2005 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE MIDDLE PASSENGER SEAT BELT DOES NOT RETRACT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FIVE TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ONCE , AND PUT THE SEAT BELT BACK ON TRACK THE OTHER TIMES. THESE ATTEMPTS HAVE NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 06/07/2006. *AK *TS

I WAS LOADING PACKAGES INTO THE CARGO BAY OF MY 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA (MINIVAN) AND THE POWER HATCH FAILED AND CLOSED ON ME. I WAS LEANING INTO THE VEHICLE AND MY ARMS WERE PINNED. THE HATCH DID NOT GO BACK UP ON ITS OWN AND I HAD TO PUSH UP WITH MY NECK AND SHOULDERS TO FREE MYSELF. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 13,500 MILES AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR OTHERWISE DAMAGED (TO OUR KNOWLEDGE). I WOULD ESTIMATE FEWER THAN SOME 200 CYCLES OF USING THE HATCH. THERE WAS NO WARNING OF IMMINENT FAILURE SUCH AS A GRADUAL LOWERING OF HATCH OPENING PERFORMANCE. I AM CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH REHAB FOR A CERVICAL STRAIN (SPRAINED NECK AND SHOULDERS). I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE INSPECTED BY THE LOCAL TOYOTA REGIONAL REP. HE SAID HE NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE AND THAT I AM THE ONLY WHO WAS EVER INJURED BY THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. I DO NOT TRUST HIM TO BE TRUTHFUL AND UNBIASED. I AM AN ENGINEER AND I DO MOSTLY COMPONENT FAILURE ANALYSIS. WITH A FAIRLY NEW VEHICLE, LOW MILES AND A LITTLE USED HATCH I DOUBT THIS COULD BE A SINGLE OCCURRENCE. I DON'T CARE TO BE BAMBOOZLED BY TOYOTA. HAD THIS HAPPENED TO SOMEONE PHYSICALLY MORE FRAGILE, THEY MAY HAVE BEEN PARALYZED OR KILLED. I REQUESTED THAT TOYOTA NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT THIS POINT IN TIME IN ORDER TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR OTHER INSPECTIONS OR IF THIS BECOMES LEGAL EVIDENCE.*JB

I HAVE RUN FLAT TIRES ON MY 2005 SIENNA (PURCHASED OCTOBER 2004). I ALSO BOUGHT A SET OF WINTER TIRES & RIMS) IN DECEMBER 2004 AND SINCE THEN I AM ALTERNATING THEM 6 MONTHS OF THE YEAR. HAVE CURRENTLY 21,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE. THE DUNLOP TIRES ARE ALMOST WORN OUT, ALTHOUGH I PROBABLY PUT ON THEM MO MORE THAN 12-13,000 MILES. PART OF THE REASON I BELIEVE IS THAT WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR(EVEN WHEN I TEST DROVE IT) I NOTICED A ROUGH RIDE AND A PULL TO THE LEFT, BUT COULD NOT WAIT FOR THE DEALER TO ORDER ANOTHER CAR, SO I TOOK IT HOME (I BOUGHT IT FROM A DEALER OUT OF TOWN). ALSO I WAS BLAMING THE TIRE THREAD GEOMETRY FOR THE ROUGH RIDE, AND THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED ME TO CHANGE THE TIRES FOR THE CHEAPER ONES BRIDGESTONE, BUT I HAD TO PAY LIKE $80 FOR THE OPERATION, SO I DECIDED NOT TO. THE ROUGH DRIVE CONTINUED UNTIL I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS MISALIGNED. THE DID A FREE ALIGNMENT BUT THE CAR WOULD STILL PULL TO THE LEFT. THIS, I WAS TOLD, WAS NORMAL, SINCE THE TIRES HAD BEEN WORN UNEVENLY, SO NOW THEY HAD TO GET THE NORMAL WEAR AGAIN. NOW THE CAR NO LONGER PULLS, BUT THIS COMES A THE COST OF HAVING EXCESSIVELY WORN TIRES. I SEE THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNIQUE CASE. *NM

