Toyota Sienna Maintenance and Repair (2003 earlier)

steine13

As a Sienna owner (we've got two), it is very reassuring to see so much concern over brake noise and the like... it's annoying for sure, and ought to be fixed, but it beats the kinds of things one reads about in the DC minivan forum.

Tranny failure is really bad... Terry's sounds like a fluke, though, esp. since it was internal gears, not torque converter. Just simply bad luck, to the tune of $3k or so. Ouch.

Is this a good place or time to suggest a MANUAL TRANSMISSION OPTION ??? Pretty please??? That V6 would love a good 5-speed, I just know it... And, they don't fail...

Feeling much better now, I remain
-Mathias

nygreg

I browse these boards every so often (I spend my time at the Subaru boards) so please allow me to give my brake experience. I too have the dreaded squeal. I noticed when I drive in reverse and slam on the brakes (adjusting the rear brakes), the squeal will change (usually lessen a little). It has really gotten bad lately though. I plan on replacing the shoes with aftermarket ones. My thinking is that a different brake material will cause different vibrations and effect the noise. It will be a while before I get to it, but when I do I will let you know. Only other problem - the creaky dash! Overall, I am pleased.

Greg

momstruck1

van ?? I am looking into this Toyota and the honda but like the look of the honda better. Need a really reliable car and am in an unreliable GM at the moment . 2 years to research this and the honda and would really like the most honest opinion you can give. The honda also cost a little less which doesn't hurt it.

frickinsqueaky

I had my appointment today with Toyota Regional Rep. There IS a problem with the rear brakes squealing. Toyota IS aware of it. They are working on a permanent fix. The temporary fix is to put weights on the backing plates. Toyota didn't have problems with the squeal until they changed the engineering design. They are going to put the weights on my rear backing plates. They are working on a permanent fix and will put out a service recall when the permanent fix becomes available. I was told that if the squeal returned before the permanent fix was accomplished, I should just talk to my customer relations rep at my dealership. They would be happy to redo the temporary fix. They don't expect us to live with this. The Regional Rep felt bad that we have been in so many times for noise. He threw in a free oil change for my trouble. He acted like if the squeal came back I would get another free oil change.

I am one of the lucky ones from what I have read here. My Toyota Regional Rep said, "living with this is the last thing they want". Because our vehicle is a rolling advertisement for Toyota and their dealership. They even offered us a vehicle to drive when they perform the temporary fix. I am very happy with my dealership and the way they have handled this problem. I am glad to know that I don't have the type dealership that would tell me to suck it up or live with it.

nygreg

Do you understand what they mean by weights on the backing plates? Are they adding weights to the shoes themselves to dampen the vibration? A recall to fix this is good news. Maybe I'll wait to replace the shoes to see if a recall is offered. Keep us informed.

Maryann - I think you will be happy with either the Toyota or Honda. Drive them both and choose the one you like best. The new 04 Sienna is out (parked next to one today) and compare favorably with the Honda. As for reliability - this is my third Toyota and, overall, they are drop dead reliable. I have 62k miles on my 00 Sienna with no major issues so far.

Greg

frickinsqueaky

going to add weights to the braking plates. The rep said that they will eventually fall off and I might have to have them re done. They said that the noise is a vibration. If I could talk to you in person I think it would be easier for you to understand. But here it goes, Toyota prior to the squeal put their braking plates on the wheel on a horizontal line. The "new" engineering design flaw rotated the braking plates about 60 degrees. This rotation for some reason causes the braking plates to squeal from the vibration. He assured me that this is being worked on. They are going to get a permanent fix, it is just taking some time. Until then they would redo the temporary fix and many times as necessary. He told me that he believes the permanent fix will happen soon. He doesn't think I will have to do the temporary fix but one time.

I hope you could picture what I was talking about the braking plates. It is difficult to describe.

cliffy1

The squeal will not happen in the 2004 because Toyota went to rear disc brakes.

tolenal

I have a distributor installed DVD Player with 10 Speaker JBL system. There is a buzz or echo when the DVD is playing on the JBL system. Very distinctive when someone is talking in the movie. Tried all three FM channels with the same problem. The JBL system is fine because the CD and radio sounds fine. The signal just does not seem to be getting to the radio from the DVD fully. This could be just a bad DVD player. Any body having the same problem.

canuck13

Just saw the post from a few days ago asking about the AWD. We had a bad storm on the weekend and I drove to the cottage in my AWD Ltd Sienna. I couldn't believe how good it was in the snow/ice. My wife saw a little hill that was covered with snow...very very steep. She asked me to try going up it. We went up like it was dry pavement. I couldn't believe it. I've bought a set of snows for winter, primarily to save the run-flats for summer, but the stock tires work very well in snow.

simplysue

I have a 2001 Sienna and have found that it has not handled very well in the snow - our Volkswagon GTI does better. Has anyone else found this.

