Toyota Sienna Maintenance and Repair (2003 earlier)

alexv1n

I'd be very sceptic about those fire incidents until it is proven to be Toyota's or whoever else's fault. I saw on TV the other day (it was Police Video show or something like that), one car cought on fire on highway. When the fire was put out, firefighters discovered that the family went on a holiday and took too much stuff to put in the trunk. So the put some things ... under the hood. Apart from clothing and such, they put even a gas stove propane tank inside! Can you imagine that?!

I'm not saying that the two persons who experienced fire with their Siennas were that stupid to put gas tanks on top of the engine, but it could be that, for example, dealership when prepping the vehicle didn't remove (or put inside) some PVC foil or paper or anything from the engine compartment.

I think that we just should wait to see what the investigation reveals. No need for panic until then. So, drive and enjoy your Siennas as much as I do with my MPV :-)

jj35

I don't think NHTSA would investigate the fires if the problem was as ludicrous as you describe. There must be enough information for them to suspect that there could be a problem. There are many other engine fire complaints on the NHTSA site and yet they chose to investigate these.

hqstir2

Whining sound started 2 months ago - dealer replaced alternator - whine remains. this morning, dealer said it's the transmission. Is this a common problem? Have read several posts on torque convertor, but my ID# wasn't part of group. BTW, only other problem was passenger power window switch replaced 1 yr ago - otherwise, its been a pretty solid van (Dunlops very noisy though)

mayerofrf

Man, what is it about those stupid power window switches? Mine did the same thing.

fredb5

I just bought a 1998 Sienna from a used car dealer. It has 48,000 miles on it and is generally in good shape. One problem that I did not detect until after I brought the car home (don't know how I missed it) was a lot of back and forth movement in the steering wheel when traveling at low (less than 30 mph) speeds. The tires are not in good shape but they don't seem to be cupped. There may be some uneven wear on the inside and outside of the tires.

I am prepared to replace the tires but I'm wondering if this is a symptom of some known problem with this model that I should be aware of.

Any help would be appreciated. I only bought the car yesterday so I think I have 3 days to get back to the dealer in case this is a serious problem.

Thanks.

fischda

I'm getting some brake whine at the point just before coming to a complete stop. Wondering at what point you all had a brake job done? I have 51K miles on my '99 XLE.

I enjoy doing this kind of work myself - anyone else do their own brakes - is it pretty standard? Were new pads/shoes and rotor turn the ticket?

jeprox

only way to check is to remove your wheels and drums to check your pads/shoes. most likely, its just brake dust and needs a good cleaning job by blowing air.

mine is 1999 model with 50,100+kms and pads/shoes are still good. i had to take off the wheels and drums to check and used a wet/dry vacuum to clean the brake dust. got rid of the whine, squeak, squeal or whatever u want to call it when u step on the brakes - just before u make a full stop/slowing down.

fischda

Easily done with my floor jack, four jack stands, and shop vac. Do you happen to know where the maximum wear specs are for pads/shoes? In the manual? On line?

Only other Jpn car I owned was a '94 Honda Accord, which needed new brake parts at only 39K mi. Terrible... Hope the Toyo goes much longer.

jeprox

i dont believe the specs are in your owners manual. if anything, it would be in the shop manual for the sienna. you can call up your local dealer but i doubt they will tell u!

i basically just check and blow out the dust every 6 months. sorry, can't tell you the exact specs. the wear also varies depending on how you drive your car/use the brakes.

jeprox

what do you mean by a lot of movement of the steering wheel? can u explain this a bit more?
is it shaking, vibrating, pulls to left or right, etc.?

rward99

That's probably the first time in automotive history that a car has caught fire. What an event.

Wait-maybe not:

http://www.autosafety.org/GM-CK/AttA.pdf

http://www.autosafety.org/GM-CK/intro.htm

pilot13

I get really suspicious about motives when I see the same person posting the same thing time after time.
That kind of tactic speaks far more to alarmist propaganda than a sincere desire to inform.

sienna01

See old post 1248... The sliding door is now fixed. The dealer replaced the $563 computer (ECU) (85972-08010 computer, slide door) that controls the door. No charge, under warranty. The door has been working great for a month now. Thank you for the reply rward99. P.S. I did not need to go to another dealer to get it fixed.

dsattler

A good friend of mine had his Honda Accord idling (warming up on a cold winter's morning) in the driveway while he finished his coffee, looked out the window and saw flames shooting out of the hood. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that many brands have had "spontaneous" fires. We'll keep our 2001 Sienna XLE -- it's a great car, and much better than our 1996 Dodge Caravan.

rward99

In both cases the drivers noted smoke coming from under the hood and pulled to the side of the road. Because of the smoke, both (wisely) opted to have their families get out. At some point (unstated in the report) fire engulfed the vehicles and they were destroyed by the fire. No one was hurt in either incident.

