Toyota Previa engine problems

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

1993 TOYOTA PREVIA. SUDDEN BRAKE FAILURE AT ABOUT 30 MPH. I TRIED TO STOP AND THERE WAS NO BRAKING. PARKING BRAKE WAS ALSO NOT OPERABLE. I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN. PUTTING IT IN PARK OR REVERSE DID NOT STOP OR SLOW IT DOWN. I WENT DOWN GULLEY, ACROSS LAWNS AND PARKING LOTS AND DID CIRCLES IN PARKING LOT UNTIL IT FINALLY STOPPED (?RAN OUT OF GAS). TERRIFYING!! I NOTIFIED TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY WERE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT WHY THERE WAS THIS DANGEROUS FAILURE AND I WAS INFORMED MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY REALLY DIDN'T CARE. OVERALL IT HAD BEEN A GREAT VEHICLE AND ALL SIX OF MY CHILDREN USED IT TO LEARN TO DRIVE. I WAS ABOUT TO GIVE IT TO MY YOUNGEST SON. THANK GOODNESS IT HAPPENED WITH ME AND NOT HIM. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT TOYOTA REALLY DIDN'T CARE THAT THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURIES AND THERE ARE STILL ALOT OF PREVIAS ON THE ROAD. IT HAD FAIRLY NEW BRAKES AND HAD BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. IT WILL NOW BE SOLD FOR SCRAP.

NHTSA complaint #10351435 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

MY TOYOTA PREVIA HAD A INCIDENT WITH A STUCK ACCELERATOR. I WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO CONTROL AND STOP VEHICLE WITH MAXIMUM FOOT BRAKE PRESSURE TO THE POINT OF GRINDING BRAKES AND TURNING IGNITION OFF WHEN AWAY FROM OTHER TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT WITH THE STUCK ACCELERATOR AND RED-LINING OF RPM'S LED TO A BLOWN HEAD GASKET THAT WAS NOT PHYSICALLY REPAIRABLE BY RECOMMENDATION OF AUTHORIZED TOYOTA REPAIRMAN.

NHTSA complaint #10314810 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

1993 TOYOTA PREVIA SUSPENSION ISSUES. CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE SUSPENSION HAS BEEN WORKED ON BUT THE PROBLEMS STILL EXIST AND HAVE NOT BEEN RESOLVED. THEY WOULD LIKE TO USE AFTER MARKET PARTS AND WANTS TOYOTA TO REIMBURSE THEM FOR THE PARTS. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT STRUTS, SPRINGS, REAR SHOCKS AND REAR SPRINGS HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO BOTTOM OUT. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE MOSTLY IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE REAR ENGINE AND OIL SEAL WERE LEAKING .THE BRAKE LINES WERE ALSO REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #10208287 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 TOYOTA PREVIA. THE CONTACT SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AFTER SHE PARKED THE VEHICLE. SHE ATTEMPTED TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. SMOKE BEGAN TO RISE FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARED, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 140,000.

NHTSA complaint #10192363 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

SUBJECT ON SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT FOR HEAD GASKETS. SERVICE BULLETIN # 97121797017/ NHTSA ITEM # 54015, STATED THAT FAULTY HEAD GASKET WAS INVESTIGATED AND FOUND BAD ON 17 DEC. 1997. AS THE RESULT OF THE DEFECTIVE HEAD GASKET I HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THIS SPECIFIC PART.

NHTSA complaint #10162384 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ON OCT 2002, OIL IN THE ENGINE SLUDGED CAUSING CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. THE MECHANICS WERE ABLE TO REPAIR THE ENGINE TO PARTIAL WORKING ORDER. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE LEAKED EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL AND THE POWER OF THE ENGINE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. ON 8 JAN 2004, THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT INDICATED A LOW OIL PRESSURE. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION BY THE MECHANIC, THE ENGINE OIL APPEARED TO HAVE SLUDGED AGAIN CAUSING DAMAGE TO ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE TOTALED. WE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE SLUDGE PROBLEM WAS COMMON WITH VARIOUS TOYOTA VEHICLES. HOWEVER, TOYOTA REFUSED TO ADMIT ANY WRONG DOING. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE ENGINE SLUDGE PROBLEM WITH MECHANICS THAT HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH TOYOTAS. THESE INDIVIDUALS INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE SLUDGE PROBLEM FIRST APPEARED IN THE PREVIA VEHICLE. OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEAL WHO FIRST SERVICED THE CAR, CLAIMED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM. FORTUNATELY FOR US, THE SLUDGING IN OUR ENGINE DID NOT OCCUR DURING HIGH SPEED HIGHWAY DRIVING. IF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT AND SERIOUS INJURIES. ON A RELATED TOPIC, WE NOTICED ON YOUR WEB SITE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF RECALL NOTIFICATIONS CONCERNING A PREVIA. TO DATE, WE HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF ANY OF THESE RECALLS, EITHER VIA LETTER OR BY THE DEALER.

NHTSA complaint #10052742 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

THE EXHAUST PIPE CRACKED, WHICH CAUSED EXHAUST FUMES TO ENTER THE PASSENGER CABIN. DEALER DIAGNOSED THE CRACK WAS CAUSED DUE TO VEHICLE'S DESIGN.