I am thinking of trading it in for an all-wheel drive (CR-V or Outback) or at minimum putting snow tires on it for next year. Any other suggestions?

Thanks sue

nygreg

It could be your tires. The original tires on my 00 Sienna were terrible in the snow. They were replaced with Yokohoma Aegis LS4s (all season) and the car was much better in the snow. If you want the best snow performance, buy dedicated snow tires for the winter. As for the Outback - I own an 01 Outback too. Nothing beats this thing in the snow, especially if it has snow tires.

Greg

deanteam

My 2001 Sienna needed the Xsmn replaced at 7000 miles, warranty took care of it. It suffers though from recurrent and frustrating auto-sliding door failure 5 times since new for the right door failing to open/close. It's our 1st Toyota purchase after years as happy Honda owners. A new Honda my be in our future.

simplysue

Thanks for the reply Greg - the cab driver I had this morning suggested the same thing about the winter tires. (Too much snow and freezing rain overnight so I took a cab to catch the train to go to the big city!!) I haven't driven the Outback yet... but what would you say are the main benefits and drawbacks when comparing the Outback to the Sienna. We have 2 kids, a dog and like to tent camp!

Thanks in advance.

Sue

stever

Check my profile - didn't tent camp on my recent road trip, but the minivan is going to have more room. My minivan is more comfortable for extended driving than my Outback too. It doesn't go up the road to the ski hill as well as the Outback though.

Agree/disagree Nygreg?

Steve, Host

simplysue

Drove the outback today and quite liked it - I was surprised how much cargo room there is - I know it's less then the Sienna but I do want a smaller vehicle. I'll post more questions in the Subaru section of this board.

I had the Sienna serviced today and lo and behold it does need new tires after 48000 km (1 km = .6 miles)... that's just annoying, you would think Toyota could have made a better choice for one of the most important parts of the van.
Sue

innovations2

Thank you for keeping us posted. I'll be interested in hearing what you find out about the Subaru. I'm moving north into snow and mountain country next month and am considering another vehicle or possibly better snow tires. The original Sienna tires (firestone) performed very well in the snow, but my new "rain force" (michelin), while great on wet and icy surfaces, really scare me half to death in the snow.

nygreg

It works out well for us, having both the Sienna for room and the Outback for bad weather and driving fun. Two different driving experiences. The Outback is a little quirky, great handling, fun to drive and the Sienna is roomier, more soft around the edges with a silky smooth drivetrain. If we have all three kids with us and/or their friends we reach for the Sienna's keys. However, if the weather is bad or there is only 1 or 2 or even 3 of us, its the Outback. As for 2 kids, a dog and camping - you fit the Outback profile perfectly. All you need is a Mac and know someone named Dave (inside joke - ask about this in the Subaru forum). I invite you to join us there.

As for tires - only get about 30K miles out of a set with the Sienna. Keep in mind the weight of the van. My Yokohamas are shot at 30K, but they have been great and only cost $49 each from tirerack.

Greg

cinnrs

I have a 2001 Sienna with 54K miles on it and the check engine light went on - the mechanic said it was intermittent sticking of an air valve on the charcoal canister - the codes it registered are P0440, P0441, P0446. He said that dirt must have gotten into that air intake valve making it stick. Unfortunately - I have to replace the charcoal cannister and valve which will cost $550 - its out of warranty. This appears to be a different problem then everyone else's "check engine light" problems. Has anyone encountered this problem? For what its worth - I also have problems with excessive tire wear and my door sticking - however - I love my van!

spgr

I agree with simplysue. My 02 sienna needs new tires after 22000 miles. One of the factory Dunlops is actually very "choppy" as the Toyota service person told me after I had my first alingment done. I guess I'm in the market for new tires, but I'm annoyed; I expect to change tires every 50K miles or so but not every 20K.

storm11

cliffy1:
On the '04, rear discs are only available on certain models when an option package is selected and purchased. Even the XLE has rear drums as the non-optioned setup.

cliffy1

You are correct. I spoke too soon. Its just that they are included in every 2004 Sienna we have yet received. For practical purposes, they are standard in this region unless Toyota alters the build schedule.

