2002 Toyota Sienna

I OWN A 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA WHICH I PURCHASED AS A "CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE" IN JANUARY 2008. I WASN'T INFORMED ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THESE PARTICULAR VEHICLES WERE HAVING WITH OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP. SHORTLY AFTER JANUARY 2010, I CHECKED MY OIL AND FOUND THE OIL TO BE GUMMY. I TOOK IT IN FOR A PROPER OIL CHANGE (THOUGH IT WAS UNDER THE 3000 MILE MARK FOR AN OIL CHANGE). I CHECKED THE OIL AGAIN AFTER ONLY DRIVING 100 MILES OR SO, AND FOUND THE SAME GUMMY OIL BUILD UP. I STOPPED DRIVING IT AS SOON AS I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC AT THE TIME, AS I WAS WAITING FOR MY TAX RETURN CHECK TO ARRIVE. AS SOON AS I HAD THE MONEY TO GET IT DIAGNOSED, I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE, WHICH WOULD COST $7000! MY MECHANIC TOLD ME OF THE ONGOING PROBLEMS MY TYPE OF VEHICLE WAS HAVING AND SUGGESTED I CALL THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT CENTER OF TOYOTA. BECAUSE I WAS NEVER INFORMED BY TOYOTA (I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE IN 2008, SEVERAL YEARS AFTER A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WAS IMPLEMENTED AGAINST TOYOTA) MY WARRANTY HAD ALREADY EXPIRED BY THE TIME I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. I FEEL MISINFORMED AND RIPPED OFF BY BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA AS A WHOLE. I STILL OWE OVER $9000 ON MY LOAN AND DO NOT HAVE A VEHICLE TO DRIVE MY FIVE CHILDREN AROUND IN SAFELY. TOYOTA IS RISKING THE LIVES AND LOYALTY OF MILLIONS OF CONSUMERS AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY. THEY REFUSE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AND HAVE BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF RUDE TO ME. I HOPE THE GOVERNMENT OF THIS COUNTRY WILL DO SOMETHING TO HELP REIMBURSE BOTH MYSELF, AND THE MILLIONS OF OTHERS LIKE ME. THIS IS A CRIME AND NEEDS TO BE STOPPED! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHENEVER THE CHARCOAL CANISTER OR ANY MINOR MALFUNCTION OCCURRED IN THE VEHICLE THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS DEACTIVATED. THE TRACTION CONTROL ALSO DEACTIVATED WHEN THE FUEL CAP WAS NOT REPLACED PROPERLY ON THE FUEL TANK. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE DEFECT; YET, THEY REQUIRE THE CONTACT TO COME IN WHENEVER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK SINCE IT RAINS IN FLORIDA AND THE TRACTION CONTROL WHEN ACTIVATED ENGAGED ITSELF TO ASSIST WITH TRACTION. THE CONTACT HAD TO REPLACE THE CHARCOAL CANISTER VALVE. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NORMAL AND NOT A DANGER. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

IDLE CONTROL VALVE FAILURE. PREVENTS CAR FROM IDLING CORRECTLY. CAR WILL START AND THEN CUT OFF RIGHT AFTER YOU DRIVE OFF. POTENTIALLY CAUSING YOU TO GET HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES. THIS HAPPENED ON MY 2002 SIENNA AT 40K MILE AND CONTINUOUSLY SINCE. I KNOW OF 4 OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM. MY MECHANIC HAD ABOUT 10 OR THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS IN HIS SHOP AND HE SAID THAT HE REPLACES THESE ALL THE TIME ON ALL THE TOYOTAS. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE FREMONT TOYOTA DEALER AND THE SERVICE REP SAID THE FAILURE RATE WAS SO HIGH THAT THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE FOR THIS PART AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE 2 MONTHS FOR THE PART TO BE AVAILABLE. THE DUBLIN CA, TOYOTA DEALER WAS ALSO WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM OF THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE. IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ALL OPERATORS OF SIENNAS, CAMRYS, AND OTHER TOTOTA VEHICLES WITH THIS IDLE CONTROL VALVE. *NM

