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
Searching the internet I don't see any reference after the 12/3/01 date to these or any other Sienna fires.
I feel like I'm the butt of this great big joke. I bought this fairly boring, rather plain, and totally sexless Toyota for all the reasons people seem to by them. It is supposed to be pretty close to perfect; yet, I've not spent one day in it that I was not trying to locate a rattle, squeak, groan, or buzz (15 months). All of the noise are "normal" according to the service advisor. Need I mention the sludge issue? I find myself sitting at the dealership an hour and half every few months getting the oil changed so I've got PROOF I changed the damn oil. These things are supposed to be "gas+oil" cars. No problems, no thinking, no nothin'.
Over 32,000 miles on my 2000 Sienna.
No squeaks, rattles, groans, buzzes, clicks, clacks, clunks or other assorted "bad" noises. No smoke, leaks, drips or other assorted problems.
Quiet as church on Sunday and a bunch more comfortable.
Scott
as far as your brakes are concerned, the squeak or squeal that you have is your brake dust! i have it too. nothing u can do about it! most sienna have it. u can try to remove your drums every 6months or so and blow out the brake dust. i do this once in the summer and once in the winter. easy job to do when i swap summer/winter tires. mine is 1999 model with 52,000+kms. it has some minor squeaks - no big deal to me. i'd rather have the squeaks than drive my old caravan with the engine re-built twice in less than 80,000kms!
if you don't like your sienna - sell it!
I just wanted to mention that I noticed the brake squeak for a couple of weeks during the summer. It has since gone away without doing anything.
I live in the Pacific NW and we get quite a bit of rain. Could it be possible that the moisture and water keep the drums wet and keep it from squeaking? All I know is it squeaked and now it doesn't.
We have a 2001 Sienna with 15,000 miles and it's been quite as a mouse. No Rattles and No Squeaks other than the one time I mentioned.
In fact, the car is as quite as a mouse most of the time, I think that is one of the reasons ANY little noise bothers Sienna owners. I can hear a marble rolling on the floor - it is so quite.
Something else interesting that we experienced happened a few months ago when we drove down one of our dirt roads across our property with both sliding doors open for about 5 miles.. we noticed one of the doors rattling a few days later. What we finally found was that mud had splashed up inside the tracks and caused the door to not seal properly. It took a couple of good washings to get all of the dirt out (even though you couldn't see it). Once we did, it has been back to it's normal quite self. ..quite enough to fall asleep while driving!
.
where i live - we get lots and lots of rain but that doesnt stop my brakes from squeaking or sqealing.
my guess is that because the brake dust builds up inside your drum and sometimes the dust will shift - so sometimes u get the sound, sometimes u dont.
i'm just thinking of installing a hitch. from what i understand, they are all bolt-on for sienna.
You're really going to trade in or sell a Sienna over brake-dust and a sludge rumor? Incredible...
Best of luck, we'll miss ya.
Scott
just take a quick look at this site under the Sienna heading......judge for yourself whether the sludge issue is anything to be concerned about.
If you have the whisitling, demand the alternator to be replaced.
goodluck and as the saying goes... "regret always comes in the end and never in the beginning".
i went with my friend to a toyota dealer over the weekend to look at the toyota highlander. he currently owns a 1992 previa 4wd with over 165,000kms on it. he asked how much if he wanted to trade it in, dealer wants to give him C$7000. sales guy showed us a deal he did where a 1998 dodge caravan with much lower mileage and traded for only C$4000!!
If so, why are you bringing these up as faults now? If you didn't like the car you shouldn't have bought it. Sounds like we have a case of buyers remorse.
My Toyota is one of the quitest vehicles I have ever owned. I have owned Ford, Honda, Chrysler (Eagle), Chevrolet and Saturn. It's layout is intuitive and everything fits tight.