ckshubin

In the continuing saga of my 2001 Sienna.....it is now, once again, at the dealer. Yes, my rear drums still hum and sing along with that horrible noise but now i'm having rotor problems on the fronts. Last month they sanded them down and once again I had a metal to metal grinding sound. Anyone else have problems with their rotors? Tires? Dealer tires are a joke. Mine needed to be replaced after 15,000 miles. Put Toyo tires on them and it drives beautifully. The tire place said the tires new cars come with are a joke. So.....once you put new GOOD tires on you shouldn't have to replace them for awhile. The brake mechanic my husband takes his work vehicles to understood the humming sound we have with our rear drums. He is going to replace them with organic drums, not metallic. If it solves the problem i'll let everyone know. The reason Toyota doesn't try this? They have a warehouse full of metallic brake drums for the Sienna's and are under contract with a specific company and until they're used up there's nothing else they'll use to replace the drums. So having Toyota replace the drums is useless since your getting the same metallic brake put back on. That's what i've been told anyhow. I'll let everyone know if the organic aftermarket brake drums solve the humming/squeal noise.

BTW: my car has only 16,000 miles on it and i've had it in the dealership at least 8 times for brake problems. Thank goodness it's on a lease and I can just dump the problems in 1 more year!

innovations2

You need to read posts #2442 and 2444. It looks like the brake *squeak problem might have a solution. I'm not sure what a "hum" would be, I don't think it's the same problem that others have described. Other than the squeak, my brakes are actually just fine. I'm going to wait for Toyota to announce a fix, hopefully soon.

As far as tires, my 2001 came with firestones. I'm at 34,000 miles and had them replaced at 29,000. They would have gone another 5,000 easily, but we ran over some sharp steel rebar that put punctures in 2 tires. The tire pressure warning light let us know there was a problem.

I felt like the firestone that I had on the car were better in the snow than the Michelin that I replaced them with. The Michelin were more designed for rain and are much louder than the Firestone. I actually liked the manufacturer tires better.

You might mention the brake *fix that was described when you take your van in for the brake replacement.

nygreg

Keep in mind that tires are a trade off. If you want long wear, you will give up some traction due to the type of rubber compound used. Personally, traction in all weather is paramount and I will gladly give up lifetime for handling safety. I also tend to get nervous about tires after about 40K miles. That is a long time to be exposed to the elements. As mentioned before, I have been pleased with the Yokohama Aegis LS4s, although they have lasted only 30K miles. They are great in dry, wet and snow. I am replacing them with Yokohama Avid Touring tires which seem to be highly recommended by CR and Tirerack. We'll see.

Chrisitine - I believe you mean that you will replace your brake shoes with organic (not drums). I too have the rear brake noise and am thinking about trying aftermarket brake shoes to see if it has an impact. Also, waiting to see what Toyota comes out with for a fix. No performance impact with noise, though. Car braking is excellent.

Greg

innovations2

Thanks for the information on the Yokohama tires. I'll do a little research on them and see if they might be a better option. I agree that traction is more important to me than longevity.

ckshubin

yes, your correct. i'll be replacing them with organics. Although at this point i'm ready to leave the van with the keys in it and let someone steal it i'm so frustrated. I'm looking to get out of my lease on the van and get something else. We've had nothing but brake problems for the last year (rotors keep needing to be sanded, the humming/squealing noise, contaminated brake fluid). I've had it!

BTW: I live in sunny southern california so rain and snow are not a problem so we just buy a good all around tire.

simplysue

For those of you wondering... I'm going to keep my Sienna around for a little while still. I test drove the Passat Wagon (too car like) and looked at the Volvo Cross Country (too expensive. I still like the Outback the best but not sure if there is enough room. I got some good all seasons today and will be buying winter tires in the fall. Thanks for all the suggestions and comments - it always helps to hear other perspectives!

Sue

dougb10

Sue, you really can't go too wrong as the Sienna is a great vehicle...especially with a husband, 2 kids, dog plus a tent.
My wife and I have just retired. Sold our '99 Sienna with 117,000 trouble-free kilometres on it and bought an '03 Camry XLE. My wife has a '97 Subaru Outback Limited...now only has 58,000 km. on it. You looked at the same cars we did...the Volvo Cross Country was too expensive and the Passat has a bad repair record. The gas mileage is also brutal on the new 6 cylinder 4 wheel drive that uses premium (according to a friend of mine who has one)
The Outback is a super car and it may be too small for your needs in comparison to the Sienna. Our Sienna just swallowed everything. We used it primarily for trips and moving furniture...kids and grandparents...it was like a truck as we took out the back seats all the time.
However, with creative packing, it is amazing just how much stuff you can get into the Outback. When it is time for the Outback to go, my wife will not consider any other car...she absolutely loves it!
Good luck.

