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Hope this helps with your problem. Keep us posted.
venkin: I've been keeping detailed mileage records of my new XLE. I observed the break in period religiously (try driving 55 or under on I-84 in CT, the passthrough between NYC and Boston - Yikes!). I go to a popular gas station that often refills its tanks.
Breakin Mileage 1st 1000 miles: 24.5 mpg
Since breakin I drive mostly highway around 70 mph: my mileage seems to be going down from 22.5 mpg towards 21 mpg. I'd expect what I got during breakin. Not cool. But its been progressively cold lately.
Next fillup I'm going to try to 'unleaded' my foot and see what the milage looks like but the trend isn't great. I'll double check my LE mileage but I know it's better than 15 - 17 mpg.
Anyone else care to contribute?
Here are our mileage numbers for the past five weeks, traveling mostly highway, some city, some trips to school and mall, and occasional stand-still traffic:
21.29
19.13
20.63
21.04
20.25
22.27
20.24
19.95
20.39
20.54
23.31
23.32
Yearly high was 26.29
Yearly low was 17.34
We always go to the same station and use 93 octane.
Another problem: I've had the fuel sensor in the gas tank replaced when the gas guage went haywire. It worked, but on a recent road trip I noticed that the indicator was still on FULL after 65 miles. It usually breaks after about 40. Then, after the fuel low light was on for a while and the indicator showed EMPTY (I mean it was fixed down there), we filled up and came 3.5 gallons short of a full tank. I doubt the usual reserve is that much, so I think the sensor may be going again. Anybody experience this problem?
Other than that, our van has been fantastic! It's so versitile for our family w/2 kids in car seats and a large dog. For those living in places with changing climes, I highly recomend rubber floor mats from Weather Tech! They're top quality, hold lots of melted slush and gunk and clean up well. Thanks all!
I love the handling and design of the car, however I am wondering if this year is a bad year for this model.
I have had the brakes replaced at about 12K.
I have had the transmission and radiator replaced at 22K. This was especially troubling because we were on a Thanksgiving trip out of town when it went out. The dealer mentioned that transmissions have been going out left and right on this car. It took a week to get the car repaired. The dealer was very accomodating but it was extremely inconvenient.
The check engine light has come on twice, I have it in the shop now.
I keep the maintenence up and do oils changes about every 3500 miles.
Anyone else have any transmission problems?
I am seriously considering trading it in for a Odyessy.
Sorry to hear about your troubles - I hope they end soon! I also love the ride, handling and comfort of the Sienna.
The truth is that the number of sludge victims is increasing. There are more and more new Avalon owners in particular. There are more and more owners having this problem at low mileage and after adequate oil changes. I just received a 25-page document with owner scenarios. You may wish to call all this fabrication if you choose; you *lose* if you do and own a V6 Toyota engine, though.
There are a significant number of "lurkers" who are sending information to support the problem. Some owners continue to post on The Complaint Station, amidst the mechanics who are calmly and not-so-calmly responding to the owner complaints. There isn't any need to embellish this matter; it speaks for itself, owner by owner.
I'd like owners to take the information and do their own research. It isn't hard to find owner posts. To totally discount my information is very PRESUMPTIVE of "rbacsafra" and "cliffy1." I *thought* "cliffy1" was credible with the torque converter issue and Toyota's response. I will be changing my opinion about him if he is intent on discounting this matter for me and the other owners. Since he works for a Toyota dealership, it isn't surprising that he would attempt to minimize the matter, though, is it??
Suffice it to say, there IS a significant problem for owners with the V6 engine in the Sienna, Camry, Avalon, and Solara though. Toyota can continue to look the other way if it chooses. Toyota is challenging the owners' reputations; is it any wonder that they are challenging Toyota's reputation in return???
