2005 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

TWO INSTANCES IN OCT 2017 OF BRAKES ACTIVATING WITHOUT DRIVER ACTION. BRAKING ACCOMPANIED BY BEEPING - POSSIBLY ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) ACTIVATION SIGNAL. BRAKING REDUCED SPEED APPROXIMATELY 10-15MPH. BOTH INSTANCES OCCURRED ON THE SAME ROAD, A CURVY 45MPH LIMIT ASPHALT 2-LANE. CONDITIONS DRY, ~50 DEG F. BRAKING OCCURRED ON A STRAIGHT SECTION AND DID NOT PULL THE CAR TO ONE SIDE. DO NOT BELIEVE ANTI-LOCK ENGAGED. VAN HAS 137K MILES.TOYOTA SERVICE (11/9/17) : "NO PROBLEMS FOUND NO CODES STORED NO VEHICLE EVENT LOG (VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE THAT CAPABILITY) MORE OBVIOUS AND LIKELY CAUSE COULD HAVE BEEN THE FACT THAT THE FRONT TIRES WERE AT 20 PSI AND THE REAR AT 35 PSI, THE DISPARITY IN WHEEL SPEED SIGNALS COULD HAVE TRIGGERED A FALSE EVENT." VERBAL REPORT CONFIRMED "NO PROBLEMS FOUND" INCLUDING STEERING RACK BUSHINGS, STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, AND WHEEL SPEED SENSORS. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, WITH 6 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS A MECHANIC, SAID HE HAD ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE BUT IT WAS RARE. HE ALSO STATED THAT AN APPARENT DIFFERENCE OF ONLY 1MPH IN WHEEL SPEED COULD BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE INADVERTENT ESC ACTIVATION. HOWEVER, HE WAS UNSURE WHY THE PROBLEM, IF IT WAS CAUSED BY THE FORE/AFT INFLATION DIFFERENCE, WAS SO INTERMITTENT. THE DEALER WAIVED THE $98 DIAGNOSTIC FEE. A DRIVE ON THE SAME ROAD ON 11/10/17 DID NOT PRODUCE THE UNEXPECTED BRAKING, BUT IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THIS MEANS THE EQUAL TIRE INFLATION FIXED THE PROBLEM AS, AS STATED, THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. SYSTEMS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE SAFETY SHOULD FAIL IN WAYS THAT DO NOT COMPROMISE DRIVER CONTROL AND OWNERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF CRITICAL MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES TO AVOID SUCH FAILURES. FAILURE OF ACTIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS SUCH AS ESC, RISKS DELAYING ACCEPTANCE OF INCREASING LEVELS OF DRIVER ASSISTANCE INCLUDING FULL AUTONOMOUS CONTROL, AN ADVANCE THAT PROMISES DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN ROAD MORTALITY.

SHIFT CONTROL DIDN'T WORK AND VAN ROLLED AWAY. WE ALSO HAD AN ISSUE BACKING OUT OF OUR GARAGE AND THE CAR SPED UP AND WENT OUT OF CONTROL. THE VAN WAS OUT OF CONTROL AND FINALLY STOPPED OUT IN THE STREET. THIS VAN SCARED THE DAY LIGHTS OUT OF US. COMPLETE DEFECT

THIS REPORT INCLUDES TWO SEPARATE SAFETY ISSUES. FIRST ISSUE: AFTER BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY ONTO MY STREET, MY CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE GEAR FROM REVERSE. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART AFTER TURNING THE KEY OFF SINCE IT WAS STILL IN REVERSE, EVEN THOUGH THE LEVER WAS SHIFTED BACK TO PARK. THANKFULLY, I DON'T LIVE ON A BUSY STREET AND THERE HAPPENED TO BE A FEW LINEMEN DOING WORK THAT WERE ABLE TO PUSH THE VAN BACK INTO MY DRIVEWAY. WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND NOT BEING ABLE TO PUSH THE VAN ON MY OWN, THIS COULD'VE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN A BUSY LOCATION. AFTER DISASSEMBLING THE DASH, MY HUSBAND DISCOVERED THE MECHANISM IN THE GEAR SHIFT HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS ABLE TO REPAIR IT HIMSELF INSTEAD OF TOWING IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER FOR PRICEY REPAIRS AND TOWING FEES. SECOND ISSUE: ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS (USUALLY, BUT NOT ALWAYS, WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO A HIGHWAY ON-RAMP) THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE, A REPETITIVE BEEPING WILL SOUND, AND THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES AND BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL SINCE IT FREEZES UP. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON DRY ROADS AND SMOOTH DRIVING CONDITIONS ONLY WHEN NO TRACTION CONTROL IS NEEDED. EACH TIME IS HAPPENS IT IS A STRESSFUL EXPERIENCE SINCE IT COULD BE LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LACK OF CONTROL. AFTER CALLING A TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER TO INQUIRE IF THERE ARE ANY KNOWN ISSUES OF THIS, THEY DENY IT. UPON DOING OUR OWN RESEARCH, WE WERE ABLE TO DISCOVER OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. A VERY SIMILAR REPLICATION OF OUR SITUATION IS SHOWN IN THIS VIDEO. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT OURS DOESN'T HAPPEN AS OFTEN IN ONE DRIVE. IT USUALLY WILL HAPPEN A ONE OR TWO TIMES AND THEN NOT HAPPEN AGAIN FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=SY9A8SHJ0XG

