2001 Toyota Sienna Engine

A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE 3.0 L V6 ENGINE. HEAVY SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. VISIBLE OIL SLUDGE UNDER THE OIL REFILL CAP.

TAKATA RECALL. WHITE SMOKE COMES OUT OF THE EXHAUST WHEN I START THE CAR. THEN SMOKE DISAPPEARS OR STAY AT LOW LEVEL DURING DRIVING. DECREASE OIL. I PUT ONE QUARTER OIL EACH WEEK. MECHANICS SAYS IT MAY HEAD GASKIT OR SEALS. COSTS 2000 AND ABOVE TO REPAIR. IF NOT BETTER TO GARBAGE THIS VEHICLE. IT HAS A CLEAN TITLE WITH 106K.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 TO 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART SO IT WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, THEY ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD-UP AND OIL JELLING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 134,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I HAVE A SIENNA LE 2001. 118,000 MILES. WE HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNERS SINCE WE BOUGHT IT. WE HAVE NO PERFECT RECORD OF OIL CHANGES BUT WE HAVE DONE IT PERIODICALLY. ABOUT 3-4 MONTHS AGO, IT WAS RUNNING OK, BUT IT BLEW OUT WHITE-ISH/ BLUE-ISH SMOKE OCCASIONALLY (USUALLY WHEN FIRST STARTING, IT DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF IT WAS HOT OR COLD). IT ALSO HAD LITTLE AND OCCASIONAL POWER LOSS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHERE WE BOUGHT IT, AND THEY SAID THEY JUST TOOK OFF THE TOP COVER OF THE ENGINE AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS GUMMED UP WITH OIL. I HAVE CHANGED THE PCV VALVE, I TOOK IT TO A PLACE FOR AN OIL AND OIL FILTER CHANGE, I AM CONCERNED THE DAMAGE WILL CONTINUE TO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER SAID I NEED A NEW ENGINE, COSTING AROUND $8000. I ASKED A SECOND OPINION OF THE MECHANIC THAT HAS WORKED ON OUR CARS, AND HE THINKS HE WOULD NEED TO TAKE APART THE ENGINE AND FIGURE OUT HE PROBLEM, COSTING AROUND $2000-$3000, HE ALSO MENTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF A NEW MOTOR. HONESTLY, I DO NOT RECALL RECEIVING INFORMATION ABOUT THE "SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT" FROM TOYOTA OR DEALER REGARDING CHECK-REPLACE THE ENGINES THAT ARE OR COULD BE DAMAGED FROM SLUDGE. I WILL APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT AND SUPPORT. *TR

THE ENGINE FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5,000 DUE TO OIL SLUDGE BUILDUP. TRAVELING ON I-4 FROM TAMPA TO ORLANDO THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED THEN WE HEARD A TAPPING FROM THE ENGINE,. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND AAA TOWED THE VEHICLE AND A RENTAL CAR COMPANY PICKED US UP. I HAD TWO ELDERLY PASSENGERS (IN THEIR 80'S) WITH WALKERS WHO HAD TO TRAVERSE THE GRASS ALONG THE INTERSTATE TO GET TO THE RENTAL CAR AND WERE NEARLY BLOWN OVER BY PASSING TRUCKS. TOYOTA REFUSED TO HONOR A CLAIM FOR REPAIRS ALTHOUGH THEY HAD AGREED IN A RECENT LOUISIANA LAWSUIT TO COVER SAID REPAIRS FOR 8 YEARS FROM DATE OF PURCHASE. MY FAILURE WAS 8 YEARS AND 10 MONTHS FROM PURCHASE. THE SLUDGE TOOK MUCH LONGER THAN 8 MONTHS TO BUILD UP BUT TOYOTA REFUSED TO HONOR THEIR STATED COMMITMENT TO ASSIST ALL AFFECTED BY OIL SLUDGE DAMAGE (OVER 3,000 COMPLAINTS). THEIR PRODUCT WAS DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS AND THEIR DENIAL TO ASSIST WAS DISHONORABLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH HE NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, MOMENTS LATER THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO EXCESSIVE ENGINE SLUDGE. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 105,000.