Charlene Blake
cblake@erols.com
Isn't it ironic that cblake is the only one who cries wolf about this sludge topic? Now who are you gonna believe? An outcast who "THINKS" she has a problem or someone knowledgeable and a large asset to the Town Hall community like Cliffy1. See, just because Cliffy1 is not on her side, she thinks he and I are a bad guy. I'm sure if I agreed with her sludge statement, she would be my best friend in the whole wide world. But she thinks the other way. I would like to apologize to everyone in the Town Hall about how his issue keeps getting dragged on and on and on and on like a broken record. We just have a case of someone WHO THINKS is having problems because she doesn't know when to change her oil. Anytime you defame her facts, she gets offended and it takes her a week or more to make a comeback. Just ignore it. There is no sludge problem with the 1MZ-FE V6. It's just someone's passion to blame Toyota for their own incompetence to follow the directions. Look at it this way, the more time Toyota investigates this, the more money they put into research and if it does get into legal issues...guess what...the cost of these things will eventually be price increases for all Toyotas. So once you see big price increases contributed by the reasearch and legal action...you can thank cblake first. It's sad how one person can ruin it for everyone.
Cblake:
Maybe you wanna start investigating the Firestone issue with tread separation or make you need to complain to the EPA that ALL cars pollute the air and that our ozone layer is getting depleted? Just do everyone a favor by quit arguing this story and stop wasting your time. Please go to the Camryman.org forum and post your problem there and see what you get.
Too bad there isn't a government agency to stop internet trolling. LOL
Good Luck!
Ryan
TeamSC³ - Southern California Camry Club
Founding Member
www.teamsc3.com
I have had absolutely no luck in getting an extended warranty/service agreement to cover these parts for an additional year or 12K miles at no charge from the dealer who performed the warranty repair - Dublin Toyota, the dealer I bought the Sienna from - Fremont Toyota, the District Parts and Service Manager - David Williams and the Toyota Customer Assistance Center. It has been completely frustrating trying to navigate the Toyota maze. Once I was about to reach a reasonable solution with the Service Manager at Fremont Toyota, he quit the following week. Now his replacement and the General Manager refuse to honor his verbal commitment to me. The District Manager was extremely argumentative and told me that he was the final word on this from Toyota Corporate and if I wanted to pursue it further I would have to take it to the court system as this did not qualify for arbitration or consideration under the Lemon Law.
What I did do though was to document this thoroughly and open a case with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration too. Hopefully more Sienna owners will do the same to cause Toyota to step up and take responsibility for their poor quality control of the drive train components. I am now contemplating my next course of action. This week the "check engine" light did go on and was I worried. The dealer found a leaking charcoal canister and replaced it. If anyone is interested discussing this in more detail, feel free to email me at rju@cisco.com.
Get the "Lemon Book" by Clarence Ditlow and Ralph Nader and read it carefully. Your rights may be preserved beyond the manufacturer's written warranty if you take the right steps.
Many Toyota owners have been told, "You will have take the legal route," when major failures have occurred. There is no acknowledgement from Toyota that there are SERIOUS quality problems in the Sienna (and other models, too). The attitude is, "We aren't required to do anything for you."
While in some cases this may be technically true, the lack of compassion for the owner who is experiencing premature problems in a new van is unfortunate. Toyota is following the pattern set by the other automakers long ago....dig in and be tough with your customers. Create LOTS and LOTS of frustration in them so that they will simply go away. Under no circumstance accept responsibility for a KNOWN and WIDESPREAD problem.
I find it amazing that owners haven't banded together over this torque converter problem. Toyota has not resolved that issue UNTIL the extended warranty is given, IMO. Toyota is getting off pretty easy with just replacing the parts and sending the owners away "hoping for the best." In effect, the owners are accepting damaged goods with no guarantee that problems won't resurface. I KNOW that Toyota can do better in this matter. Will it choose to do so??
