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The salesman told us that it would disappear shortly. It never did, and about a year later, I took the van in to get it diagnosed. The dealer said it was the brake shoes clapping together. I am suspicious of this diagnosis...
When I put the brakes on when backing up, I do hear a soft, muffled "clap" sound, that sounds like it could be bake shoes/pads. But I also hear is a loud, sharp "smack" - actually 1-3 "smacks" each time I backup. A couple of weeks ago I spoke with a 2000LE owner with 40k miles. I asked him if he had had such issues. "no" he said. I backed my vehicle up in his presence, and the "smacking" sound produced some enlarged eyes on his face when he heard it.
Has anybody else had this problem?
Thanks,
R. Smith
Replies are appreciated.
Thanks,
R. Smith in Arizona.
when first turn on your ignition, you hear this loud groan, which is the ABS doing a system check and is normal as well.
I had (have) the whining noise - it turned out to be the alternator. It's more noisey when under load.
i guess it really depends on the buyer. some people buy the option coz they wanna show off, some people buy it coz they need it.
either way, whether we like or not - i can see this option being standard equipment on top of the line models in the near future.
I guess I'm one of the few but I have had no problem with it and find it has utility. Getting in and out of the cars with kids in each hand is easier for me with the touch of a button(s).
i just received word yesterday that my manual was returned to sender (california) coz' the package had the wrong address. it will be mailed out to me again with the correct address this time and i should get in within a week or so!
I had the same problem with my 1999 sienna two years ago. The dealer replaced the computer chip and solved the problem. Recently, due to bad wire connection, the door kept opening and closing by itself. Again, it was fixed under warranty but who knows when it will happen again. At that time, I may have to pay the repairement.
Thanks!
I suspect a bit of the problem is the car is so quiet you tend to hear more than you might in another vehicle. Is that a good problem to have? Maybe. Just be aware the interior of a Sienna is not up to the NVR (noise, vibration, rattle) of the rest of the car. It is a fine car if the rattling seats and groaning doors don't bother you.
My 2000 XLE has 25,000 on it now and is tight and quiet. No squeaks, no rattles, no problems with the doors (powered or otherwise).
Scott
As far as my battle. For those that feel strongly about something, don't give up. Also, get the sales manager involved. These folks can put great pressure on the service manager. Basically I went to the sales manager, told her the way I was treated and since sales touts the service department in their pitch I felt she should know. I also told her this was my second Toyota from that dealership but given the way I was treated I would strongly have to reconsider purchasing from them again. Mind you, all these statements were true, but boy did that get the attention I needed to get it fixed right and not just use electrical tape.
my sliding door also rattles a bit when i close it. the oval plastic piece on top of the speedo rattles a bit. rear window washer drips a bit, little bit of pulling problem.
yes the sienna is expensive. C$31,000 taxes included is a huge amount of money. when you buy a new vehicle, everything should be perfect! well, its sad to say no vehicle is perfect regardless of how expensive the vehicle is!
after having my engine rebuilt twice, tranny problems, oil leak, constant loss of coolant, valve gasket problems, heater problems... all this in my old dodge caravan.
i think it's safe to say that my problems in the sienna are very minor and with the nice engine and good ride in the sienna, i can live with these minor problems which by the way, i hope to fix when my shop manual arrives in the mail this week!
just remember that even if you buy a $200,000 car, it will still not be perfect! just for information, i found out that electrical components on jaguar cars are made in the philippines by ford! nothing wrong with this but a british car with made in the phil. parts and the car cost over C$50,000???? ohh well...
From Edmunds Town Hall, do a search for "engine sludge."
Cautions expressed about sludge,(post1231,above), IMHO, are not worthy of too much concern. We've never met any Sienna owner yet who has even heard of the problem, and at least 6 dealers around the country that we've been to for service have not had any complaints about it. There seems to be a lot of talk about it on the Engine Sludge topic, but nothing of any substance.
We also have a Y2K Avalon in he family, and it's been a trouble free car since new.
Guess I'm just a thoroughly satisfied Toyota fan!
if you have:
- how long did it take you?
- how much ($)?
- hard or easy?
- what parts on the van did you remove to get to the rear plugs?
thank you.
I had a torque converter explode in a 77 Oldsmobile tranmission. Probably did the same thing in yours. Some 2000 models and early 2001 models had torque converter problems. These were all covered under warranty.
Greg
just wanted to get some feedback from people who have done it - if any.
Does anybody know how this really works?
BTW, Early Siennas 1998, 1999, 2000 had both their engine and transmissions made in Japan, while later Siennas 2001, 2002 had their engines produced in the USA.
Would be interested in others experience...
personally, i would install a separate alarm system with siren and rechargeable battery back-up siren. my old caravan was broken into and siren was ripped out! learned my lesson and installed a back-up siren that will only stop if you hammer it to death!!!
from previous experience, i now have 4 different security system insalled in my vehicle which will make it very difficult for someone to steal!
Thank You
Steve
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My boss has a '99 XLE and has had his in the shop I think 5 times now for his power door. It would seem that there are some Sienna models that do have problems with it. Have you tried another dealership?
if you're tall, normal armrests would be too low for you. i basically made this center console from scratch and made it much higher than the armrests and it works perfect! i dont use my armrests at all. i use the console as my armrest.
the center console i made also houses a small tv/vcr for the baby in the backseat! it's cheap to make and it fits my use perfectly!
P.S. I keep forgetting that the truth is a lie and a lie is the truth to car salespeople. I think I would rather have dinner with Bill Clinton than deal with these people.