NHTSA complaint #10011802 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

MY SUPERCHARGED 1995 TOYOTA PREVIA MINIVAN LOSES POWER WHEN TURNING CORNERS AND CLIMBING HILLS. IT HAS NOT YET COME TO A FULL STOP BUT SLOWS DOWN ALMOST TO A STOP. OUR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WHEN IT FIRST OCCURRED IN 1998 AT 53,000 MILES BUT SUGGESTED THAT WE TRY USING PREMIUM GAS. THAT APPEARED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM BUT UNBEKNOWNST TO US IT WAS JUST MASKING IT. THE TOYOTA DEALERS SERVICE REP WHO FINALLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AT 88,000 MILES IN NOVEMBER 2000, SAID THAT THE PROBLEM IS AN ENGINE DEFECT (HIS WORD). ACCORDING TO HIM, THE MATERIAL WHICH TOYOTA USED FOR THE ENGINE BLOCK IN THE SUPERCHARGED PREVIAS WAS TOO SOFT SO THE ENGINE DEVELOPED SECONDARY AND TERTIARY RIDGE RINGS. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THESE EXTRA RIDGE RINGS CAUSE THE ANTI-KNOCK SENSOR TO CUT POWER TO THE ENGINE UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. IT IS MASKED WHEN USING PREMIUM GAS BECAUSE PREMIUM BURNS HOTTER BUT HE SAID THAT AS THE RIDGE RINGS BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED, THE PREMIUM GAS WILL CEASE TO COMPENSATE AND WE COULD LOSE ALL POWER ABRUPTLY. HE STATED THAT TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A TSB ABOUT THE PROBLEM, WHICH HAS BEEN SUBSEQUENTLY DENIED BY THE NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE BLOCK FOR OTHER PREVIA S/C OWNERS WHOSE VEHICLES ARE STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT REFUSES TO REPLACE OURS SINCE THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. THE REP SUGGESTED THAT I SHOULD TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DIFFERENT TOYOTA DEALER WHO WOULDNT KNOW THE HISTORY OF THE CAR AND TRADE IT IN FOR A NEW VEHICLE. SINCE THAT DIAGNOSIS WE HAVE NOT DARED TO DRIVE THE CAR BEYOND OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE DONT KNOW WHEN WE WILL SUDDENLY LOSE POWER. I FILED AN NHTSA COMPLAINT ON 11.19.01 BUT NEVER RECEIVED A CONFIRMATION # OR SIGNATURE FORM. TODAY I TALKED TO YOUR HOTLINE REP WHO SAID THAT THE COMPLAINT MUST NOT HAVE GONE THROUGH SO I SHOULD FILE IT AGAIN.

NHTSA complaint #757046 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

CAR LOSES POWER WHEN TURNING CORNERS AND CLIMBING HILLS. PROBLEM CURRENTLY DOESN'T OCCUR WHEN USING PREMIUM GAS, AS SUGGESTED BY OUR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WHEN IT FIRST OCCURRED IN 1998. DEALER SERVICE REP, WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM IN NOVEMBER 2000, SAYS THAT THE MATERIAL WHICH TOYOTA USED FOR THE ENGINE BLOCK IN THE SUPERCHARGED PREVIAS WAS TOO SOFT SO THE ENGINE DEVELOPED SECONDARY AND TERTIARY RIDGE RINGS WHICH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, CAUSE THE ANTI-KNOCK SENSOR TO CUT POWER TO THE ENGINE UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. IT IS MASKED WHEN USING PREMIUM GAS WHICH BURNS HOTTER BUT HE SAID THAT AS THE RIDGE RINGS BECOME MORE PRONOUNCED, THE PREMIUM WILL CEASE TO COMPENSATE AND WE COULD LOSE ALL POWER ABRUPTLY. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE ENGINE BLOCK FOR OTHER PREVIA S/C OWNERS WHOSE VEHICLES ARE STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT REFUSES TO REPLACE OURS SINCE THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED.

NHTSA complaint #754681 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 65MPH UP HILL AND VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AT SHOULDER OF ROAD. VEHICLE WAS SMOKING SLIGHTLY. THEN, VEHICLE OVERHEATED , AND ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. VEHICLE WOULDN'T TURN OFF. COOLANT EXPLODED ALL OVER ENGINE. MEHCANIC SAID THE VEHICLE WOULD BE COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE UNTIL ENGINE WAS RELEASED.

NHTSA complaint #875917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

WHILE DRIVING ENGINE DIES/NO POWER AND NO ACCELERATION, TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER PUT IN A NEW ENGINE AT 31,000 MILES. TWO YEARS LATER, THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED.

NHTSA complaint #869574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

WHILE DRIVING EXHAUST SYSTEM WOULD MAKE LOUD/HORRIBLE/RATTLING NOISES. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT FLEX TUBE WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. IT WAS ALSO AFFECTING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER & BOTH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA complaint #860944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

ENGINE PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED SINCE 10-APR-96 (ENGINE LIGHT, OIL CONSUMPTION/LEAKAGE), SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REMEDY WITH REPLACEMENT PARTS, HOWEVER HAVE FAILED. MJS

NHTSA complaint #545944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR

CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED. NLM

NHTSA complaint #606312 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

EXHAUST PIPE FAILED. NLM

NHTSA complaint #606312 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

RUBBER COUPLING ON DRIVESHAFT LOCATED IN THE FRONT AND BACK OF DRIVESHAFT CRACKED, CAUSING EXCESSIVE PLAY,AND LOUD RATTLING NOISE. 2. THE PLASTIC ON THE FLOAT SENSOR HAS SWELLING, ALLOWING THE OIL IN THE PAN TO GET STUCK.

NHTSA complaint #838881 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.