By the way, I really love the Sienna's interior. It is spacious and comfortable enough. I enjoy having a van very much. I am extremely dissatisfied with the premature problems, however. When there is a choice between roominess and reliability, I have to choose the latter. The Sienna and reliability are antonyms.
Charlene Blake
cblake@erols.com
Will these questions, and more be answered?
Va. area, we highly recommend Miller Toyota. Again, remember this is from a family that puts car dealers in the same category as relators, loan officers, and politicians.
This is mostly evident when in park or when just starting out in drive. I hope its not a transmission problem since the car is brand new. The dealer tells me that this is a normal sound, but could not be reproduced completely by other vans on the lot. Any thoughts?
Just what is it you want--or more appropriately, where is it you expect to go with this nonsense?
Or are we simply being subjected to all this vitriolic innuendo because you enjoy being picked on?
C'mon lady--fess up or shut up!
Sienna Concerns: How do you access the 3rd row? Do the 2nd row seats tip forward? Is the vehicle equip with dual stage/depowered air bags? How easy is it to manually use the electric sliding doors? To manually use the door must you deactivate the electric mechanism. Are they any options that a particularly noteworthy? Any comments on the auto climate control and sunroof?
I apologise in advance if several of these issues have been previously addressed. Give me a break, I don't have time to sift through a few hundred posts. Happy New Year!
On the sunroof - I've read where it's letting in more sun to heat up the back of the van - great in winter, but not so great in the summer.
I decided against power doors because of all the problems (not just Toyota, by any means) I've heard about. I did ask the salesman, and was told you can operate the electric door manually - but it's much tougher moving that motorized door. I have manual doors and they're a cinch.
Good Luck, I love mine!
Last week on my way to Detroit I could hear a faint whine from the motor when my foot was on the gas. I even took the exit and had the motor oil level checked for the peace of mind. There was nothing else I could do at that time. I figured I would get it checked once I get back from the vacation.
At no time did the check engine light come on. BTW my Sienna has 34.5K miles on it and had the 30K mile service done at the Springfield dealership, which included changing the tranny oil.
Until my own experience, I took all the posts with the major Sienna problems with a grain of salt (going on my mind...yeah right). Now it has me really thinking hard about my tenure with this van. I was planning on keeping this van for a loooong time but may have to reconsider.
Happy New Year.
PS: I will repost as to my service experience at a later date. Now I have to make a call to my boss to let him know I won't be back to work on the 2nd.
The Sienna continues to show new problems. Old problems aren't resolved. As far as I am concerned, it is extremely lacking in quality. I would not have switched from American to Toyota had I known that Toyota's famed quality is just a figment of its own imagination (and totally public propaganda). The Sienna promises to be one giant money pit.
The Achieva is a GM....should I say more? Now, this is re: current vehicles. I did own a Chevrolet Celebrity for 14 (yes, that is fourteen) years. It had over 140,000 miles on it when we sold it. It ran fine at that time. We had replaced a radiator and some power steering components (a known problem, but I had no computer access to find out back then). It seemed to destroy tires because of an alignment problem, too. The paint began to peel after one year. I never once wrote a letter to the automaker. The car served us well enough.
I had reason to complain about the paint, alignment, and power steering as I was far from alone with those matters. Suffice it say, it was not have been easy to gather information back then. The car *never* left us stranded although the radiator failed the day before we were going on a short vacation and we had to rent a car.
I also owned a Ford Mustang (my first car). I drove it many years and then my husband drove it for many more years. We sold it after 12 years and over 100,000 miles. We never had any failures on it. It was by far the least expensive vehicle to own. I am not here to profess the quality of the current Fords, however. I would RUN from them at this point.
I had a Dodge Caravan and I prefer not even to discuss that sorry excuse of a van. Other Chrysler owners can vouch for this fact, rest assured. I had use of the internet in fact-gathering and it made all the difference. I was shocked how common the problems were....I never expected that because I *thought* I had an isolated faulty vehicle.
