2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

ON 5/29/2004 I PURCHASED MY TOYOTA SIENNA. I STARTED HAVING "MYSTERIOUS" LIGHTS COMING ON AT ALL DIFFERENT TIMES. ON 7/15/2004, I WENT OUT TO MY CAR AND IT WOULDN'T START. THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF A NIGHTMARE. SINCE THEN MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP AT LEAST 6 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD MY CAR START AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH SINCE I PURCHASED IT. I WOULD USUALLY JUST JUMP THE BATTERY BUT THEY COULD NEVER TELL ME THE REASON WHY IT KEPT ON HAPPENING. THERE WERE TIMES THAT I COULDN'T EVEN LEAVE MY DOORS OPEN FOR 5 MINUTES WITHOUT IT WEARING THE BATTERY DOWN. WHEN THE BATTERY IS CHECKED IT IS ALWAYS FINE. WHEN THE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED I HAVE THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TURN ON FOR NO REASON. THEY HAVE PUT IN A NEW BATTERY AND REPLACED THE JBL AUDIO SWITCH BECAUSE THAT HAD BEEN SHOWN TO TURN ON INTERMITTENTLY AND DRAIN THE BATTERY/ENGINE. NEITHER OF THESE SOLUTIONS HAVE WORKED. THEY FINALLY TOLD ME THAT MY CAR HAD TOO MANY "BELLS AND WHISTLES" (WHICH ALL ARE FACTORY INSTALLED) AND THAT I NEED TO CONNECT TO A CAR CHARGER WHEN I COME HOME OR TO GO ON LONG DRIVES AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. *TR

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT JAMS WHERE IT COMES OUT OF THE SEATBELT GUIDE ASSEMBLY CAUSING EXCESS SLACK IN THE SEAT BELT SO THAT IT IS INOPERABLE. I HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO UNCANNY IT ONCE AND HAVE HAD TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WITHOUT SEAT BELT PROTECTION TO HAVE THEM UNJAM IT. THEY SOMEHOW YANK IT LOOSE BUT WE HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS ONCE (TODAY). IT IS STARTING TO JAM ALMOST EVERY TIME ITS USED NOW AND DESPITE BEING VERY CAREFUL, IT HAS COMPLETELY JAMMED 5 TIMES NOW. IT IS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA LIMITED MINIVAN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE SHOULDER PORTION OF THE SEAT BELT BINDS IN THE BEZEL TRIM PIECE. THE AFFECTED SEAT BELT BEZEL IS LOCATED ON THE SHOULDER PORTION ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT. THE SEAT BELT BINDS IN THE BEZEL, AND THE EXTRA WEBBING RESULTS IN AN IMPROPERLY FITTED SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

AT TIMES WHEN THE DRIVER QUICKLY PULLS OUT HIS SHOULDER BELT THE BELT DOUBLES OVER ITSELF INSIDE THE GUIDE ON THE DOOR POST BEHIND AND TO THE LEFT OF THE DRIVER'S SHOULDER. IF THE DRIVER CONTINUES TO PULL THE BELT THE AMOUNT OF OVERLAP INCREASES CAUSING THE BELT TO JAM VERY TIGHLY INSIDE THE BELT GUIDE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDO THE DOUBLED OVER BELT (WITHOUT DAMAGING THE BELT) UNLESS THE TRIM PANEL AND MECHANISM THAT ATTACHES THE BELT GUIDE TO THE CAR FRAME IS REMOVED. THE SHOULDER/SEAT BELT CANNOT BE USED WHEN THE BELT IS DOUBLED OVER AND JAMMED TIGHTLY INSIDE THE GUIDE SINCE THE BELT LENGTH CANNOT BE ADJUSTED. AS SUCH, WHEN THIS FAULT OCCURS, THE DRIVER WOULD BE UNBELTED WHEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE. *TR

AUTOMATIC REAR TAILGATE DOOR SOMETIMES CLOSES BY ITSELF AFTER OPENING, CAUSING POTENTIAL INJURIES TO PEOPLE WHO ARE LEANING INTO THE VEHICLE TO UNLOAD THE VAN. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN, MOSTLY IN THE WINTER ON COLD DAYS. *TR

