1. It was not $500, it was $300. So get your numbers straight.
2. Spray paint? What spray paint? You are maybe confusing what you would do.
3. Closing the gate means it will hit something. Obviously, Toyota designed a gate that doesn’t stop at small resistance (it is not like people driving minivans are going to have kids running around and maybe have hands stuck there or something). So the gate got misaligned, which, based on a quick search on Google, would show you that it is a super common problem on this vehicle. So, local Toyota wanted $3,400 for that. Bcs. paying $3,400 for the gate that just touched the bike rack is perfectly normal. I mean, stuff that happens every day in this super, uber-reliable vehicle. Not only that, based on your post and especially
@wag123 I should be proud to pay that money.
So yes, the guy fixed it as best as possible, bcs. this is how it looked before that, the famous Toyota quality:
View attachment 127374
View attachment 127375
4. I did not decide anything. The Master cylinder died. Asked a friend who had the same Sienna before I changed the cylinder whether he had anything like that happening to him, and his word: yeah. I was thinking: excellent, I do not have to chase down problems. And his words? "Ah, it does not bother me, but excellent vehicle." There is your CR respondent.
5. By the way, I also own a Toyota Prado diesel (Land Cruiser) in Europe, and besides really good off-roading capabilities (when the suspension is not collapsing) it is absolute junk.
6. You made 110,000 miles? WOW. I mean, no one made that feat. I made it on BMW 130,000, and I track the vehicle, and it is more reliable that that junk Sienna. Take that Avalon to track and it would collapse over itself. Not to mention leaking struts at 75k, brakes that are designed to drop kids to school and maybe work up to 55mph (in the left lane). Other than that, they start vibrating on little hint of aggressive driving.
7. I worked in the car industry too. So?
8. 300, 400, 500k? Do you think Toyota owners are the only people making that mileage? We are not at fault you guys don't know better. Have you ever taken a taxi ride in Europe in a Mercedes, VW, or BMW? I have a friend who tracks his 330i with almost 300k on the engine. So?