"Rbacsafra" is LOL about the transmission failure possibility on the Sienna; I am not. I read "zsurfer's" telling account and we own the same model year. I have 12,000 miles less mileage than he does. My van has been towed once already, though, so I can relate to that experience. I am sure that "zsurfer" is not laughing at this time.
Now, "pilot13," I get the feeling you are giving me the third degree. It is inappropriate. If you don't need the information I am providing, please don't read it. My freedom of speech is not negotiable. I ask many questions in my posts in hopes of gathering the maximum degree of owner response. As I see it, the more information, the better.
Happy New Year!
Charlene Blake
cblake@erols.com
Over the holidays, we took it on a road trip to visit family about 4hrs away. On the way back, about 2hrs away from home, I felt a jerk and then grinding and whining from the engine. I stopped, checked the engine which was fine so I assumed it was the tranny. I phoned the closest dealership and since the engine light was not on they suggested we drive it in if it was drivable. Well it was drivable at highway speeds so I took it in to my dealership (over 100mi). They confirmed that there was transmission damage. They also told me that it may not be covered under warranty if it's not a manufacturing defect. (They wanted me to supply them with proof that the transmission oil had been changed at 30,000mi). They took a sample of tranny oil and reported that it was in poor shape, dark, had a burned smell and fillings. I responded that 'sure it does, I drove it for a 100mi with a broken tranny'. They said that they will be able to tell if its a manufacturing defect or something else once they take the tranny appart.
According to them there is $6500 dammage to the tranny. I flipped when I heard that. I checked with three local tranny places (one of them AAMCO) and they all lauged at the dealers response. Apperantly after a tranny 'burns out' like that, you can't tell anything. They all quoted me $2000-$3000 to completely rebuild a Sienna tranny.
Anyway, the Toyota service manager has faxed off a letter with all the details to Toyota Canada on Friday and we are now waiting for a response for whether the repair will be covered.
As far as the tranny oil being replaced, I have not been able to reach the previous owner. He's on vacation until Jan. 8, but I have doubts that he did do it. I spoke with the shop that did all his maintenance (not Toyota) and they said that they didn't replace the tranny oil but that he did have it serviced elswhere also. I will see when he comes back from his trip.
I am really upset with Toyota for pussyfooting around and trying to get out of and obvious warranty repair. What else could possibly burn out a tranny, but a manufacturing defect? This is a new (2000) vehicle, albeit higher millage than the average. I have never had any problem with any tranny on any previous cars that I, my wife or my parrents have ever owned. We drove most of our cars up and over 100,000mi without even touching the tranny oil.
This does not instill very much confidence in the Toyota product, and even less in the dealerships and Toyota as a company. My wife and I bought a Toyota van and paid a premium so that we would avoid problems such as this. From reading this forum and other similar ones I am finding that Toyota has just as many problems as all the other car companies. And from what I read about other cars, Toyota doesn't stand by their warranties as well as other car companies.
VT
Then in 1997 you got into a serious dispute with GM over some controvorsial engine repairs to your mother's Cavalier, right?.
Seems you also got into a very public and bitter disagreement with your local Police Dept. because they didn't resolve a minor theft of some ID to your complete satisfaction--right?
Now I also understand that there were several more cause celebres of a similar nature in the past several years---all of which share a common theme, namely " I'm cblake and you're not".
When you're through with Toyota, who's next?
C'mon now, fess up!
I was led to believe by the Customer Relations Manager that the Corporate/Factory would be able to conduct a post mortem on my replaced transmission since the dealer was instructed not to open the transmission case. The Service Manager then clarified a month later that Toyota Corporate/Factory would not release that kind of information to the owner regardless of the situation. So your dealer could be using that as a ploy to stall for time and make claims that it is not their position to honor the standard 5 year / 60K warranty the 2000 Sienna came with because normal 30K Toyota service was not followed. Keep pushing the fact that the dealer gave your Sienna a clean bill of health before your transmission failed.