Cars (all of them) are all potential fireballs: full of gasoline/diesel fuel, extremely hot metal surfaces and honey-combed with wires with up to 80 amps of current running through them.

NHTSA has asked Toyota to investigate these two incidents. I have every confidence that Toyota will find and correct the problem. How did GM respond to NHTSA requests?

In the case of the GM CK (73-87) trucks, when the trucks were struck on either vehicle side where a gas tank was mounted outside the frame of the vehicle, the tank ruptured and spilled fuel was ignited, incinerating the occupants. In April of '93 NHTSA asked GM to voluntarily recall and correct the trucks, placing the gas tank inside the rails. GM refused. A cost benefit analysis (by Edward Ivey) showed that GM could save $2.20 per vehicle by not doing this. When Mr Ivey was asked if he could identify if there were a MORE dangerous location for the tank, his reply was, "well yes... you could put it on the front bumper".

GM was aware of the problem as early as '73, the first year of the change in the gas tank location. As of the year 2000, more than 1,800 people have died in fire crashes involving this truck, and thousands more were injured. "It is the worst auto crash fire defect in the history of the U.S. Department of Transportation". As late as 1991 GM was still placing fuel tanks outside the rails of some GM trucks.

Bottom line is not what the problem is but how the manufacturer responds to the problem. I've seen GMs response to problems; I'll wait for Toyota's response.

For a very interesting story on this, soup to nuts, you can go to:

http://www.autosafety.org/GM-CK/background.htm

jasdmw

Just read in the Globe and Mail today that Chrysler vans from 1996 on are catching fire, frequently. DC has known about this for some time and the context of the article is that they are stalling on recalls. At least 2 deaths, 27 cases. One guy died after bringing home his brand new '99 Caravan. Apparently it caught fire in his driveway.

And I thought the risk factors were only in the 2001 DC vans built up to July 2002. They have a propensity to leak after a collision from the top of the gas tank where the gauge is mounted.

rward99

Please don't correct my posts. These are my words, not yours; you are free to make corrections to your own words.

The term 'ask' is what I selected. It's not a quote from anyone else. I don't know who at NHTSA contacted Toyota, but I would assume that the proper business protocol would be to "ask" a company to investigate 2 complaints. I don't think that NHTSA:
demanded
cajoled
ordered
commanded or anything else. The normal business process is to 'ask' someone to do something.

I have tried to follow your links for these incidents and I have searched the NHTSA site for them. They aren't under 'HOT' items. I know that the problem exists from other links that you provided, and that Toyota is looking into it. I also know that it is with a total of 2 vehicles out of thousands. Whatever the problem is I'm sure that Toyota will do what is necessary.

(If you can find the article at NHTSA again please post the correct link or the sequence that you use to find it. I would like to read the entire article for each incident.)

One of the two incidents that you posted said that the 'dealership was aware of the problem'. The dealership is not Toyota, and is not connected to the manufacturer, only the sales company, and even then only by association. Toyota dealerships are independent from Toyota Manufacturing. Investigations will be done by engineering at the plant. Replacing the van would be the dealership's concern, not the investigation of the cause, unless the dealership modified the van in some way. And how do you know that Toyota hadn't begun their own investigation? I don't see that mentioned anywhere in either incident report.

NHTSA may be conducting their own investigation, but I doubt that they will go to the plant to investigate. They will most likely look for additional complaints of Sienna fires (if any). Since NHTSA was established before the GM fires in their trucks, and couldn't do anything to force GM to stop putting the tanks outside the protective rails, my assumption is that they are pretty toothless. Looking at their own web site I see nothing that allows them to cause much grief for any auto manufacturer. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/nhtsa/whatis/overview/

With Ford's Pintos and GM's CK pickups and nothing resolved, I don't think that any automaufacturer has much to fear from NHTSA beyond bad publicity. Given that consumers continued to buy these GM and Ford death traps for many years indicates to me that even bad publicity isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Curious, but of everything that I posted, the only item that you chose to challenge was the word 'ask'. I guess that you're OK with GM's handling of its own vehicle fires.