HUSBAND PULLED INTO PARKING SPOT IN FRONT OF A STORE, HE WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED IN THE SPOT AND BEFORE HE COULD PUT IN PARK IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FULL REV, HOPPED THE CURB AND HIT THE BUILDING. WHILE UP AGAINST THE BUILDING IT WAS STILL IN FULL REV. FINALLY IT STOPPED AND HE BACKED IT BACK OVER THE CURB. VAN WENT ABOUT THREE FEET INTO THE BUILDING. TIRE ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WAS FLATTENED. VAN HAS BEEN TOTALED. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS IN FRONT OF OUR VAN.

CPSC:I CURRENTLY OWN 2 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVANS. I'VE HAD ONE FOR AT LEAST 8 YEARS (NOW HAS ~212,000 MILES AND THE OTHER I PURCHASED IN THE LAST MONTH (HAS ~127,000). THE ENGINE IN MY ORIGINAL VAN HAS BEEN WONDERFUL HOWEVER CURRENTLY YOU CANNOT OPEN EITHER OF THE SLIDING SIDE DOORS, WITH THE AUTOMATIC OPTION OR MANUALLY. THE AUTOMATIC FEATURE BROKE. *BF UPDATED THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE'S HATCH DOOR WOULD NOT ALWAYS CLOSE AND THE SLIDING DOORS HAVE COME OFF TRACK AND BECOME INOPERATIVE. 08/18/2017*JS

IT WAS IN THE ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. IT ALWAYS HAS THE LIGHT ON

DASHBOARD STARTED BECOMING SOFT A FEW MONTHS AGO, WHERE IF YOU ACCIDENTLY SCRAPED IT WITH YOUR FINGERNAIL A LITTLE CHUNK WOULD COME OUT, AND THEN IT STARTED CRACKING AND EVERY TIME WE GET IN THERE, THERE IS ANOTHER CRACK. WORRIED ABOUT AIR BAG COMING OUT. I'M JUST NOW READING THAT A LETTER WAS SENT OUT FROM TOYOTA ABOUT THIS TO OWNERS, BUT WE NEVER GOT ONE. WE HAVE GOTTEN ONE FOR A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS, BUT NOT FOR THIS AND WE DIDN'T GET ONE FOR CLICKING NOISE ON DRIVER'S DOOR EITHER, WHICH IS HAPPENING NOW. I KNOW THE CAR IS OLDER, BUT IF THESE ARE DEFECTS, TOYOTA SHOULD FIX THEM. I'M READING ABOUT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS.

DRIVER SIDE DOOR IS MAKING LOUD NOISE WHEN DOOR IS OPENED OR CLOSED. THIS POPPING NOISE IS COMING FROM DOOR CHECK POCKET. I'D NOTICED THAT TOYOTA HAD RECALLED SEVERAL VEHICLES RELATED TO THIS ISSUE HOWEVER THEY DIDN'T RECALL SOME OF THE OTHER VEHICLES INCLUDING OURS.

SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT LIKE IT SHOULD. THIS HAPPENS TOO OFTEN. NOT JUST IN MY CAR.

TAKATA INFLATORS - WHEN DRIVING IN CITY 30MPH OR FREEWAY 50-60MPH IN CURVY PATH, THE UNTI-SKID LOCK TURNS OFF EVEN IF THE ROAD WAS DRY. WHEN IT HAPPENED FREQUENTLY AND A MOTORCYCLE ALMOST SLAMMED FROM BEHIND, I BROUGHT MY VAN TO THE DEALER AND IT SHOWS NO RECORD OF THE UNTI-SKID LOCK BEING ON. I INSISTED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS AND THEY DID A ZERO CALIBRATION, CHANGED NEW TIRES AND REALIGNMENT BUT PROBLEM PERSIST. I BROUGHT IT BACK WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT BUT THEY CLAIMED THE THEY NEVER HAD ANY OTHER CUSTOMER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I REACHED ONLINE YET THERE WERE MANY OTHERS. I HOPE YOU CAN HELP ME ON THIS. THE DEALER CAN'T FIGURE OUT THIS PROBLEM AND JUST WASHED THEIR HANDS. THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES ALREADY AND AFRAID TO DRIVE MY VAN.