2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA AND THE LIFTGATE STRUTS HAVE FAILED. NO INJURIES AS OF 8/27/06. *JB

PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR MECHANISM SOMETIMES CLOSES BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT STARTS TO CLOSE AND THEN OPENS ON ITS OWN. THE DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR BEGAN DOING THE SAME THING RECENTLY. I USUALLY HAVE TO THROW MY BODY WEIGHT INTO THE DOOR TO ACTUALLY CLOSE IT. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE AUTOMATIC. *JB

THE LIFTGATE ON MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN, WHICH IS EQUIPPED WITH A AUTOMATIC OPENING AND CLOSING FEATURE, WILL SOMETIMES START TO CLOSE WHEN IT IS IN THE OPEN POSITION. ALTHOUGH I REPORTED IT AS ONE INCIDENT DATE PER YOUR FORM BELOW, THE PROBLEM REALLY OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY THROUGHOUT THE WINTER SEASON. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO ALWAYS OCCUR ONLY WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW FREEZING. BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAVE HIT OUR HEAD ON NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN WE ARE UNPACKING THE CAR FROM THE REAR AND THE LIFTGATE STARTS TO CLOSE WITHOUT ANY PROMPTING FROM US. I REPORTED THE CAR TO THE DEALER ONCE AND THEY TOOK A LOOK AT IT AND COULD FIND NO PROBLEMS. ONCE AGAIN, THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE TRIGGERED BY THE COLD WEATHER. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE LOOSES AND EYE OR POTENTIALLY GETS KILLED BY WALKING FULL SPEED INTO THE CLOSING LIFTGATE. *JB

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN TAILGATE DROPS, HYDRAULIC NOT FUNCTION FELL ON MY HEAD IT IS PERMANENTLY MALFUNCTIONING. *JB

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA REAR HATCH HYDRAULICS NO LONGER HOLD UP THE HATCH. THE COST TO REPLACE THESE IS $167.71 EACH!! I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS OTHER PROBLEMS ALREADY WITH THE VEHICLE IN THE TWO YEARS I HAVE OWNED IT....CRACK IN RADIATOR, FAILED MOTOR ON AUTOMATIC WINDOW, DRIVE SHAFT HAD TO BE REPLACED...WAND WITH WIPERS ETC..HAD TO BE REPLACED. I AM BEGINNING TO THINK I GOT A LEMON. BUT THE HYDRAULICS ON THE HATCH...AFTER ONLY TWO YEARS. FOUND AN ARTICLE THAT THIS WAS BEING INVESTIGATED BY YOU GUYS INVOLVING APPROXIMATELY 400,000 VEHICLES. HAS THERE BEEN ANY RESOLUTION TO THIS? *NM

(1) WE HAVE A 2004-2005 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE WITH THE BACK HATCH THAT OPENS AND CLOSES AUTOMATICALLY. WE USED OUR BACK HATCH REGULARLY AND IT HASN'T BEEN MISUSED. WE HAVE OPENED IT USING THE KEYLESS REMOTE, THE CEILING MOUNTED KEYPAD, AND MANUALLY. HOWEVER, OUR HATCH HAS NOT BEEN WORKING PROPERLY SINCE FEBRUARY 2006. (2) WHEN WE USE THE BUTTON ON OUR KEYLESS REMOTE OR ON THE CEILING MOUNTED KEYPAD, THE HATCH OPENS BUT AS SOON AS IT REACHES THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT, IT AUTOMATICALLY CLOSES. WHEN IT ENCOUNTERS AN OBSTACLE, IT DOES NOT OPEN AGAIN AS IT SHOULD, BUT RATHER CONTINUES TO CLOSE UNLESS EXTREME FORCE IS APPLIED. I HAVE BEEN TRAPPED BY THE DOOR ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND MY DAUGHTER (AGE 3) WAS ALMOST PINNED BY THE DOOR AS WELL. WHEN WE TRY TO OPEN THE DOOR MANUALLY, THE AUTOMATIC HATCH DOES NOT WORK AT ALL SO WE HAVE TO PROP THE DOOR OPEN WITH A LARGE WOODEN STAKE OR TRY TO HOLD IT OPEN WITH ONE HAND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PLACE ITEMS IN THE TRUNK WITH THE OTHER HAND. AT TIMES THE STAKE HAS FALLEN CAUSING THE DOOR TO SLAM SHUT QUICKLY. ALSO, AT A CERTAIN HEIGHT, THE DOOR WILL JUST BEGIN TO CLOSE AUTOMATICALLY EVEN THOUGH I AM ATTEMPTING TO HOLD IT OPEN. I FIND THIS SITUATION TO BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND HAVE AVOIDED USING OUR BACK HATCH WHENEVER POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION, THE AUTOMATIC SIDE DOORS ARE ALSO SUPPOSED TO REOPEN IF THEY ENCOUNTER AN OBSTACLE, BUT I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE. THEY REQUIRE A GREAT AMOUNT OF FORCE TO REOPEN. THE DOORS HAVE ALMOST SHUT ON OUR CHILDREN SEVERAL TIMES. HAD I NOT BEEN STANDING RIGHT THERE TO FORCE THE DOOR OPEN, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN PINNED. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DANGER OF THIS SITUATION AS WELL. (3) WE ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE BACK HATCH EARLIER THIS SPRING, BUT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID NOT HAVE THE PART AND SAID IT WOULD TAKE 30 DAYS B/F IT WOULD COME IN. WE HAVE NOT TAKEN IT BACK, PARTICULARLY B/C THE COST OF REPLACING THE PART WAS $300+ WHICH IS TOO EXPENSIVE FOR US AT THIS POINT. *NM

