2000 Toyota Sienna LX review from North America

Within the first year, 2 of the 3 major a/c parts had to be replaced (compressor/evaporator/condensor - forget which 2). The radio antenna had to be replaced when purchased (how do antennas go bad?). Have had to replace the RF wheel bearing twice. The front defroster on this vehicle is terrible. Replaced the alternator at around 65k miles. The RR sliding door handle broke (again, how does this break?). The LF window motor is dying a slow death and will have to be replaced (the radio cuts out when the driver door is opened - related?). Recently replaced a very expensive oxygen sensor. The brakes are fair at best. The placement of the wiper controls in front of the gear selector on the console is poor. All in all, considering I told the dealer I was purchasing a Toyota over a Dodge because I wanted a more dependable vehicle, I'm not very happy.

On the plus side, I haven't had the oil sludge problem previously mentioned, and the van does run well on the highway, although the gas mileage is worse than on my 97 Intrepid 3.5L. I change the oil every 5k miles, but the filter assembly is poorly designed. Whenever the filter is removed, oil leaks out because it is mounted horizontally instead of vertically. The vehicle also has an entertainment system which was installed after-market by the previous owner, and this helps with the kids on trips. The engine is very quiet, although on first start up it revs quite high and won't kick down for several minutes. I've been told that this is normal for Toyota, but my Intrepid kicks down within seconds.