NHTSA Complaint #10068476 — 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA

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 WARRANTY ON THE ENGINE AT NO COST TO ALL CUSTOMERS WHO HAD THE PROBLEM WITH ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO OIL SLUDGING. WELL I NO LONGER HAD THE VAN IN MY POSSESION BUT I DID SUFFER SOME DAMAGES AND I ONLY THINK IT IS FAIR THAT I GET SOME COMPENSATION FROM THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER DUE TO THEIR OWN DEFECTIVE ENGINE. I WROTE A LETTER TO TOYOTA AND I HAVE NOT HEARD A RESPONSE FROM THEM YET.*AK