I choose to challenge your use of the word 'investigatory'. Is that anything like "strategery"?

bob57

I should know better, but....
I might have missed this but I assume you are an owner of a Sienna since you have posted all the Sienna links.
Your major concern over these two fires (that's the number I've read from this chat) is a little unrealistic if you think this will happen to you.
Let's say 2000 Sienna's are on the road (conservative estimate). These two fires represent 0.1% of the total of that number. Your chances of being in a car accident are probably much higher. Then again, your chances of being injured, depending on the circumstances, are lower in a Sienna according to crash safety data/reports.
Sounds to me you have to make a choice here. Sell the Sienna - avoid fires - or purchase another vehicle - chance an injury.
That's the extent of my "fire" comments - unless I drop a cigarette in my lap....

thewolverine

Well written, logical and informative - thanks for these posts.

Bob - selling the Sienna is a great suggestion but you're assuming these turkeys actually own one. I have my doubts.

Also my last word for sure as I don't smoke (LOL).

rward99

I have a '99 Sienna XLE w/21,000+ miles
No fires
No sludge
No rattles
No power door problems
No wheel alignment problems
No tire complaints
No clicking noises

But,
The turn signal/headlight switch was replaced
The clock was replaced (dealer chose to do this)
The right power window switch was replaced
CD skips on personally created CDs

I'm happy with it, particulary on long trips. Took 3 guys to Canada this year (1,000 miles each way) and all they did was talk about how quiet it was, the great ride and the excellent stereo. It held all of our gear and plenty of room left over.

jeprox

i have a sienna 1999 ce sport, 50,000+kms.

no fires
few rattles, no big deal
new tires
no cd player
had a flat tire once

lizuca

I have a 2000 XLE, 38K miles.

No fires.
No sludge.
No automatic door problems.
No window problems.
No rattles.
No wheel, tire, steering, or alignment problems.

CD player jammed and was replaced by dealer.
At highway speeds in strong crosswinds, there is a really annoying whistle around the bottom of the windshield. Dealer has tried twice and hasn't been able to correct it. That's the only thing that bugs me. (And sometimes it bugs me quite a bit.)No other warranty repairs.

Took four visiting Europeans (adult and not midgets) on a 2400 mile road trip this fall. Pulled out one of the middle row seats to make room for the cooler. Even as the inside of the van gradually filled with cubic yard after cubic yard of souvenirs, there continued to be enough room for everyone and everything. Very comfortable even on the 700-mile days.

yaman

26,000 miles
no sludge
no fires
no door problems
no window problems
no rattles
no alignment problems
CD skips sometimes. Brakes squeek a lot.Dealer says cd and brakes are fine
Seems like a great family mover to me

stealth1969

95,000 miles
sludge at 47,000 miles
no fire
inside door push buttons stick sometimes on sliding doors
no window problems
some minor interior rattles
wears tires quicker than any other vehicle I have ever owned.
no CD
brakes squeek but work fine
rear ac fan only works when on high

zman21

$32,500 before tax, title, license

10,000 miles
NO fires
NO sludge
NO automatic door problems
NO window problems
NO rattles (dealer took care of it)
NO tire or alignment problems

Would not trade it for "any" other van out there except for the new Sienna model coming out....maybe?....maybe not!

jeprox

forgot to mention i have:

- dings and scratches!

3 days to go - merry christmas!

teo

$32,500 for a minivan????

pilot13

Used as a business vehicle as well as a kiddy hauler--it goes 8 days a week.
37000 miles
No sludge
No rattles
No fires
Quiet as a church
Rides nicely with 4 adults and 2 kids
As comfortable as any car
Everything works the way it should
She'd buy another in a New York minute

jeprox

not sure about US prices.

in my area, XLE's start around C$34,000 and up.
CE's start around C$30,000 and up
LE's start around C$32,000 and up

zman21

Believe it bro....power everything....full entertainment system....classy, classy, classy!!!

jj35

26,000 miles
Yes, Engine sludge at 17,000 miles.
Yes, many rattles, creaks and groans.
Yes to automatic door problem (open and closes on its own).
No to window problems.
Yes to tire and alignment problems.
Yes to moldy, mildewy smell from AC unit.
No to brake problems, but they are noisy and make a loud clunking noise when car is in reverse.

brentman

I have seen a post of a user trying a NAPA part lubricant on the doors to fix their stickiness. Does anyone have that post or the part number, or a fix? Thanks!

