2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA STEERING. STEERING SUDDENLY BINDS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN. VERY HARD TO STEER AT TIMES. HARD TO CONTROL. *TR

STEERING BINDING OR INCREASED STEERING EFFORT ON TOYOTA 2004 SIENNA. STEERING REQUIRES EXTRA EFFORT WHILE TURNING, AND DOES NOT ALWAYS RETURN BY ITSELF (REQUIRES EFFORT TO RETURN TO 0 DEGREES). THIS CONDITION VARIES (DIFFERENT EFFORT AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THE TURNING ARC) FROM TURN TO TURN, MAKING IT A HAZARD FOR DRIVING. IT IS SIMILAR TO PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING MIDWAY THROUGH A TURN. SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE. I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A TSB TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, WHICH I AM TRYING TO OBTAIN SO THE PROBLEM CAN GET FIXED CORRECTLY. (DON'T WANT TO BE OVERCHARGED FOR UNNECESSARY WORK). *TR

THE CABLE ON THE SLIDING SIDE DOOR OF OUR 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA SNAPPED IN DECEMBER 2008. THE CABLE (UNKNOWN METAL) WHICH WAS EXPOSED & DANGLING APPEARED TO BE FRAYED, AS WELL AS RUSTED. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN ANYONE'S MIND, INCLUDING PROFESSIONALS, THAT THIS IS, INDEED, A DANGER CREATED BY A FLAW IN THE VEHICLE'S DESIGN. WHEN THE CABLE BROKE, I IMMEDIATELY TOOK OUR SIENNA TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHO INFORMED ME IT WOULD BE $1200 TO REPAIR IT BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY (MORE THAN 3 YEARS OLD). WHEN THE TOYOTA SERVICE REP CLOSED THE DOOR AND TRIED TO RE-OPEN IT, THE DOOR WAS FROZEN IN PLACE AND WOULD NOT OPEN. HE SAID THE OTHER PIECE OF THE SNAPPED CABLE MUST BE CAUGHT IN THE MECHANISM WHICH IS JAMMING THE DOOR. IN ADDITION TO THE STRESS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO OPEN MY DOOR, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE WHICH COULD RESULT IN ENTRAPMENT OF PASSENGERS, PARTICULARLY, OUR YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN SECURED IN THEIR CAR SEATS. AS I WAIT TO COME UP WITH FUNDS TO HAVE THIS DOOR REPAIRED, I CONSISTENTLY WORRY ABOUT THE OTHER SLIDING DOOR, BECAUSE FROM WHAT I HAVE HEARD, IT, TOO, WILL LIKELY SNAP WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THOUGH I HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW, I JUST LEARNED TODAY THAT TOYOTA DISCOVERED THE FLAW 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO, AND MADE AN ADJUSTMENT ON THE NEWER MODELS. HOWEVER, THEY NEVER BOTHERED TO PROVIDE NOTIFICATION--NOR TO RECALL--THE VEHICLES WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN PRODUCED. ISN'T THIS ILLEGAL?? THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF 2004 SIENNA SLIDING DOOR COMPLAINTS POSTED ON THE WEB, AS WELL AS MANY HORRIFIC AND LIFE-THREATENING STORIES ABOUT THE DANGERS OF THE DOORS, INCLUDING CABLES SNAPPING CAUSING INJURY, DOORS STUCK IN THE CLOSED POSITION, DOORS NOT BEING ABLE TO BE CLOSED, AND EVEN DOORS OPENING WHILE IN TRANSIT. WHAT CAN 2004 SIENNA OWNERS DO ABOUT THIS SAFETY-RELATED ISSUE AND THE REFUSAL OF TOYOTA TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS DESIGN PROBLEM & CORRECT IT WITHOUT EXUBERANT CONSUMER COSTS & TO WARN/NOTIFY ALL ITS CONSUMERS? THANKS *TR

WE BOUGHT OUR SIENNA NEW FROM A TOYOTA DEALER. WE REQUESTED LEATHER INTERIOR AND PAID EXTRA AND IT WAS INSTALLED. WE LATER FOUND OUT THAT THIS WORK WAS NOT DONE BY THE DEALER BUT WAS SUBCONTRACTED AND TOYOTA PARTS WERE NOT USED. SUBSEQUENTLY 13 DAYS AGO I HIT A POTHOLE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG DEPLOYED. WE NOTICED A WARNING STICKER ON THE CAR THAT SAID THAT NON FACTORY SEAT COVERS MUST NOT BE INSTALLED BECAUSE OF THE SIDE AIR BAGS. I CONTACTED A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE MANAGER WHO FELT THAT TOYOTA SHOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE. HE THEN DEVELOPED PNEUMONIA AND WAS UNABLE TO WORK. I CONTACTED TOYOTA. THEY TOOK ALL THE DETAILS. THEY REFUSED TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE AND SUGGESTED I REFER IT TOM MY INSURER FOR REPAIR. CLEARLY TOYOTA POLICIES HAD NOT BEEN ADHERED TO BY THE DEALER. TOYOTA REFUSED TO EVEN CONSIDER SENDING OUT A WARNING NOTICE OR THE PERFORMANCE OF ANY SAFETY EVALUATION OF OUR OR ANY OTHER CAR. AS THERE HAD BEEN A BREACH OF THEIR OWN POLICIES I FIND THIS TO BE AN ASTONISHING RESPONSE. ABOVE ALL I WANT MY FAMILY AND OTHERS TO BE SAFE. I FEEL THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD AT LEAST INSPECT A VEHICLE UNDER SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE SLIDING DOOR JAMMED AND CABLE HAD TO BE CUT BY DEALER. I HAVE SEEN THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE IN SIENNAS. SEEMS TO BE A SAFETY AND QUALITY ISSUE. 1500 DOLLARS FOR REPAIR AT DEALER. *TR

