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Comments
in some minivans, they have 3 sets of tether for the rear bench, some have only 2 sets, some dont have any at all! my 1999 model don't have any. sienna is one of the safest minivans out there. as long as your child sits properly, booster seat is anchored down properly... everything should be ok. if in doubt, you can always ask your dealer to check if your booster seat is anchored down properly.
as for the belt locking up, my belts sometimes lock-up when move the carseat. i just release the belt and pull gently across and its fine.
i'm 5'10" - 5'11" and don't have any problems with the visor hitting my head
as soon as i figure out a way to use the cross bar you mentioned, i will buy the belts to anchor down the car seat properly.
My advice is that you need to find out why the transmission is failing. Problems like you've had are an extreme exception - I haven't seen anything similar in here so it just doesn't sound right. Has the shop given you any explanation of what failed in the transmission? Do you pull a trailer? Your miles are a little high for a 2000 (approx 20K per year) - what kind of miles are these? I would think it wise to get at the root cause of the failure or (as you said) you may be facing it again.
Please check into it and let us know what you find.
What's the warranty on the parts/labor? One year? That would probably extend you a little beyond your current warranty.
Also - did you have any transmission service done on the original transmission? I can't recall when it's due exactly, but I think it's before 36,000 miles.
The reason you gave above is totally false. A properly installed carseat should stay in place and barely move even during a carsh, so there is no chance for it to slide off during braking/turning, no matter how hard you brake or turn. If you have to rely on the door/side to hold the carseat in place, you haven't installed it right and it can be very dangerous for the child sitting it in. The second row center (only with a bench; can't do it with captain chairs, which are mounted on either side with a center walk-through) is actually the safest location since it's got the most crumple zone all around it.
They put the only teather anchor on the driver side because putting the carseat behind the driver makes it easier for other passengers to get in/out from the curb (passenger) side. The manual says additional anchor can be installed by the dealer.
San Jose, CA
Any thoughts?
Steve, Host
Steve, Host
I can't imagine the seats having anything to do with the sliding door. I believe it has to be something in the latching mechanism that shifts or alters its position while driving and effects the opening of the door. Lately it hasn't gotten stuck so I'm waiting to see when it happens again.
The problem seemed to be with the weatherstripping around the door. Under certain conditions (like if the van was left out in the sun) the weatherstripping would form a seal with the door that made it extremely difficult to open. Once you got it open, you could close it and reopen it immediately with no problem.
My theory was the heat was making the weatherstripping expand, causing it to either seal to the door (making it hard to open) or causing pressure in/on the latch mechanism, in effect jamming the door. As soon as the door is opened, the seal is broken or the pressure is relieved, and then the problem goes away.
How can we solve this annoyance?
I have one question: Has anyone else out there had the back plates replaced and had the noise come back?
Anyway, that's one solution for squealing brakes. Silicone seal the plate to the pad. Not much, don't go nuts, just a little dab will do ya.
I do have a question: Is there a Toyota mechanic out there who could answer this for me....if we replace the brake shoes/drums with non-toyota shoes/drums would that solve the problem? The dealer did say it's noise from the brake shoes but they can only replace them with Toyota brake shoes - we're wondering if the Toyota brake shoes are just bad - and different ones might solve the problem. We're not jumping into trying it because then any warranty on the rear brakes would be void (this is what they told us). Also, only 16,000 on this van and the rotors had to be ground down in the fronts already....anyone else have this problem?
The Toyota National Customer Service Rep told me that I could go into Third party arbitration. Where they would replace my vehicle, buy my vehicle back, make my current vehicle fixed and several other possibilities. I told her I don't want a new vehicle, I love my Sienna. I want a 36,000.00 vehicle to operate like a 36,000.00 vehicle. I got my vehicle used from the dealer. My vehicle was owned by Toyota Logistics Service, which means the Toyota Manufacturing Plant in Princeton, Indiana owned it. I think that this should carry some weight. It doesn't hurt that my father is the Managing Editor of the major newspaper in the area. I hope this helps too. I want it repaired.
I had a nice discussion of the problem tonight with the dealer salesman that sold me the vehicle. He said that HIS SON is having the same problem. Same model and year, he understands our frustration. He is going to help us and his son get this taken care of. I am not going to go in looking for a fight, but I am not going to have someone tell me that this horrible noise is normal. The salesman assures me it is not normal. I am reasonable adult, who is not going to be walked on by Toyota. The salesman is not going to let Toyota walk over his son either. So maybe you should worry about your vehicle and not mine.