Doug

spgr

I am wondering if any of you have tried the Bridgestone Turanza LS-T tires on your Sienna and what do you think of them. I live in Northeast US, so I am particularly interested in hearing how they hold in the snow. I'm debating between the Yokohama Avids and the Turanzas. Thanks.

nygreg

Sue - Tirerack.com will sell you a set of snow tires on rims for a set price. They will mount and balance and send them directly to you. All you will need to do is put them on.

Yokohama Avid Touring tires were installed yesterday by Costco (purchased at Tirerack). Compared to the Aegis LS4s, they make the steering a little lighter (less friction), give more road feel and are more responsive to steering input. They are quiet and handle well. Too new to give a good review (wet, snow, etc). They do transmit more of the road (felt a little "jiggly" at higher speeds due to road imperfections). This is just a first impression.

Greg

screwloose1

Our '98 Sienna XLE has 110K miles on it. The original Firestone Affinity tires lasted nearly 60K miles. All brakes are original-'tho the rear drums have a squeal. I use Mobil 1, and change it every 7.5K mi. At 99K the ABS hydraulic unit was replaced because the ABS Malfunction Indicator Light was staying on. We had to return early from our vacation to have a brake fluid leak at that unit repaired (line fitting left loose). We once had to have the drivers seat belt replaced because the SRS MIL was staying on. Extended warranty (Toyota) covered these repairs. We use the cheapest 87 octane we can find and have never had any problems with starting/running/sludge. We drive about 60 mi daily in DFW (Dallas-Ft. Worth). There aint no snow, ever-just a little ice. The transmission was flushed at 99K mi for the first time-no problems. We do not tow. We like our Sienna! We aint sueing nobody. Thanks! PS Had to replace the orig battery- was starting to sound a little different when cranking engine. Please check tire pressures when cold and do it regularly! Also, never been aligned yet. Rotate/balance every oil change. Thanks again.

redscooby

Have been reading through some of the recent posts about brake problems. Our 2002 Sienna (12,000 miles) recently went in for an oil change and I mentioned that the brakes were squealing when coming to a stop (no noise when not braking). The rear drums were cleaned and 'adjusted' and the squeal has gone. BUT, now the brakes feel very jerky/grabby (as if the brake pressure is going on/off/on/off). It is more noticeable when braking harder and it feels as if it is taking longer to stop. Prior to the service, the brakes were very smooth when coming to a halt. Have been back to the dealer twice to have the front rotors machined, but the problem is still there (it is a little better after the second visit, but is going back to the dealer again next week).

Anyone else experienced this jerky/pulsating kind of braking when coming to a stop?

Any thoughts on why I might have started having this problem the same day that work was done on the rear brakes?

Thanks.

nygreg

Sounds like the drum might be out of round. A little baffling if the dealer just machined them (they should be true afer a machining). Do you feel some pulsating when applying the bakes at higher speeds? One of my rear drums is out of round slightly and I can feel it a little. You also mentioned the front rotors. If the dealer first worked on the rear drums and the problem started, why are they cutting the front rotors?

Greg

redscooby

The rear drums were worked on first for the noise they were making. That seems to be fixed but when I drove home from the delaership, I noticed the vibration/pulsating in the brake pedal. At first I assumed there must be some connection between the rear brake work and the new problem, but when I returned it to the dealer, they diagnosed the pulsating problem as being with the front brakes. They have now worked on the front brakes twice and the pulsating problem is still there (most noticeable when coming to a stop). When I say 'pulsating', it is a jerky kind of braking sensation, almost as if a disc is warped or like you said, a drum out of round. Just wondered if this was another common Sienna brake problem (like the noisy rear drums). Thanks.

jasdmw

I have Turanza LS-H on my van, installed last June and have about 22000 KM (13200 Mi) on them now. In general, happy with them. They make the van perform much better in handling/turning applications. However, we had a lot of snow this winter and they didn't feel that great in the deep stuff. Once it turned slushy with the road salt applied, the grip returned. They felt much better in 4" of slush VS 4" of snow. Otherwise, great tires. You'll have to go up a size (60 series) as they don't come in the exact factory size, but they'll be close enough in diameter to not mess up your spedometer/odometer.

nygreg

If the front rotors are warped, you should feel it in the steering wheel when you apply the brakes at higher speeds. It is possible that you have hot spots on the rotors that will not necessarily give you pulsating, but, will give you that brake on/brake off/brake on sensation. Ask the dealer to replace the rotors instead of cutting you current ones.