WE OWN A TOYOTA SIENNA XLE 2004. BACK IN NOVEMBER 2008, THE DRIVER SLIDING DOOR CABLE SNAPPED, MAKING THE DOOR JAM AND UNUSABLE IN "POWER" MODE. CABLE DANGLING OUT OF ITS SOCKET, WE DROVE TO OUR DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT SERVICED. THE REPAIR CAME TO OVER $1800!!! AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET, I'M FINDING THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM!! I'M THINKING THAT IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO DO WITH MILEAGE BUT PERHAPS MORE WITH AGE OF VEHICLE IE: 4-5ISH YEARS OLD. THE CABLE, WHICH DRIVES THE SLIDING DOOR, IS COMPLETELY EXPOSED TO ELEMENTS. (YOU'LL FIND IT WITHIN THE GROOVE LOCATED UNDER THE REAR SIDE WINDOWS) THIS CABLE IS MADE OF SOME KIND OF METAL (STEEL? WHO KNOWS.) THEN COATED WITH A BLACK PLASTIC/ACRYLIC/RUBBER CASING (SUCH AS AN ELECTRICAL WIRE). WITH TIME, THE CASING BEGINS TO DRY AND BE BRITTLE, CAUSING IT TO CRACK AND FALL OFF THE WIRE, LEAVING THE WIRES COMPLETELY VULNERABLE TO GETTING WET, RUST, FREEZE, ETC, ALSO RUBBING EXTENSIVELY UNPROTECTED AGAINST THE GEARS. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OR EVEN WEEKS, THE METAL CABLE WIRES SNAP THUS GETTING CAUGHT IN THE MECHANISM. ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER AND THE WHOLE CABLE SNAPS, MAKING THE DOOR JAM ALTOGETHER. PER MY OWN EXPERIENCE AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND SUBSEQUENTLY READING AND RESEARCHING MANY BLOG SITES, THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THIS ISSUE IS AS FOLLOWS: REMOVE THE ENTIRE DOOR, REMOVE AND CHANGE THE ENTIRE MECHANISM. EXTREMELY COSTLY, THERE'S JUST NO WAY AROUND THIS. ASKED IF THERE WAS A WAY TO SIMPLY CHANGE THE CABLE, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE CABLE IS PART OF THE MOTOR AND THAT IT IS NOT A PART THAT CAN BE PURCHASED OR REPAIRED SEPARATELY. NOW, WE ARE FACED WITH THE PROBLEM OF THE SECOND SIDE WHICH HAS SNAPPED JUST A FEW DAY AGO (ONLY 3 MONTHS AFTER THE LAST ONE). WE DON'T FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER 1800$ TO HAVE THIS FIXED. WE FEEL THERE ARE ENOUGH COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS THAT TOYOTA SHOULD ISSUE A FIX. *TR

POWER SIDE SLIDING DOOR ON PASSENGER SIDE OF TOYOTA SIENNA 2004 LE VAN GETS JAMMED, STUCK, UNOPENABLE, UNCLOSABLE IN BOTH COLD AND WARM WEATHER. *TR

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR (AUTOMATIC),STOPPED WORKING, SCRAPES PAINT OFF OF BODY WHEN USED MANUALLY, NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN AND SHUT. *TR

WHEN BACKING 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA LE VAN IN DRIVEWAY THE BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAS 41,000 MILES AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY TOYOTA. THE BRAKES WERE CHECKED AT 34,388. THE CAR HAS A HIGHER IDLE (FUEL CONSUMPTION) SO IN THE PROCESS OF BACKING, THE CAR WAS ROLLING. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND DID NOT TOUCH THE ACELERATOR. THE VEHICLE ROLLED AND CONTINUED TO PICK UP SPEED, SINCE I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AROUND 3 TIMES AND THEN I OPTED TO HIT THE RETAINING WALL INSTEAD OF GOING BACK INTO THE A BUSY STREET WITH WIFE AND CHILDREN IN THE CAR. IT WAS EITHER PRAY FOR NO COMING TRAFFIC OR RUN INTO THE NEIGHBORS HOUSE AND VEHICLES. WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS IN THE PAST. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY ROOT CAUSE. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE AND WANTED A COMPLAINT AS A MATTER OF RECORD. IN RESEARCHING THE INCIDENT IN GOOGLE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW RECORDS OF SUCH CASES WITH THE SIENNA VAN AROUND THIS MAKE AND MODEL. *TR

THE SIDE DOOR CABLES ON MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA HAVE CORRODED AND SNAPPED. ONE CABLE HAS TANGLED ON PARTS INSIDE AND NOW WILL NOT FULLY OPEN. THE OTHER CABLE TANGLED WHILE THE DOOR WAS OPEN AND WOULD NOT CLOSE UNTIL I PARTIALLY DISASSEMBLED THE PANEL AND ENTANGLED THE BROKEN CABLE. THE VAN IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND TOYOTA HAS QUOTED ME $1500 PER DOOR ($3000 TOTAL) TO REPAIR. *TR