This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I own a 2000 Toyota Sienna which I have had for one year. To date, I have paid to repair the rear seat, as once it was taken out, the mechanism broke and it could not be put back in the car. Also, we have replaced the drivers side seat belt (the whole thing) because the seat belt light would constantly blink. Now the passenger side seat belt light blinks when the seat belt is latched and when nobody is sitting there. The power sliding door has been looked at and repaired three different times. It continues to open, but will never close all the way. Both the drivers side and passengers side power windows will not roll down (or if they do, they will not go back up). There is a banging sound coming from the middle floor board by the gas pedal. The transmission has been replaced. Finally, the rear door latch broke completely and there is no way to open the rear door - from the inside or out. All of this is with normal wear.
Oil gelling related damage-2000 Toyota Sienna w/V6 with oil gelling. This engine was repaired under Toyota's special repair program. The issue is that the repair does not include enough parts to properly return the unit into service without compramising the main and rod bearings, as well as the rear and front seals. I am now faced with a $1400 repair bill for the rear main seal at 65K miles. I beleive that this portion of the engine was comprimised do to lack of oil casued by the oil gelling. The screen was 85% blocked and since the main and rod bearings are the first to be fed oil from the pump, they have experienced accelerated wear. I base this on my discovery when at the dealer. I am an ase certified automotive technician with engine speciality ratings, so I can speak as an expert on this matter. I tried to discuss with Toyota Corp at the local level and they do not see any reason to continue the discussion.
I put my car in the shop at coleman Toyota telling them the car wouldn't start. They replaced the ignition chamber and then phoned to say the starter was bad too- they charged me about $575. I picked up the car Wednesday March 15 and on March 16 the car just stopped as I was driving to work. The car had to be towed to coleman Toyota. They phoned to tell me the engine had "locked" and the car was shot. They refuse to refund me the $575 for the unnecessary repairs and refuse to acknowledge that the engine failure due to "gelling" is a manufacturers defect.
The engine in my 2000 Toyota Sienna has a defect that causes engine oil jelling and leads to a total failure of the engine. The problem first occurred at 38000 miles while still under the new car warranty. Toyota fixed the problem by cleaning the sludge from the value area of the engine but this did not eliminate the problem. At 68000, there was a complete failure of the engine that was a result of engine oil gelling. A Toyota technician who inspected the car stated that there is scaring of the internal engine parts that indicate a history of oil starvation. The oil starvation problem that caused the engine failure is due to oil gelling problem. Toyota has agreed to extend the warranty on my vehicle to cover this problem for a period of eight years with unlimited mileage, however, they are now refusing to honor this warranty.
- Mason, OH, USA
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2000 Toyota Sienna experienced serious sludging problem and had "sludge/gel repair" done by Toyota at 58K miles. Service dates: Oct 14 and 15, 2002. On July 18, 2004, the Sienna (with 81K miles) broke down during a vacation trip. Diagnosis: Residual engine damage from sludge problem and inadequate repair led to failure of a thrust washer/bearing that caused extensive damage to the engine from metal fragments that spread throughout the engine. Estimated repair cost: $7,300. I am currently trying to get Toyota to repair the engine at their cost and to cover all of my related costs due to the failure (e.g. hotel costs, rental car).