Good luck, be persistent and don't let them wear you down.
I have not had contact with "trany2000" but I can relate fully to his story (Chrysler transmission died at 12,000 miles). He is absolutely justified in *demanding* an extended warranty at the very least. Toyota is ridiculous to think owners will put up with these premature failures.
My guess is that traded-in Toyotas are being "recycled" on new, unsuspecting owners. Do you think Toyota is unaware of this? Many owners are buying these vehicles for the long-term only to find the financial burden in the short-term.
"Pilot13," your information is grossly inaccurate. Are you doing a background check on me? If so, WHY? I notice you aren't even posting your name at all. I'd say that your behavior is far beyond "normal." I'm simply preserving my rights and helping others do the same. Why would that worry you?
No, no, and no are the answers to your former questions. Sorry to disappoint you.
"Trany2000," please post your follow up here. At the time of the Chrysler ABS failures, Canadians, Americans, Europeans, etc., all networked to share stories. While the manufacturer said owners did not know how to use their brakes (e.g. "Owner Blame Game"), we were busy proving that Chrysler knew about the problem for over 2 years and that it was NOT the owners' fault. The end result was escalation of the turte-paced NHTSA defects investigation, a class action lawsuit on behalf of hundreds of owners (initially), and a final recall of 350,000 vehicles for DEFECTIVE ABS.
Get Canadian Sienna owners to compare notes on tranny failures. Check to see if you van had the infamous "torque converter defect." If it did, you need to insist on warranty coverage. Many 2000 owners are reporting failed transmissions following earlier torque converter repair.
Gather Canadian information first and then compare with American owners. I doubt *seriously* that you have an isolated case due to the transmission fluid. PlEASE, do not let Toyota trap you in the "Owner Blame Game." The trend will surface as you compare notes IF there is indeed a problem. Contrary to what "pilot13" would recommend, you do need to post in several places and on a regular basis in order to get enough information.
Good luck to you. Don't give up!!
Charlene Blake
cblake@erols.com
As well, I stand behind Toyota Products and their universally held high reputation, plus I stand behind many thousands of totally satisfied and supportive Toyota owners who,frankly, are tired of hearing from you.
We're all waiting to see which automaker you're gonna hit on next! If nothing else, it makes for entertaining reading.
On another note, as a follow up to my earlier posts re: the complete transmission replacement on our 2000 LE, the van is driving great now. It has none of the previous hesitation or shuddering it had before the replacement. The gas mileage seems slightly better as well.
Also, about a month after sending a polite letter to Toyota, I got a call telling me they would honor my request for a free extended warranty. They said the paper work would be mailed, though it has been several weeks and I have not yet received anything yet. I have followed up by phone and they have confirmed the warranty and indicated a contract number has been assigned. My dealings with Toyota (both the company and the dealer) have been much more pleasent than others have described in these posts.)
As regards your problem with the tranny on your Sienna---You bought this van used, with 35K on the odometer, right? Did you research the maintenance history before buying---or at least get an independent mechanical assessment? This is mostly common sense stuff that so many people don't take the time to do, and then pay the price afterwards. You cannot expect any manufacturer to honour a warranty without some verification that a vehicle has been maintained to at least minimum standards! This is especially true today when most vehicles are leased, and the lessees don't maintain their cars like they would if they were their own.
Used vehicles make a lot of sense, but ONLY if the buyer does his or her homework first.More so now than ever.
I'll bet you didn't do yours!
So we have CBlake, the automotive conspiracy theorist, the Ralph Nader of minivan-driving soccer moms. Then there's pilot13, the Joe McCarthy of the Edmunds Forum [CBlake is a communist]. Then we have a host of transmission victims: rjsfo, tranny2000, hapiii to name a few, crushed in the giant cogs of the evil Toyota bureaucracy machine! Man, this is great sh-, er, stuff!!
