Toyota Sienna Maintenance and Repair (2003 earlier)

jeprox · March 2003

usually in minivans, they have tether or built-in carseat only on one side (driver side) for the middle bench. this is mainly for safety reason. if you place a carseat on the right side of the middle bench, the carseat can slide off the bench when you turn or brake suddenly coz' of the walk-space between the bench and the right side sliding door. if you place the carseat behind the driver, it's up against the left door which is more secure and this is why you only have tether's for only one side for the middel bench.

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

deepan · March 2003

my 00 has tether anchors behind both 2nd row seat(bench). However what i have done is go to home depot buy 6-8" of steel wire and use a screw that holds both ends of the wire(name fails me) in a circle. if you look underthe seat there is a metal cross bar and this wire basically wraps around it. The tether anchor clips onto this wire. Only advantage is that the 3rd row has free spce foranyone wanting to sit without getting the legs all tangled. The steel wire aint breaking.

jeprox · March 2003

you can buy these belts at toys r us designed for car seat/booster seat to be used with the tether anchors. i've also seen them at canadian tire stores.

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.

cliffy1 · March 2003

I moved back to my old home in Springfield back in November of 2000. I moved into the finance office here in September of 2001 after a nasty boating accident involving an anchor rope that our host Steve likes to remind me about from time to time.

liss31 · March 2003

I have been reading all of the posts on the 2000 Sienna. I did not realize there have been so many issues with the model. My 1st transmission failed at 41,000 miles and now my 2nd one has failed at only 16,000 miles. I don't know what to do. They are replacing it becuase it is still under warranty but I think they should extend my powertrain warranty. This is supposed to be a safe and dependable car. Is there anything I can do? I called customer relations, they told me they can't help me. Where is the customer service they talk about? I am at 57, 000 miles and on my 3rd transmission, they want to leave me to pay for another failure after 60000. that is not right. Any advice would be appreciated.

duckshooter · March 2003

There seem to be a lot of issues because there are a lot of these vehicles on the road! But if you look at the range of complaints, most appear to be in the annoyance level - brake squeal, rattle, seat belt tension. There are a few others in the more severe category as well, but with as many of these vehicles as there are, you should expect to find some problems here and there. Keep in mind that most folks (like yourself) only post here if they have a problem!

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.

liss31 · March 2003

Thanks Duckshooter. I have asked toyota why the tranmissions have failed. They only take them out and put in a new one. They don't look to see why they fail. Yes there are quite a few miles on my van. Driving around town, taking road trips to NH (north Conway), my dad lives in the Berkshires 120m there and 120m back. I use my vehicle for everything, everywhere I go I drive. I don't pull a trailer. I did read somewhere about the tork converter being bad in my model and maybe that could have been it on the 1st tranny, but the second. I am pulling out my hair.

deepan · March 2003

sienna manufactured. May-jul 00 models had issues with transmission. Just curious

liss31 · March 2003

I bought the car in september of 1999. So it had to be manufactured around that time. I don't know how long it takes to make it and then get it to the dealer?

duckshooter · March 2003

That's frustrating. But I'm sure somebody at the dealer or at Toyota corporate would at least suspect why the transmission failed. That's not an inexpensive repair.

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.

yaman · March 2003

I can't recall reading about many transmission problems on the Sienna.We get our transmission fluid changed every 15k miles.Probably more than needed but paying for a new tranny is expensive.Maybe try doing 15k changes.Good luck

deg856 · March 2003

"usually in minivans, they have tether or built-in carseat only on one side (driver side) for the middle bench. this is mainly for safety reason. if you place a carseat on the right side of the middle bench, the carseat can slide off the bench when you turn or brake suddenly coz' of the walk-space between the bench and the right side sliding door. if you place the carseat behind the driver, it's up against the left door which is more secure and this is why you only have tether's for only one side for the middel bench."

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

smfran · March 2003

We still love our 2000 Sienna and only have one complaint. No matter how many times we clean the (non-power) driver's side sliding door and tracks it continues to periodically stick. We don't drink in the van so the possibility of spilling sticky juice or whatever is not possible. We've had the dealer adjust/clean/lubricate again and again to no avail. Sometimes it sticks so tight you practically have to rip the handle off to open it. Then it will be fine for awhile and happen again.
Any thoughts?

stever · March 2003

The Odyssey people use some special grease for their sticky sliders - Shin-itsu or something. Might try a Honda parts department for some.