2005 SIENNA AWD. HAD A FLAT TIRE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS BUT DID NOT NOTICE IT (ONLY DROVE IN TOWN, NOT INTERSTATE SPEEDS). THE WARNING LIGHT APPEARED BUT DISAPPEARED, AND THEN IT WAS INTERMITTENT (IT LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD TURN ON ONLY AFTER SOME DRIVING.) LUCKILY THIS DID NOT DAMAGE THE TIRES, BUT I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPEN IF I WERE ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM (NO WARNING LIGHT). I SEE THAT A RECALL MAY BE IN PROGRESS. *NM

I HAVE NOTICED RATTLES IN MY SLIDING DOORS DURING WARMER WEATHER. MADE NUMEROUS VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX THE PROBLEM DURING SUMMER 2005 (IN MY ESTIMATES 8 VISITS, BUT SOME WERE NOT RECORDED BY THE DEALERSHIP). AT LAST A FIELD MANAGER FROM OUR REGION DRIVES WITH ME. 5 MINUTES LATER, HE SUGGESTS THAT I USE DOOR-EASE (HE WAS AWARE OF THIS KIND OF NOISE -CREEK- WHEN ACCELERATE AND DECELERATE - IN OTHER SIENNAS.) INCREDIBLY, THIS SEEMS TO ERADICATE THE NOISE. MARCH 2006 I START NOTICING THE CREAKING NOISE AGAIN. IT TAKES ME ANOTHER THREE DAYS TO FIGURE OUT THAT THE SERVICE ADVISOR HAS A PROBLEM COMMUNICATING WITH HIS TECHNICIANS, FINALLY, A TECHNICIAN MENTION TO ME THAT THERE MIGHT BE A TSB EXACTLY FOR MY CAR AND FOR THE SLIDING DOOR RATTLE. BUT THE SERVICE ADVISOR DISMISSES THIS INFORMATION INITIALLY, SAYING THAT SUCH A TSB ONLY EXISTS FOR 2002 MODELS. I GO HOME AND TO MY SURPRISE, I SEE THE TSB DATED JANUARY 26, 2006, WHICH ADDRESSES EXACTLY THIS PROBLEM. BRING THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP (SET UP AN APPOINTMENT IN ADVANCE) AND ASK TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY FOLLOW THE TSB RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY REASSURE ME THAT IT WILL HAPPEN. GET THE CAR IN THE AFTERNOON AND LEARN THAT THEY REPLACED THE STRIKER PLATES ON BOTH SIDES (PROCEDURE 1 ON THE TSB). WHEN I CONFRONT THE SERVICE MANAGER (BY THAT TIME NO SERVICE ADVISOR WANTS TO DEAL WITH ME) ABOUT THE DEALERSHIPS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE SPECIFIC TSB, HE TELLS ME THAT THE TSB DOES NOT APPLY TO MY VIN, HENCE THEY DID NOT HAVE TO REPLACE ANY PARTS, BUT THAT THEY DID BECAUSE THEY WERE NICE TO ME. AT THAT TIME THE MANAGER ALSO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT MY ADVISOR HAS MADE BLUNDERS DURING MY PREVIOUS VISITS. AS IF THIS WAS NOT ENOUGH, I THEN PURSUE CLARIFICATION FROM TOYOTA VIA PHONE WHETHER THE VIN ON MY CAR DOES OR DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AFFECTED BY THE TSB. AND THEY CONFIRM THAT IT IS INCLUDED IN THIS TSB, BUT NOT UNDER PROCEDURE 1, BUT UNDER PROCEDURE 2. HENCE, THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE LOCK ASSEMBLY (AS THE TSB RECOMMENDS). *NM

ON MY 2005 SIENNA XLE LIMITED AWD, I HAVE NOTICED AT 50+ MILES AN HOUR INTERSTATE OR EVEN DOWNHILL) THAT THE CAR FEELS LIKE THERE IS EXCESSIVE ROLLING RESISTANCE, AND IF I DON;T ACCELERATE, VERY SOON IT DOWNSHIFTS (HAVE NOTICED THIS EVEN ON A DOWNHILL SLOPE AT 45 MILES A HOUR). SERVICE ADVISOR SAID ALL TOYOTA CARS AS DESIGNED TO DOWNSHIFT AS SOON AS YOU TAKE YOUR FOOT FROM THE PEDAL (SOMETHING WHICH SOUNDS VERY STRANGE TO ME, SINCE I'M DRIVING OTHER MAKES AND MODELS AS WELL). SEEMS THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT TUNED WELL. ON A SEPARATE MATTER, I NOTICED SEVERAL TIMES THAT THE CAR HESITATES TO ACCELERATE FOR A FEW SECONDS WHEN I PUSH THE ACCELERATOR A BIT HARDER AT VERY LOW SPEEDS, SUCH AS WHEN I NEED TO MERGE INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC FROM A SIDE ROAD. IT ALSO HAPPENED WHEN I NEEDED TO CHANGE THE LANES FROM A VERY SLOW MOVING LANE TO ONE WHERE I NEEDED TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY. AGAIN, SOMETHING FEELS WRONG ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION. *NM

