1995 Toyota Previa Complaints

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.

VEHICLE'S PASSENGER REAR TIRE BLEW OUT.*MR WHILE CHANGING LANES THE VEHICLE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE BLEWOUT. THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROADWAY AND STRUCK THE CONCRETE DIVIDER WALL. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END, FRONT QUARTER PANEL, RIGHT REAR SIDE WINDOWS, LEFT FRONT QUARTER PANEL, REAR BUMPER, RIGHT REAR TAILLIGHT COVER AND REAR WINDOW (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *NM

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

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 WIL...

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.*AK