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Toyota Sienna Maintenance and Repair (2003 earlier) - READ ONLY

3687 messages,  Last post on Jul 18, 2007 at 11:32 AM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota Sienna, Van

    

Messages Page 155 of 369

#1539 of 3687 by jeprox

Jan 30, 2002 (12:31 pm)

to be fair, i would have to agree that high-end models usually have lower re-sale value, regardless of manufacturer.
 
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.!

#1540 of 3687 power windows by jeprox

Jan 30, 2002 (12:46 pm)

my driver side power window seems to slow down when coming up (about half-way). i can hear the motor slow down and sometimes the window itself will vibrate as it comes up. i took it to the dealer and they wanted to charge me C$75 to fix it. they said it needs lubrication.
 
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

#1541 of 3687 FYI by bob57

Jan 30, 2002 (1:30 pm)

Had a chance to roam around the dealership last night while they were fixing a minor problem on my '00 - first time I used the warranty.
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.

#1542 of 3687 bob57 by cliffy1

Jan 30, 2002 (1:32 pm)

That oil filter display is old. It may be new to your dealership, but we have had it for years.

#1543 of 3687 cliffy by bob57

Jan 30, 2002 (3:47 pm)

Never mind...
)

#1544 of 3687 Toyota Special Policy Adjustment by mayerofrf

Feb 01, 2002 (3:57 pm)

I have copied and pasted this from another forum. Thought it was pretty interesting. Take a look.....
 
" 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. "

#1545 of 3687 Thanks mayerofrf by jj35

Feb 01, 2002 (5:17 pm)

You made my day!
 
2000 Sienna
Sludged at 17,000 miles
3 oil changes
$3,300 in repairs not covered under warranty.

#1546 of 3687 Arm rest lubrication by bobsmith3

Feb 01, 2002 (11:42 pm)

Anyone out there have any easy solution to get rid of the squeak that I hear every time I raise or lower the armrests on my front seats, both driver and passenger sides?

#1547 of 3687 rear brake squeak thought by alexv1n

Feb 02, 2002 (11:19 am)

Even though I'm a little late for the discussion on rear wheel brake squeak, I'd give it a shot anyway. I own '00 Mazda MPV and it developed brake squeal when moving slowly and braking. It became very loud and irritating. Everybody (dealers) was saying that it's new metal-based pads, or brake dust, or moisture, or rust and they cannot do much about it. They kept cleaning pads and it helped for about a week. Then some day Mazda came up with a TSB on the issue. The fix was completely changed design of rear brake assembly. To fix, they replaced shoes, and 9 other parts in the assembly. Adjusters were now placed behind return spring, etc. In other words, completely different design. Now the brakes have been silent for months.
 
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

#1548 of 3687 Here's Toyota's Reply: by stevep11

Feb 04, 2002 (1:17 pm)

Here's the reply from Toyota Customer Service (this is follow up to message #1489) when I asked them to review our situation with a bad torque converter and problems that have developed after its replacement. I have included my original e-mail to themn at the bottom. I have not edited a single word of either e-mail. I believe the following correspondence speaks for itself:
 
>> 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

Messages Page 155 of 369

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