Alas, only danstuart still stands, having vanquished the evil foe, his extended warranty flag proudly flying over the scorched battleground. He he - I'm having fun.
Oh, danstuart, your ABS will make hideous grinding and squealing noises when it's working properly - completely normal, so remember, even, constant pedal pressure. Don't pulse 'em!
As for the ticking timebomb Toyota trannys, my '99 XLE has almost 33K on it, so I'm driving straight to the dealer after work praying I don't spew my tranny in a thousand parts all over the road on the way!
In all seriousness folks, I'm not doubting the POSIBILITY that Toyota may have a universal problem here, but let's not condemn the maker of some of the highest rated vehicles on the road. I know many Yo's with nearly 200K miles, running strong, and I can guarantee tranny fluid wasn't replaced every 30. Just think of all the possible explainations for a rash of failures: a bad batch of parts (isolated), a computer glitch on the assembly line (isolated), a bad tech order in the plant (isolated), etc. So a number of Sienna's were born with weak heart valves - so what! Doesn't mean Toyotas all suck!
Tranny2000, you bought a USED van with 35K on it! Do you really know how that van was driven? Here's one common practice that can grind teeth or damage a TC - people who shift from R to D before the car stops moving backward, then applying the gas. Really baaaad for the ol' tranny. Maybe whoever you bought it from did this all the time, in which case I'm suprised it lasted to 35! And no inspection can tell you how healthy the tranny is other than the way it feels at the moment. Nobody's going to crack the tranny open just to inspect it for wear. So you can't be sure, man!
This is why I don't buy used cars - YOU NEVER KNOW HOW THEY WERE TREATED!! Unless you buy from someone like family or your best friend whom you trust explicitly. Yes, a new car loses value initially, but at least it's yours from day one, and if your take good care of it, you'll get $ back on resale. I recently sold a '93 Ford Ranger w/85K miles. Paid $16,500 for it new, sold it for $8,300! I got half my money back for six years of faithful service, and all I ever did to it was replace brakes, muffler, pipes, fluids and tires.
So, whether CBlake is malcontent-without-a-cause or just a consumer who doesn't like a bad value, doesn't matter. She has a right to be here, and while others like pilot13 have the right to disagree and doubt her, we should keep it civil and light. Personally, I think CBlake likes to play the watchdog, but I don't think there's a recall out there waiting to be uncovered. Firestone -now THERE'S a recall for you!
I'm very happy with my Sienna, as are 95% of Sienna owners out there, I suspect. But remember, this is a forum for Sienna Problems, so you're not going to hear from all those satisfied owners. So don't jump on the consiracy bandwagon everyone. Sorry this was so long! I have to go change my transmission oil now anyway...later.
However, while we're on the subject of "Advice to the Lovelorn"--- permit me to say one more thing about consumer advocacy, if you will.
When consumers are advocatin' on the basis of truth, sincere belief in the justness of the cause, and fairness,this is a plus.It sits at the foundation of what our democratic society is all about--and one can point to enumerable situations where our society is better for it.
There can be a negative side too tho'--and that usually kicks in when truth becomes a casualty in advocacy causes. Like when the cause becomes the priority, and the issue doesn't matter any more.For example, most corporations, just about all doctors, dentists, police and fire protection organisations, hospitals, and so on, are now forced to carry huge (and I mean huge!) liability insurance policies.Not that they shouldn't be liable in cases of genuine negligence, but the litigious and larcenous nature of our society today has made it a matter of survival.
Well' I think you know what I'm getting at---What we've got here is one of those situations where the truth is being stretched a bit, and some larceny is gettin' done.
Would like to keep going on this, but gotta run lest I miss my appointment to have the Avalon de-sludged and get the 500 mile checkup on the tranny! I'll get back to you on the results.
Well I got the news today that my Sienna needs a new transmission. Dunning Toyota of Ann Arbor has put the order in and they expect my car to be ready day after tomorrow.