IN THE WINTER OF 2006 THE GAS STRUTS THAT SUPPORTED THE REAR CARGO DOOR FAILED. THE STRUTS DID NOT FAIL COMPLETELY. IT APPEARS THAT SOME, BUT NOT ALL, OF THE GAS THAT CHARGES THE STRUTS HAS LEAKED OUT. THE PROBLEM MANIFESTS ONLY IN THE COLD WEATHER WHEN THE GAS VOLUME IN THE STRUTS IS LESS DUE TO THE COLD. IN THE SUMMER THE STRUTS PERFORM NORMALLY. *TR

DELAY 2-3 SECONDS WHEN PRESS GAS PEDAL. I THOUGH I AM THE ONLY ONE HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I HOPE SOON TOYOTA CAN SOLVE THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IF I WILL GET INTO AND ACCIDENT WITH THIS VAN I AM GOING TO HIRE A LAWYER TO SUE THE TOYOTA. *TR

THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOORS ON MY TOYOTA SIENNA DO NOT ALWAYS CLOSE. I FIRST NOTICED IT IN THE SUMMER OF 2007 WHEN OCCASIONALLY THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WOULD ATTEMPT TO CLOSE BUT THEN WOULD RE-OPEN. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER IN DECEMBER 2007 AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR HINGE PIN AND BUSHING WAS WORN OUT CAUSING THE REAR OF THE DOOR TO SAG AND NOT ALLOW IT TO BE CLOSED WITHOUT MANUAL INTERVENTION. IF THERE IS NO MANUAL INTERVENTION AND YOU JUST TRY TO CLOSE IT BY PUSHING THE BUTTON THE DOOR ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE A SECOND TIME BUT STILL DOES NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY AND WILL NOT AUTOMATICALLY RE-OPEN. THUS YOU THINK THE DOOR IS CLOSED BUT IN REALITY IT IS STILL NOT. I CONTACTED TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER CARE ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN EVEN TAKING A FURTHER LOOK SINCE THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. IF THE PINS AND BUSHINGS CONTINUE TO WEAR THEY WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK DOOR WILL FALL OFF. *TR

1. EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: PRESSING EITHER BUTTON (IN THE MAIN CABIN OR ON THE KEY FOB) TOP OPEN THE POWER REAR LIFT GATE 2. FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES: UPON REACHING THE FULLY OPENED POSITION (OR VERY CLOSE TO?), THE POWER REAR LIFT GATE REVERSES AND AUTOMATICALLY CLOSES ON THE OPERATOR WITHOUT USER INTERVENTION. SINCE IT'S COMMON TO PROCEED TO EXTRACT CONTENTS FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AFTER OPENING THE REAR LIFT GATE, INJURY ENSUES DUE TO THE POWERED CLOSING OF THE REAR LIFT GATE ON YOUR HEAD/ARM/SHOULD/CHILD. THIS HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS MINOR INJURIES DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT FORCE REQUIRED TO PREVENT THE DOOR FROM CLOSING ON THE OPERATOR 3. THE DEALER HAS NOW REPLACED THE REAR LIFT GATE STRUTS TWICE AND IT'S CURRENTLY BEING WORKED ON FOR A THIRD TIME AFTER A COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA CORPORATE. THE FAILURES STILL CONTINUE AND THE DEALER HAS SAID THEY HAVE NO CLUE HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM (DURING THE SECOND REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR LIFT GATE STRUTS). *TR

THIS IS A SECOND MAJOR LEAK OF POWER STEERING FLUID IN WHICH THE FLUID IS LEAKING INTERNALLY INSIDE THE STEERING RACK. THE FIRST LEAK WAS REPAIRED UNDER TOYOTA WARRANTY ON 3/22/07. THE SECOND EVENT, SAME FAILURE SYMPTOMS FROM 2/17/08. *TR