1998 Toyota Sienna review from North America
"Change your oil every 1000 miles and get a signed receipt!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
After driving 500 miles, the low-oil light flickered once 5 miles from destination. The next morning we added 3 quarts of oil and noticed steam from the exhaust. We went to a local Toyota dealer. He said the engine is destroyed due to oil sludge. We had changed the oil 1 week prior that trip and noticed no problems. To replace the engine would be $7,000 but at this point Toyota told the dealer they would pay for it. I do not understand why an apparent head gasket failure has anything to do with changing the oil. There is great talk on the Internet (go to GGoogle and enter "toyota" "sludge")about this problem in other Toyota cars and that the company usually does not consider it a warranty issue. gbarden@iname.com.
This car also frequently smells musty although I have never found any moisture inside - perhaps the air conditioning?
General comments?
Toyota needs to fix the oil sludge issue.
Recommended reviews
  | Surprisingly unreliable |
| Great van!!! We loved it!! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| First year of ownership | 1998 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | Don't Know |
| Performance marks | |
| Reliability marks | 5/10 |
| Comfort marks | |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 55000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Explorer |
| Date of Entry | 3rd April, 2002 |