There is a gas tank recall however it doesn't effect my VIN number.
The van didn't come with dark tinted back windows as seems to heat up in the Southern sun. The vehicle is hot and the AC so far seems not sufficient. By the time the cold air reaches me in the passenger seat it is warm. The material of the seat seems warm as well since my shirt sticks to my back from the sweat. I'm still investigating this issue.
I have detected a hesitation in the transmission or computer. From the time I hit the gas to the time the vehicle starts to move seems longer than it should.
My wife talked me out of a Dodge during this period of massive rebates to buy this Toyota. I'm hoping the engine sludge issues and transmission issues of the past are resolved. I was told this vehicle has the same engine as the Lexus. Both the transmission and engine are new for this year.
The vehicle is very quiet and has the most gentle ride of any car I've driven in. We plan to have after market DVD player installed and save $1000+ over what the dealer wanted. Its loaded with nice convenience features like the fold down back seats.
The Sienna and two Lexus models share the same engine. The Lexus models are covered under the same sludge policy as the Sienna and had the same failures due to sludge. The engine in the 2004 is new and should not be subject to sludging. It is larger, but runs cooler. The late 2002 engines and 2003 had minor modifications that were supposed to make them less susceptible to sludging - changes to PCV system and some cooling passages in the engine head. I recommend to change your oil no less frequently than the severe service interval in your manual (5000 miles on US models) no matter what your driving conditions are, to be safe. Keep all of your receipts. It is a good idea to have the servicing done at a dealership so they can't tell you later that Jiffy Lube didn't really change the oil, et cetera.
The 3.3L engine used in the Sienna and the 2 Lexus models, soon also to follow in the Camry, Solara, and Highlander, are NOT prone to sludge (neither is any other vehicle when oil and filter changes are done at proper intervals, but that is another story altogether). Incidentally, they do not carry the extended engine warranty as offered on earlier model vehicles equipped with the 3.0L or 2.4L. I suspect it will not be a problem.
Try a Google. com search using keywords "Toyota engine sludge" before you try to say it wasn't a problem in the pre-2003 engines. Because Toyota won't admit to having a problem, they can't admit to fixing it, can they?
Change your oil MORE often that the most frequent interval in your manual. Document in some way (log) that you check your oil level at EVERY gas fill up. This can take some time since you should wait about 15 min. after stopping prior to checking the oil. The sludge prone engines were known to consume oil. Toyota says the loss of a quart every 1000 miles is NORMAL. Do the math. Your 4 quart capacity engine can be dry of oil in a mere 4000 miles and Toyota will place any resultant engine damage squarely on your back. Check out these sites for more info.
Www.edmunds.com - go to town hall and search for engine sludge to read the history of this problem.
Www.thecomplaintstation.com - go to "T" for Toyota.
Www.carreview.com.
Www.rateitall.com.
Www.cartrackers.com.
Www.corolland.com.
Www.planetfeedback.com.
Www.industrycommunity.com - go to their lubrication forum.
Www.toyotaownersforum.com.
Www.oilanalysis.com.
Www.yotarepair.com.
Www.nhtsa.gov.
Www.complaints.com.
The lack of tinted windows you mention is propbably because you ordered the CE which is the base line model. I believe the LE and above comes with the privacy glass as a standard feature. However Toyota's multifarious "packages" are confusing and one could easily think one is getting something one is not. I am sorry to hear about the AC being weak. I have heard this before and am afraid I'm going to find out the hard way come next summer. If it makes you feel any better many reviews claim that the Honda Odyssey AC is abysmal.
I love the 2004 Toyota Sienna XLE that we purchased in November - have had minor issues - and we really do not like the smaller, closer dealership so we drive 25 miles to go to a larger more experienced dealer for service. AND I'm interested in finding out about experiences with AFTER MARKET DVD/entertainment systems - did you get them installed BY Toyota or independently?? Please let me know.
The CE doesn't have the tinted windows and they are not an option. The LE, XLE, and XLE Limited are the ones that do have it. The A/C I cannot comment. We got the dark blue XLE Limited FWD and it has the Tri-Zone Automatic Climate control and it does fairly well in keeping us cool or warm.
Note: A Comments RSS Feed is available. New comments appear in the Members Area before the main site