2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

SINCE 9/07, REAR POWER TAILGATE WOULD NOT RAISE TO FULL HEIGHT. ACTUALLY WALKED INTO GATE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THOUGHT IT WAS THE COOLER WEATHER. AS WINTER APPROACHED, THE GATE WOULD RAISE, NOT FULLY, THEN CLOSE ON IT'S OWN, NO WARNING. WITHOUT THE POWER HATCH, YOU COULD LIFT AND HOLD THE GATE, BUT, IT WOULD NOT STAY UP ON IT'S OWN. TOYOTA, CAN REPLACE THE GAS STRUTS/SHOCKS, PARTS ONLY $286/EACH. IT'S A FLAW, AND SHOULD BE A RECALLED ITEM SINCE MANY CONSUMERS HAVE HAD THE SAME FAULTY HATCH, IT CAN COME DOWN AT ANY TIME ON ANYONE AND WILL NOT STAY UP UNLESS HELD OPEN WITH A STICK. IT HAS NOT WORKED PROPERLY FOR OVER 6 MONTHS, JUST SPOKE WITH THE DEALER 15/5/8, HONESTLY THINKING THE PROBLEM WOULD CORRECT ITSELF WITH WARMER WEATHER. OBVIOUSLY, IT DID NOT. *TR

SUDDEN ACCELERATION IN 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN: AT 0830AM PST, APRIL 29TH 2008 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AT MY SCHOOL WHERE I WORK AS A TEACHER. WHILE MAKING A SLOW U-TURN, WITH MY FOOT LIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA LE VAN SUDDENLY TOOK OFF AND ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY LIKE A ROCKET AT MAXIMUM VELOCITY. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS NEVER PRESSED DURING THIS INCIDENT. I HAD JUST A SPLIT SECOND TO REMOVE MY FOOT COMPLETELY OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL TO LOOK DOWN AT THE FLOOR BOARD TO ENSURE NOTHING WAS PINNING THE PEDAL DOWNWARD, NOTHING WAS THERE AND THE VAN WAS STILL ACCELERATING LOOKED UP IN HORROR AS VEHICLE WAS CONTINUING TO ACCELERATE AT AN EXTREMELY HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND CONTINUING TO ACCELERATE. I QUICKLY STEERED THE VEHICLE AND DODGED A SCREENED CHAIN-LINK FENCE TO AVOID AN AREA WHERE CHILDREN USUALLY STAND WAITING FOR PARENTS. WITH VEHICLE STILL ACCELERATING AT FULL POWER I QUICKLY PASSED THE FENCE AREA, APPLIED THE BRAKES WITH GREAT FORCE, BUT THEY FELT UNRESPONSIVE TO THE ACCELERATION FORCES. WITH VEHICLE MOVING AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND STILL ACCELERATING, I SAW A PARKED VEHICLE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME AND COULD NO LONGER CONTROL THE VEHICLE, I BRACED FOR IMPACT. THE VAN VIOLENTLY SMASHED INTO AN UNATTENDED FORD EXPEDITION VEHICLE, ENGINE BRIEFLY REVVED HIGH AND THEN FINALLY SHUT DOWN. HAD THERE NOT BEEN A PARKED VEHICLE THERE I WOULD HAVE GONE DIRECTLY INTO THE RESIDENTIAL HOUSE ABOUT 50 FEET AWAY. IT ONLY TOOK ABOUT 3 OR 4 SECONDS FOR THE VAN TO TRAVEL THE 22 YARDS FROM WHERE THE ACCELERATOR MALFUNCTION STARTED TO THE IMPACT AREA OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THIS SITUATION WILL OCCUR AGAIN TO SOMEONE ELSE. LIVES WILL BE LOST AND DRIVERS WILL BE FALSELY HELD ACCOUNTABLE. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT THE NHSTA INVESTIGATE THIS SERIOUS ISSUE. I AM SO CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE THAT I AM SENDING A COMPLETE DISSERTATION TO ALL TV NETWORKS (20/20, ETC) HOPING THAT SOME AGENCY WILL EXPOSE THIS TO A HIGH LEVEL OF PUBLIC AWARENESS. *TR

ON APRIL 18, 2008 THE STEERING ON MY TOYOTA SIENNA BEGAN TO FEEL DIFFICULT. IT WAS VERY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT HAD FAILED AND WAS REPLACED ON MAY 6, 2008. *TR

"BATTERY SAVER" FEATURE IS ONLY PARTIALLY IN MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE OWNERS MANUAL AND THE TOYOTA SERVICE MANUAL STATE THAT "IF ANY DOOR IS LEFT OPEN, THEN THE ROOM LIGHTS SHOULD GO OUT AFTER 20 MINUTES". THIS FEATURE IS ONLY PARTIALLY OPERABLE AS THE IGNITION KEY CYLINDER LIGHTS AND THE TWO FRONT PERSONAL LIGHTS DO GO OFF, BUT ALL OTHER INTERIOR LIGHTS REMAIN ON WITH AN OPEN DOOR. TOYOTA HAS TAKEN NO ACTION TO CORRECT PROBLEM. WHEN A DOOR IS INADVERTENTLY LEFT OPEN, THE BATTERY WILL DISCHARGE, REMOVING THE ABILITY TO START THE VEHICLE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET. *TR

