2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

I STARTED HAVING TROUBLE COMPLETELY CLOSING THE DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR ON MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. IT HAS A BROKEN LATCH MECHANISM (THE DOOR IS MANUAL, NOT POWER). THE LATCH IS HELD IN PLACE IN THE DOOR WITH THREE BOLTS. TWO OF THEM HAVE SHEARED OUT OF THE METAL OF THE DOOR. *TR

ABOUT 15 MINUTES INTO A HALF HOUR DRIVE THE STEERING SUDDENLY FELT LIKE IT WAS STICKING DURING TURNS. THE FORCE REQUIRED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME UNPREDICTABLE, MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. DID NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL LOCAL GARAGE (NOT AFFILIATED WITH TOYOTA) COULD INSPECT STEERING. THEY REPORTED THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION FROM ROAD SALT, BUT THAT THE PART WAS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. FOUND ON NHTSA WEBSITE THAT TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A TSB ON THIS PROBLEM IN JANUARY 2007. GIVEN THE RAPIDITY OF THE ONSET OF THIS PROBLEM, SUGGEST THAT OWNERS IN HIGH SALT AREAS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED BY MANUFACTURER. TOTAL MILEAGE ON VEHICLE IS 56,000. WILL KEEP DAMAGED PART WHEN REPLACEMENT ARRIVES. *TR

IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE MOUNT FOR THE LEFT REAR DOOR'S LOCK ON MY 2004 SIENNA 8LE IS BROKEN. THE DOOR ON THE BACKSIDE HAS MOUNTS FOR THE FEMALE RECEPTABLE TO THE U-SHAPED BOLT ON THE CAR BODY. THE SCREWS ON THAT MOUNT HAVE TORN THROUGH THE SHEET METAL AND NOW THE DOOR WONT CLOSE ALL THE WAY. I THINK THE U-BOLT FROM THE BODY IS NOT SITTING COMPLETELY INTO THAT RECEIVER ON THE DOOR AS A RESULT OF A SMALL MISALIGNMENT. THE TOYOTA DEALER INFORMED ME THAT HE'S SEEN THIS BEFORE AND SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE THE CAR TO A BODY SHOP TO HAMMER AND WELD THE THING BACK INTO PLACE. OTHERWISE, HE'D HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE DOOR. *TR

WE HAD A STEERING PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR FOR A NUMBER OF MONTHS. THE STEERING WOULD BECOME VERY DIFFICULT AND FELT AS IF IT WAS LOCKING UP, ESPECIALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN. IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE CAR AND REQUIRED MUCH EFFORT. TOWARDS THE BEGINNING, IT WAS A BIT INTERMITTENT. AT THE FIRST VISIT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, WE PAID FOR OTHER SERVICE IN A VAIN EFFORT TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SERVICE ADVISOR, AS THEY SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM; NO MENTION WAS MADE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND NO INDICATION WAS MADE THAT AN INSPECTION WAS MADE TO SEE IF THIS WAS THE SOURCE OF OUR COMPLAINT EVEN THOUGH A TSB HAD EXISTED FOR WELL OVER A YEAR AND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS HAD BEEN LOGGED THROUGH NHTSA AND ON THE INTERNET. THE TECHNICIANS SAID THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. ON THE SECOND VISIT, I REFERENCED THE TOYOTA TSB (#10020994 FROM 01/2007) AND THEY REPLACED THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT (I HAVE THE ORIGINAL) AT MY COST! (TOTAL OF ~$700 FOR 2 VISITS). WE CAME CLOSE TO HAVING ACCIDENTS IN THE CAR BEFORE THE REPAIR WAS MADE. THIS IS AN EXTREME HAZARD WHICH WILL LIKELY CAUSE BODILY OR PROPERTY HARM IF TOYOTA DOES NOT RECALL THESE VEHICLES SOON. A NUMBER OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ALREADY EXIST IN YOUR DATABASE: 10221808 10220841 10220825 10220825 10189743 10162602 10159496. *TR

FOR THE PAST MONTH OR SO, THE POWER LIFT GATE SEEMED TO NOT GO UP/RAISE AS HIGH AS I THOUGHT IT DID. THEN YESTERDAY THE POWER LIFT GATE UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSED DOWN. USING THE KEY FOB/REMOTE I RAISED IT ONLY TO HAVE IT CLOSE AGAIN. I TRIED LIFTING IT MANUALLY AND IT CLOSED AGAIN. I LOCKED THE CAR AND TRIED THE LIFT GATE AGAIN AND IT CLOSED DOWN. THIS MAKES THE REAR OF THE CAR INACCESSIBLE SINCE IT IMMEDIATELY CLOSES DOWN. THIS IS VERY DISCONCERTING SINCE THE DOOR IS VERY HEAVY AND THIS IS A MINI-VAN WHICH IS FREQUENTLY PURCHASED BY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TERRIFYING AND POSSIBLY FATAL TO MY YOUNG CHILDREN IF THEY WERE BY THE REAR OF THE MINI-VAN WHEN THIS THING UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSED. *TR

A SHAFT IN THE POWER STEERING BEGAN TO FAIL DUE TO CORROSION CAUSED BY ROAD SALT. COMPLETE FAILURE WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE STEERING TO LOCK UP. I REPLACED THE PART PRIOR TO FAILURE. *TR

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA CE(MANUAL HATCH):THE HATCH IS HARD TO LIFT OPEN AND DOES NOT STAY UP--JUST SLAMS DOWN SHUT. VERY DANGEROUS!! NEED 1 PERSON TO HOLD HATCH OPEN WHEN ACCESSING INTERIOR. *TR

REAR HATCH LIFT GATE CAME DOWN ON MY DAUGHTERS BACK....NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED, BUT IT TOOK A LOT OF FORCE TO FREE HER. LATER THE SAME DAY THE LIFT GATE OPENED ALL THE WAY AND THEN CAME DOWN ABOUT A FOOT AND HIT MY WIFE ON THE HEAD....KNOCKED HER TO THE GROUND AND CAUSED A PRETTY BAD HEADACHE FOR A DAY. AFTER THE GATE HIT HER, IT CONTINUED TO CLOSE. RIGHT NOW THE LIFT GATE OPENS HALF WAY AND THEN SLAMS SHUT. *TR

STEERING BECAME HARD AND WOULD CATCH IN CERTAIN TURNING SITUATIONS SO THE CAR FELT AS IF STEERING LOCKED UP. NEEDS INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT REPLACED. CAR WENT INTO SHOP ON FRIDAY 3-7-08. PART IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. NONE ARE AVAILABLE IN USA. A TSB WAS ISSUED 1-2007 CONCERNING REPLACEMENT OF INTERMEDIATE STEERING ASSEMBLY WITH MODIFIED PART IN HIGH SALT AREAS. THE ORIGINAL DESIGN ALLOWS SALT TO GET IN THE UNIVERSAL JOINT AND CORRODE IT CAUSING STEERING TO BECOME DIFFICULT. TOYOTA HAS COME OUT WITH A NEW DESIGN. THEIR FAILURE RATE MUST BE HIGH IF THEY HAVE NO REPLACEMENT PARTS IN THE USA FOR 2 WEEKS AND ONLY STATES WITH ROAD SALT ARE AFFECTED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING 24 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL FROZE. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCES DIFFICULTY WHEN DRIVING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE PARTS FOR THE REPAIR WERE ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER. THERE IS A TSB (NUMBER 10020994) REGARDING THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IN HIGH ROAD SALT AREAS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 55,000. UPDATED 4/2/08 *CN UPDATED 04/02/08 *TR