1998 Toyota Sienna

HAD SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. ENGINE LOST OIL AND SMOKE COMING OUT THE TAIL PIPE. THEY REBUILT MY ENGINE FOR FREE. SAYING THAT I DID NOT CHANGE OIL FREQUENT ENOUGH. I HAVE PROOF AND DID CHANGE EVERY 4-5000 MILES BUT NOT WITH THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. MY CONCERN IS THAT WHAT DID THEY CHANGE TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN\\'T HAPPEN AGAIN. THEY COULD NOT PROMISE ME IT WOULDN\\'T EVEN IF I CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 3000 MILES

FAX FM GEORGE A. STOUFFER (NC) REQUEST THAT TOYOTA COVER THE COST OF A NEW ENGINE FOR THIS 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA DUE TO AN "OIL GEL" PROBLEM. *MR WHITE SMOKE HAD COME FROM THE TAIL PIPE. THE SERVICE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT TOYOTA LABELED AN "OIL GEL PROBLEM" AND TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THE ENGINE WOULD BE CLEANED UNDER WARRANTY. THE PROBLEM RECURRED AND DESTROYED THE ENGINE. TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PAYMENT UNDER THE SAME PROVISIONS AS BEFORE. (THEY REFUSED THE REQUEST) *SC THE REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE WAS DENIED, BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER STATED THE CONSUMER DID NOT PROPERLY MAINTAIN THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER HAD PROOF THAT THE VEHICLE WAS WELL MAINTAINED, ONCE THAT PROOF WAS SENT, THE MANUFACTURER CLAIMED THE WARRANTY ONLY COVERED ONE SINGLE REPAIR, BUT THE ORIGINAL REPAIR NEVER FIXED THE DESIGN FLAW, BUT ONLY CLEANED OUT THE OIL GEL. *JB

WE HAVE A TOYOTA SIENNA VAN. IN 8/02 WE HAD 'OIL GEL SLUDGING' AND THE ENGINE WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. NOW, WE HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. WITH THE INITIAL REPAIR, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW. SINCE THE ENGINE WAS POORLY DESIGNED, AND THERE IS A RECURRING PROBLEM DUE TO THE DESIGN, WHY DO THEY THINK A ONE-TIME REPAIR WILL SUFFICE? *LA

WE ARE ON OUR THIRD MOTOR FOR A TOYOTA SIENNA 1998 VAN, PURCHASED NEW. SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, WE HAD THE MOTOR REPLACED. WE WERE CHARGED $4-500, THOUGH TOYOTA HANDLED IT UNDER WARRANTY. NOW, 10,000 MILES LATER, WE MUST REPLACE THE ENGINE AGAIN, AT A COST OF $6000. THE PROBLEM, AGAIN, IS 'SLUDGE'. WE ARE ALSO, LIKE OTHERS FILING COMPLAINTS ON YOUR SITE AND OTHERS, BEING HARASSED BY THE DEALERSHIP, WHO CLAIM WE HAVE "NEVER CHANGED THE OIL." FOR ARGUMENT, LET'S SAY THIS IS TRUE. IN 10,000 MILES, YOU WILL UTTERLY DESTROY A NEW ENGINE IF YOU MISS AN OIL CHANGE, RECOMMENDED FOR BETWEEN 5,000 AND 7500 MILES? I BELIEVE THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN SOLD A DEFECTIVE DESIGN, AND THAT THE COMPANY, DELIBERATELY OR NOT, IS REFUSING TO TAKE OWNER COMPLAINTS SERIOUSLY. *LA

SIDE SLIDING DOORS OF TOYOTA SIENNA MINI-VAN DO NOT UNLOCK / LOCK OR RELEASE FOR OPEN. DOOR BUTTON IS STUCK IN A PUSHED-IN POSITION AND WILL NOT RELEASE ON EITHER SIDE DOOR. THIS PREVENTS PASSENGER FROM OPENING DOOR. PASSENGER IS LOCKED IN AND CANNOT EXIT THE VAN. PASSENGER MUST EXIT THE VAN BY CLIMBING INTO THE FRONT SEAT AND OUT THE FRONT DOOR OF THE VAN. THE BUTTON ON THE SLIDE DOOR EVENTUALLY UNSTICKS AND POPS OUT, ALLOWING THE DOOR TO OPEN.