Greg

redscooby

Greg - Thanks for the info. I'll talk to the dealer about the rotors.

sbrandon

When we left the church parking lot yesterday we were supposed to follow some friends in their Chrysler van. My wife said he was a hot-foot so keeping up with him should be a chore on the VA back roads...After a moment told her that there is a 50/50 chance of their van breaking down so we were not going to have a problem. Our Sienna took the curves etc very well.

mrudoltz

I have a 99 Sienna XLE (52000 miles) and have a problem with the a/c. There is a crack in the rear a/c line; this line sits virtually adjacent to the muffler. The service manager claims that he has never seen this before, and that it must have happened by the exhaust being hit and the muffler hitting - and subsequently cracking - the a/c line. I looked at the van with a technician, who stated that he has seen several Siennas with these cracks; all are in the same spot, and all seem to be caused by the muffler hitting this line. The repair bill will undoubtedly be ~ $1000.

Has anyone else had or heard of this problem?

deepan

Doing some spring cleaning i noticed something odd. we have a 00 and the van was parked in the garage. looking from the back end i noticed that the van was tilted a bit on the drivers side. I took a tape measure and measured the distance from
the bottom of the mud flap to the ground. The drivers side rear (left) measured ~8" while the right side measured ~9". i also took a quick look at the shocks and everything seemed rather normal. wonder whether anyone else who has noticed this.
i didnt measure the front ends.

zoojet

I have 98 Sienna XLE. The tire pressure indicator light goes on after driving about 5 minutes. Adjust tire pressure and press the reset button, but don't solve the problem.

Any one had the same problem and how to solve that? Thanks very much.

duckshooter

Read the owner's manual. The procedure is more detailed than just pushing the button. You have to turn the key then hold the button for some period, if I recall. But check the procedure in the manual. Don't sweat it - I did the same thing and was flummoxed until I read the procedure. Then it worked perfectly.

nygreg

Thanks for reminding me. Just installed new Yokohama Avid Touring tires and adjusted the pressure a few mornings ago. Need to reset the warning system.

Greg

zoojet

Thank you very much, duckshooter. The problem is solved.

ghramsdell

We took our 2002 Sienna in to the Dealer and told them that the front brakes seem to "shudder" when we brake. They said they would charge us $40 dollars to examine them. Well they called us and told us that they were warped and we needed to have them refinished for $260 dollars. I have noticed a large number of Toyota Sienna owners have experienced this problem. What did you do to remedy the problem?

shued

it is very normal. At 30K miles, the pair of front
disk brake will need to replace. The dealer need
to re-surface the rotor. If the rotors have gone,
it will cost more than $260. (at about $600).
Normal garage price for front pair brake will
cost $150. If you can do it without worrying about
re-surface, it only need the disks.

ghramsdell

I'm just a little surprised, (not that I need to replace the brakes) but I've never had to had my rotors resurfaced (at this mileage point), or have had them "warp" on any of my other vehicles. With only 30K miles on them. The Toyota Service rep said that it was normal at 15K miles, to see this, and that the brakes create a lot of heat. I dont know but it seems to me that maybe for the Sienna the Rotors aren't engineered as well as other vehicles. My car is a Ford Mustang (the Siennas my stay at home wifes) and I have driven it a lot harder in the same mileage period and more and its brakes and rotors are fine.

shued

The weight eats the brakes. You will find
that at about 50K miles, normal sedan will need
new front disk brakes, while SUV and Minivan
below 5K pound will need new one at about 30K miles.
Some bigger SUV and truck above 5K pound will
need brake sooner. All disks and tire belong
to maintenance items. So keep your mod happier.

duckshooter

I don't know if this is a con game or what. Every time my wife goes to a dealer with a van, the diagnosis is warped rotors. Even if we don't mention brake problems to begin with. Happened with the grand caravan (twice) and now the Sienna as well.

I've never had them fixed - ever. And the vehicle brakes just fine. No squeal, no lurching, no uneven braking, no vibration. We get the pads changed out as required. That's all.

What's the peanut gallery think? Is this a scam on women or some unsuspecting owners?

nygreg

If it ain't broke don't fix it. If your car brakes fine, all you need to do is replace the pads and maybe scuff up the rotors a little to break the glaze. I have >62K miles on my Sienna and have only changed the front pads once. Did nothing but scuff up the rotors.

Greg