NHTSA Complaint #10534687 — 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA

WHILE DRIVING MY SIENNA AC QUIT & FEW MILES LATER I SAW WHITE SMOKE COME FROM UNDER THE VAN IN MY MIRROR. I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN & BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING. I TRIED TO PULL OVER & POWER STEERING WAS NOT WORKING. WITHOUT ANY WARNING LIGHTS. AFTER I PULLED OVER, I WALKED TO THE BACK TO SEE WHAT THE WHITE SMOKE WAS. I NOTICED THAT THE BUMPER COVER HAD MOTOR OIL DRIPPING DOWN FROM THE BUMPER & TAIL PIPE. I NOTICED THE WHITE SMOKE WAS ACTUALLY COMING OUT FROM THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF THE VAN. I RAN TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF BUT I COULD NOT OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOORS. LUCKILY WINDOWS WERE OPENED DUE TO THE AC NOT WORKING. I TOOK THE KEY OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW & PULLED THE HOOD LATCH. BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE HOOD FLAMES WAS COMING FROM THE RIGHT SIDE. I COULD NOT OPEN THE HOOD, IT WAS TOO HOT. THIS HAPPENED IN MATTER OF SECONDS. BE AWARE THAT ALL THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNING SOUND?S OR LIGHT?S. I CALLED 911. JUST IN MINUTES, THE VAN WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES & I HAD NO CHANCE TO SAVE ANYTHING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED ABOUT 9 MINUTES, BUT BY THAT TIME THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT OF MY VAN. THE FIREMAN POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THERE WAS AN OIL TRAIL BEHIND THE VAN. THE OIL TRACE WAS VISIBLE FOR FEW MILES. AFTER THEY FINISHED PUTTING OUT THE FIRE THEY SHOWED ME WHERE THE FIRE STARTED ON THE VAN. IT WAS THE AREA ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE AROUND THE BELT. THEY SAID THAT THE FIRE STARTED FROM AN OIL LEAK ON THE ENGINE AND WAS STARTED BY THE BURST OF OIL SPRAYING DOWN ON THE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER. ONLY TWO SECONDS OF SEARCHING ON GOOGLE, I FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA IS WELL INFORMED OF THE HAZARDOUS DEFECT. THE RUBBER OIL SUPPLY LINE UNEXPECTEDLY BURST OPEN AND SPRAY?S THE ENGINE OIL OUT IN LESS THAN FEW MINUTES. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY RECALLS OR NOTIFICATION ABOUT THIS SERIOUS DEFECT FROM TOYOTA. LUCKILY NONE OF MY THREE KIDS WAS NOT IN THE VAN WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR