BUT IT BLEW OUT WHITE-ISH/ BLUE-ISH SMOKE OCCASIONALLY (USUALLY WHEN FIRST STARTING, IT DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF IT WAS HOT OR COLD). IT ALSO HAD LITTLE AND OCCASIONAL POWER LOSS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE WE BOUGHT IT, AND THEY SAID THEY JUST TOOK OFF THE TOP COVER OF THE ENGINE AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GUMMED UP WITH OIL. I HAVE CHANGED THE PCV VALVE, I TOOK IT TO A PLACE FOR AN OIL AND OIL FILTER CHANGE, I AM CONCERNED THE DAMAGE WILL CONTINUE TO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER SAID I NEED A NEW ENGINE, COSTING AROUND $8000. I ASKED A SECOND OPINION OF THE MECHANIC THAT HAS WORKED ON OUR CARS, AND HE THINKS HE WOULD NEED TO TAKE APART THE ENGINE AND FIGURE OUT HE PROBLEM, COSTING AROUND $2000-$3000, HE ALSO MENTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF A NEW MOTOR. HONESTLY, I DO NOT RECALL RECEIVING INFORMATION ABOUT THE "SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT" FROM TOYOTA OR DEALER REGARDING CHECK-REPLACE THE ENGINES THAT ARE OR COULD BE DAMAGED FROM SLUDGE. I WILL APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT AND SUPPORT. *TR

THE ENGINE FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5,000 DUE TO OIL SLUDGE BUILDUP. TRAVELING ON I-4 FROM TAMPA TO ORLANDO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED THEN WE HEARD A TAPPING FROM THE ENGINE,. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND AAA TOWED THE VEHICLE AND A RENTAL CAR COMPANY PICKED US UP. I HAD TWO ELDERLY PASSENGERS (IN THEIR 80'S) WITH WALKERS WHO HAD TO TRAVERSE THE GRASS ALONG THE INTERSTATE TO GET TO THE RENTAL CAR AND WERE NEARLY BLOWN OVER BY PASSING TRUCKS. TOYOTA REFUSED TO HONOR A CLAIM FOR REPAIRS ALTHOUGH THEY HAD AGREED IN A RECENT LOUISIANA LAWSUIT TO COVER SAID REPAIRS FOR 8 YEARS FROM DATE OF PURCHASE. MY FAILURE WAS 8 YEARS AND 10 MONTHS FROM PURCHASE. THE SLUDGE TOOK MUCH LONGER THAN 8 MONTHS TO BUILD UP BUT TOYOTA REFUSED TO HONOR THEIR STATED COMMITMENT TO ASSIST ALL AFFECTED BY OIL SLUDGE DAMAGE (OVER 3,000 COMPLAINTS). THEIR PRODUCT WAS DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS AND THEIR DENIAL TO ASSIST WAS DISHONORABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH HE NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, MOMENTS LATER THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE ENGINE SLUDGE. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 105,000.

AT 54,525 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS "REPLACE AIR/FUEL SENSOR B1 S1." FAILURE CAUSED EXCESSIVE DAMAGE BECAUSE THE SENSOR FUSED INTO THE REAR EXHAUST MANIFOLD. DIAGNOSTIC TESTING $ 49.00 SENSOR REPLACEMENT PART 227.52 " " LABOR 150.00 REAR EXHAUST MANIFOLD 154.21 REAR EXHAUST MANIFOLD GASKET 29.27 REPAIR WAS NOT DONE AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I AM REPORTING THIS SO THAT TOYOTA WILL CHANGE THE DESIGN. FAILED PART SHOULD NOT DAMAGE SURROUNDING STRUCTURES. SUGGEST RECALL ON THIS PART IF TOYOTA CONTINUES TO USE THIS DESIGN. *NM