Scott
leather seats does have this sound when u move around. personally, i think leather seats are a big waste of money!
it would be nice to have shocks hold up the hood instead of a metal rod and also nice to have a light under the hood. BUT, these are minor things that i can live without.
my question is: since you bought the van, did you have any problems? i'm talking about major problems that required parts replaced, recalls, etc.? after you answer this question - compare it with your previous vehicles.
if you owned ford, jeep, gm, etc. before, why did you buy toyota this time and not the same brand(s) as before?
How do I start arbitration now that I have exhausted the incredibily useless Toyota Customer Service Channels? Has anyone else gotten to this point of frustration annd despair with their Toyota vehicle? You'd think that since I had to get a new torque converter in my Sienna after only 100 miles that SOMEONE in Toyota would want to make things right for us!!! Please help if you can!!!!
Steve Paravola
goodking@wwa.com
Driver's side seat belt warning light does not work. Toyo said bring it in - takes one hour.
Gotta use that warranty somehow....!
i can't comment on your tranny coz i havent driven or seen your van.
i can only offer you my comments/opinion on the tires and brake "clunk". the brake "clunk" is normal and i have it on my 1999 sienna since day one! everytime i back up and step on the brakes, i can hear the sound. as far as the tires go, if you have dunlop or firestone - get rid of them, replace with a good brand name tire (such as michelin). my van came with dunlops and i removed them and bought michelins. i gave away my dunlops to my nephew who drives a 1998 caravan. after 2 months use, the dunlops on the front (inside) are bald!
Think what you like, but a Sienna is not a value in the XLE version. My wife's 01 Lexus ES300 listed exactly $1900 more. It is as solid as a rock...no rattles, no buzzes, no nothin'. It has high dollar wheels and tires, a superior sound system with a subwoofer, traction control, lights everywhere, side air bags, superior leather, more horsepower, sunroof, a free loaner for even an oil change, a year longer warranty, and (what do you know) a pneumatic assist to raise the hood. The real value cars are no longer Toyotas. You gotta drive a few blocks down the street to Lexus to get what used to be a Toyota.
By the way, I traded my Sienna for a Tahoe today. After two months of shopping my van I can tell you Toyota's reputation for "great" resale is more hype than truth. My 01 Sienna lost 40% of it's MSRP in 15 months. That's right up there with a Buick Regal. If you don't believe me, ask the guys on this site at "Real World Trade Values". They watch the auctions. I could never get an offer a penny more than the 20k they suggested was the "real money" for this car.
I repeat....the Sienna is reasonable value in the base version; but when they try to turn it into a high dollar car, they miss the mark by a mile.
This is due to the 0% financing, huge rebates and free extended warranties that are being offered by many car companies now. You didn't really think that your GM dealer was going to discount that Tahoe and give you a rebate and give you top $$ for your Sienna, did you? You probably would have done better at a Import dealer (Toyota, Honda, Lexus) because then they would've had better odds of keeping the vehicle and not auctioning it like the GM dealer almost assuredly will.
I brought this up a few posts ago (post #1476), hope it didn't come as a huge suprise.
The Tahoe is a nice vehicle, I have a '99 Suburban and had a '97 Suburban before that. Very solid, good resale, but quite a bit noisier than the Sienna (engine noise and rattles/squeaks). Nice truck though, I think you'll like it.
Scott
in my area, a brand new toyota avalon XLE(1997 model) cost around C$40,000 back then. a used 1997 avalon XLE with around 130,000kms. is now only worth about C$14,000! that's a very big drop in value.
my sienna CE (1999) was around C$29,000 (brand new) and the value right now is anywhere between C$26,000 to C$27,000.
i personally would have traded for a toyota sequoia and not a tahoe! all i can say is goodluck with your tahoe and pay attention to your fuel pump when your mileage reaches 100,000kms.!
i'm just waiting for the weather to get warmer and i'll do it myself! apparently, it's not covered by warranty! bunch of crooked dealers!
anyone have experienced this problem?
thanks
Prominently displayed in two areas were stands of Toyota oil filters vs other brands with pictures, etc. Interesting. Also noted was a claim of 28% more filtering capacity than other brands. I didn't see this display two weeks ago while getting my oil changed. Again, interesting....