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE 7 PASSENGER LIMITED VAN. MY REAR LIFTGATE WILL NOT STAY OPEN IT WILL RAISE TO FULLY OPEN AND IMMEDIATELY BEGIN RAPIDLY CLOSING. I BARELY GOT OUT OF THE OPENING BEFORE IT CLOSED. NO SENSORS REACTED TO STOP THE AUTOMATIC POWERED DOOR FROM CLOSING. THIS OCCURS EITHER FROM USING THE REMOTE BUTTON ON THE KEYHOLDER OR FROM THE BUTTON INSIDE THE VAN NEAR THE SUN ROOF SWITCH. THIS DEFECT CAN AND WILL HURT, INJURE OR COULD KILL A CHILD OR ADULT USING THIS VEHICLE. *TR

POWER STEERING RACK FAILURE ON 2004 VEHICLE WITH 36,000 MILES. STEERING IS ERRATIC AND ODD FEELING. CONCERN IS THAT A TOTAL PS FAILURE COULD OCCUR MAKING VAN VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. *TR

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH 76,000 MILES ON IT. I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST OWNERS WHEN THE NEW MODEL WAS INTRODUCED. IT HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED THROUGH MOLLE TOYOTA, KC MO THAT I HAVE BEEN PLEASED WITH PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. I HAD SOME PROBLEMS WITH IT INITIALLY AND TOYOTA MOTOR SALES ALWAYS TOOK CARE OF IT AND PROVIDED EXCELLENT SERVICE AND FOLLOW UP. HOWEVER, THE REPUTATION THAT THEY HAVE BUILT OVER THE COURSE OF 4 YEARS HAS COME UNRAVELED. ONE OF MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT RECENTLY AND I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER TO GET FIXED, ASSUMING IT NEEDED A NEW BULB. I WAS PRESENTED WITH A PROJECTED PRICE OF $ 900.00 TO FIX ONE HEADLIGHT. $ 800.00 OF THIS WAS A ?IGNITER? PART FROM TOYOTA AND $ 100.00 OF THIS WAS LABOR FROM THE DEALER. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA MOTOR AND IT WAS BOUNCED BACK TO THE DEALER WHO DELIVERED THE MESSAGE THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER OPTION BUT TO PAY THIS, DUE TO THE HIGH MILEAGE. CLEARLY, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS I CAN NOT AFFORD TO FIX THIS AND CAN NOT DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS. A REALISTIC REPAIR EXPECTATION WOULD BE TO REPLACE A BULB. THIS IS AN OUTRAGEOUS EXPENSE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD INCUR. THANK YOU, PATRICE LOFQUIST *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA THAT HAS A LARGE AMOUNT OF CONDENSATION INSIDE OF THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. I FIRST NOTICED IT IN DECEMBER WHEN THE CONDENSATION FROZE AND CONSIDERABLY BLOCKED THE HEADLIGHT BEAM. WHEN RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET TO FIND OUT HOW TO TAKE THE LENS OFF TO DRY THE CONDENSATION I DISCOVERED THAT THE BEAM ASSEMBLY DOES NOT COME APART AND THAT MANY OTHER OWNER'S OF THE SAME MODEL ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, THIS PROBLEM ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE REPORTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. EVENTUALLY THE CONDENSATION WILL CAUSE THE LIGHT TO FAIL. TOYOTA REDESIGNED THE SIENNA IN 2004 AND THE NEW, BIGGER HEADLIGHTS WERE A MAJOR CHANGE. THE CONDENSATION SLIGHTLY AFFECTS THE HEADLIGHTS IN THE WARMER MONTHS BUT IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WHEN THE TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW FREEZING. THIS SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW AFFECTING VEHICLE SAFETY THAT TOYOTA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX. *TR

THE POWER LIFTGATE OF MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA HAS FAILED. THE LIFTGATE HAS UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSED, BUT IS NOW INOPERABLE DUE TO STRUT FAILURE. THE LIFTGATE IS VERY HEAVY AND CLOSES WITH MUCH FORCE. *TR

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE -DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HINGE POPS, CALLED DEALER, ASKED IF THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM. THERE IS, BUT THEY SEND THE VAN TO A BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS (RE-WELDING) AND THAT WILL TAKE 4 DAYS. BECAUSE IT IS UNDER A SERVICE BULLETIN AND NOT A RECALL, THEY DO NOT PROVIDE A "LOANER" OR RENTAL VEHICLE. *TR