Squeaking brakes are often difficult to fix. I think the usual routine goes something like, adjust, clean, resurface the drums, watch for change in behavior, get pads from a different supplier (can a Toy dealership do that???), get pads made from a different material, clean, adjust get new drums, get all new hardware, adjust, clean, throw up your hands, slit your wrists, etc...
Meaning, it might well take some time with the best of efforts; expect a lot of "squeak gone -- sqeak came back" and the like. This is no fun for you, and less fun for the mechanic, so the good side of the dealership is the one to be on.
All the while insisting the problem be fixed. Just don't expect it to be done very quickly; nature of the beast.
What works for me is expressing how sorry I am to be so much trouble, but it's really important to me to have it fixed (better yet, the wife is complaining, so sorry)... there isn't a lot they can do but try and fix it when you take that position, and they know you're not going to go away...
Do yourself a favor, don't throw a fit.
-Mathias
"I am saying if the only way I would throw a fit is if they told me this is a 'normal noise' and I will have to learn to live with it." My vehicle is way too expensive to live with that. When I talked to Toyota National Customer Service, she was very understanding. She suggested arbitration. Which could get us a replacement vehicle, Toyota could buy our vehicle back or several other possibilities. I don't want to get rid of my vehicle, I like it. I just can't stand the noise.
The salesman assured me that his son is not going to live with noise either. We happen to know the salesman on a personal basis. He is nice guy who is going to do everything he can. He said if they try to tell his son that this is normal, it won't fly. So as you can see we are working with the dealership. What set me off was an earlier post that said, basicly we would have to live with it. This was based on what a Toyota Regional rep told him.
I previously owned a 1996 Chevy Blazer I bought brand new. It had a problem that I tried to deal with the dealership on. Another noise problem. This problem never went away. Dealership told me it was normal and I would have to live with it. I finally couldn't stand it anymore and traded it in on the Sienna. Someone called me the day after Christmas and told me her husband bought the Blazer for her for Christmas. I apologized to her and told her I was sorry if she had any problems with it.
By the way, I am the complaining wife. I have 2 small children under the age of 5, and another one on the way. So you can understand that we just want our van fixed. We are not interested in throwing a fit. We are interested in working with Toyota to get our vehicle fixed. If we can't, we will let them buy it back and research buying a newer model or Honda. The salesman assures me that whatever options are available to his son will be available to us. His son has already dealt with the sliding door opening on their own, while driving down the road. That is alot more scary than this. Their problem was fixed and now this. I also bought an Extended Warranty from Toyota when I purchased the vehicle. This needs to be fixed, not pushed under a rug by Toyota Regional. As for knowing we are not going away, the salesman and his son aren't going away and they know that neither are we.
Personally, I think you have every right to be concerned. I hope you get a resolution you are happy with. I also hope that you are able to accomplish this with dignity rather than a temper tantrum. I know if I were the regional rep, I would take only so much arm waiving before I decided there was no possible positive outcome and would stop trying.
My own 2000 Sienna is fortunately not cursed with the brake squeal - though at 55,000 miles now we may have to get the brakes replaced... and they might put "squealers" on ours!
My dad's Lexus LS400 had squealers at one point and believe me, he didn't take it lying down! He drove a loaner for TWO WEEKS until they got it fixed. He doesn't know (or care) what they did to fix it but with a badge like Lexus you can't have the thing making noise at every stoplight. It hurts sales when you have that kind of negative advertising running around out there. I gotta believe Toyota is concerned as well.
Take it easy on Cliffy - he's just trying to help.
I, for one, am actually quite interested in the brake sqealing issue - does it just seem to be this particular model year?
"That man will be in for a rude awakening if he tells me this is just a Toyota Sienna "NORMAL" noise. I am not the type to take things shall we say laying down. He should be more concerned that people go running from the dealership when I throw my fit."
Let me clarify, IF I AM TOLD THAT I WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE NOISE, THAT THIS A NORMAL NOISE. I WILL NOT ACCEPT THAT EXPLANATION. This is not a normal noise and I will not live with it. If the Toyota Regional Rep makes a effort to help us, I don't have a reason to get upset do I? My original comment was directed at the post above my original post. The person was told that they would have to live with it.
Remarks about my throwing a fit are not up for conversation at this time. You keep going back to my "supposed fit". You don't know me and have no right to keep harping on a comment taken out of context. As for cliffy and anyone else who is commenting on a behavior that hasn't even happened. You should think about what you are saying. If someone tells you that they aren't going to do anything about the problem, live with it. You would be upset, unless you are a wimp that walks out with your tail between you legs.
