2008 Toyota Sienna Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
WHILE DRIVING ARE 2008 SIENNA MINI VAN WITH 51303 MILES ON IT WE HAD DEVELOPED A SUDDEN LOSS OF OIL FROM THE ENGINE. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS OR WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON NOTIFYING US THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. OBSERVED THAT THERE WAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF OIL LOSS IN THE DRIVEWAY. COULD TRACK BACK WHERE WE WERE DRIVING WITH THE OIL LOSS TRAIL IN THE ROAD. DID SOME RESEARCH AND LEARNED THAT THE ENGINE IN THE SIENNA IS THAT SAME AS THAT IN SEVERAL OTHER TOYOTAS (AVALONS). I LEARNED THAT THERE IS A VVI OIL LINE IS FAULTY ON THE ENGINE. TOYOTA USED A RUBBER HOSE WHICH RESULTS IN FAILURE WHICH THEN RESULTS IN ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO THE OIL LOSS. TOYOTA RECALLED THE SAME PARTY ON THE AVALON AND IS AWARE THAT THIS HOSE IS BAD AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. TOYOTA ISSUED RECALL ON THE AVALONS BUT IS NOT ISSUING A RECALL ON THE SIENNA. THIS IS THE SAME PIECE ON THE TWO VEHICLES. THEY THEN STATE THAT THIS HOSE WITH AN AVERAGE FAILS AT 50-60000MILES. THEY THEN STATED THAT THIS HOSE IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THIS HOSE BURSTING CAN CAUSE ENGINE DAMAGE AND IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS RUBBER OIL HOSE ON ALL VEHICLES. THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS A BAD PIECE WHEN TALKING WITH THEM. ALSO IF IT WERE TO FAIL THEY THEN WILL STATE THAT SINCE THIS HOSE CAUSED THE ENGINE ISSUES THEY WILL NOT COVER IT UNDER WARRANTY. THIS THEN RESULTS IN PEOPLE HAVING TO REPLACE THE ENGINE IN THERE VEHICLE FOR 5-10000DOLLARS. WHEN OIL LOSS OCCURS IT SPRAYS EVERY WHERE GETTING ON BRAKES, BELTS, AND EXHAUST WHICH COULD CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND OR FIRE. ALSO RESULTING IN SERIOUS ENGINE DAMAGE. TOYOTA KNOW THIS VVI HOSE IS BAD AND ISSUED A RECALL ON THE SAME HOSE ON THE AVALONS. A FIVE MINUTE SEARCH ON THE INTERNET WILL SHOW YOU THE ISSUES WITH MOTOR AND VVI HOSE. A RECALL MUST BE ISSUED ON ALL TOYOTA VEHICLES WITH THIS MOTOR WHICH HAD THE VVI OIL HOSE. THANKS *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OIL LINE, WHICH TOYOTA CALLED THE VVT LINE BURST AND THE ALL OF THE OIL LEAKED OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THE VVT LINE BURST AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE PART WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY NOR WAS THERE A RELATED RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 51,303. *TR
VAN SPONTANEOUSLY BEGAN LEAKING OIL. I BROUGHT IT INTO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS THE VVT1 ACTUATOR HOSE. APPARENTLY THIS WAS PART OF A VOLUNTARY RECALL THAT TOYOTA STARTED IN 2010 AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED! I CALLED TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS IN FACT A DEFECTIVE HOSE BUT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT REPAIRED PRIOR TO THE 3/31/13 DEADLINE THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT PAY FOR THIS DEFECTIVE HOSE TO BE REPLACED. I AM CERTAIN THAT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS VOLUNTARY AND WORRY THAT MANY OTHER 2008 SIENNA OWNERS ARE UNAWARE OF THIS DEFECTIVE PART AND HENCE WILL NOT HAVE THIS REPAIRED. THIS HOSE IS UNDER PRESSURE AND IF IT GOES COMPLETELY CAR WILL SPEW OIL EVERYWHERE AND SEIZE UP! THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE AND SAFELY HAZARD!!! TOYOTA IS VERY AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM! IN THE END MY DEALER AGREED TO COVER THE COST OF REPLACEMENT, BUT I AM FOREVER DISMAYED AT TOYOTA'S LACK OF CONCERN FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS! THIS WAS PART OF CAMPAIGN RECALL 90K-2GR-FE V6 ENGINE OIL HOSE. *TR
WHILE PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY I SMELLED OIL AND NOTICED A LINE OF LIQUID DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. TURNS OUT THE OIL LINE RUPTURED AND THE ENGINE OIL DRAINED ALMOST COMPLETELY, WITHIN A MATTER OF MINUTES. THERE WAS NO WARNING INDICATOR OR ANYTHING ADVERSE UNTIL THAT MOMENT. THANKFULLY I LIVE NEAR A MECHANIC AND WE WERE ABLE TO LEAVE IT THERE. APPARENTLY THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AT TOYOTA- AS THE PART WAS ON A NATIONAL BACKORDER. THANKFULLY I DID NOT SUFFER ENGINE DAMAGE- MANY OTHERS HAVE, AND THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL WORTHY ISSUE. *TR
WHILE DRIVING ALOT OF SMOKE COMING OUT FROM ENGINE, PULLED OVER AND TURN OFF AND ALL CAME OUT OF CAR AND OIL STARTED LEAKING. NEXT DAY TOOK VAN TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY CHECKED EVERYTHING WAS FINE BUT THERE WAS A PART( OIL HOSE NO.1 ) THAT WAS BEEN RECALL AND IT BEEN FIX BY TOYOTA DEALER BUT SAME HOSE WAS BLOW WHICH IS DANGEROUS THAT TOYOTA DEALER TOLD US AND HE WAS SURPRISED THAT COULD NOT HAPPEN AFTER REPLACE PART THAT MEAN THEY STILL HAVE THAT SAME PROBLEM AND WE WAS ON I-10 , WE STOP THE VAN ON TIME OTHERWISE WE WONT ABLE TO MOVE VAN AND WE MIGHT LOST OUR LIFE SO PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND SAVE OTHERS LIFE . *TR
THERE WAS A PIN HOLE PUNCTURE IN THE FLEXIBLE MATERIAL THE OIL COOLER IS MADE OF. THE RESULT OF THIS IS THAT ALL THE OIL IS FORCED OUT OF THE ENGINE VERY QUICKLY UNDER HIGH PRESSURE. THERE WAS NO WARNING UNTIL I HEARD ENGINE NOISE. I HAD THE VAN TOWED IN AND HAD THE PART REPLACED. THE CURRENT FACTORY AUTHORIZED PART IS NOW MADE OUT OF METAL. THE DEALERSHIP THEN INFORMED ME THAT BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE PART I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE.IT WILL COST $10,000. I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO PREVENT THIS I WAS TOLD NO. MY ENGINE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT THE PART THAT CAUSED IT IS NOT. I REALIZE PARTS BREAK BUT THIS PART IS NOT A MAINTENANCE PART AND THE EXPECTED OUTCOME OF ITS FAILURE IS ENGINE REPLACEMENT. THIS I HAVE FOUND FROM EXPERIENCED AUTO PEOPLE IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECT THAT TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT AND IS WILLING TO IGNORE BY INVOKING THEIR WARRANTY AS A REASON TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN TO UNSUSPECTING OWNERS. OH, WHEN I CONTACTED TOYOTA FOR HELP WITH MY $10,000 PROBLEM, THEY OFFERED ME DINNER. AT THIS POINT I OWN A $30,000 PIECE OF JUNK ( I OWE $20,000) NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF THE PART HAD BEEN MADE OUT OF METAL ORIGINALLY OR IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF SAFEGUARD BUILT IN TO WARN YOU OF THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS NOT THE CASE. PLEASE HELP. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, SMOKE BEGAN TO EMIT FROM THE REAR. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT A HIGH PRESSURE HOSE UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS PIERCED AND LEAKING OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING EVALUATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,105. UPDATED 4/2/12 *CN
AT HIGHWAY SPEED, ALL LIGHTS FLICKER ON THEN LOST ALL POWER.......OILLINE HAD LEAKED ON ALTERNATOR BELT CAUSING LOSS OF POWER. LUCKILY POWER LOSS PREVENTED ENGINE DAMAGE FROM OIL LEAK. WE HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED BY TOYOTA ABOUT THE OIL LINE PROBLEM OR RECALL.....ONLY AFTER A LOCAL GARAGE FIXED THE LINE DID I FIND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL....I WOULD HAD IT REPLACED EARLIER IF I HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEA PUSH ROD FRACTURED CAUSING A HOLE IN THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE HE WAS INFORMED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,600. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED.
