Engine Problems of Toyota Sienna - part 1

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!.

See all problems of the 2008 Toyota Sienna 🔎.

I am reporting another Toyota sticky accelerator pedal. Our 1999 Sienna minivan has had 3 incidents of stuck accelerator, the most recent was Jan. 21, 2010. I believe it has become "stuck" between 40 and 45mph. Other incidents were in summer (cannot remember date) and October 2009. The 1st incident was brief and corrected quickly by pushing down on the pedal to "free it", the 2nd incident required braking and putting the car in neutral and shoving the pedal with my foot to the left and right to free it up. I was able to drive the car to the shoulder, turned the car off and then the pedal seemed to work ok, although a bit sluggish response. Our mechanic fixed the throttle body and the car has not had another incident until last week. The most recent incident was more harrowing in that there was not much room to maneuver the car since we were headed for lots of cars stopped at a traffic light. I tried to slow the car by braking hard with the left foot and shoving the accelerator. Pedal down and side to side while in neutral but this did not work quickly like the October incident. I was able to pull over to a shoulder before crashing but it took much longer for the car to stop this time, and I actually threw the car in park to stop the car! I turned off the car and after a few minutes, was composed enough to drive it. Our dealer will check the car Jan 29. The floor mat does not appear to be involved jamming into the pedal, so it is probably a mechanical "catch" that is getting hung up when the pedal is down a certain distance. We thought the safety gurus would want to know. Luckily no crashes have occurred yet!.

See all problems of the 1999 Toyota Sienna 🔎.

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.

While attempting to accelerate by pressing the gas pedal to approximately 3/4 of it's travel, I experienced no throttle response for 1-2 seconds with cars coming towards me. The engine then proceeded to rev to the proper level I was expecting. This type of situation also happens while attempting to pass a car on the freeway by pressing the gas pedal quickly. The car once again hesitates and then responds in 1 -2 seconds. The vehicle is a Toyota Sienna 2004 xle fwd. I've tried to use different fuel grades, ac on/off, tires properly inflated, no one in car/car full, day and night, all with the same result.

See all problems of the 2004 Toyota Sienna 🔎.

Car has oil sludge problem - Toyota settled class action law suit - but I was never notified - and it appears a recall was never initiated?.

See all problems of the 2000 Toyota Sienna 🔎.

I have a 2007 Toyota Sienna. When the engine is cold and started I get a noise that sounds like a lifter problem. Although the weather will effect the intensity and duration of this noise it is always there. The Toyota dealership I took it to had a factory engineer come out and he heard the noise and said it was normal and attributed it to "piston-slap". At this time they are telling me there is no repair for this condition. They acknowledge there is a noise but they say they can do nothing about it. This noise developed approximately around 20,000 miles on the vehicle. Other Sienna's that acquaintances own do not have this problem. Some mornings when it is cold out the noise is so loud it turns heads as I drive down the street. Evidently this is a problem that Toyota knows about but refuses to fix.

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Oil gelling related damage-2000 Toyota Sienna w/v6 with oil gelling. This engine was repaired under Toyota's special repair program. The issue is that the repair does not include enough parts to properly return the unit into service without compramising the main and rod bearings, as well as the rear and front seals. I am now faced with a $1400 repair bill for the rear main seal at 65k miles. I beleive that this portion of the engine was comprimised do to lack of oil casued by the oil gelling. The screen was 85% blocked and since the main and rod bearings are the first to be fed oil from the pump, they have experienced accelerated wear. I base this on my discovery when at the dealer. I am an ase certified automotive technician with engine speciality ratings, so I can speak as an expert on this matter. I tried to discuss with Toyota corp at the local level and they do not see any reason to continue the discussion.

The automatic sliding door on my 2004 Sienna has been a problem since we purchased the vehicle. At times, we can't open the door from the outside and other times, we can. Also, we recently closed the door with the automatic button and for no apparent reason, the cable broke so that we now have to open and close the door manually. Also, we have had issues with the acceleration of the vehicle if we are going from a stop position or a slow moving (less than 10 km/h) position. The van seems to slow down before shifting into gear. This is a serious problem when driving especially with children in the vehicle. My warranty has expired and I'm looking at having to pay for this on my own. I am dissatisfied with Toyota, I have had this vehicle for only 2 years and I have had three recalls already. This is my 2nd Toyota product and my last.

My 2002 Sienna was diagnosed with oil sludge at 73,000 miles. Dealer says it cannot replace engine at their cost without receipts to prove oil changes. Since we did the changes ourselves we have no receipts.

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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.

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1999 Toyota Sienna engine froze up unexpectedly. Was advised it was possibly a sludge problem. This vehicle was purchased - used - in 2002 from a local dealer who will not accept any responsibility for the estimated $6850. 00 engine replacement cost, even though Toyota changed the engine warranty to 8 years/unlimited mileage.

