NHTSA Complaint #10341835 — 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA

I OWN A 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA WHICH I PURCHASED AS A "CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE" IN JANUARY 2008. I WASN'T INFORMED ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THESE PARTICULAR VEHICLES WERE HAVING WITH OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP. SHORTLY AFTER JANUARY 2010, I CHECKED MY OIL AND FOUND THE OIL TO BE GUMMY. I TOOK IT IN FOR A PROPER OIL CHANGE (THOUGH IT WAS UNDER THE 3000 MILE MARK FOR AN OIL CHANGE). I CHECKED THE OIL AGAIN AFTER ONLY DRIVING 100 MILES OR SO, AND FOUND THE SAME GUMMY OIL BUILD UP. I STOPPED DRIVING IT AS SOON AS I NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE EXHAUST. I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC AT THE TIME, AS I WAS WAITING FOR MY TAX RETURN CHECK TO ARRIVE. AS SOON AS I HAD THE MONEY TO GET IT DIAGNOSED, I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE, WHICH WOULD COST $7000! MY MECHANIC TOLD ME OF THE ONGOING PROBLEMS MY TYPE OF VEHICLE WAS HAVING AND SUGGESTED I CALL THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT CENTER OF TOYOTA. BECAUSE I WAS NEVER INFORMED BY TOYOTA (I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE IN 2008, SEVERAL YEARS AFTER A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT WAS IMPLEMENTED AGAINST TOYOTA) MY WARRANTY HAD ALREADY EXPIRED BY THE TIME I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. I FEEL MISINFORMED AND RIPPED OFF BY BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA AS A WHOLE. I STILL OWE OVER $9000 ON MY LOAN AND DO NOT HAVE A VEHICLE TO DRIVE MY FIVE CHILDREN AROUND IN SAFELY. TOYOTA IS RISKING THE LIVES AND LOYALTY OF MILLIONS OF CONSUMERS AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY. THEY REFUSE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS AND HAVE BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF RUDE TO ME. I HOPE THE GOVERNMENT OF THIS COUNTRY WILL DO SOMETHING TO HELP REIMBURSE BOTH MYSELF, AND THE MILLIONS OF OTHERS LIKE ME. THIS IS A CRIME AND NEEDS TO BE STOPPED! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR