2009 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE APPROXIMATELY DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE SPARE TIRE FELL OFF FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS (65 MPH) ON INTERSTATE 290 HEADING WEST OUTSIDE OF WORCESTER, MA AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30AM THE SPARE TIRE FELL OFF THE VEHICLE CAUSING US TO RUN OVER THE TIRE. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING (WITHIN A MILE DOWN ROAD), THE PASSENGER SIDE RUNNING BOARD WAS ALSO MISSING. A ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE VEHICLE WAS ALREADY TENDING TO ANOTHER MOTORISTS NEAR THE INCIDENT AND WE TALKED TO HIM. HE INDICATED THAT THE MASS STATE POLICE WERE RESPONDING TO ASSISTS. THEY ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER AND TOLD ME THE SPARE TIRE WAS IN THE MEDIAN AND PROBABLY DAMAGED AFTER BEING HIT BY A TRUCK. WE WERE WELCOMED TO RETRIEVE IT, BUT SINCE SHE WAS OPERATING ALONE SHE COULDN'T STOP 4 LANES OF WESTBOUND TRAFFIC BUT THAT I WAS WELCOME TO TRY AND RETRIEVE IT. BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC SPEEDS, THE NUMBER OF LANES OF TRAFFIC, AND THE LACK OF A BREAKDOWN LANE NEAR THE MEDIAN, IT WAS DECIDED IT WOULD NOT BE SAFE TO RETRIEVE THE TIRE. WE HAVE FILED A DAMAGED VEHICLE REPORT WITH TOYOTA CORPORATION ESPECIALLY IN LIEU OF A KNOWN DEFECT (FEDERAL RECALL NOTICE) REGARDING THE HARNESS HOLDING THE SPARE TIRE IN PLACE ON THESE VEHICLES. *TR

THE DASHBOARD IS STICKY. YOUR HAND WILL STICK TO IT. IT WAS FIRST NOTICED ABOUT A YEAR AGO. IT WAS JUST THE DRIVERS SIDE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD IMMEDIATELY THAT IT WAS SOMETHING I USED TO CLEAN WITH. NOW THE WHOLE DASHBOARD IS STICKY AND I HAVE NOT USED ANYTHING ON IT AS EVERYTHING STICKS TO IT. *TR

WHILE ON A DECLINE, AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR CABLE SNAPPED WHILE DOOR WAS AUTOMATICALLY CLOSING. DOOR SLAMMED SHUT JUST AS AN 11 YEAR OLD CHILD GOT INTO THE CAR. THANKFULLY SHE WAS NOT INJURED. BROUGHT IT TO DEALER AND SINCE MODELS 2004-2007 UNDERWENT RECALL FOR THIS VERY INCIDENT, SLIDING DOOR WAS FIXED AT NO CHARGE. IT WAS FOUND THAT CABLE WHICH ALLOWS THE SLIDING DOOR TO GLIDE OPEN AND CLOSE FLUENTLY WAS RUSTED AND ROTTED AWAY CAUSING IT TO SNAP. CAR IS PARKED IN A COVERED AND CLOSED GARAGE ALL YEAR THROUGH. THIS WAS ON DRIVER SIDE. THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD THE SAME RUST AND ROT BUT SINCE STILL FUNCTIONING, TOYOTA WOULD NOT REPLACE AS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE. WE WERE ALWAYS CONCERNED THAT THIS WOULD HAPPENED AGAIN AND TOOK GREAT CARE ESPECIALLY ON DECLINES. WHILE PARKED ON FLAT DRIVEWAY, 6 MONTHS LATER, SECOND SLIDING DOOR CABLE SNAPPED. THANKFULLY NO INJURIES. BROUGHT IT TO DEALER AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY WOULD NOT COVER THIS TIME. WE WERE ALSO TOLD BY ONE OF THE DEALER'S MECHANICS THAT 2009 MODEL IS EXACTLY MADE LIKE 2004-2007 SO HE COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE RECALL WAS ARBITRARILY GIVEN TO ONLY THOSE YEARS. NOW DOOR IS MANUAL BUT WITHOUT CABLE, EVEN ON THE SLIGHTEST DECLINE, DOOR SLAMS SHUT. WILL NOT STAY OPEN. THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN FOR MY CHILDREN'S SAFETY. THEY WILL NOT COVER COST TO REPLACE IT OR FIX IT BUT THE DOOR IS NOT SAFE TO USE OTHERWISE. *TR

HIGHBEAMS ON HEADLAMPS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. CAN USUALLY FLICK THEM IN THE CORRECT SWITCH POSITION, SO I KNOW THE BULBS ARE WORKING. LOW BEAMS WORKING. BUT HIGHBEAMS FREQUENTLY DO NOT WORK IN THE CORRECT SWITCH POSITION, AS DESCRIBED IN THE VEHICLE MANUAL. OCCASIONALLY THEY DO WORK, BUT I NEVER KNOW WHEN THAT WILL BE. ON LONG TRIPS AT NIGHT, I HAVE NO HIGHBEAMS AS A RESULT OF THIS MALFUNCTION. *TR

GEICO CLAIM NUMBER: [XXX]FEBRUARY 7, 2011 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: NOTE, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I'M FILING TO UPDATE MY ADDRESS. ON OCTOBER 18, 2010 MY 2009 TOYOTA SIENNA DASHBOARD VSC (VARIABLE SKID CONTROL)/OFF TRACK AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. I TOOK MY VAN IN FOR SERVICE IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALERSHIP MADE REPAIRS THAT WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND ASSURED ME THAT THE VAN WAS SAFE TO DRIVE (A COPY OF THE INVOICE FROM THAT SERVICE IS ATTACHED FOR YOUR REFERENCE). ON NOVEMBER 24, 2010, THE SAME VSC/OFF TRACK AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN. WHEN I RETURNED TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE, I WAS INFORMED THAT DUE TO THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID NOT HAVE AVAILABILITY UNTIL NOVEMBER 30, 2010. SERVICE ADVISOR ASSURED ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE, AS LONG AS I STAYED IN TOWN, AND WASN'T PLANNING ON TAKING THE CAR ON ANY LONG TRIPS. HOWEVER, I NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO RETURN MY VAN TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE ON NOVEMBER 29, 2010 IT STARTED TO MAKE UNUSUALLY LOUD NOISES AND ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY. NATURALLY, I ATTEMPTED TO STOP BY BRAKING, BUT THE BRAKES WERE NOT FUNCTIONING AT ALL. I TRIED AGAIN AND AGAIN TO BRAKE, BUT TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOTHING, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I PUMPED IT. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING ANY PEDESTRIANS OR CARS BY STEERING UP THE CURB AND INTO A LAMPPOST. THE VAN CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY UNTIL IT FINALLY CAME TO REST ON THE STEPS OF THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE CABLE BROKE ON THE POWER SLIDING DOOR DUE TO THE PLASTIC COATING BEING WORN, EXPOSING THE CABLE TO THE ELEMENTS AND RUSTING IT. THIS VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SLIDING DOORS ERRONEOUSLY OPENED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE DOOR MECHANISM WAS RUSTED AND WAS CAUSING THE DOORS TO NOT SPRING BACK IN PLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,463. UPDATED 12/24/13*LJ EACH TIME THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO THE DEALER, THEY CLAIMED THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE DOOR WOULD POP OPEN AGAIN, DISABLING THE SECURITY SYSTEM AND CAUSES THE BATTERY TO GO DEAD. THE CONSUMER HAD TO TIE THE DOOR SHUT. UPDATED 12/24/13

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA SIENNA EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN X RADIAL TIRES, SIZE: 215/65/R16. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE TIRES BEGAN LOOSING AIR. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWAY AFTER THE TIRES WERE INSTALLED AND THE CONTACT NOTICED ABNORMAL WEAR AND RIPPLES THROUGHOUT THE TREAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE FRONT TIRES HOWEVER, AFTER THE REPAIR THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRES WAS 25,000. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

WENT TO DEALERSHIP FOR AN ALIGNMENT, CAR DRIFTED TO THE LEFT. THEY TOLD ME THE STEERING SHAFT WAS VERY WORN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. HAD TO INSTALL A NEW STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND SHAFT ASSEMBLY. THIS WAS COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT THERE IS NO WAY A STEERING SHAFT SHOULD BE WORN OUT AT 30000 MILES! THERE HAS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE STEERING SHAFT. LUCKY, I HAD THE ALIGNMENT DONE BEFORE MY PLANNED 700 MILE TRIP. *JB