2000 Toyota Sienna

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. *NM

I HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE FRONT SEAT BELTS IN MY SIENNA FOR SOME TIME NOW. THE WARNING INDICATOR NEVER GOES OFF ALTHOUGH THE SEAT BELT IS ON. THIS IS FOR BOTH THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO TOYOTA AT LEAST FOUR TIMES AND HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS A VERY COSTLY REPAIR. AT LEAST $500 PER BELT. WHEN I ASKED IF IT WAS SAFE TO KEEP IT IN THE CURRENT CONDITION, I WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA TO CARRY A PAIR OF SCISSORS WITH ME IN CASE THE SEAT BELT FAILS IN AN ACCIDENT. I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS TYPE OF REPAIR FOR THE LIFE OF A CAR SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

THE PASSENGER (MANUAL ) SLIDING DOOR BECAME HARD TO OPEN. THE HANDLE STICKS AND DOES NOT OPEN ON THE FIRST TRY. THE HANDLE THEN BROKE OFF COMPLETELY LEAVING THE DOOR UNSAFE AND UNABLE TO LATCH PROPERLY. WE PURCHASED A NEW HANDLE FROM THE DEALER FOR A PRICE OF $95.00. WE FEEL THIS SPECIFIC CAR HANDLE IS NOT MADE TO WITHSTAND THE USE OF A SLIDING DOOR OR THE WEIGHT OF THE DOOR AND WILL FAIL WITH CONTINUED USE. YOU MUST PULL OUT THE HANDLE TO OPEN THE SLIDING DOOR AND CONTINUE TO HOLD IT OUT UNTIL THE DOOR IS COMPLETELY OPEN. ALL THE WEIGHT OF THE DOOR AND THE MOMENTUM OF THE SLIDER REST OF THIS HANDLE. HAVE FOUND OTHERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS ONLINE. ALSO, MAY CONSIDER WEATHER AS A FACTOR TOO. THE COLDER THE WEATHER THE WORSE IT PERFORMS. *JB

2000 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH APPROX. 64,000 MILES: ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) COMPUTER FAILED. DEALER SAID REPLACEMENT COST WOULD BE $2000 AND BLAMED FAILURE ON "DIRTY BRAKE FLUID" WHICH SEEMS EXTREMELY UNLIKELY SINCE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED AS A CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE AT 36,000 MILES LESS THAN 2 YEARS PRIOR TO FAILURE. FAILED ABS COMPUTER IS STILL INSTALLED ON VEHICLE SINCE WE CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE IT. *NM

BOTH OF THE OUTSIDE HANDLES ON THE SLIDING PASSENGER DOORS ON MY 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA BROKE WITHIN THE PAST FEW WEEKS. (ONE HANDLE BROKE OFF COMPLETELY AND ONE IS STILL PARTIALLY ATTACHED TO THE DOOR.) ONE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE AND THE OTHER ONE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO OPEN. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THE NATIONAL 800 NUMBER. BOTH THE LOCAL AND THE NATIONAL POINTS OF CONTACT SAID THERE WERE NO KNOWN ISSUES WITH THE DOOR HANDLES AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. THE DEALERSHIP ADVISED ME THAT I COULD PAY THEM @$300 A DOOR TO HAVE THE BROKEN HANDLES REPLACED. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB AND DID FIND SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS / POSTINGS ABOUT BROKEN DOOR HANDLES. *NM

WHEN I TRIED TO START MY 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN LAST WEEK, IT DID NOT START NORMALLY AND IT MADE A STRANGE NOISE. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, AND THE NOISE CONTINUED. I REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO MAKE NOISE. IT APPEARED THAT THE CAR WAS STILL TRYING TO START, EVEN THOUGH THE KEY WAS NO LONGER IN THE IGNITION. THE CAR WAS MAKING A CHUGGING NOISE - THAT MIGHT HAVE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS RUNNING TO SOMEONE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE CAR. I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. I CALLED FOR A FRIEND TO COME AND HELP. HE ARRIVED APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER - THE CAR WAS CHUGGING CONTINUOUSLY ALL THIS TIME AND MY GARAGE (WHERE THE VAN WAS PARKED) WAS STARTING TO SMELL. MY FRIEND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE VAN ON AND OFF AGAIN - THIS HAD NO EFFECT. HE OPENED THE HOOD, (THERE WAS SOME SMOKE) AND EVENTUALLY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY USING A WRENCH - THIS FINALLY STOPPED THE VAN. HE BELIEVES THAT A FIRE WOULD HAVE STARTED HAD HE NOT DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THE VAN WAS TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY REPLACED THE STARTER. THEY SAID THAT THE STARTER MUST HAVE SHORTED OUT AND THAT IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT WE DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THIS HAPPENED IN MY GARAGE IN MY HOME AS I WAS ABOUT TO TAKE MY CHILDREN TO SCHOOL. I AFRAID THAT THIS DEFECT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS FIRE, DAMAGE TO MY HOME AND POSSIBLY SERIOUS INJURY TO MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF. *NM

THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BUCKLE RECEIVER STOPPED WORKING. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERS SERVICE MANAGER, A SMALL PLASTIC TAB (HE CALLED IT A "SPACER") IN THE BUCKLE RECEIVER BROKE OFF AND PREVENTED THE BUCKLE FROM LATCHING. I NOTE THAT A SIMILAR PROBLEM ON THE 2001 FORD ESCAPE WAS THE SUBJECT OF A VOLUNTARY RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V507000).*JB

THERE IS AN ADMITTED DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE 1999-2001 TOYOTA SIENNA AND CAMRY ENGINES. THE COOLING CHAMBER PASSAGES TO THE CYLINDERS WERE REDUCED IN SIZE TO REDUCE HAZARDOUS EMISSIONS WHICH HAD THE UNANTICIPATED SIDE EFFECT OF CAUSING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CYLINDER HEADS TO REACH UP TO 130 DEGREES. FOR MANY OWNERS, THIS HAS CAUSED THE OIL TO OXIDIZE FORMING A SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE WHICH IN OUR CASE LED TO ENGINE FAILURE IN OUR 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN REQUIRING ENGINE REPLACEMENT AT 59,000 MILES COSTING OVER $8,000. THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED WITH OUR 1999 CAMRY. TOYOTA CLAIMS THAT THIS IS DUE TO NOT CHANGING THE OIL FREQUENTLY ENOUGH, AND THIS MAY BE TRUE. HOWEVER MY BROTHER'S FRIEND BOUGHT A TOYOTA CELICA BACK IN THE 1970'S AND NEVER CHANGED THE OIL, NEVER EVEN OPENED THE HOOD TO ADD OIL OR MAINTENANCE IT AT ALL - JUST DROVE IT UNTIL QUIT - AT 80,000 MILES. GRANTED THIS IS NOT ADVISABLE BUT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT WHILE LESS THAN OPTIMAL OIL CHANGE FREQUENCIES MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THIS ENGINE FAILURE PROBLEM IN THE 1999-2001 MODELS, BASED ON OTHER RESEARCH I HAVE READ WITH OTHER OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM LEADING TO ENGINE FAILURE IN THESE MODELS EVEN WITH MILEAGES AS LOW AS 29,000 MILES, I DON'T BUY TOYOTA'S ARGUMENT. WE OWNED 3 TOYOTA'S AT THE TIME, 2 CAMRYS AND 1 SIENNA. BECAUSE TOYOTA DID NOT OWN UP TO THIS DESIGN DEFECT AND REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY THEIR FLAWED ENGINE DESIGN WITHOUT THEIR PROVIDING OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS - (E.G. WHAT IF YOU DON'T SAVE RECEIPTS AND/OR WHAT IF YOU CHANGE YOUR OIL YOURSELF)? - FOR THIS REASON I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA. I OWN A SUBARU WRX AND AM PLANNING TO PURCHASE ANOTHER SUBARU SOON.

AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES ANTI-LOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT STARTED TURNING OFF AND ON. EVENTUALLY ABS LIGHT STAYED ON AND THE ABS SYSTEM STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE ABS SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED DUE TO THE VERY HIGH COST OF THE ABS ACTUATOR PART. THE LACK OF A FUNCTIONING ABS SYSTEM MAKES THE CAR UNSAFE IN SITUATIONS WHERE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING FEATURE IS NEEDED (SUCH AS WET ROADS). *NM