By chance I asked the service guy about oil changes - he said, "Read the manual. Mileage on the dash is not an indicator of when you should change oil".
Yeah, well, that's a good thought but that's generally leaving it up to the customer's interpretation and everyone is going to come up with a different view on that. If you think about it, sitting in stop & go traffic for an hour (hey, this is Houston) and other variables thoughout several months really doesn't dictate a set time to change the oil. Quick runs to the corner store and the engine never gets to operating temperature. High humidity (still Houston guys - choke) and maybe condensation in the oil screws up the viscosity (gummy bears...).
I'm just rambling I guess - three of my friends have Sienna's ('99 '00 '01) also and none of us has had problems of any sort.(notice I didn't say "yet").
Regarding trade-ins - a little over a year ago a dealer was ready to offer me $1000 under the wholesale value of my car which was in top shape. I walked, sold the car to an individual and got the wholesale price - everyone was happy! I never encountered a dealership that even came close to what the car was worth and still giving them a decent profit. You are always ahead selling the car outright to an individual if you have the time and a little patience.
)
" I've just been informed by a Toyota Service Department Manager that Toyota has issued a special policy adjustment regarding sludge in Sienna engines. I was given a toll free number, 888-802-9436, and told to call for information. The recording referenced the "Oil gel special policy adjustment", and provided instructions for filing a claim. I also spoke with a customer service rep. Apparently, they are reimbursing people who had sludge and provided reciepts from franchise oil change services. They would not provide a copy of the policy document, and seemed to fall short of admitting that there was an engine problem. The customer service rep did say that the standard oil change interval should be 7500 miles, except if some of the special circumstances listed in the manual applied. Then the 5000 mile interval would apply. I faxed them all my receipts and documents. I'll just wait to see what happens. "
2000 Sienna
Sludged at 17,000 miles
3 oil changes
$3,300 in repairs not covered under warranty.
What I'm trying to say is if the brakes are squealing, then it's most certainly bad design. And even though rust, dust and moisture can contribute to the problem, it is certainly not the main cause and with the proper design, those factors do not result in audible noise.
Just my .02
>> Toyota's response follows:
At 02/04/2002 08:53 AM we wrote -
Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
We apologize for the concerns you have been experiencing with your 2000 Sienna.
In our continuing commitment to provide quality service, each Toyota dealership has, on site, a Customer Relations Manager to address any concerns a customer may have. In addition, regional factory representatives support the dealerships by providing additional assistance and acting as consultants in unusual situations. We regret to hear of your dissatisfaction in this matter and have thoroughly reviewed your situation. We note that the regional representative responsible for Lombard Toyota reviewed all information pertinent to your case, and rendered a decision, declining your request on behalf of Toyota. Because the regional representative has been trained by Toyota, the decision rendered by this individual represents Toyota?s position. Our review of the case indicates that all of Toyota?s guidelines have been followed and we accordingly concur with the decision.
Toyota values you as a customer and we appreciate this opportunity to further review your request.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 800-331-4331 between the hours of 6 AM and 6 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday, with your file #200110230897.
National Customer Relations
>> Original E-Mail to Toyota:
---- 01/30/2002 05:19 PM ----
I'm not certain if this is the correct place to submit this type of request or not, but I have not had any luck with the standard Toyota customer service channels.
Following is an overview of my current problems with our 2000 Toyota Sienna:
- 1 day old when the Check Engine Light came on (August 2000 - car built in July 2000). Problem was bad torque converter and Lombard, IL Dealer replaces it.
- Drive Sienna out of dealer and the trans shifts poorly from 1-2 gears IMMEDIATELY. Steering wheel is tilted significantly to the left and car seems to pull to the right.
- Several trips back to the dealer to complain about poor shifting and alignment problems.