Steve, Host

jeprox · March 2003

thank you very much for pointing that out.

smfran · March 2003

Any thoughts as to why it is just the driver's side this happens to? Also, why would it be stuck so tight then be OK for a while? For example, It will be stuck shut so I drive to the dealer. When I get there it opens easily. It's embarrassing!

stever · March 2003

Who knows - maybe there's a tiny adjustment issue that only shows up when some of the seats are occupied. Ok, that's a pretty wild guess :-)

Steve, Host

smfran · March 2003

some of the seats occupied, no.
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.

dcs4 · March 2003

My 2000 XLS sienna has the same issue with the door. It has nothing to do with stickiness or grease. It is intermittent. My wife wanted me to take it in to the dealer. I procrastinated and now it's working just fine. Flipping the locks (lock to unlock) doesn't help. I will say it is annoying..

wayside1 · March 2003

My Windstar used to do this, although I haven't noticed it yet in my Sienna.

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.

smfran · March 2003

Good theory on the weather stripping seal but why just the driver's side gets stuck?
How can we solve this annoyance?

duckshooter · March 2003

When I sprayed some dry graphite lube dust (you can get a tube of it at a hardware store) onto a towel and then rubbed it over all the seal surfaces. Everything else I tried (and I like to think I tried them all) would eventually result in the door sticking again. After I applied the graphite, it's been over a year since it stuck. No it doesn't get on your clothes (it might when you're putting it on!). No it's not toxic, not corrosive, doesn't break electrical contacts. Yes, it works. Clean the seals thoroughly to get any goo off and let them dry before you apply it. You should be set for a very long time.

ckshubin · March 2003

Toyota is well aware of the problem. There's a vibration in the backing plates on the rear brakes that cause a squealing/high pitched noise. They have a fix for it - replacing the backing plates with thick heavier ones. Drive your car to your dealer and ask them to replace them if your car is making noise when you brake. I have had mine replaced - but unfortunately my problem has returned. My dealer basically told me not to come back for this problem anymore and that my van is the only one with the problem with the new part and they gave me a complaint form to fill out with the State of California. Thankfully i'm only leasing the van and I will not buy it outright until this is fixed! I am taking it to the dealer where we leased it from and have them try to fix it and if they cannot I will turn it in...it's not a mechanical problem but it's enough to drive you nuts with the high pitched noise!
I have one question: Has anyone else out there had the back plates replaced and had the noise come back?

rward99 · March 2003

FWIW, in the past I have used silicone sealer to glue the backing plate to disc brake pads. But I thought that Sienna brakes were drum brakes in the rear, which don't have backing plates. (I have a '99 and they don't squeal at all. Original brakes, 28,000 miles.)

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.

yaman · March 2003

Actually I have gotten use to the squeal and it doesn't bother me.At first it was alarming because I though the brakes were bad-now it is simply just the way the car runs.

32valveuser · March 2003

Yes the rear brakes are drums so what backing plate are talking about.

jasdmw · March 2003

Just had my '01 serviced (scheduled) which includes inspecting the rear brakes. They did something to eliminate the squeal. This majic was also performed during a previous scheduled service. Perhaps the intention is to have the brake squeal tell you when your next major service interval is??

ckshubin · March 2003

Update on my brake noise. I contacted Toyota National which contacted Toyota Regional. I was then contacted and asked to bring my Sienna into my dealer and some head guy was there to look at it (along with 2 others with the same problem). It is noise that's coming from the rear brake shoes/drums. Unfortunately this isn't a little noise and definitely cannot be ignored. I would like to be able to ignore it but it's not so much a squeak as it is a high pitched hum that is so loud the radio doesn't conceal it and every time I brake to a stop at a red light, parking or stop sign anyone within earshot turns to look because it is so loud. I was told that yes, there is a noise but that the noise is "normal" for a Sienna. This ticked off my husband who is now looking into getting out of the lease and getting me a Lexus RX300.

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?

frickinsqueaky · March 2003

the horrible frickin squeaky brakes. They gave me a case number and are sending me paper work for arbitration. My dealership has replaced everything on the rear brakes. There is nothing else they can do. I am waiting for the Toyota Dealership rep for major problems to call me back Monday. They are going to get a Toyota Regional Rep to inspect my vehicle. 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.

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.

cliffy1 · March 2003

Rarely gets you the results you want. Planning on throwing one is even a bit more ludicrous than having a spontaneous temper tantrum. I suggest a plan including Prozac before this meeting.

frickinsqueaky · March 2003

was the sticker value on your vehicle over $36,000?? I suggest that if neither of these apply to you, that you take the prozac. I have dealt with Vehicle reps before. If you sit back and let them tell you it is normal, you get a vehicle with a problem for the remainder of the time you have it.

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.

steine13 · March 2003

...between "taking things lying down" and "throwing a fit".
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

frickinsqueaky · March 2003

are talking about. They have done several things to repair the brakes. Including replacing everything. I am not saying that the dealership has not tried. I am saying that if the Toyota Regional rep trys to tell me that this is a "normal" noise, it won't fly. We have been very patient and understanding. In fact, the mechanic that works on our vehicle is a very nice young man. We have a great relationship, because he wants to make things right. He is one of those rare people that actually like their job and work hard at it. He has gone above and beyond what any other mechanic has ever done. We have been very calm and they have been understanding. The problem is that they can only do what Toyota tells them to do. It is not the dealership's fault, they have tried their hardest. Believe me the dealership is on our side. They have several vans with the same problem, and are trying to get Toyota to come up with a fix.