2001 TOYOTA SIENNA LE, PURCHASED NEW, STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON WHEN VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 25,000 PLUS/MINUS MILES. UNDER WARRANTY, TOYOTA DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR WITHOUT A CHARGE. HOWEVER, DURING THIS PROCESS, THE "BEEP" SIGNAL YOU HEAR WHEN LOCKING-UNLOCKING THE VEHICLE WITH REMOTE KEY WAS DISAPPEARED. THIS IS ALSO FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 35,000 MILES. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID IT IS DUE TO A DIRTY VACUUM HOSE, THEY CLEANED IT WITH A CHARGE LITTLE OVER $100.00. THE NEXT DAY THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, THIS TIME THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE CHARCOAL CANISTER (PARTS FREE, BUT WE HAVE TO PAY LABOR--ABOUT $100.00). THIS THING CAUSES EXTREME MENTAL DISTRESS, TIME, MONEY, SECURITY ETC.*JB

THE ENGINE OF MY TOYOTA SIENNA 2001 WITH AN IDENTIFIED OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM SEIZED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VEHICLE COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED AND MY TODDLER THREW UP IN FEAR AS WE TRIED TO AVOID BEING SMASHED INTO WHILE THE CAR COASTED TO A STOP. MECHANIC REPEATEDLY SAID CAM SEIZED, METAL FILINGS FOUND, AND "COULD NOT THINK OF ANY OTHER REASON BUT THE SLUDGE PROBLEM." TOYOTA REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER UNLIMITED MILEAGE, 8-YEAR WARRANTY. CAR IS PRESENTLY WITH DEALER AND MAY BE EXAMINED BY ENGINEERS FROM NHTSA (DEALER AGREED ON 12/22/05). THIS FAILURE WAS PREDICTED BY ANOTHER DEALER. CAR ALWAYS SMOKED--BLAMED ON "NEW ENGINE BREAK IN", "LACK OF MAINTENANCE", ETC. LATER TOYOTA SENT LETTER ABOUT THE ISSUE. THIS TIME DEALER AGREES MAINTENANCE WAS EXCELLENT. *NM

WE OWN A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN, WE PURCHASED IT IN 2001 BUT IT WAS USED WITH 18,000 MILES ON IT. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, SEVERAL THINGS HAVE GONE WRONG. #1- PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW HAD A DEFECTIVE MOTOR AND WOULD NOT GO BACK UP. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, SO WE HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THAT REPAIR. #2- DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH SHUT. THE BUTTON GOT STUCK FROM THE INSIDE WHICH PREVENTED THE DOOR FROM LATCHING SHUT. THIS HAD HAPPENED MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE BUTTON POPPED OUT AND THE DOOR WOULD SHUT. BUT ON ONE OCCASION THE BUTTON POPPED OUT AND THE DOOR STILL WOULD NOT SHUT. WE HAD TO DRIVE HOME HOLDING THE DOOR SHUT THE ENTIRE WAY! OF COURSE, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE WITH OUR 2 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AT THE DEALER (AGAIN NOT UNDER WARRANTY), BUT THE DOOR STILL CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE, OR THE BUTTON GETS STUCK IN. #3- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A DIAGNOSTIC TEST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS- IDLE AIR CONTROL, BANK 1 SENSOR (MOST LIKELY OXYGEN SENSOR), LEAKY CHARCOAL CANISTER. WE FIXED THE IDLE AIR CONTROL SINCE THAT WAS CAUSING THE VAN TO NOT START AND STALL. THIS REPAIR WAS ALMOST $700, AND NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE WE HAD GONE OVER 36,000 MILES. WE DID NOT FIX THE OTHER TWO PROBLEMS LAST MONTH DUE TO COST. THE VAN OVERHEATS AND CAN NOT BE DRIVEN. WE WROTE A LETTER TO TOYOTA AND TALKED TO THEM VIA PHONE. THEY TOLD US THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BECAUSE OUR VAN IS NOT A LEGAL US VAN- IT IS WAS BUILT IN CANADA. WE BOUGHT IT AT A TOYOTA DEALER IN ROCHESTER, NY AND WERE NEVER TOLD IT WAS CANADIAN. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT NO WARRANTY WOULD EVER BE COVERED IN THE US BECAUSE IT IS CANADIAN. CARFAX.COM SAYS IT WAS BUILT IN THE UNITED STATES HOWEVER. WE TRIED TO GO THE ROUTE OF THE LEMON LAW, BUT COULD NOT. *NM