What a way to start the new year!
Question to the forum participants:
Should I demand a 50K warranty on the new transmission considering the fact my car already has 35.5K
Thanks in advance..
The service rep at the dealership says their analysis shows it is the TC again.
This is my normal dealership, since we were out of town the first time it went out.
He asked me to pickup the car, (it is ok to drive) and bring it back in after he contacts the Toyota field rep for advice.
He says he wants to make sure it gets fixed right this time. Obviously I do too.
Has anyone had the problem occur twice ?
Also, it seems like most of the posts indicate the TC going out fairly soon after acquireing the van, with low mileage. I had owned the van a year (22K) before it went out and the check engine light didn't go on the first time.
Any advice?
I asked whether it would be a remanufactured or new tranny. Apparently it’s up to Toyota what they use but they were all out of rebuilt trannies so they will put in a new one. It’s on order and she thought that the car should be ready by the end of the week. Warranty does not change, but continues as the original the 5yr/60,000mi.
Thanks for all the support here and good luck to all with resolving problems with their cars. Be firm and focused.
VT
Pilot13 – I never said that I was not encouraged to post here by Cblake. I said that I never had a conversation with Cblake. Her message at thecomplaintstation was very informative and brought me here.
Also to answer you, I did my homework, checked the place where the previous owner had the Van serviced, oil was replaced every 3-5000mi and 3-4months. I have service records. The car was immaculate, he had a lot of extras on it (including towing package – yes he towed a 3000lb boat several times, permashine, leather protector, laminated bug deflector, undercoating). The only thing against him was that the car had very high city milage on it. But who is to know that the tranny is going to be the problem? I would have never though to check that tranny oil was replaced. It’s a new car!
One more thing Pilot13, this site is for discussing problems people have had with their vehicles not for slamming people who obviously have had problems with their vehicles.
Cblake – Thanks for the support and keep up the fight. For your info, my van was manufactured in Sept. 99 (one of the first 2000 models). And to date, it has not had a problem with the torque converter. All in all we like the van but I was not so happy with the initial treatment I received from the Dealer and Toyota Canada. They seem to be very accommodating now, don’t know why.
Also I read some posts about mileage. Coincidentally I measured what I was getting before the tranny problem and was quite surprised. --- 11.5mi/gal city and 19mi/gal hwy.
The dealer re-surfaced the rear drums and the noise stopped.
I put in another 300 miles since the fix and
the noise has not returned. I only have to put up with the rattling noise from the dash board now.
Maybe you should have waited thru the weekend before raising the flag tho'. Given the fact that we've just gone thru the busy holiday, it's understandable decisions on issues like yours might take a day or two longer.
Enjoy your Toyota--it really is a good product!
I took my '99 XLE in to a new dealer yesterday (we recently moved) and asked them to replace an interior trim part and look at the sliding door catch post that was rusting. The service manager said, "Hmm, I've never seen one rust before - looks like something was spilled on it." I thought, oh great, hear comes the "it's the consumer's fault" routine. But he simply ordered the part, and it will be fixed under warranty during a 2-hour visit!
You asked about the mileage. I talked to a service dept. at a dealership here who only did 2 jobs, mine at over 3k, and the other was around 35k.
I posted here previously (around Sept./Oct. timeframe) with a lot of detail, including the Toyota Service Bulletin info. The P0770 problem is caused by the torque converter not kicking into overdrive as soon as it's supposed to, not a serious defect and absolutely should not cause any damage to anything. (There's some info at www.yotarepair.com on this too, under "breaking news.")
I read through everyone's post, and they all had the check engine light come on. Possibly you had another (or are still having) a different problem.
Good Luck!
BTW Sludge has been brought up in the RX300 topic now. I am very sceptical of that subject and feel it is not a real problem for those who maintain the vehicles well.
INKY
Has anyone else experienced any stud or nut failures on their Sienna??