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA LIFTGATE CLOSING AUTOMATICALLY AND STRIKING THE OWNER'S HEAD; PROBLEM OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. AT TIMES THE OPEN DOOR WAS ACTIVATED, THE DOOR BEGAN TO CLOSE, DIDN'T CLOSE COMPLETELY, WOULD RE-OPEN AND CLOSE AGAIN UNTIL FORCED PHYSICALLY INTO AN UPRIGHT POSITION WITH SOME FORCE. *NM

JULY 15, 2006 NOTED THAT REAR HATCH WOULD NOT RISE WHEN COMMANDED NOR WOULD IT STAY UP WHEN OPENED MANUALLY. TOOK TO AUTHORIZED DEALER SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT BOTH REAR HATCH STAYS (STRUTS) HAD LEAKS AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. QUOTE WAS 430$+ FOR REPAIR. VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 36 MONTHS OLD, BUT HAS MORE THAN 36,000 MILES. FOUND SIENNA OWNERS WEBSITE ON INTERNET WHICH DIRECTED ME TO TOYOTA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #BO003-4. IDENTIFIES THIS PART AS A KNOWN DESIGN DEFICIENCY. *JB

1) DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH AND TOOK A ROCK THAT PUNCTURED MY AC CONDENSER ON MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA RESULTING IN AC FAILURE. 2) TOOK TO DEALER AND TOLD IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY. THEY WOULD HAPPILY FIX IT FOR $862. *JB 3) DEALER TOLD ME I SHOULD HAVE HAD A FRONT BRA OR SCREEN COVERING MY GRILL BECAUSE THE CONDENSER WAS EXPOSED. I TOLD THEM IF THEY MADE ME AWARE OF THIS DESIGN PROBLEM WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE I WOULD HAVE. REPLACEMENT CONDENSER FOR $495, LABOR WILL COST OVER $350. NOT SOMETHING YOU WOULD EXPECT FOR A FAIRLY NEW CAR UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

2004 SIENNA - MANUFACTURED 03? JULY 14TH DROVE FROM CA TO AZ - 5 KIDS AND MY BROTHER SAT. AFTER DRIVING ~ 2 HOURS STOPPED FOR GAS. FILLED TANK. A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER & PROCEEDED TO SLOW DOWN VERY QUICKLY. WE QUICKLY PULLED TO THE SIDE. HE OPENED THE HOOD, LOOKED & CRAWLED UNDER CAR. QUICKLY CRAWLED BACK WITH PARTS OF HIS T-SHIRT, HIS FACE AND ONE ARM COVERED WITH GAS. HE SAID FUEL LINE WAS LOOSE AND LINE WAS CLOSE TO EXHAUST, DANGER OF FIRE OR POSSIBLE EXPLOSION. HAD SOME TOOLS IN THE CAR. MY DESCRIPTION OF WHAT HE DID --> TRIED TO FORCE THE CONNECTION BACK TOGETHER. SERVICE PERSON AT DEALERSHIP HAD NO EXPLANATION WHY THE FUEL LINE WOULD HAVE COME OFF. THERE WERE NO ACCIDENTS/ ROCKS/ OR UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ONLY FACTS THAT I KNOW OF THAT MAY HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IS - WE HAD BEEN DRIVING IN ~110 WEATHER AND THEN FILLED THE TANK - PRESSURE BUILD FORCED THE CONNECTION LOOSE ? HAD MY BROTHER NOT BEEN THERE, I WOULD HAVE TRIED TO START THE CAR - WITH THE VERY HOT EXHAUST LINE / ? POSSIBLE MAJOR FIRE OR EXPLOSION. REPLACING AN APPARENTLY OK FUEL LINE WITH NEW OF THE SAME MAKE & MODEL CONCERNS ME. TOYOTA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE ROOT CAUSE AND FIND OUT IF PART WAS FAULTY. THIS PROBLEM CAN COME UP AGAIN AT ANY TIME ANYWHERE ... CAN YOU RECOMMEND A COURSE OF ACTION. DO YOU HAVE ANY POWER OVER TOYOTA SERVICE - CAN THEY FOR EXAMPLE USE ADDITIONAL CLAMPS ETC ... THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE - WE COULD HAVE BEEN DEAD. THIS IS NOT SIMILAR TO A RADIATOR CAP WHERE THE FAULTY PART CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE CAR ... THIS CAN ACTUALLY KILL PEOPLE WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE ASKED THE SERVICE PERSON TO KEEP THE OLD PART - CAN YOU REQUEST THAT TOYOTA OR OTHER UNBIASED AGENCIES INVESTIGATE THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE SEVERAL REFERENCES ON INTERNET ABOUT SIENNA DAMAGED OR FAULTY FUEL TANK .. THE SITES ARE BLOCKED SO I CAN NOT READ DETAILS. *JB