Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Also, any suggestion on which Toyota service manual I should purchase to perform routine maintenance, RM871-U1 or RM871-U2
u may have to apply more force to pull up the cover but it'll come out.
I have a 2000 Sienna LE and recently had a broken transmission. The vehicle was still under warranty at the time of incident. I went to the local Toyota dealer and the dealer refused to cover it. Instead, I had to pay $2500 for the replacement of the transmission.
I am trying to get some opionion regarding how I can fight for this and hopefully will be able to get it reimbursed from the warranty contract.
Thanks!
Did he give you a reason? This makes no sense at all.
Steve, Host
Recently I have been hearing screaching noise when turning around corners and turning on and off highway ramps.When you do a slow turn around corners then you don't hear the noise but when you do a medium to harder turn you would hear the noise.The screaching noise is located in the back wheels.Leaning toward a side would make it screach too.
I took it to the dealer and they said that it was a normal thing and that it was the sound of the tire hitting the cement.I didn't trust that dealer and wanted a second opinion so I took it to a another dealer and the mechanic guy said it was the alignment.I was willing to pay for that to get fix but before they did anything they told me that the same mechanic took 3 other sienna van of the same year out for the same test drive and that they did the same thing(making that noise during turns).They then told me it was normal and that they didn't have to fix the alignment on the van.
I still do not believe any of them cause for one thing they may not want to fix the problem cause I think it would cost them if it isn't the alignment(my vans a 2001 with only 18,000 miles on it) and also I don't think that you would be hearing this screaching noise like 5 times a day during turns.For the last month and a half the screaching noises were getting louder and more noticable(I must of heard it more then a 100 times).
If this is a normal thing then I do not want anything to do with this van cause I do not want to be hearing that noise all the time.I bought the van brand new(it was ship in for me)and had it for 2 years and two months.For the last two years I never ever heard it and then all of a sudden this thing just shows up and they tell me its normal.If anyone out there can tell me if there van makes this noise and that its not a problem then I would be willing to accept that but for now I have my doubt.
And I usually take turn at a speed usually 10 mph more than the posted limit, say with limit of 20 mph , I go at it with 30 mph !
Get the van checked at different dealer.
John
When I ask my dealer, it is found out that RUNNING BOARD can only be added at the factory. Toyota does not shop this option as after-factory.
If I get it, it is feasible to installed in dealer? Any suggestion? Thanks.
I did contact the Toyota Motor, Inc. and was told that they did not want to go against the dealer's decision.
I did try not to pay the $2500, however, I have to get my vehicle to work and the dealer did not allow me to drive it out without paying anything. The manager was really rude and discriminative. I am a immigrant. I could tell he did not like me as a customer at all.
This has been my fifth Toyota vehicle. After this $2500, Now I think I will not buy another Toyota for the rest of my life.
I will try to get some legal advice and see if I can take them to the court.
Question: If I see legal procedure, should I take Toyota Motor only, or should take both the dealer and Toyota Motor?
Thank you all again!
So, I just got used to it.
I decided to replace the tires at 32K, but had some good tread left. I decided to upgrade to a wider tire, Dayton HR. I got the recommendation on the web "somewhere". WOW, handles great now, I enjoy driving it. No more noises. Cornering is much improved, less body roll due to stiffer sidewall. BUT, the tires are wider and going uphill (steep) in the snow is noticeably harder. (so I, go a different route). If you do a lot of snow driving, I would NOT recommend this tire. Also, tends to be a bit rougher ride - not too harsh though. I would recommend you look into new tires if the noise bothers you. Look at which tires other people used with good results... the tires that came with my van when new were lousy.
Steve, Host
If you can find an auto parts store open tomorrow, you might be able to get the code read - AutoZone and others will read the codes for free.
Steve, Host
When people have problems with a specific car dealership, it's important to realize that each dealership is an independant franchise. Dealership are not own nor operated by car manufacturers. Manufacturers do try to influence dealerships to project a positive image for the brand, but manufacturers do not have direct control of each deahership. (An analogy is a lot of people sell Coke products, but they do not represent Coca Cola.) In my case, I frequenly drive past a Toyota dealer next to my house and go to another Toyota dealer 10 miles away for service because I feel the dealer farther away provides better service.
Finally, realize that there are both nice and rude people no matter where you are. That service manager may not like you because of where you come from. Who knows, maybe he doesn't like his own family and children. Maybe he doesn't like himself. Maybe he doesn't like the world around him. Nothing you can do about that. It's his problem, not yours.
San Jose, CA
Thanks,
Steve, Host
If you have any questions/concerns, please direct them to me in email.