2008 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH APPROX. 45K MILES. DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AFTER WEDDING. TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON. A MINUTE LATER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. HALF MILE FROM EXIT, DECIDE TO TAKE EXIT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. AS REACH GAS STATION RIGHT OFF EXIT, OIL LIGHT COMES ON. CHECK OIL AND SEE NO OIL IN ENGINE. OIL SPLASHED ON TAILGATE. DETERMINE OIL FLOWING FROM ENGINE. TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEM WITH RUBBER OIL HOSE AND SENT TOW TRUCK. LOSS OF ALL OIL WITHOUT INDICATION UNTIL ENGINE FAILURE. SAME V6 ENGINE AS RECALLED IN CAMRY AND AVALON. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM REQUIRING COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT. THIS IS UNSAFE--SUDDEN ENGINE FAILURE WITHOUT INDICATION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND OIL SPILL TO EXHAUST COMPONENTS OF ENGINE COULD HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENT OR FIRE!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETECT A TROUBLE CODE. THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRED SIX TIMES ON THE SAME DAY. THE ENGINE RESTARTED EACH TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DIFFERENT DEALER WHO COULD NOT LOCATE A PROBLEM. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE FOR A THIRD OPINION TO POSSIBLY LOCATE THE CONSISTENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,680.
PISTON SLAP ON TOYOTA 3.5 L V6 SINCE NEW. VERY LOUD WHEN COLD IN COOLER TEMPERATURES..CA ARBITRATOR AGREES WITH TOYOTA THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR THIS ENGINE. I CANNOT SELL THIS CAR WITH THIS NOISE BUT TOYOTA DOESN'T CARE. TOYOTA HAS HAD A FEW COMPLAINTS BUT NO FAILURES YET. PISTON SLAP WEARS THE PISTON PREMATURELY AND COULD IN MY OPINION LEAD TO FAILURE. THIS IS MY 2ND COMPLAINT TO YOU PEOPLE FOR THE SAME ISSUE. *TR
IN THE SUMMER OF 2009 MY TOYOTA 2008 SIENNA XLE AWD ENGINE SPEED SLOWLY STARTED TO CLIMB WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED BUT I BELIEVE I PLACED IT INTO NEUTRAL, STOPPED, PLACED IT INTO PARK (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF THEN ON AGAIN. AFTER THAT THE ENGINE RESPONDED ONLY TO MY ACTIONS ON THE GAS PEDAL. IT DID OCCUR TO ME THAT THE PEDAL COULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT UNDER THE FLOOR MAT SO I CHECKED ITS POSITION AND IT WAS SOME DISTANCE FROM THE PEDAL AND COULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FROM NEW IN MAY 2008 AND THIS UNDIRECTED ACCELERATION HAS ONLY OCCURRED ONCE. THE CAR HAS JUST COMPLETED 20,000 MILES. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER WHO SERVICED MY CAR FOR THE 20,000 MILE INTERVAL AND VIA TOYOTA'S WEB SITE BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE AWARE THAT SIENNA VANS CAN ALSO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR
EARLY AM ON 6/1/10 I WAS DRIVING TO MY CABIN IN THE COUNTRY AND HEARD A SOFT POPPING SOUND, STOPPED MY CAR AND SMOKE BEGAN FLOWING OUT ALL OPENING AROUND THE HOOD, WHEN I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR I SAW FIRE FALLING TO THE ROAD. I WENT TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND OPENED THE DOOR ONLY TO FIND THAT AREA FILLED WITH TOXIC FUMES, SHUTTING THE DOOR I REALIZED ALL WAS HOPELESS EXCEPT TO GET AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. WITHIN SECONDS MY CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I RAN AS FAST AS I COULD TO GET HELP. HAD I BEEN LESS ALERT, INACTIVE, LESS PROACTIVE I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY DIED. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW IN NOV, 2008 AND HAD A LITTLE OVER 10,000 MILES. THERE WAS NO SMELL OF FUEL OR ANOTHER STRANGE ODOR. THE CAR WAS BURNED TOTALLY, WITH NOTHING REMAINING EXCEPT THE STEEL FRAME. *TR
DRIVING MY 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA AND IT FELT FUNNY AND I HEARD SOME RATTLING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS BUT I KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS DEFINITELY WRONG. I CHECKED THE OIL AND THE DIP STICK WAS COMPLETELY DRY! I PUT IN A FEW QUARTS OF OIL AND IT CAME OUT ALL OVER UNDERNEATH THE CAR AS I WAS DRIVING. HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER- THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A FAULTY RUBBER OIL LINE. I LOOKED IT UP ONLINE AND SEE THAT TOYOTA HAD NOT YET ISSUED A RECALL BUT IS REPLACING IT IN SOME VEHICLES. THE 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA IS NOT MENTIONED - BUT CLEARLY SHOULD BE. THIS IS A VAN THAT I DRIVE MY 2 CHILDREN AROUND - VERY CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE IF I DID NOT RECOGNIZE SOON ENOUGH THAT THE ENGINE HAD NO OIL! *TR
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Quick Summary
The 2008 Toyota Sienna has 40 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.