"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.

cliffy1 · March 2003

I didn't say you don't have a legitimate complaint. The price you paid does not give you license to behave like a 3 year old and to suggest that a sticker price of $36K entitles you to that is a bit absurd.

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.

frickinsqueaky · March 2003

I think the condescending attitude is your problem. I didn't say I was going to throw a fit. Read the message. I said if they told me I had to live with it, that I would not accept that. I have read some of your responses and it appears that you don't have any problems with your vehicle. Just some incorrect responses to others problems. It seems that you like to set people off and I am done letting you do that. You don't even live in the USA, you live on a small island off the coast of Australia. Please leave my vehicle problems off your list of things to boast your "expertise". I have dealt with people like you and your not worth any more of my time. So don't respond to my posts any more.

duckshooter · March 2003

I want to hear what becomes of your brake squeal. It seems to be a broader problem than just your van as a number of other posters have indicated the same problem.

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.

smfran · March 2003

You should read your own post. You said, "He should be more concerned that people go running from the dealership ,when I throw my fit." Cliffy, who happens to be an expert, as evidenced by his profile and over three years on this board, has proven time and time again that his advise is noteworthy. He was not, and never has been condescending on this board and you should feel lucky that he tried to help you in the first place!

Sylvia · March 2003

Hi - just popping in for a minute while Steve is on vacation. Let's gloss over the "throwing a fit" / behavior at a dealer/service dept sidebar and keep the discussion on "Toyota Sienna Problems".

I, for one, am actually quite interested in the brake sqealing issue - does it just seem to be this particular model year?

frickinsqueaky · March 2003

(Copied word for word from previous post)

"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.

blandfordm · March 2003

I understand frustration when you feel like you've been insulted in a discussion board. But I really do hope there won't be any more posts on this board about which circumstances would cause someone to throw a fit or analysis on why someone shouldn't.

innovations2 · March 2003

The brake squeal seems to be a problem for Siennas 2000-2003 (possibly even before 2000) with the majority of owners experiencing the problem. I've seen it posted enough times on this board to not even mention it to my dealership.

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.

terry5353 · March 2003

We currently have a 2000 Sienna van with 68K miles on it (manufacture date 07/1999). The van has been problem free until six weeks ago when we had a catastrophic failure of the transmission. While driving on the Interstate at 65 MPH there was a sudden jolt in the drive train and then a sudden loss of drive train power. We were fortunate that no one was close behind us at the time, which is often the case in heavy Atlanta traffic.

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.

innovations2 · March 2003

If memory serves me, there was a bad production run on a batch of 2000 Siennas manufactured back in the summer of 2000?? It involved the transmission, but that's all I remember from postings on this board sometime last year and before. It only involved a short run in 2000.

I think it was being covered by Toyota. You might want to see if your problem is applicable.

Does anyone else remember the problem?

cliffy1 · March 2003

The previous problems had to do with the torque converter. That problem would have shown up long ago.

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.

lmurugesh · March 2003

I am planning to buy the XLE AWD Sienna Van and was curious to know if I would still need to put on chains if I decided to go skiing in the winter?. Would the Highway Patrol know that I have the AWD van (since I do not believe it says AWD o the van itself) and would the AWD system be sufficient to avoid putting on chains. I am assuming that I will be driving on the road and not taking the van off-road. Anyone with experience with this regard, please reply. I appreciate it.

yaman · April 2003

Seems like all the minivans have problems with their transmissions.How often did you get your transmission fluid changed?
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

terry5353 · April 2003

The comments about not giving them enough service came form the service manager (director), not the service writer. We did not get a warm & fuzzy feeling from him.

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?

terry5353 · April 2003

We were unaware of any Sienna transmission problems until ours failed. We had the fluid changed at 59K per the Toyota scheduled maintenance guide that we were given when we purchased the van.

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 dont think a more frequent fluid change schedule would have changed the outcome. This appears to be a manufacturing or design defect.

cliffy1 · April 2003

The GM is more interested in keeping you happy. The service guy only looks at you as potential profit on the servicing of your vehicle. The GM is also looking at potential future sales and referrals. Give it a shot. I'll admit it is a long shot at this point but it is a shot.

dmmakoski · April 2003

Brought my 2002 Sienna in for 15K service and now I have the brake squeal problem. It had to come from them adjusting the brakes. Trying to figure out if the fron and/or rears are squealing, sounds like the fronts.

Toyota Sienna Maintenance and Repair (2003 earlier)

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