air condition system leak
The van generally speaking is very high quality. Don't understand why other people on this board said the opposite. It is very reliable, fast for a minivan, and very stable on the highway. The 5 years I have it the only non routine repair I have done on it was a minor A/C system leak. I paid $300 Canadian for the dealer to fix it. Other than this the van has been near perfect reliability wise. If I could roll back time I will definitely buy it again.
Uh, maybe people said the opposite because they have had the opposite experience from you. Just because yours has been fine and dandy does not mean that everyone shares your experience. Also, because my experience is bad does not mean yours was not good. You just need to read reviews and be able to weigh all factors.
The Sienna has had numerous problems reported on the web. The engine sludge problem is one. Go to http://autos.msn.com, select used Toyota Sienna at the top left of the page and go to Ratings and Reviews. At the bottom of the page, you will see ratings for different components. The 1997 - 2001 Sienna is reported to have "significant" engine problems in this review as well as other models that share this engine. Toyota has developed a special policy to cover this problem for eight years from original purchase date, unlimited miles. This has been treated somewhat as a secret warranty however. You need to bring it up to the dealer when you have this problem or you may not be covered for the repair. You also need to be meticulous about oil changes and keep all receipts. For greatest protection from this problem recommend going to the dealer for oil changes, using synthetic oil only and do not surpass 5,000 miles between oil changes even though the manaul allows for 7,500 miles.