2007 TOYOTA SIENNA Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

FAILURE OF A DEFECTIVE RUBBER OIL COOLER HOSE OCCURRED AT APP. 5:30 PM ON 2/11/2013 WHILE THE SIENNA WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A CITY STREET. THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY LOST MOST OF ITS OIL, AND INCURRED SIGNIFICANT AND VERY COSTLY ENGINE DAMAGE (RESULTING IN THE NEED FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE ENGINE SHORT-BLOCK, PLUS OTHER COLLATERAL ENGINE REPAIRS THAT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA ENGINEERING EVENTUALLY DETERMINED NECESSARY). SEE TOYOTA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN T-SB-0201, DATED 12/21/2011. THE OIL "SEEPAGE" TERM USED BY TOYOTA IN THIS TSB IS A COMPLETE MISNOMER, AS THE OIL LOSS WAS RAPID AND RESULTED IN OIL SPRAYING PROFUSELY UNDER THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY COMMUNICATED ANY INFORMATION TO ITS UNSUSPECTING CUSTOMER REGARDING THIS SPECIFIC DEFECTIVE PART. ON 3/3/2011, THE CUSTOMER DISCOVERED THROUGH HIS OWN PERSONAL RESEARCH THE SCOPE AND MAGNITUDE OF TOYOTA'S PERVASIVE FAILURE HISTORY WITH A VERY SIMILAR DEFECTIVE RUBBER OIL SUPPLY HOSE....

I HAVE HAD THIS VAN SINCE NEW. AIR CONDITIONING STOPPED WORKING AFTER 4 YEARS WITH LESS THAN 60000 MILES. FIRST TRANSMISSION PROBLEM STARTED AT 68000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM FIRST REARED ITS UGLY HEAD WHEN I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT ONE EARLY MORNING IN NOVEMBER 2011. IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH I HAD RUN OVER SOMETHING. AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE VAN AND LOOKING AROUND IT APPEARED AS THOUGH EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD. I GOT BACK IN THE VAN AND STARTED TO DRIVE AND COULD HEAR A RUBBING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VAN AND NOTICED IT WOULD SLOW DOWN QUICKER WHEN TAKING MY FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR, SO MUCH SO THAT YOUR BODY WOULD LEAN FORWARD. ALSO, I NOTICED THE VAN WOULD NOW SLOW DOWN INSTEAD OF PICKING UP SPEED WHEN COASTING DOWN A HILL WHICH IS SOMETHING IT HAD NEVER DONE BEFORE. I BROUGHT...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A WARNING LIGHT ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS ILLUMINATED BUT THE CONTACT COULD NOT RECALL WHAT EXACT LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHERE THE TECHNICIANS ADVISED THAT THE COMPUTER WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE WIRES WERE DAMAGED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS DUE TO MICE ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND CHEWING THE WIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000. UPDATED 03/05/12*LJ

ENGINE/POWERTRAIN HESITATES FOR 1-3 SECONDS WHEN ACCELERATING SLOWLY, OR ACCELERATING QUICKLY AFTER SLOWING DOWN SUCH AS WHEN SLOWING DOWN IN AN INTERSECTION, MAKING A TURN, OR IN SLOW TRAFFIC. ENGINE HAS PISTON SLAP FOR 3-5 MINUTES AFTER A COLD START IN WEATHER BELOW 40 F. THE SLAP BECOMES LOUDER WITH COLDER TEMPS. SHIFTING INTO GEAR WITH A COLD ENGINE CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO LURCH DUE TO HIGH IDLE. DRIVER MUST HAVE FOOT FIRMLY ON BRAKE BEFORE SHIFTING INTO GEAR. PROBLEM DIMINISHES IF ENGINE IS ALLOWED TO WARM FOR 45-60 SECONDS. WHEN PARKING, THE DRIVER MUST KEEP THE BRAKE FULLY DEPRESSED, SHIFT INTO PARK, PAUSE 1-2 SECONDS BEFORE RELEASING BRAKE. IT SEEMS THERE IS A BRIEF DELAY BETWEEN GEAR LEVER BEING PLACED INTO PARK, AND POWERTRAIN ACTUALLY GOING INTO NEURAL/PARK POSITION. RELEASING THE BRAKE TOO SOON WILL ALLOW VEHICLE TO ROLL AHEAD 3-6 INCHES. *TR

ON MARCH 12. 2010 I WAS TRAVELING TO ARCHES NATIONAL PARK WITH FOUR OTHER PASSENGERS. ON THE WAY, WE DECIDED TO STOP BY BRYCE CANYON UTAH. I WAS DRIVING A 2007 TOYOTA SIENNA THROUGH 26 S. MAIN STREET BRYCE CANYON CITY. BECAUSE OF BAD WEATHER CONDITION. I HAD PUT THE CAR IN GEAR 3 AND WAS DRIVING 5 MILES PER HOUR. SUDDENLY I HEARD THE ENGINE ACCELERATE AND FELT THE CAR PUSH FORWARD. I LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND CAUTIOUSLY PRESSED THE BRAKES AS HARD AS I COULD, BUT BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND AND THE CAR CONTINUED FORWARD ABOUT 150 FEET. SOMEHOW I MANAGED TO TURN RIGHT ON CENTER STREET AND BUMPED ONTO THE CURB TO BE ABLE TO STOP THE CAR. AFTER THE CAR CAME TO FULL STOP, THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL. BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT, WE CHANGED OUR SCHEDULE AND RETURNED HOME. *CN