I have 2002 Toyota Sienna. The car was perfect until after 30k miles. We first noticed the car occasionally had difficulty of starting during warm weather or warm engine condition. Then the situation got worst, the no starting got more often. We even got stuck in the freeway and busy street because we stopped the car and had a lot of difficulty to get the car started again. The situation could be dangerous in a traffic busy location. I have two friend who have Sienna and they both had the similar problems with their Sienna. The usual symptom of the problem: the car takes more cracking to start and then its rpm immediately drops to 400-200rpm and then the engine dies; some times pushing on the accelerator would help raising the rpm and got the car really started; at some other times, the engine would not start at all until the engineer cools down and/or the weather cools down; today, it happened again in an outdoor parking lot. I am still trying to get it started.

Minivan does not alway accelerate properly. When the vehicle is slowing down, like when coming to a red light, the vehicle will hesitate when I try to accelerate if I have not already come to a complete stop. This seequence will usually reproduce the failure: 1. Travel around 40mph. 2. Quickly slow to around 10mph. 3. Try to quickly accelerate to 40mph again. The vehicle will hesitate and pause before starting to accelerate.

While driving at low speeds the vehicle went into neutral then hesitated when attempting to accelerate.

Oil sludge (gelling) develops in engine resulting in the necessity to replace the engine at great cost. Toyota states that they will pay for the repairs if all required maintenance has been performed, but they have refused to do so and have refused to let us speak with anyone with the authority to honor their warranty.

Told by Toyota dealer that my three yr old 2002 Toyota Sienna with 47,542 miles needs a new engine due to sludge/gelling of engine oil.

2000 Toyota Sienna experienced serious sludging problem and had "sludge/gel repair" done by Toyota at 58k miles. Service dates: oct 14 and 15, 2002. On July 18, 2004, the Sienna (with 81k miles) broke down during a vacation trip. Diagnosis: residual engine damage from sludge problem and inadequate repair led to failure of a thrust washer/bearing that caused extensive damage to the engine from metal fragments that spread throughout the engine. Estimated repair cost: $7,300. I am currently trying to get Toyota to repair the engine at their cost and to cover all of my related costs due to the failure (e. G. Hotel costs, rental car).

Engine oil sludge forming in camshaft carrier and under oil filler cap after only 35k miles! I bought this Sienna brand new for $32000 and perform maintenance religiously, changing oil & filter every 4000 - 5000. Yet, last week on a routine oil change I noticed black gritty deposits caked underneath the oil filler cap! it was about 2-4 mm thick; I could scrape it with my fingernails and it felt like hardened sugar. I could see the black deposits well into the cam carrier. I found out that many other Toyota owners are experiencing this sludge problem! this is obviously a design flaw in the 3. 0l v6 engines causing the oil to sludge; Toyota should issue a recall on these engines!.

My 2002 Sienna has 26,000 miles on it and has a loud engine knocking when accelerating at certain speeds. It has been doing it for about the last 6000 miles. At 20,000 miles, scott clarkes Toyota in charlotte told me to use a better grade gasoline, with no results. At 24,000 miles, they told me I have spark knock and need to drive the car at higher speeds more often. (I drive mostly in the city). Reading the other complaints about sludge, I think this is related, since they told me my oil was sludgey too. I think this problem needs to be investigated and recalled.

Hesitation bogs on a acceleration, delay in a acceleration no power for a few seconds. Looses speed and cars behind catch up very quickly and worried about getting hit in rear end. My wife is worried about getting in an accident. Toyota dealer felt the problem, but no offer for repairs they say this is normal operation. This is a safety issue. We have had it in twice with no result. (2004 Toyota Sienna).

Engine check light came on while driving. Took to dealer, had to replace vacuum switch. 2 days later, same problem occurred.

We have a Toyota Sienna van. In 8/02 we had 'oil gel sludging' and the engine was fixed under warranty. Now, we have exactly the same problem and Toyota refuses to pay for the repair. With the initial repair, they acknowledged it was a design flaw. Since the engine was poorly designed, and there is a recurring problem due to the design, why do they think a one-time repair will suffice?.

See all problems of the 1998 Toyota Sienna 🔎.

We are on our third motor for a Toyota Sienna 1998 van, purchased new. Several months ago, we had the motor replaced. We were charged $4-500, though Toyota handled it under warranty. Now, 10,000 miles later, we must replace the engine again, at a cost of $6000. The problem, again, is 'sludge'. We are also, like others filing complaints on your site and others, being harassed by the dealership, who claim we have "never changed the oil. " for argument, let's say this is true. In 10,000 miles, you will utterly destroy a new engine if you miss an oil change, recommended for between 5,000 and 7500 miles? I believe the public has been sold a defective design, and that the company, deliberately or not, is refusing to take owner complaints seriously.

My 1999 Toyota Sienna's engine suddenly froze up with slightly less than 72,000 miles on it. The engine is totally gone with estimates currently in the neighborhood of $8,000. This vehicle has been maintained as stated in the owners manual. The complaint is that Toyota knows there is a problem with Sienna's and has failed to do anything about notifying owners that oil changes need to be at 3000 mile intervals and that valves need to be checked very regularly. Since sludge build-up is obviously occurring in their vehicles, something needs to be done to protect the consumer.

