2000 TOYOTA SIENNA User Comment / Complaint

I am the original owner of a 2000 sienna. Afew days ago I took van into dealer to diagnose a problem I can only describe as intermittent slipping of the tranny between 1st and 2nd gear. I also asked them to check on a slow leak and my timing belt (the odometer hit 98K mi). I was shocked when they told me I had to replace my transmission - $5K. The timing belt would cost another $1400 and the leaking valve cover $500. With the brake job costing another $320 I was looking at over $7K of repairs. I was somewhat releived when they told me a day later that my transmission qualified for replacement under an "extended warranty" which I had no clue existed. I am very peeved that I received NO notice of this program. No other Sieena owner I have spoken to knows about this. Is Toyota trying to keep this hush-hush in the hopes that a bunch of 2000 Siennas will be outside the warranty period before they know there's a problem?