2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

IN MAY OF 2008, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO PULL MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA INTO THE GARAGE. I WAS IDLING WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF. I WAS STANDING WITH BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND COULD NOT STOP. I CRASHED THROUGH THE REAR OF THE GARAGE AND HIT A TREE WHICH RIPPED THE RIGHT TIRE AND AXLE FROM THE DRIVE SHAFT. AT THAT POINT, I CAN TO A STOP HOWEVER THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. MY 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAD BEEN RIGHT OUTSIDE THE BACK DOOR OF THE GARAGE WHEN I CRASHED THROUGH. SHE WAS SOMEHOW PUSHED OFF TO THE SIDE. THE BACK PORTION OF THE WALL AND THE BACK DOOR WENT ABOUT 30 FEET INTO THE BACKYARD. THE TREE I HIT WAS ABOUT 45 FEET BEHIND THE GARAGE. I TRAVELED FOR ANOTHER 50 FEET AFTER HITTING THE TREE AND LOSING MY RIGHT FRONT TIRE. WHEN WE HAD THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT BY THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN SIOUX CITY, IA, THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. SINCE IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED, THE ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROL WILL QUIT WORKING AT TIMES AND THERE ARE ERROR LIGHTS THAT SHOW UP ON THE DASHBOARD. I BELIEVE IT IS AN ESC LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT SHOW UP WHEN THE SPEED CONTROL QUITS WORKING. ONCE THESE LIGHTS GO AWAY, THE SPEED CONTROL WILL CONTINUE WORKING AGAIN. *TR

AT ANY SPEED THE TRACTION CONTROL/ABS SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ACTIVATED CAUSING THE ANTILOCK BREAKS TO START PUMPING AND MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER. THIS OCCURRED THREE TIMES DURING OUR TRIP, EVEN AT HIGH SPEEDS SUCH AS 55 MPH, WHICH COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A COLLISION IF SOMEONE WAS DRIVING BEHIND US. IT ALSO FELT AS IF IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER THE VEHICLE. WE BROUGHT THE MINIVAN TO PERUZZI TOYOTA IN HATFIELD PA AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM ADDING WE HAD PAID FOR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, THEY SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IT WAS CAUSED BY BATTERY DRAINAGE AND THAT A SENSOR BETWEEN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE COLUMN HAD TO BE RECALIBRATED AND WE HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW BATTERY. I FIND IT SUSPICIOUS AND ALARMING THAT THIS SAFETY CONCERN COULD HAPPEN TO A VEHICLE DUE TO LOW BATTERY - ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF LOW BATTERY. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS AND ALL OTHER VEHICLE OPERATIONS FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. ALSO, NO DOORS WERE LEFT OPEN AND NO LIGHTS WERE LEFT ON, ETC... IN ORDER TO DRAIN THE BATTERY. EVEN IF THE PRIMARY CAUSE WAS THE BATTERY, THE BREAKS SHOULD NOT BECOME ACTIVATED AND THE STEERING DIFFICULT WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 50 MPH WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CARE. CONSIDERING THE RECENT RECALL OF TOYOTA VEHICLES, I'M CONCERNED PERUZZI TOYOTA MIGHT HAVE GIVEN US FALSE INFORMATION. *TR