As for Sylvia's question -- I am told that the rear brakes are made differently on the Sienna 2004. Currently these brakes do not squeal.
My salesman and I are on the same page. He believes that the regional rep will be understanding and helpful. His son is having the same problem with his Sienna. He wants to make this right for both of us. Apparently the service staff are eager to get this resolved too. They are upset with Toyota because they don't have a resolution yet. Can you imagine having 20-100 customers upset about the same problem and you have no solution.
I for one, appreciate someone who has the gumption to follow-through on finding out an answer. Please let us know how it plays out. I've seen way too many posts stating they were told "it's normal".
Personally, the noise doesn't bother me, but I sure don't appreciate how Toyota is handling it.
We had the van towed to our local Toyota dealer who has been servicing the van for the last two years. Their diagnosis on the work order is "internal failure in gears, metal chunks in pan". They quoted us $3,500 for the replacement of the transmission ($1K labor and $2.5K for the part). We expressed our disappointment in a Toyota transmission going out so prematurely and asked for some kind of break on the price since we were only 8K miles out of warranty on a transmission that should go well over 100K miles. They offered us "goodwill customer assistance" for the labor if we paid for the part. They said that if we wanted to get more compensation that we would have to call the national 800-customer assistance number. At this point we authorized the repairs because we needed the vehicle back on the road.
The 800 number representative told us that all decisions were made and finalized at the regional level and we had to go through the local dealer. They said it was up to the local dealer to request assistance from the region. We asked for information on how to contact someone at the regional level but they refused to give it to us. We felt like they were giving us the run around.
When we went in to pick up the vehicle we met with the service manager. Although he had a number of years in the business it was his first week on the job at this dealership. He stated that the region would not authorize any more compensation since the vehicle was out of warranty and we did not have an extended warranty. Another thing he stated was that if we had given more service to the dealership perhaps he could have done more for us. The dealership has only been open two years and we have had the van 3½ years. Since they opened we have had the 60K Max recommended service ($550) and all but one oil change done at their dealership. This included transmission service (drain & fill at 59K). Other than one oil change that's 100% of our service.
We have seen a number of complaints on Sienna transmission problems on several Internet sites including this one and the NHTSA site. Some of these were very recent and with mileage close to ours. There are 17 complaints on the NHTSA site that happened at highway speeds like ours.
This is the first time we experienced something like this with Toyota. We realize that no automobile is perfect but had every reason to expect the transmission on our van to last well beyond 68K miles. We paid a premium for our Sienna based on Toyotas reliability record and our previous experience with 3 other Toyota vehicles. We were disappointed in the premature failure of our transmission but even more disappointed in the lack of customer service we have experienced so far. We believe that this transmission problem is either a manufacturing or design defect and that Toyota should have taken care of the problem without charge. At the very least they should have met us half way with the repairs since the transmission failed about halfway through its excepted life.
Does anyone have any additional information on how Toyota has been handling customers with 2000 Sienna transmission failures? Is additional compensation from the national office a possibility? Does it make any difference if you live in the Southeastern US since Southeast Toyota is not a part of Toyota Motor Corporation?
We would appreciate any information from anyone with experience in this matter.
I think it was being covered by Toyota. You might want to see if your problem is applicable.
Does anyone else remember the problem?
You service writer is an idiot for saying some of the things he did. Sorry, but he has no business implying that you should have spent more money with them if you want any more help. The people at the 800 number were correct that requests go through the dealership. Your dealership has just told you that you didn't spend enough money with them for them to go to bat for you.
Were I you, I would have a chat with the service director of the dealership. Explain to him everything you just posted here. If you don't get a warm fuzzy that he will make a good faith attempt, talk to the General Manager of the dealership. Be patient, persistent and courteous. That is the only way to make progress.
The fact that they did offer the break on the labor is a good sign. Even if you can't get further help, this was a good step.
We've been changing ours every 15k miles in the hope that perhaps such frequent changes will preclude a problem down the road (we have 48k on our 2000 Sienna).
Anyway good luck in getting the situation resolved.Over the years we've had 3 transmissions go on us-it can be very aggravating
We were told that the labor compensation came from the region. The dealership has not made any concessions at all. We were also told by the service manager that any further compensation would have to come from national. From what we have read this does not appear to be a likely outcome.
If the service manager has taken this position how likely is the General Manager going to be interested in assisting us?
We have never owned a vehicle that required/recommended the transmission fluid be changed more frequently than 60K miles.
The transmission was performing fine until the sudden failure. I don’t think a more frequent fluid change schedule would have changed the outcome. This appears to be a manufacturing or design defect.