2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

OVERHEATING RADIATOR, I WAS TOLD IT WAS A PRODUCT RECALL FROM TOYOTA,I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED, NOR DO I SEE THE RECALL MENTIONED ANYWHERE,I WAS ALSO TREATED VERY RUDELY AT BOCH TOYOTA IN NORWOOD MA WHEN I COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. *NM

THERE IS A SLIGHT, BUT ANNOYING AND UNSAFE, HESITATION WITH THE TRANSMISSION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A TURN OR FROM STOPPING. I HAVE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR NUMEROUS TSB UPGRADES, INCLUDING REPLACING OF A NEW TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER, NOTHING HAS CHANGED !!!!!!

REAR POWER LIFT GATE ON 2004 XLE LTD SIENNA UPON OPENING DOES NOT STAY OPEN AND COMES DOWN ON PERSON STANDING UNDER LIFT GATE. WAITING FOR TOYOTA TO ORDER PARTS FOR FIX . COULD BE VERY DANGORUS IF A CHILD IS STANDING UNDER THE GATE AS IT DOES NOT STOP AND COULD CRUSH SOMEONE.

THIS COMPLAINT IS RELATED TO THE HAZARDS OF TOWING WITH THE 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA WHICH I OWN. THIS MODEL IS ADVERTIZED AS TOWING READY WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT EXCEPT A HITCH AND HAS A TOWING CAPACITY OF 3500 POUNDS. WHEN THE HITCH IS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE THE CLEARANCE OF THE RECEIVER IS DANGEROUSLY LOW TO THE GROUND WITHOUT A TRAILER ATTACHED. ONCE THE TRAILER IS ATTACHED WITH A TONGUE WEIGHT LESS THAN MAXIMUM, THE RECEIVER SITS 3 INCHES ABOVE THE GROUND. THIS EXTREMELY LOW CLEARANCE PROVIDES VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ON A VEHICLE THAT IS ADVERTIZED AS SUITABLE FOR THIS TYPE OF USE. THE HITCH BOUNCES AND BANGS OF THE ROAD SURFACE AND NEGATIVELY EFFECTS HANDLING. IN ORDER TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AN AIRLIFT SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED IN THE REAR SUSPENSION TO ELEVATE THE REAR END WHILE TOWING. THIS IS SUITABLE AS IT STIFFENS THE REAR SUSPENSION WHEN A LOAD IS APPLIED. HOWEVER, WITHOUT A LOAD THE REAR SUSPENSION IS TOO STIFF WITH THE AIR BAGS INFLATED, YET THE REAR END IS TOO LOW WITH A HITCH AND TH EBAGS DEFLATED. ACCORDING TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT DO NOT HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS.

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WENT INTO NEUTRAL THEN HESITATED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. *NM *NM

THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH. CONSUMER AND HIS CHILDREN WERE LEFT STRAINED FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE HELP ARRIVED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO D REPLACED THE RADIATOR, WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER A RECALL. CONSUMER STATED HE WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS RECALL.*AK

(1) 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER PUSHED THE BUTTON TO CLOSE THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR ON OUR 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. IT CLOSED ON HER HAND. (2) THE DOOR FAILED TO REOPEN AUTOMATICALLY, COMPRESSING IT FOR APPROXIMATELY 30-60 SECONDS UNTIL IT COULD BE OPENED MANUALLY. HER HAND WAS SO SWOLLEN IT WAS UNUSABLE FOR A WEEK. NOTHING WAS BROKEN. (3) CORRECTIVE MEASURE WAS TO DISABLE THE AUTOMATIC DOOR.