OUR FAMILY PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA AWD AND HAD COUNTLESS ISSUES WITH IT . THE MOST SERIOUS ISSUE WAS - RANDOM UNPREDICTABLE ACCELERATION RESPONSES. WE CONTACTED TOYOTA CANADA & JAPAN IN 2003. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY 100% NO DOUBT IN MY MIND, OR MY WIFE'S MIND, THAT THE TOYOTA PRODUCT LINE HAS SOMETHING WRONG ELECTRONICALLY IN THEIR ACCELERATOR PEDAL OR TRANSMISSION SENSORS - OR THE SOFTWARE THAT INTERFACES WITH THEM. WE DID NOT HAVE STICKY GAS PEDALS OR FLOOR MAT ISSUES - WE HAD A VEHICLE THAT DIDN'T OPERATE THE WAY WE WERE ASKING IT TO. THE VEHICLE NEVER CONSISTENTLY RESPONDED TO THE ACTUAL PRESSURE BEING PLACED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. A LIGHT PRESS IN PARKING LOT DRIVING WOULD SOMETIMES RESULT IN WHAT FELT LIKE FULL THROTTLE ACCELERATION AND WHEN TRYING TO TURN ACROSS TRAFFIC AT AN INTERSECTION, OR DURING MERGING - THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE AND THEN MOVE THE VEHICLE WHEN IT WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DO SO.. TOYOTA SAID " THEY DID NOT CONSIDER THIS BEHAVIOR A SAFETY ISSUE " IT WAS ONLY " A NUISANCE PROBLEM " . FIRST OUR DEALERSHIP IGNORED THE PROBLEM. THEN THEY SAID " MY WIFE DIDN'T TEACH THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE PROPERLY - IT HAD A SMART LEARNING TRANSMISSION YOU KNOW " . THEY FINALLY ADMITTED THERE WAS A PROBLEM AFTER WE CONTINUED TO VOICE OUR CONCERN OVER SEVERAL NEAR MISS INCIDENTS WITH THE VEHICLE . IN ONE INCIDENCE , WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY USING CRUISE CONTROL - THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED FULL THROTTLE INTO A CORNER AT OVER 140 KPH FORCING US ONTO THE SHOULDER AND ALMOST OFF THE ROAD . IT WAS A NERVE SHATTERING EXPERIENCE. OUR TOYOTA DEALER FINALLY ADMITTED A SIMILAR ACCELERATION PROBLEM EXISTED IN THE CAMRY / COROLLA LINES AND THAT IT WAS TRANSMISSION SOFTWARE RELATED . AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF THE RUN AROUND FROM TOYOTA WITH NO FIX IN SIGHT - BEING TOLD BY THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN 3RD GEAR TO MINIMIZE THE SURGES UNTIL A SOFTWARE FIX WAS CREATED - WE WALKED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. *TR

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA WITHIN ONE YEAR, BOTH AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOORS HAVE BECOME INOPERABLE FIRST (PASSENGER SIDE) LOCKING SENSOR FAILED, RESULTING IN INABILITY TO USE AUTOMATIC (MOTORIZED) CLOSING SYSTEM SECOND (DRIVER'S SIDE) FAILED ON 2/11/10. DOOR CABLE GOT JAMMED IN CENTER HINGE, RESULTING IN INABILITY TO CLOSE DOOR. HAD TO DRIVE TO DEALERSHIP WITH DOOR FULLY OPEN. BOTH CASES WERE ESTIMATED TO COST ALMOST $4000 TOTAL. FIRST ISSUE WAS RESOLVED BY JUST USING DOOR MANUALLY. SECOND ISSUE WAS RESOLVED BY CUTTING CABLE AND USING DOOR MANUALLY. CAN NOT AFFORD TO FIX BOTH ISSUES AT $4000. MANY WEB SEARCHES HAVE FOUND SAME/SIMILAR ISSUES ON THIS VAN. *TR

1. TOYOTA SIENNA CE DRIVER'S DOOR WELDED PART (INSIDE DOOR) SNAP OFF CAUSING LOUD THUD SOUND WHEN OPENING & CLOSING THE DOOR. I FOUND OUT IN THE INTERNET THAT BEFORE THERE WAS A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT BUT TOYOTA DID NOT ORDER A RECALL & NOW THEY WANT ME FIX IT IN A SHOP AT MY OWN EXPENSE. 2. SUDDEN ACCELERATION FROM IDLING DURING TRAFFIC CRUISING. *TR