Brent

fischda

I recently backed into a tree and caved in the corner of my bumper. By looks, seems like I could replace the plastic bumper shroud myself - a few bolts and fasteners.

Cliffy1, you have any insight? Anyone ever do this job on their Sienna? Mine's a '99 XLE w/painted bumper.

I bet the EOM part is expensive, so is there an aftermarket part? Think I could find one in a salvage yard? Thanks!

cliffy1

Before you actually replace the thing, see if you can't push it out. I don't suggest this for the non-mechanically inclined, but if you know what you're doing with a wrench, give it a shot. Beyond that, I'm not much help.

fischda

It's pretty well pushed in and the paint is toast. I know these type bumpers are made to cave, and looking behind it, nothing's damaged. I figure I may have to buy some fasteners from the dealer, but should be able to do the job...thanks.

davemm

The Door Ease is available at any NAPA store and the part number is 765-1385 sells for less than 4.00

alllw

Brother has a 99xle, rain leaked in from the passenger door, took a look, door stop broken, top door hinge pulled away .100" from door frame,
yep, door can open beyond 90 degree, has front fender marks on the door now.

???? Anyone have these door stops break on your vans, Would this be covered under the warranty?

He did mention to the service rep that the top of the door didn't line up right, his reply, you probably opened the door too wide (let it swing). Guess that surely will happen if the stop was broken.

Had the van since new, if I remember, warranty work as follows:

Replaced wiring harness- headlight/tail/dash - lights out - intermittent - @6,000 mile

Front rotors and brakes replaced @15,000

After reading this board I better check the van to see if it has your problems.

dardson1

I think if one more noise appears from nowhere in my 01 Sienna, I'm gonna have to ditch it. At just under 11k miles my rear drum(s) "whine" or "squeak" as I inch up at an intersection. It is only when I'm creeping up and it is loud. I took it in today, and sure enough the irritating noise reverberated throughout the service bay. To make a long story short, the service advisor said the brakes looked like new and there was no fix, yet, but he was sure (in the fullness of time) Toyota would have a TSB. I read between the lines mine was not an isolated case. Is it dangerous? Probably not. Is it a huge deal in the grand scheme of things? Nope. Is is irritating as H___ to have a $33k Toyota Sienna XLE that rattles, squeaks, whines, groans, thumps, and bumps? You bet! If I didn't care about such things I could retire to Mexico on the money I've spent buying and driving new and fairly expensive cars.

yaman

We have the same problem.In over 30 years of driving I have never heard brakes squeak like the Sienna's.Everytime we take it to the dealer for an oil change we mention it and everytime they say it is normal.

fischda

Recommend you ask dealer to remove front wheels, rear wheels and drums and blow out brake dust with compressed air. I did the job myself and it stopped the brake noise it was making when coming to a slow stop.

stevep11

Hi everyone:

My wife and I are owners of a Sienna 2000 LE minivan that was built in - you guessed it - July 2000. Along with the check engine light/torque converter problem, we have had a variety of other problems that the dealer has been unable/unwilling to fix.

- After torque converter replacement on the Sienna, the trans shifts funny on the 1-2 shift

- Steering wheel was tilted to the left after torque converter replacement and inside edges of each of the front tires is completely bald after 18K miles

- Loud click or clunk when backing up vehicle (my wife thought she ran over the kids bike)

- Rear window washer leaks continually onto back window

- Squeaky seats and sliding doors stick when trying to open them

- Noticable whine when engine idles (I think this could be normal)

Has anyone else had any of these problems? If so, has anyone had a dealer successfully resolve any of these issues? We are at wits end and ABSOLUTELY SICK OF THE DEALER TELLING US ALL THIS STUFF IS NORMAL!!!!! We have had 0 success with the service department. The regional guy came out (Mike Fleisher) in IL and told us that the car did shift funny and the alignment was off and the tires were bald but it wasn't Toyotas fault! It was beyond belief he could stand there and be ashamed of what he was telling me!!!!

Can anyone offer any ideas or assistance in solving these problems? Thank you in advance for any help that can be offered...

Steve
steveparavola@erealtorheaven.com

cliffy1

I can't comment on all of these, but I have a few guesses on some of them.

- The clunk noise when backing up may be your AC compressor. I know this doesn't sound right, but if you are backing up immediately after starting up you may be associating the AC kicking in with the act of backing up. The AC will do this right at start up.

- There is a TSB on the window washer and your dealer should be able to fix this very quickly.

