NHTSA Complaint #10610859 — 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA

UPON EXITING FREEWAY IN BUTTE, MT, AND SLOWING DONE FOR RED LIGHT AT BOTTOM OF RAMP, HEARD TAPPING NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE. DROVE ONE BLOCK TO GAS STATION, AND WHILE PUMPING GAS, NOTICED LARGE QUANTITY OF ENGINE OIL PUDDLING UNDER THE ENGINE. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT OIL COOLER HOSE HAD RUPTURED. FORTUNATELY, NO APPARENT ENGINE DAMAGE. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ON SIENNA OWNERS' FORUM, LEARNED THAT THIS WAS A RECURRING PROBLEM ON CERTAIN TOYOTA MODELS IN CERTAIN YEARS, INCLUDING THE 2008 SIENNA WITH TOW PACKAGE LIKE OURS, AND THAT TOYOTA HAD PUT OUT A TSB ON THIS, BUT APPARENTLY HAD NEVER INFORMED OWNERS. IT TOOK 4 DAYS FOR THE REPLACEMENT HOSE TO ARRIVE, AND THE REPAIR COST $520. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE MY FAMILY WAS FAR FROM HOME (SILVER SPRING, MD) ON A CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP AND THUS FORCED THEM TO CANCEL PART OF VACATION AND SPEND EXTRA $$ ON HOTELS AND A RENTAL CAR. BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE - THE OIL COULD HAVE DRAINED WHILE AT SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY, RUINING THE ENGINE, STRANDING MY FAMILY IN AN ISOLATED AREA OR CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR ENGINE FIRE AND POSSIBLE INJURIES. GIVEN THAT TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, IT COULD HAVE INFORMED US SO WE COULD HAVE HAD THE HOSE REPLACED BEFORE IT FAILED. *TR