Approximately 5 years ago we purchased a new 1998 Toyota Sienna because we wanted a new vehicle with an excellent reputation for quality and service. Because of Toyota's reputation, we paid approximately $10,000 more for the van than we could have purchased any other van in our area. Recently our van started emitting blue smoke. When we took our van to our local Toyota dealership for service they said that they could not find the problem, and offered to tear down the motor and send pictures to Toyota with a fee of one hour's labor. When we scheduled this service, after tearing down the motor, we were asked for documentation of oil changes. Although we have had them done regularly, we did not save this paperwork. Since we are out of our warranty period, I thought this was an unusual request. However, after researching my van on the internet, I realize that this is a very common problem with my van. Unfortunately, I did not find this information soon enough to start saving all of those oil change receipts. The oil in my van is very thick, and we were treated as though we never had oil changes done. We were told that they could replace the valve covers and clean the heads and that it might take care of the problem or we could spend $5000 to purchase a new motor for a van bought new and still being paid for! I will no longer be able to purchase a vehicle based on reputation. Not only was this a problem that has occurred often, but we were never notified, and then basically accused of not maintaining our vehicle. We were charged a $75. 00 fee to find the problem even though the mechanics should have know this was on ongoing problem the first time the van was taken for service. Because of their defective motor, I also have now lost that "great trade in value" that Toyota vehicles always "maintain". Again, I am very disappointed in my van and Toyota. I purchased my van because of the high recommendations given to me, but I will not pass this recommendation on to others.

We have a 1998 Toyota Sienna. For several years we have had problems opening the rear passenger doors because of faulty springs on the door buttons. Now the vehicle spews out blue smoke when starting up or accelerating. The oil is also sludgey. We took it to the dealer after hearing that the blue smoke problem is a recall issue, but the dealer wants proof of all oil changes, even though I change the oil and filter myself. A friend around the corner has the same problems with the faulty doors.

The engine locked up.

Toyota Sienna engine fire. The consumer inquired when the results of the fire investigation would be published.

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Sienna. When turning a corner at approximately 5-10 mph the vehicle would hesitate and lose power. The dealer stated that the vehicle needed a computer update, however; the system was unavailable. The dealer stated that the failure was not normal. The current mileage was 100,000. The failure mileage was unavailable.

Ltr fwd fm fhwa re their defective 2000 Toyota Sienna xle, the van has problems with engine sludge. . . The vehicle started to blow blue smoke and ran rough. The dealer discovered engine gel deposits. The malfunctioning light had come on due to the oxygen sensor per dealer, the brakes squealed when stopped at low speeds(problem continued), and pulled to the left. The dealer could not duplicate. The engine sludge had come back again due to a burnt hole in the valve which was in the piston. The tachometer illumination appeared to be out and the bulb was replaced. The consumer requested reimbursement for the hotel stay and the vehicle rental.

I own a 2002 Toyota Sienna. The vehicle was purchased new from magic Toyota in edmonds wa. The van has 20000 miles on it and is now in need of a new engine. I have had it serviced but apparently the Toyota engines have an oil sludge build up problem which destroys the engine if it occurs. Toyota is uncertain at this juncture if they are going to repair the engine which is still under warranty. I had it serviced on 11/20/02 at magic Toyota. Four weeks later the engine is dead lined with blue smoke, poor compression, and a knock. I have recently read that Toyota engines from 2000 on were having this problem. I am also understanding that the state of idaho and possibly California are formulating a class action lawsuit on this issue. Toyota is claiming that it is an owner maintenance issue not a defect. I request to file an official complaint against Toyota in reference to this engine defect. They are not standing good for it. An engine with 20,000 miles on it should not be dead lined. Ts.

White smoke comes out of the tailpipe when the engine is started. Toyota dealer says that the rings are bad due to sludge in the engine. They, and Toyota corporate office, say that the sludge is due to negligent maintenance. However, oil changes were made at the proper intervals according to the owner's manual. The dealer says that repairs will cost between $2300 and $5700 and that the warranty is voided by the presence of sludge. I tried, unsuccessfully, to convince them that this level of sludge build-up was not reasonable for an engine of this age. I'm at a loss as to what to do to get Toyota to honor their warranty. This seems like fraud to me. Is there anything that NHTSA can do? given the number of complaint that I've seen on this site regarding this problem, I think some governmental pressure would help to get Toyota to do the right thing.

I took my new Toyota Sienna to be repaired because it was smoking. I was told that the engine had sludge in it and Toyota was denying any warranty claims. How does a brand new engine get sludge in it? there are literally hundreds of similar instances reported on various sites on the internet. The pattern is similar - low mileage Toyota vehcles (especially Siennas) suddenly smoking and having sludge in their engines, depsite proper maintenance and regular oil changes. There clearly is a coverup here by Toyota. They are declining warranty claims rather than trying to deal with the problem.

Sludge build up leading to camshaft failure - fast oil level drop.

The consumer believed Toyota was not honoring the customer support program as reported by owners, in regards to oil sludge build up in engines. Updated 05/04/10.