THE WELD THAT SECURES THE DOOR CHECK MOUNTING PANEL TO THE DRIVER DOOR IS FAILING ON MY 2004 SIENNA LE. I GET THE DREADED POPPING NOISES WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENED AND CLOSED. THE DOOR CHECK IS THE DEVICE THAT HOLDS THE DOOR OPEN HALFWAY OR FULLY OPEN. THIS DEVICE PROVIDES RESISTANCE SO THE DOOR DOES NOT SWING FREELY. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE (TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN NV003-07) AND EXTENDED THE REGULAR WARRANTY TO 5 YEARS AND 1000,000 MILES FOR THIS SITUATION (TOYOTA MOTOR SALES USA LETTER TO ME IN ~ 2008). STEVINSON TOYOTA (LAKEWOOD CO) TOLD ME THE REPAIR WOULD BE AT MY EXPENSE. MY CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD AND HAS 111,000 MILES. IF TOYOTA WAS CONCERNED ENOUGH TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY AND COVER THE REPAIR, WHY NOT ISSUE A RECALL FOR ALL VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM? JUST BECAUSE MY CAR IS 6 YEARS OLD DOESN'T MEAN THE SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO A FAILED DOOR CHECK WENT AWAY. WHEN THE RETAINING MECHANISM WELD FAILS COMPLETELY, THE DOOR WILL SWING FREELY AND COULD CLOSE SUDDENLY WITHOUT ANY RESISTANCE. ANY PERSON IN THE WAY COULD BE HIT AND ANY LIMBS/FINGERS COULD BE TRAPPED BETWEEN THE DOOR AND FRAME. THIS VEHICLE PROVIDES THE FAMILY TRANSPORTATION SO THERE ARE KIDS INVOLVED HERE. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA, WITH ONLY 70,000 MILES. I SUDDENLY AND INTERMITTENTLY LOST POWER STEERING. IT WAS NOT TOTAL LOSS--THAT I COULD HAVE HANDLED, BUT IT WOULD COME AND GO, EVEN WITHIN A SINGLE TURN. WHEN I TURNED THE WHEEL, I COULD NOT PREDICT HOW THE CAR WOULD RESPOND. NO ACCIDENT, FORTUNATELY, BUT A COUPLE OF CLOSE CALLS. I DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO A T DEALER, AND THEY DIAGNOSED A FAILED U JOINT AND REPLACED IT TODAY. THERE HAD BEEN NO PRIOR SIGNS OF U JOINT FAILURE. I WANTED TO SUBMIT THIS IN CASE OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR ISSUES. OTHERWISE, I JUST CONSIDER IT AN ISOLATED CASE. THANKS. *TR

WE HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. WE BOUGHT IT NEW IN 2004 FROM PHILLIPS TOYOTA IN LEESBURG FL. THREE TO FOUR WEEKS AGO, WE STARTED NOTICING A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING WHEN FIRST STARTING IN THE MORNING. IT FEELS LIKE THE POWER STEERING IS JUMPING BETWEEN WORKING AND NOT WORKING WITH NO WARNING INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. THE FEELING IS THAT OF HAVING NO POWER STEERING UNTIL THE CAR HAS WARMED FOR TWO TO THREE MINUTES, THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR AUDIBLE SOUNDS. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVERY MORNING. *TR

MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH MINIVAN DOORS SINCE PURCHASE IN 2004. SLIDING DOORS FREEZE SHUT EVERY WINTER, ONLY OPENING AFTER CAR WARMS UP FOR 20-30 MINUTES. DRIVER SIDE DOOR WELD BROKE AFTER 3 YEARS AND NEEDED REPAIR. FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LATCH BROKE REQUIRING USE OF BUNGEE CORDS TO KEEP DOOR CLOSED UNTIL REPAIR PART COULD BE OBTAINED. POWER SLIDING DOOR AND MANUAL SLIDING DOOR ALSO DO NOT STAY OPEN AT TIMES CREATING DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR PEOPLE ENTERING AND EXITING THE VEHICLE. NOW, WARNING LIGHT COMES ON SHOWING DOOR OPEN, DRIVER SIDE MANUAL SLIDING DOOR DOES NOT SEEM TO CLOSE COMPLETELY. WHILE DRIVING, DOOR OPEN LIGHT AND INTERIOR LIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY ACTIVATED. I HAVE TURNED OFF INTERIOR LIGHTS TO PREVENT BATTERY DRAIN FROM DOOR STAYING SLIGHTLY OPEN WHEN PARKED. DEALERSHIP WILL PERFORM DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR WORK BUT ADVISED SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL ISSUED THAT COST WILL BE MINE. THE SHEER NUMBER OF REPORTS OF SLIDING DOOR ISSUES SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO WARRANT A RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND THE REAR PASSENGER AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR CABLE BROKE WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, WHENEVER PARKED ON AN INCLINE THE REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR CLOSED ABRUPTLY. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERN OF THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.