Topic: 04 Sienna "Secret" Radiator Warranty, it pays to ask

[Trainman]

Not sure if this belongs here, Moan 'n Whine or the Tech section.  I am sure the mods will move as required.  Got to give Ms. B something to do today   

The Sienna has 55,000 kms on it and I noticed this last Saturday (and this was after a regular service by our new mechanic, who we will not be using anymore  ):



Closer look, looks like the hard plastic corner has worn through the rad:


I have never had to replace any rad in any vehicle to date, so I was surprised to say the least.

Phoned both the Kamloops and Kelowna Toyota dealers.  Got one price of $850 plus tax plus flush, the other wanted to do diagnostics first.  All the rad shops here in town where closed on Saturday, go figure 

Ended up taking it into the Kamloops dealer after putting 4 cups of water into it.  Their final price, with the diagnostic and flush, was $784.  When I pickup up the van and had paid, I asked to see the mechanic as I wanted an explanation of why a rad would fail at 55,000 kms.  I was polite but I did raise my voice somewhat and some people in the showroom where there looking.  I also noted the design had changed, and I pointed this out too.



Lo and behold, a "special" service warranty was available (04 Sienna's to 6 years/120,000 kms on the rad only) and I had my $784 refunded.  This would not have happened unless I started questioning the service people.  It was not offered up front by either dealer as an option and I am sure the Kamloops dealer would have been quite happy to have taken my money and not say anything.

Learning Point: it can pay to ask, politely but firmly, if there is any recourse for something like this.

[horngrabber]

Wow...  $784....

[airbalancer]

You must be lying, AS said Toyota never have any problems

[Trainman]

You must be lying, AS said Toyota never have any problems

Darn!  Found out so soon   

You got me AB, those are really pictures from a Silverado   

 

[Cortina]

Great. Bit sneaky of Toyota. I have to ask. isn't there a bumper to bumper waranty on a Toyota up to 60,000?  So the Radiator should be cover right anyways?

[Trainman]

Great. Bit sneaky of Toyota. I have to ask. isn't there a bumper to bumper waranty on a Toyota up to 60,000?  So the Radiator should be cover right anyways?

60,000 or 3 years.  It is over the 3 years as we bought it in spring 04.

A question: if a vehicle make (say Toyota for example.  Could be someone else) is supposed to be so reliable, why is their warranty so poor 

[Cortina]

60,000 or 3 years.  It is over the 3 years as we bought it in spring 04.

Gotchya.

[PJungnitsch]

IMO manufacturers only provide as much warranty as they need to sell vehicles.

Generally the more doubt about the reliability of a manufacturers products, the stronger (and more obvious) the warranty. Which is why Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi, GM, and Chrysler all trumpet big warranties.

Mazda did this back in the 80's when my parents bought the B2000 I still drive, and that was certainly a factor in them taking the chance on a brand with a spotty reliability record at the time. The previous gen B2000/Ford Courier was not particularly good.

[Greg B.]

You must be lying, AS said Toyota never have any problems

Exactly. That is common knowledge among those who post on the internet. 

I suspect their discovery of the "secret" warranty had everything to do with where you made your point (in the showroom in front of potential customers) and nothing to do with any sudden recollection of a warranty on theiir part. You are probably the only customer to enjoy that coverage.

[Trainman]

It was the mechanic who pointed out to the service adviser that there was a TSB/extended warranty for this radiator issue.  It is also known on the Sienna forum I go to once in awhile.

To be fair, we got a worse response when our local GM dealer installed a block heater that fell out the first time the car went on the highway and the coolant all blew out.  I was rather irate on that one too and they just ended up paying for a new block heater, not the labour or the coolant or any taxes etc.  I was not impressed.  And they said there was nothing wrong with the block heater, which would imply that it was their installation (labour) that was at fault but they where unwilling to back that up.

[UmroAyyar]

Thats two examples of dealership service departments screwing over the customers, knowingly. Not surprised. You got lucky this time Trainman, thanks for the info.

[Juke1]

You must be lying, AS said Toyota never have any problems

Darn!  Found out so soon   

You got me AB, those are really pictures from a Silverado   

 

You're still lying, that's a rad out of a POS Nissan, c'mon admit it.  Rads in Toyotas don't go in less than 550,000 miles unless abused, did you abuse it?  I don't believe the $784 quote, please supply proof in pdf format please  and I also don't believe that dealer was trying to shaft you either

[Trainman]

You must be lying, AS said Toyota never have any problems

Darn!  Found out so soon   

You got me AB, those are really pictures from a Silverado   

 

You're still lying, that's a rad out of a POS Nissan, c'mon admit it.  Rads in Toyotas don't go in less than 550,000 miles unless abused, did you abuse it?  I don't believe the $784 quote, please supply proof in pdf format please  and I also don't believe that dealer was trying to shaft you either

Oh man, you guys are good!

Your right, it was the rad from my Pathfinder, just to embarrassed too bring it up       

And I always abuse my vehicles and expect them to run without issues for at least 400,000 km.  With no oil changes of course 

[Juke1]

No oil changes!!! Ah...your Toyotas owners are all the same...no wonder you have sludge issues

[Trainman]

No oil changes!!! Ah...your Toyotas owners are all the same...no wonder you have sludge issues

Guess what else has sludge issues?



VQ35 Pathfinders, on the right valve cover due to issues with the PVC valve.  Mine is clean   

[Leviathan]

Ooops, looks like a bullet got through the Toyota shielding and took out yer rad 

[Greg B.]

Ooops, looks like a bullet got through the Toyota shielding and took out yer rad 

Nah, he must have hit it with a hammer and a drift as part of the abuse he admitted to. 

Between exploding radiators and sludged-up engines those Siennas were real winners for Toyota....

[Trainman]

Ooops, looks like a bullet got through the Toyota shielding and took out yer rad 

Nah, he must have hit it with a hammer and a drift as part of the abuse he admitted to. 

Between exploding radiators and sludged-up engines those Siennas were real winners for Toyota....

No known sludging issues with these engines, so not sure what you are referring to      The Sienna has been very good for Toyota.

[The Mighty Duck]

And I always abuse my vehicles and expect them to run without issues for at least 400,000 km.  With no oil

Fixed.

[dr_spock]

There is no sludge problems with Toyota.  There could be a jihad against those blasphemous remarks.  Watch your back and check carefully before starting your car. 

A squirrel could have chewed through it.     Radiator fluid is tasty to animals, even though it's fatal if consumed.

As for keeping the secret warranty secret, does Toyota pay the dealer at a lower rate for warranty work than the customer would have for regular repair work?