I HAVE 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CAR WAS PERFECT UNTIL AFTER 30K MILES. WE FIRST NOTICED THE CAR OCCASIONALLY HAD DIFFICULTY OF STARTING DURING WARM WEATHER OR WARM ENGINE CONDITION. THEN THE SITUATION GOT WORST, THE NO STARTING GOT MORE OFTEN. WE EVEN GOT STUCK IN THE FREEWAY AND BUSY STREET BECAUSE WE STOPPED THE CAR AND HAD A LOT OF DIFFICULTY TO GET THE CAR STARTED AGAIN. THE SITUATION COULD BE DANGEROUS IN A TRAFFIC BUSY LOCATION. I HAVE TWO FRIEND WHO HAVE SIENNA AND THEY BOTH HAD THE SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR SIENNA. THE USUAL SYMPTOM OF THE PROBLEM: THE CAR TAKES MORE CRACKING TO START AND THEN ITS RPM IMMEDIATELY DROPS TO 400-200RPM AND THEN THE ENGINE DIES; SOME TIMES PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR WOULD HELP RAISING THE RPM AND GOT THE CAR REALLY STARTED; AT SOME OTHER TIMES, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START AT ALL UNTIL THE ENGINEER COOLS DOWN AND/OR THE WEATHER COOLS DOWN; TODAY, IT HAPPENED AGAIN IN AN OUTDOOR PARKING LOT. I AM STILL TRYING TO GET IT STARTED. *NM

PURCHASE 2002 SIENNA CE IN JUNE 2002. HAVE LEAK IN TOP RADIATOR HOSE WHERE IT JOINS THE ENGINE. LOOSES COOLANT OVER SEVERAL WEEKS. BROUGHT TO TOYOTA DEALER WHERE PURCHASED AND THEY REFUSED TO REPLACE THE HOSE. INSTALLED A NEW CLAMP. NOW 3 MONTHS LATER THE PROBLEM IS BACK. I BELIEVE THIS IS A BAD PART THAT SHOULD BE REPLACED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE DEALER IS GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND.*AK

MY 2002 SIENNA HAS 26,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS A LOUD ENGINE KNOCKING WHEN ACCELERATING AT CERTAIN SPEEDS. IT HAS BEEN DOING IT FOR ABOUT THE LAST 6000 MILES. AT 20,000 MILES, SCOTT CLARKES TOYOTA IN CHARLOTTE TOLD ME TO USE A BETTER GRADE GASOLINE, WITH NO RESULTS. AT 24,000 MILES, THEY TOLD ME I HAVE SPARK KNOCK AND NEED TO DRIVE THE CAR AT HIGHER SPEEDS MORE OFTEN. (I DRIVE MOSTLY IN THE CITY). READING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT SLUDGE, I THINK THIS IS RELATED, SINCE THEY TOLD ME MY OIL WAS SLUDGEY TOO. I THINK THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RECALLED. *AK

ENGINE OIL SLUDGE FORMING IN CAMSHAFT CARRIER AND UNDER OIL FILLER CAP AFTER ONLY 35K MILES! I BOUGHT THIS SIENNA BRAND NEW FOR $32000 AND PERFORM MAINTENANCE RELIGIOUSLY, CHANGING OIL & FILTER EVERY 4000 - 5000. YET, LAST WEEK ON A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE I NOTICED BLACK GRITTY DEPOSITS CAKED UNDERNEATH THE OIL FILLER CAP! IT WAS ABOUT 2-4 MM THICK; I COULD SCRAPE IT WITH MY FINGERNAILS AND IT FELT LIKE HARDENED SUGAR. I COULD SEE THE BLACK DEPOSITS WELL INTO THE CAM CARRIER. I FOUND OUT THAT MANY OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS SLUDGE PROBLEM! THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN FLAW IN THE 3.0L V6 ENGINES CAUSING THE OIL TO SLUDGE; TOYOTA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL ON THESE ENGINES! *LA