KarenS
Senior Host
Owners Clubs
Greg
Thanks,
Carole
SO: Without doing anything hokey w/ the electrical system, I would love to just remove the actual "bonger" and put it in a ziplock baggie until resale time... has anyone done this and can help me out? I asked the same question on alt.autos.toyota, but no luck...
TIA
-Mathias
East Lansing, MI
Carole
2) I have BI package, thus, there have side airbag. My wife hope to use seat cover, but I worry that seat cover will prevent the side airbag from explosion. What comments do you have?
The air bags should NEVER be covered. The factory seat covers have stitching that is designed to break away during deployment. Anything aftermarket is not.
Carole
The sludge problem I've been reading about here concerns me however, so I will be taking my van back to Toyota on a regular basis for oil changes. Besides, they only seem a few dollars more expensive than any of the quick-lube places out there who tend to use inferior oil filters. I'm also aware that boards like this one, while extremely helpful, often accentuate the negatives of a product (because people will go out of their way to complain)and could possibly turn prospective buyers off with an exaggerated negative perspective. If you check out any bulletin board on any vehicle, you will find enough bad press to turn you off almost anything. Funny enough, the other car I was considering before deciding on the Toyota was a Passat Wagon. I checked out a bulleting board on Passats and there were many complaints about rocking power seats. The Sienna has been praised by Lemon-Aid and Consumers Reports, and that's good enough for me.
Indeed. Problem solved.
Sludge is an issue if the van isn't maintained correctly. If you buy it (nearly) new, don't worry about a thing. I believe these engines are more prone to sludging than, say, a GM 350 V8, but it's really not a problem for people who take care of their cars. Old cast-iron pushrod engines just stand up to abuse better.
And I'm not even a big fan of Toyota; too boring. But, since I've got no time for "interesting" cars right now, I did put some money where my mouth is:
1998 Sienna LE, 86k miles
2003 Sienna CE, 7k miles
No sludge, and 3-5k oil changes, depending. My dealer does them for <$20, but in the 20 minutes it takes me to drive there, I've done it myself... I DO keep all my receipts, though.
Good luck, and worry about something else, like the environment or the economy (Thank you, George!),
-Mathias
East Lansing, MI
There was extensive discussion of this issue on this site. Do a search for Toyota Sludge using the search feature of this forum and find one that is for Toyota Engine Sludge Customer Response (or similar title). BTW, you should have received a letter about this policy because Toyota said that they mailed it to 3.3 million owners with the subject engines over a year ago.
I don't understand.
You write:
"[..] been driving around quite uneventfully until this morning."
But:
"You see after having 2 oil changes in the last 6 weeks my car was running funny again."
So it wasn't uneventful; the car had been "running funny", and a guess was that two oil changes might help.
"[..] checked the oil and lo and behold - none."
I'm assuming that it's being burned, not leaking out. Is that one of the symptoms of sludge? Doesn't it have to be pretty bad before it gets to the state of losing ~2 qt in a few weeks?
"I also wanted to state very strongly that this car has had oil changes every 3-5k"
Where do you get you oil changes done? Toyota dealership? Jiffy lube? Home? I have heard many people talk about how they changed the oil and then developed sludge, but I have NEVER seen anybody who could pony up receipts. I read posts from 2 people over the years whom I chose to believe, because of what they wrote and how they wrote it. I believe this to be exceedingly rare.
So let me ask you this: Did you keep receipts? Could you scan them for us to see? Just so we have one case of sludge AND proper, proven maintenance? I mean no disrespect, but I would really like to see just one person with proof of maintenance.
FWIW, I do think these engines are much more sensitive than pushrod GM V-6s, but that's just an opinion... I change at 3-5k, depending, I change the PCV every 30k, I do it myself, and I sure keep all receipts...
-Mathias
'03 Sienna 7k
'98 Sienna 86k
no sludge.
The van only has 2,000 miles. The dealer has replaced both belts, but the noise is still there. I wonder if it could be one or more of the idler pulleys or starter. The dealer wants to keep the van overnight and hear the noise, in order to better diagnose. The approach makes sense and is usually logical, but the noise is so short lasting that I'm not sure that the approach will help. Does anyone know of a diagnostic method for pinpointing problems with these support pulleys or starter?
After 3 months with it we are having problems. We took it to the dealer today. They gave us an $1800 estimate. Motor, cables, and computer unit need to be replaced. We have no warranty and the dealer is not willing to be responsible for fixing it at their cost.
I am wondering what our next steps are. Has anybody had any luck taking something like this up with Toyota (maybe a district rep or something.) This problem is a known one and there have been several service bulletins on these doors. (If only I had known.)If so what are the steps for doing this request.
Just looking for advice and experience.
P.S. If you reference other post please include the name of the discussion. I can't seem to find some of the posts people are referencing.