1998 Toyota Sienna engine and engine cooling problems

“ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA ON I75 IN ATLANTA GA WHILE VISITING FRIENDS, WAS ABLE TO GET TO MEDIAN BEFORE IT DIED. HAD IT TOWED TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO VERIFIED SLUDGE BUILD UP. CALLED TOYOTA ABOUT ENGINE FAILURE. WAS TOLD TO TAKE VAN TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN SC (WHERE WE LIVE) TOWED THE VAN HOME TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP WHO ALSO VERIFIED SLUDGE BUILD UP. WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS IN THEIR ENGINES BUT WAS NOT GOING TO PAY FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE RECEIPTS PROVING THAT OIL/FILTERS CHANGES WERE MADE. WE CHANGED OUR OIL EVERY 3000 MILES WITHOUT FAIL. IF WE DIDN'T ENGINE WOULD HAVE DIED SOONER. TOYOTA DID SAY THAT WE COULD PAY FOR REPAIRS $9000 AND THEN SUBMIT RECEIPTS FOR REVIEW AND MAY BE REIMBURSED FOR REPAIRS. STILL FIGHTING WITH TOYOTA, HAVE MADE COMPLAINT WITH BBB. POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE, I WAS ALONE WITH 4 CHILDREN. *NM”

“WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND A BUILD UP OF SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. A NEW ENGINE WAS INSTALLED. TWO YEARS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM RECURRED AND A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. *AK ON MARCH 22, 2004 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON. ON MARCH 23, 2004 THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER WHO SUGGESTED THAT SLUDGE WAS THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB”

“WE LEASED A 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA BECAUSE IT WAS THE SAFEST VAN OUT THERE AT THE TIME. TWO YEARS LATER I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, WHEN THE ( DUMMY GAUGE) FOR THE OIL LIGHT TURNED ON. I STOPPED AT THE FIRST GAS STATION AND CHECKED THE OIL IT WAS FINE. ON MY WAY HOME THAT MORNING FROM WORK ON THE FREEWAY. THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, THEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE STALLED & I HEARD SOME KNOCKING NOISE , I PULLED OVER, AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALEARSHIP WHERE WE LEASED THE VAN. THEY HAD IT CHECKED OUT THEN TOLD US THAT THERE WAS OIL SLUDGING AND HAS CAUSED ENGINE DAMAGE. THEY TOLD US THAT THE VAN NEEDED A NEW ENGINE AND IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE WE HAD GONE OVER THE WARRANTY MILES. THE ESTIMATE WAS OVER 5,000.00 , WE DID NOT HAVE THE FUNDS, OR CREDIT AVAILABLE TO COVER FOR THE ESTIMATE ON THE VAN. SO WE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO GIVE IT UP AS A VOLUNTARY REPO. KNOWING THAT THE LEASING COMPANY WAS GOING TO TRY TO GET THEIR MONEY. THERE WAS NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY. I HAD EXCELLENT CREDIT AND NOW MY CREDIT IS RUINED. IN THE YEAR 2002 I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER STATING THAT THEY WERE REIMBURSING AND OR EXTENDING THE…”

“THE ENGINE STOPPED OPERATING DUE TO ENGINE SLUDGE. THE CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE BURNED OIL TOO FAST WHICH CAUSED THE SLUDGE TO BUILD UP. THE DEALER SAYS THE ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM”

“HAD SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. ENGINE LOST OIL AND SMOKE COMING OUT THE TAIL PIPE. THEY REBUILT MY ENGINE FOR FREE. SAYING THAT I DID NOT CHANGE OIL FREQUENT ENOUGH. I HAVE PROOF AND DID CHANGE EVERY 4-5000 MILES BUT NOT WITH THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. MY CONCERN IS THAT WHAT DID THEY CHANGE TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN\\'T HAPPEN AGAIN. THEY COULD NOT PROMISE ME IT WOULDN\\'T EVEN IF I CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 3000 MILES”

“MY CAR'S ENGINE FAILED AT 20,000 MILES. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS DUE TO SLUDGE, BASED ON MY NOT CHANGING THE OIL OFTEN ENOUGH. I HAD CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 6000 MILES, NOT EVERY 3000 MILES. THE DEALER, JIM COLEMAN TOYOTA OF BETHESDA MD STATED THAT I WAS AT FAULT AND THAT TOYOTA WOULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. FIRST COLEMAN FLUSHED THE ENGINE, AT A COST OF 1000. WHEN THIS REPAIR ONLY HELD FOR 2000 MILES OR SO, I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY ENGINE. I DID SO AT ERNIE'S, A TOP-RATED REPAIR SHOP IN BETHESDA (CONSUMER CHECK LIST)AT A COST OF 5600, CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN TOYOTA'S PRICE OF 7500. I HAVE FAITHFULLY CHANGED MY OIL SINCE THAT TIME ON OR BEFORE THE 3000 MILE MARK. THE ENGINE HAS AGAIN FAILED DUE TO SLUDGE BUILD-UP!!! I AM NOW EXPECTING THAT TOYOTA WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE AT NO COST TO ME, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THERE WILL BE SOME CATCH TO THIS...”