I HAVE A 2005 SIENNA XLE LIMITED AWD AND NOTICED FOR THE PAST TWO WINTERS THAT WHEN I START DRIVING THE CAR AFTER A COLD NIGHT, THE FIRST FEW TIMES I USE THE BRAKES THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIVE. IN FACT I CANNOT SEEM TO BE ABLE TO APPLY THE BRAKES SUFFICIENTLY HARD TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP IF NEEDED (FROM MY HOUSE I HAVE A STEEP DOWNHILL AND THEN A STOP SIGN BEFORE CONTINUING ON A LARGER STREET.) HAVE NOTICED THIS ALSO IN OTHER PLACES/DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES. BROUGHT UP THIS ISSUE WITH THE SERVICE ADVISOR WHO TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM (LEFT THE CAR OVERNIGHT AT THE DEALERSHIP TWICE ALREADY). HE SAID THAT THE BRAKES FUNCTION PROPERLY. NEVERTHELESS, EVERY COLD MORNING I NOTICE THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

IN REFERENCE TO MY 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA LE AWD MINIVAN, EQUIPPED WITH DUNLOP RUN FLAT TIRES. I AM SCHEDULED TO REPLACE ALL FOUR OF MY TIRES TOMORROW AS A FEW WEEKS AGO I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN THAT THE TIRES SHOWED EXCESSIVE WEAR AND NEEDED REPLACING. I BELIEVE THE TIRES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS THEY ARE FAILING AFTER SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. ONE YR(19,000 MILES). THEY HAVE EXTREME WEAR AND MY VAN STEERING WHEEL SHAKES EXCESSIVELY OVER 55 MPH (THE REASON I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN THE FIRST PLACE).MAKING ME VERY NERVOUS TO DRIVE IT UNTIL THE TIRES CAN BE REPLACED(AT OVER $250 A TIRE). THERE ARE OTHER CONSUMER COMPLAINTS OF EXTREME WEAR AND TIRES BLOWING OUT AS WELL AS STEEL BELTS SHOWING AND PREMATURE TREAD WEAR. THIS VAN WAS A TOP CHOICE FOR SAFETY FOR MY HUSBAND AND I AS WE HAVE THREE CHILDREN. HOWEVER, IF THE TIRES AREN'T SAFE AND THEY BLOW IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER HOW SAFE THE VAN IS, I AM SURE I WOULD END UP CRASHING. AS WELL AS MY LAST INSURANCE BILL INCREASING DUE TO EXCESSIVE CLAIMS ON THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. I CAN'T STATE FOR SURE BUT COULD PROBABLY ASSUME THAT OTHERS ARE HAVING PROBLEMS, AND GETTING IN ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE TIRES, THAT COULD BE PROBABLY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. *NM

CONSUMER PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE DEFLATED WHILE DRIVING. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THERE WOULD BE A WARNING LIGHT SHOWN IF PRESSURE DROPPED TO 5%. *TS THE WARNING LIGHT DIDN'T ILLUMINATE TO LET THE CONSUMER KNOW THE TIRE HAD WENT FLAT. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE SENSOR WAS TIED INTO THE ABS. *JB

THE SEAT BELT WILL NOT FASTEN IN THE REAR SEAT WHEN FIRST PUT INTO THE LATCH. THE ORANGE TAB MUST BE JIMMIED WITH AND PUSHED AND THEN AFTER IT WAS TOYED WITH IT FINALLY WAS WORKED. IT CONSTANTLY DOES THIS, USUALLY THERE IS A CAR SEAT IN THAT POSITION BUT WHEN IT IS USED WITHOUT IT, IT DOES IT EACH TIME. *JB