2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

MY WIFE WAS TRYING TO BACKUP, WHEN SHE PUT THE VAN IN GEAR AND PUSHED THE GAS, NOTHING HAPPENED. SHE LET HER FOOT OF THE GAS AND THE 2005 VAN STARTING ROLLING. SHE THEN APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THEY DID NOT WORK, THE BRAKES WENT COMPLETELY TO THE FLOOR. SHE THEN ROLLED DOWN A VERY STEEP BACKWARDS AND HIT A TREE, THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM< TOYODA BETTER DO SOMETHING BEFROE SOMEONE DIES. BUT MY GUESS IS THAT SOMEONE ALREADY HAS.*AK

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AFTER BRAKING/SLOWING DOWN THERE IS A PERIOD OF SEVERAL SECONDS WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE THROTTLE AND THEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE JERKS HARD AND ACCELERATES. WHEN MERGING INTO TRAFFIC THIS CAN POSE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE TOYOTA DEALER ADVISES THIS IS A NORMAL CONDITION AS THE VEHICLE "DRIVES BY WIRE" AND HAS NO MECHANICAL THROTTLE LINKAGE. THIS VEHICLE DIDN'T HAVE THIS ISSUE WHEN WE PURCHASED IT. THIS PROBLEM DEVELOPED AFTER WE HAD DRIVEN IT FOR A WHILE AND HAS PROGRESSIVLY GOTTEN WORSE. OTHER MANUFACTURERS ALSO USE THE DRIVE BY WIRE COMPONENTS AND DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA CONSIDERS THIS A NORMAL CONDITION.*AK

I BOUGHT A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN, PUT A HITCH ON IT AND IT SCRAPES THE GROUND GOING OVER SPEED BUMPS, STEEP DRIVEWAYS, ETC WITHOUT ANY LOAD ON THE HITCH MOUNT. THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH AIR SHOCKS IF TOYOTA WANTS TO ADVERTISE THAT THE VAN CAN TOW TRAILERS. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW DUE TO THE TRUNK SPACE REQUIRED FOR STOWING THE REAR FOLDING SEATS. A HITCH CAN NOT BE MOUNTED ANY HIGHER OR CLOSER TO THE BUMPER BECAUSE OF THE SEAT STORAGE AREA. *JB

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT MOVED ABOUT A 1/4". MANUFACTURER SENT A REPRESENTATIVE TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, AFTER TESTING THE BRAKES AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE SEAT, MANUFACTURER TOLD CONSUMER THAT THIS WAS NORMAL, AND THAT OTHER VEHICLES WERE SIMILAR. CONSUMER WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE RESULTS. *AK

THE DOOR WAS LEFT AJAR WHICH CAUSED THE BATTERY TO GO DEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DESIGNED SO THAT THE INTERIOR LIGHTS SHUT OFF AFTER TWENTY MINUTES IF THE IGNITION WAS OFF AND ANY DOORS ARE LEFT OPEN. *NM THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THIS FEATURE WAS ONLY AVAILABLE IN CANADIAN OR AUSTRALIAN VEHICLES. *TC *JB

2004 SIENNA LTD AWD HAS BOTH A HESITATION IN ACCELERATION AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS IF THE VEHICLE IS AT LOW SPEED AND THEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED. THE ENGINE DOES NOT RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THEN AFTER A DELAY, CAN OVER REV AND THEN ENGAGE THE TRANSMISSON. THERE HAVE BEEN INCIDENTS WHERE IT CAUSES DANGEROUS DELAYS IN AVOIDING A POTENTIAO ACCIDANT SITUATION. TAKEN THE CAR BACK AND WAS TOLD THAT TOYOTA SAYS THIS IS OPERATING ACCORDING TO THE DESIGN. THIS IS AN UNSAFE SITUATION.*AK

LEFT REAR WHEEL STUD BROKE WHEN TORQUED TO 85 FT.LB. TORQUE SPECS IS 76 FTLB AS MENTIONED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL; AND IF ONE STUD CAN FRACTURE AT 85 FTLB, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE OTHERS HAVE GONE INTO YIELD ZONE, TOO. THIS IS A VERY POOR DESIGN AND A SAFETY RISK. DESIGN SHOULD BE ROBUST TO HANDLE DC NUT RUNNER, PNEUMATIC DRIVES, AND MANUAL DRIVERS; WHICH THIS STUD WAS NOT CAPABLE TO HANDLE.*AK

WHILE LIFTING UP THE DRIVER'S SIDE OR PASSENGER'S SIDE SECOND ROW SEATS THE SEAT SPRING JUMPED BACK FORCEFULLY AND HARD. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS DESIGNED. *AK

DRIVING 55 MPH THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SMOKE CAME FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE CAUSE WAS NOT DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *NM

THERE IS A DISTINCT DELAY IN THE ACCELERATION OF MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS DEPRESSED QUICKLY. THIS DELAY IS NOT NOTICEABLE UNLESS THE DRIVER IS ALREADY MOVING AND THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED IN SITUATIONS SUCH AS PASSING OR SOME OTHER ACTIVITY THAT REQUIRES QUICK ACCELERATION. I WAS TRYING TO SPEED UP WHILE DRIVING IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE OF A HIGHWAY BECAUSE THE LEFT LANE WAS ALREADY OCCUPIED AND A VEHICLE WAS ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO THE ROADWAY. MY VAN DID NOT SPEED UP UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE AND THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO THE HIGHWAY DROVE OFF OF THE ROAD TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. DURING ANOTHER OCCASION REQUIRING QUICK ACCELERATION A TRUCK LOCKED UP ITS' BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ME FROM BEHIND WHEN I MERGED INTO HIS LANE AS I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR ONLY TO HAVE THE VAN FAIL TO SPEED UP FOR TWO SECONDS. TOYOTA PERSONNEL FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VAN (WORLD TOYOTA OF CHAMBLEE, GA) INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS THE RESULT OF A DESIGN FLAW IN THE VEHICLE IN THAT TOYOTA INSTALLED A LASER CONTROL ON THE ACCELERATOR IN LIEU OF AN ACCELERATOR CABLE THAT COULD BE ADJUSTED. *NM