MY TOYOTA SIENNA 2004 MINIVAN AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOORS HAVE FAILED TO OPEN ON EIGHT SEPARATE OCCASIONS SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2004. THE DOORS ARE FROZEN SHUT AND CANNOT EVEN BE OPENED MANUALLY. I HAVE THREE SMALL CHILDREN AND HAVE BEEN FORCED TO HAVE TWO CRAWL IN THROUGH THE REAR TAILGATE OVER THE SEATS OR HAVE THEM CLIMB IN THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER DOOR AND THEN OVER THE SEATS. I HAVE TO LIFT A INFANT IN AN INFANT SEAT INTO THE CAR IN THE SAME MANNER. ONCE YOU TRY TO OPEN THE DOORS THEY FAIL TO RECLOSE COMPLETELY SO WHILE I AM DRIVING THE DOOR OPEN ALARM IS BEEPING BECAUSE THE DOORS ARE NOT FULLY CLOSED, EVEN WHILE THEY STILL CANNOT BE OPENED. I FEEL IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE TO DRIVE WITH THE CHILDREN IN THE REAR THIS WAY, THEY COULD NOT GET OUT QUICKLY IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH OR EMERGENCY AND I AM UNSURE IF THE DOOR IS "OPEN" WHILE WE ARE DRIVING WHILE IT IS BEEPING AND UNABLE TO OPEN/CLOSE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD A HANDFUL OF SIENNAS IN DURING THE LAST FREEZE BECAUSE PEOPLE HAD MANUALLY RIPPED THE DOOR HANDLES OFF TRYING TO OPEN THE DOORS. *AK

THE STEERING ON THE 2004 SIENNA LACKS PRECISION AND REQUIRES CONSTANT CORRECTIONS. UPON CORRECTING IT APPEARS TO HAVE AN UNDERDAMPED BUT RESPONSIVE RESPONSE THAT CREATES AN UNSTABLE FEELING WHILE DRIVING. THE PROBLEM IS EXEMPLIFIED DURING WINDY DAYS WHERE ABOVE NORMAL CORRECTIONS ON NON WINDY DAYS BECOME EXTREME CORRECTIONS ON WINDY DAYS. IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THIS BECOMES A VERY STRESSFUL DRIVING CONDITION. WHEN ALL OTHER DRIVING RESPONSIBILITIES ARE THROWN INTO THE MIX IT IS VERY CHALLENGING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA'S CHOICE OF STEERING COMPONENTS ARE INFERIOR RELATIVE TO THEIR ADVERTISED QUALITY. *NM

ON TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS AND IN TWO SEPARATE CAR WASH ESTABLISHMENTS, THE SUNROOF ON MY 2004 SIENNA JUST PURCHASED IN JULY '04 LEAKED. INCIDENT #1 BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I WITNESSED THE BACK EDGE OF THE SUNROOF OPEN UP WHILE GOING THROUGH THE DRYING PROCESS AND HENCE THE H2O THAT WAS ON TOP OF THE ROOF AND GLASS TRAVERSED AROUND THE EDGES AND INTO THE CAR. INCIDENT #2 I WAS NOT WATCHING FOR A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE BUT I RECEIVED A BATH OF WATER ON TOP OF MY HEAD, COAT AND LAP. I EXAMINED THE SUNROOF AND IT WAS WET ON AT LEAST 3 SIDES (2 SIDES AND BACK SIDE). UPON LEAVING AND THEN BRAKING H2O CAME DOWN AROUND AND THROUGH THE OPENINGS SURROUNDING THE MAP LIGHTING IN BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT SEATS. WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THEY TOLD ME THAT MY SUNROOF IS OPERATING NORMALLY AND THAT A CAR WASH IS NOT A NORMAL CONDITION. I DISAGREED W/THEM. THEY SUBJECTED THE VEHICLE TO HIGH PRESSURE WATER BUT DID NOT RE-CREATE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE THROUGH A CAR WASH. THEY WERE QUESTIONED ON THIS. THEY'RE STILL CONTENDING THAT MY CAR IS FINE. I SAY IT IS NOT, A SUNROOF ON A 2004 VEHICLE W/LESS THAN 10K MILES SHOULD NOT LEAK OR OPEN UP. INVESTIGATING THIS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *NM