ENGINE OIL LIGHT CAME ON, THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, ENGINE SHUT OFF, NO OIL PRESENT IN ENGINE. *TR

THE ENGINE OF MY TOYOTA SIENNA 2001 WITH AN IDENTIFIED OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM SEIZED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VEHICLE COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED AND MY TODDLER THREW UP IN FEAR AS WE TRIED TO AVOID BEING SMASHED INTO WHILE THE CAR COASTED TO A STOP. MECHANIC REPEATEDLY SAID CAM SEIZED, METAL FILINGS FOUND, AND "COULD NOT THINK OF ANY OTHER REASON BUT THE SLUDGE PROBLEM." TOYOTA REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER UNLIMITED MILEAGE, 8-YEAR WARRANTY. CAR IS PRESENTLY WITH DEALER AND MAY BE EXAMINED BY ENGINEERS FROM NHTSA (DEALER AGREED ON 12/22/05). THIS FAILURE WAS PREDICTED BY ANOTHER DEALER. CAR ALWAYS SMOKED--BLAMED ON "NEW ENGINE BREAK IN", "LACK OF MAINTENANCE", ETC. LATER TOYOTA SENT LETTER ABOUT THE ISSUE. THIS TIME DEALER AGREES MAINTENANCE WAS EXCELLENT. *NM

CONSUMER STATED ENGINE SENSOR LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED THAT ENGINE WILL FAIL WHILE DRIVING. *AK *JB

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AND FELL ASLEEP.. AFTER WAKING UP THE VEHICLE WAS IN A DITCH, AND ALL THE OCCUPANTS WERE ASLEEP IN THE VEHICLE. THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WAS TO BE INSPECTED.*AK

I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2001, USED AT 18,000 MILES. I HAVE HAD ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE DONE. ON AUG 8TH I HAD AND OIL CHANGE AND BY SEPT. 17 THERE WAS NO OIL , ANOTHER OIL CHANGE WAS DONE. BY SEPT. 22 THERE WAS NO OIL. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO STEVENSON TOYOTA IN JACKSONVILLE, NC, WHERE THEY TOLD ME I HAD AN OIL GELLING PROBLEM. THEY ARE KEEPING MY CAR FOR 1-2 WEEKS, WITHOUT THE USE OF A LOANER CAR. THEY STATE THAT TOYOTA WILL CLEAN THE PARTS ONE TIME AS A GOOD WILL GESTURE AND POSSIBLY PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR FOR 3 DAYS. THEY ALSO SAID THAT MY WARRANTY AND EXTENDED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER THIS. MY CAR HAS APPROX 55,000 MILES. I AM TRULY AFRAID TO TAKE THIS CAR BACK FROM THEM AS I AM UNSURE OF IT'S RELIABILITY OR THEIRS.

ENGINE CHECK LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. TOOK TO DEALER, HAD TO REPLACE VACUUM SWITCH. 2 DAYS LATER, SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. *AK

MECHANIC FOUND SIGNIFICANT SLUDGING OIL. DEALER STATED NEEDED TO FLUSH AND CHANGE NEW OIL. *AK

THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO AN OIL SLUDGE BUILD-UP. *JB

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED AN OIL LEAKED. *JB

DEFECTIVE ENGINE DUE TO MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *AK

AFTER MY ENGINE REGISTERED "LOW OIL", THE MECHANIC FOUND SIGNIFICANT SLUDGING. IT WAS FLUSHED AND CHANGED AND THEN IN <1000MI THERE WAS NO OIL AGAIN. NOW TOYOTA SAYS THE LEAKS AROUND THE VALVES ARE DUE TO MY "NEGLECT" IN CHANGING OIL. I HAVE THE RECEIPT FROM 4 MOS AGO FOR OIL CHANGE. I ALSO WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT CONSIDER PAYING FOR IT BECAUSE IT WAS MY LACK OF OIL CHANGE THAT "CAUSED" THE SLUDGING (DESPITE MY RECEIPT) AND THAT I NEEDED ALL MY OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS FOR THEM TO CONSIDER A CLAIM (2 1/2 YEAR OLD CAR.)

INITIALLY OIL LEAK AFTER OIL CHANGE. WAS TOLD THAT TRANSMISSION PAN WAS LEAKING AND PAID FOR REPLACEMENT. TRANSMISSION FLUID THEN STARTED LEAKING. RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER; TRANSMISSION PAN WAS TIGHTENED. NOTICED FLUID STILL LEAKING; RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETECT SOURCE OF FLUID LEAK; PLACED DIE IN OIL AND TRANSMISSION FLUIDS; ASKED TO RETURN VEHICLE IN A FEW WEEKS. RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP; WAS TOLD THERE WAS A LEAK SURROUNDING ENGINE SEAL AND SEAL WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED.

WHILE TRAVEL NOTICE INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHED DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND DEALER REPLACED VEHICLE WITH NEW MODEL. NEW VEHICLE HAD SAME PROBLEM WITH ENGINE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK