1998 Toyota Sienna

ENGINE SLUDGED AT 35000 MILES, AND AGAIN AT 79000 MILES. WARRANTY COVERAGE WAS DENIED EVEN THOUGH WE PRESENTED EVIDENCE OF REGULAR MAINTENANCE. WE WERE RECENTLY OFFERED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE FIRST REPAIR BY TOYOTA IN THE AMOUNT OF $2300. THEY DENIED REIMBURSEMENT ON THE SECOND REPAIR IN THE AMOUNT OF $7100 BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE ENGINE HAS SLUDGED TWICE IN SPITE OF REGULAR OIL CHANGES. TOTAL REPAIR AND INCIDENTAL COSTS HAVE EXCEEDED $10,000.*AK

I HAD OIL CHANGED IN THE VAN IN SEPTEMBER ,2001 LESS THAN THREE THOUSAND MILES LATER IT BEGAN TO SMOKE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I HAD ENGINE SLUDGE, IN RESEARCHING THIS SUBJECT ON THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO MINE. I WAS TOLD AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY VAN WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY HOWEVER, THAT DUE TO THE LOW MILEAGE I HAVE ON MY VAN THE DEALERSHIP WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP WITH THE COST OF REPAIRS. THE VAN WAS IN THE REPAIR SHOP FOR TWO WEEKS, WHEN I WENT TO RETRIEVE IT I WAS TOLD THAT THE TOYOTA REP. HAD ALSO AGREED TO TAKE CARE OF PART OF THE EXPENSES. NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT TOYOTAS' AND THE DEALERSHIPS' GENEROSITY HAVE MADE ME SOMEWHAT SUSPICIOUS SINCE I WAS INFORMED AT THE BEGINNING THAT THE VAN WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. FURTHERMORE THE COMPLAINTS THAT I ENCOUNTERED FROM OTHER OWNERS ON THE INTERNET LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA MAY BE TRYING TO COVER-UP SOMETHING. REPAIRS COST ME $1430.81. *AK

VEHICLE DID NOT PASS VEHICLE EMISSIONS TEST, DEALER SAID THAT DIRTY OIL HAD LEAKED INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING ENGINE SLUDGE, REPAIRS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, OWNER STATED THAT THE OIL WAS CHANGED REGULARLY, AND KNEW OF OTHER SIMILAR CASES, ONWER IS CONCERNED THAT THIS CONDITION IS A RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT. *TT

THIS ENGINE IS UNDER WARRANTY. I PROVIDED MORE THAN THE NUMBER OF RECEIPTS REQUESTED BY THE DEALERSHIP. TOYOTA SAYS THE OIL CHANGE OUTLETS MUST NOT HAVE ACTUALLY CHANGED THE OIL. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AS USED WITH 153 MILES ON IT. IT WAS PURCHASED AT BALE HONDA IN LITTLE ROCK. BALE TOYOTA HAD USED IT AS A DEMONSTRATOR. BALE TOYOTA IS IN CONWAY, AR WHICH IS 35 MILES AWAY. LANDERS TOYOTA IS THE ONLY TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER IN LITTLE ROCK. AFTER I PROVIDED THEM WITH ALL THE RECORDS REQUESTED, THEY STILL MAINTAIN THAT TOO FEW OIL CHANGES IS THE ONLY CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE SMOKED SO BAD THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS ON FIRE.*AK

AT ONLY 30,000 MILES, WHILE VEHICLE STILL UNDER FULL BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY, SMOKE BEGAN EMITTING FROM EXHAUST PIPE. TOOK TO DEALER - DEALER SAYS IT IS STEAM. NEXT SMOKE GETS WORSE (ITS BLUE) & OIL LIGHT FLASHES WHEN BRAKING. TAKE IT BACK TO DEALER - DEALER SAYS NEED OIL CHANGE. DO IT. NEXT - SAME STUFF. TAKE IT BACK. DEALER SAYS OIL LEAK IN VALVES OR RINGS - WILL CALL TO SET UP APPT. FOR REPAIR. NO CALL. I CALL DEALER. DEALER SAYS WANT OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS. I GET THEM. DEALER SAYS NO FIX UNDER WARRANTY, NOT COVERED, CAUSED BY CONSUMER LACK OF MAINTENANCE. I COMPLAIN TO MANUFACTURER. NO LUCK. I LOOK ON INTERNET - HUNDREDS OF IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS WEB SITES. CAUSED BY SLUDGE IN ENGINE, WHICH ANALYSIS OF SHOWS WATER & FUEL IN OIL. I CONTAACT YOU. *AK

LOUD BANG FROM EGINE FOLLOWED BY FIRE. DEALER SAYS ENGINE THREW A ROD AND FOUND HOLE IN ENGINE. ALSO DAMAGE TO RIGHT AXLE FROM PROJECTILE FROM ENGINE. COMPLAINED ABOUT WHITE SMOKE AT STARTUP TO DEALER AT 22,500 MILE SERVICE, BUT DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEMS. NOW DEALER REFUSES TO HONOR WARRANTY CLAIMING THAT SLUDGE IS IN ENGINE. WHEN I HAD SIMILAR SMOKE PROBLEM WITH 1998 TOYOTA CAMRY, DEALER ADVISED THAT THE VALVE SEALS WERE DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED THE VALVE SEALS AND GASKET UNDER WARRANTY. INTERNET SERCHES HAVE REVEALED AT LEAST ONE AND POSSIBLY AS MANY AS THREE OTHER SIMILAR ENGINE FAILURES DUE TO SLUDGE AFTER COMPLAINTS WERE MADE TO THE DEALER OF WHITE SMOKE AT STARTUP. I ALSO FOUND MULTIPLE REPORTS OF ENGINE FAILURE ASSOICIATED WITH WHITE SMOKE AT STARTUP WHEN DOING SEARCHES REGARDING THE CAMRY. WHEN I WENT TO DEALER TO REMOVE ARTICLES FROM THE VAN AFTER IT WAS TOWED, THE SERVICE ADVISOR POINTED OUT THE LEFT REAR TIRE, ON WHICH APPROXIMATELY 10-12 INCHES OF THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED FROM THE BODY OF THE TIRE. THIS IS FIRESTONE FR 680 TIRE WITH LESS THAN 30,000 MILES ON IT. THE TIRE WAS CHECKED AND WAS FINE PRIOR TO OUT TRIP TO PICK UP OUT EIGHT YEAR OLD DAUGHTER FROM SUMMER CAMP. THE ENGINE FAILURE AND FIRE AND THE SEPARATION OF THREAD OF THE TIRE OCCURRED AFTER WE HAD DRIVEN FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS IN 100 DEGREE PLUS TEMPERATURES WHILE RETURNING FROM THE CAMP. LOCAL POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE.( DOT NUMBER: )