Toyota Sienna ls, year 2000, approx 73000 miles. Always serviced by Toyota, electrical system / engine not modified or altered. Drove last Friday morning (July 16, 2004) from nc to the DC area. Just before DC, car completely stalled 3 times on I-95, at interstate speed, approx 15 to 20 minutes apart. Each time, the ABS and low tire pressure dashboard light came on. Clock flashed. No check engine light came on. The car recovered within 2 to 3 seconds while moving, but lost speed, as the engine was not running. Radio was not turned on, not sure if it would have lost power also. Could duplicate one stall by turning the headlights on while moving. Again, engine stalled for 2 to 3 seconds, ABS and low tire pressure dashboard light came on. I'm not totally sure, but I think that the RPM and the odometer needle went back to 0 during the engine stalls. But again, I'm not 100% sure on the odometer needle going to "0", as it all happened fairly fast. Repair attempts: Drove to the nearest Toyota dealer in DC on the same day, car stalled again as we drove into the dealer ship and came to a complete stand still. (Toyota of stafford, tel: 1-540-720-4700, repair ticket 16153) they test drove car for 2 X 20 mins, found no problem, computer did not log any error codes what so ever according to dealer. Drove back to nc, went to Toyota dealer in durham, nc today (July 19). Dealer told me that there is nothing they can do, unless the car is stalling right now and told us to return once the "check engine" light is on. It is very disappointing for me that the dealers can not locate this problem and that there is apparently no procedure from Toyota for finding critical problems that do not show up in the computer log. It is certainly no fun to have an engine stalling on I-95, while the 18 wheelers catch up with you.
2001 Toyota Sienna had sludge problem. Toyota fixed but still calls this an owner issue!"? have seen complaints that these engines have still failed a couple thousand miles after fix. Toyota originally insisted people buy new engines but only cleans them now. What about their modifying this engine starting in July 2001? no problems with those engines. This V6 is in 9 models over 6 years and somehow it's the owners? they replaced my valve covers stating the PCV system is inetgrated into the valve covers. They get clogged and can't be cleaned. Will it take an engine seizing up due to engine failure at highway speeds, and a fatality to get Toyota's attention on this" I never received their "letter" of notification. I had owned it brand new off the lot. I can't afford to keep a ticking financial time bomb in my garage.
Problems with tire wear, transmission and power steering pump. The vehicle is on it's fourth set of tires at 45,000 miles due to tracking problem. There was a whine coming from the torque converter pump. The transmission shifted to neutral on three occasions. The dealer never mentioned there was early sludge building up in the oil. The engine made noise and vibrated. Dealer notified.
Ltr fwd fm fhwa re their defective 2000 Toyota Sienna xle, the van has problems with engine sludge... the vehicle started to blow blue smoke and ran rough. The dealer discovered engine gel deposits. The malfunctioning light had come on due to the oxygen sensor per dealer, the brakes squealed when stopped at low speeds(problem continued), and pulled to the left. The dealer could not duplicate. The engine sludge had come back again due to a burnt hole in the valve which was in the piston. The tachometer illumination appeared to be out and the bulb was replaced. The consumer requested reimbursement for the hotel stay and the vehicle rental.
Ltr fwd fm fhwa re his defective 2000 Toyota Sienna xle that emits a loud bearing whine, the transmission randomly shifted into neutral. The tires were replaced 3 times due to tracking & pulling problems. The consumer was told by the rep that 31K miles on a Michelin was all to expect on this vehicle. The vehicle was on it's fourth set of tires at 55K miles. The tracking problems were resolved on the two sets of four within the first 15K miles. The vehicle downshifted when going between the second and third gears. There were results form an engine oil analysis that may indicate early sludge build up.
There were problems with transmission and tire equipment. Mr the vehicle was on it's fourth set of tires due to a tracking problem. There was a whine coming from the torque converter pump. The transmission shifted to neutral on three occasions. Dealer saw indications of early sludge build up in the oil. The engine made noises and vibrated. (dayton/Goodyear)
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.
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.
I took my new Toyota Sienna to be repaired because it was smoking. I was told that the engine had sludge in it and Toyota was denying any warranty claims. How does a brand new engine get sludge in it? there are literally hundreds of similar instances reported on various sites on the internet. The pattern is similar - low mileage Toyota vehcles (especially Siennas) suddenly smoking and having sludge in their engines, depsite proper maintenance and regular oil changes. There clearly is a coverup here by Toyota. They are declining warranty claims rather than trying to deal with the problem.
Vehicle made loud noise when engine runs which sounds like a hardened belt. Dealer replaced belt which did not fix the problem. Dealer replaced the pulley system which made most of the noise go away, but a slight belt like whisle can still be heard.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Quartz Hill, CA, USA