- The engine whine is the alternator and as you guessed, it is normal.

As for the others, I can't help but I hope this is a start.

1590

have 30k on vehicle. oil around PCV hose. check engine light came on and dealer cleaned off oil and said not to worry. they did not know what caused it. oil observed several months later however the light did not come on. just dropped it off at another dealer. they also did not know what caused it. they are going to call toyota for assistance with the problem.

also i had a whining problem. dealer is going to replace alternator.

also had a/c musty odor. dealer said use air freshener spray!

drivers side manual door sticking. dealer adjusted it

also a/c does not seem very cold. dealer said bring it back in the summer and they will test it

the last problem is power steering pump whines when it is first started on very cold days. it acts like it is low on fluid (it is not) this goes away after first 3-4 minutes. can anyone help me with this? dealer said its within normal specs!

other than above its been smooth sailing for 30K...

jj35

Watch out for engine oil problems. Siennas and other Toyotas with V-6 3.0 liter engine are susceptible to engine sludge. Check out the "Engine Sludge" discussion site under Edmunds Town Hall Maintenance and Repair. Also do a web search for "Toyota Engine Sludge" to find many cases.

Regarding the musty AC odor. I have it, too. Dealer has "fixed" it twice by cleaning it out and deodorizing, but it comes back. I recall hearing about a TSB on this, but can't find it anywhere. The dealer claims he is doing what he is supposed to (and getting reimbursed from Toyota under warranty repairs each time), but I will be out of warranty in about 8,000 miles and want this fixed. Moisture is accumulating somewhere and becoming moldy and mildewy. It needs a way to drain or dry out or else it is just going to keep coming back (I live in the south, so this is a year-round problem)

JJ35 - 2000 Sienna XLE, engine sludge at 17,000 miles.

dardson1

thanks for the reponses.....I'll give it a whirl, but I will say again, Toyota oughta have this kinda of kindergarden stuff down considering their standard of the world reputation. If I had a Chevy Lumina I might expect it.

dfh60

I just installed a Hidden Hitch Class I style, very easy to do. Now, does anyone know where a wiring diagram is for my 2001 Sienna or has anyone already done trailer wiring and if so how?

If anyone has the factory toyota part number for the factory wiring harness I'd appreciate that as well, sounds like a more expensive but cleaner solution.
Thanks,
dfh.

guest4254

I have a 99 Sienna that I bought new. The only problem I had with it was every thousand miles or so, the steering wheel would shimmy a bit. I'd bring it in to the dealership during routine service, and they'd find the tires (Firestones) out of balance. Finally, after 30,000 miles, I'd had enough and had it out with them. Amazingly enough, they replaced the tires with new Michelins. So basically I got the use of my original tires for 30,000 miles free. Though it was a bit of a hassle, my new tires are just wonderful. I recently passed the 36,000 mile warranty period, and thankfully (knock on wood) have had no other complaints about this wonderful van.

Harry

fischda

When it's very cold outside, I have the noticable whine from the power steering pump, too. I'm not at all concerned. Lots of things groan and whine when cold (heck, I do when I get out of bed), but the noises go away when things warm up (I do too). If these "cold" noises persist after a few minutes of driving, then be concerned.

My '99 XLE has 52K-plus miles and has been excellent! I downplay minor things like whining brakes and some squeaks and rattles (although mine has always been noise-free)! Only noise I get is squeak when rear seats are folded forward. I've owned many different cars, and I'm 110% sold on Toyota build quality and reliability. My next purchase will be a Tundra!

jasdmw

Before you spend the bux and time to replace it, try this. I had a '92 Caravan and did much the same thing you did, except the paint didn't chip. A body shop pal suggested popping the caved segment out, only use a hair dryer to warm the cover plastic and work the "dent" out from the underside of the bumper cover. Worked like a charm! In your case, you'll have to do some serious touchup, but a re-paint of teh entire cover would be simple for a decent body shop to do for you in under a day.

sienna01

'01 XLE w/10,200 miles, Northern CA
No fires
No sludge (Changed at 1,000 then 4,000 to Mobil synth)
Some rattles come and go. No big deal.
Yes, power door problems ( see post 1221, 1248, 1376) All fixed
No wheel alignment problems
No tire complaints
No clicking noises
No to moldy, mildew smell from AC unit. But, I do crack the window and run the heater with outside air (not on recurclate) to vent out the moist air. Summer time will vent when the day is not to hot.
No break problems.

Like the van a lot. Great on trips and in the city.