- Front tires are mostly bald on the inside half of BOTH tires 5,000 miles after trans work. Car pulls right significantly since trans work.
- Sienna has been back to the dealer 4 times. Customer Service Manager and regional Toyota rep insist car operates properly. The Regional rep (Mike Fliesher I believe) told me that he sees problems, but that we should expect unusual shifts, alignment problems and prematurely balding tires with this vehicle since it is within established parameters!(?)
My wife and I bought a Toyota because we had such bad problems with a Mercury Villager minivan. It was a much better car than our Sienna to date. After such drastic problems with the Sienna, we have no idea what to do to get Toyota to at least review this problem and propose some type of remedy. Our Sienna problems are very obvious and potentially affect the safety of this vehicle and, therefore, my family.
The only corrective action we are requesting is that Toyota replace our current torque converter and align our vehicle properly so that the vehicle steers straight and shifts correctly. Also, as our tires began to wear strangely very shortly after the initially torque converter replacement, we feel that the tires should be either replaced or at least Toyota should contribute the appropriate amount of money based on our usage over time.
Can someone please help us address these issues? We were VERY HAPPY customers with our 1989 Camry and would very much like to believe that someone at Toyota is concerned that they have a very unhappy customer now who only wants REASONABLE assistance correcting problems caused by a defect torque converter in a brand new vehicle. Thank you in advance for any assistance you can offer...
Steve Paravola
>> end of e-mail
Is it normal or only I am having it? Otherwise van is running very smooth.
John
if your a/c is on or you settings are on defrost, you can sometimes hear your compressor kick in and your rpm will go up/down.
this is the only thing i could think of. other than this, you probably just have bionic ears!!
In RX300 forum someone was talking about exhaust dampner. may be when I go for next oil change , I may ask about it.
May be as you have rightly said "BIONIC ears" !!
My wife even does not hear the the engine humming !! BTW playing music helps my bionic ears !!
Thanks.
John
When the vehicle is "cold" and I begin to drive, I get this loud growl/grinding noise at about 2600-2800 RPM. This doesn't sound good at all! I'm at about 6000 miles and I had the oil changed to fully synthetic about 2000 miles ago. The "grinding" goes away after the car warms up a bit. But let me clarify... while the vehicle is cold, it's about 50 degrees in my garage, so it's not really THAT cold. Second, I'm not attempting to overrev the car after first starting it. My Sienna normall shifts around 2800-3000RPM in the first few gears, which I think is a result of the VVT-i system.
Please, someone give me a clue as to what this problem is! My dealer is clueless and I have no trust in them after my previous experience - threats of lawsuits and arbitration to get them to invest the time to finally figure out what was wrong with my van and fix it.
J.R.
bthibodeau florida
John
My apologies to Cblake. Apparently there is a problem with some Sienna's. Good for Toyota for finally deciding to "do the right thing."
As my Sienna is still new (only 9,000 k), I'll keep taking it to the dealer for oil changes every 3k. (It cost alot more as I have to pay for the oil change and I go get nachos and a beer at the Chilli's accross the street).
What are the signs that your car may be developing sludge, uhm, I mean oil gel?
SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT (SPA) – ENGINE OIL MAINTENANCE
Both Toyota and Lexus initiated a Special Policy Adjustment (SPA) for owners of certain 1997-2001 model-year vehicles. The SPA was designed to provide goodwill assistance for a limited time to customers who have experienced, or who may encounter mechanical problems, as a result of failure to maintain their vehicles' engines properly for how they drive their vehicles.
This is a condition, not unique to either Lexus or Toyota products, where old, dirty oil becomes thick and no longer adequately lubricates the engine. If not corrected, it can lead to severe engine damage. This is solely a maintenance issue, and we are not aware of any situation in which a properly maintained vehicle has experienced mechanical problems associated with this condition.
Letters detailing the specifics of the SPA and reminding customers about the importance of keeping up with their cars' recommended maintenance programs, were sent to owners of the affected vehicles beginning in February 2002