2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

TRACTION CONTROL UNEXPECTEDLY ENGAGED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE CURVY HWY 17 FROM SANTA CRUZ TO SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA ON JULY 04, 2012. THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON WITH SOUND "BIP, BIP. BIP.... I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR IN A VERY SHORT MOMENT AND CARS ADJACENT TO ME VEERED AWAY TO AVOID ME. I ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I HAD BOTH TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND QUALIFIED AUTO SHOP TEST MY VAN, REPLACED A FAULT SENSOR (RECEMENDED BY TOYOTA DEALER) BUT THE SAME PROBLEM REMAINS. I HAD TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND PRIVATE QUALIED AUTO TECHNICIAN TEST THE VAN AGAIN AND THEY COULD NOT REPEAT THE SAME PROBLEM, AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. DURING THE PAST 12 MONTHS I EXPERIENCED TRACTION CONTROL PROBLEM AROUND 10 TIMES, THE LAST 2 TIMES WERE IN JULY 2013. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS ONLY ON CURVY ROADS, AT ANY SPEED, AND IN A VERY SHORT MOMENT, AROUND 1-5 SECONDS BEFORE THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND SOUND GO OFF. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE PASSENGER IS JAMMED AND WON'T OPEN OR CLOSE EVEN IN THE MANUAL MODE. I HAD TO DRIVE HOME WITH THE DOOR OPEN SLIGHTLY BECAUSE I COULDN'T GET THE DOOR SHUT. AFTER READING MANY FORUMS ONLINE IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH TOYOTAS AND IT IS A DEFECT WITH MANUFACTURING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WEBBING FAILED TO RETRACT OR PROPERLY RESTRAIN HER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE ENTIRE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000. *TR

MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH 25,000 MI. IT WAS A USED VEHICLE WHEN WE PURCHASED IT. WHEN WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WE ALSO PURCHASED A 7 YEAR, 100,000 MILE BUMPER TO BUMPER EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT HAS CURRENTLY EXPIRED. APPROXIMATELY THREE MONTHS AGO WE NOTICES THAT WHEN COMING TO A STOP THERE WAS A THUMP BELOW THE VEHICLE WHICH WE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. MY WIFE AND I BROUGHT IT TO A LOCAL SHOP AND EXPLAINED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE HITS APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH WE FEEL A THUMP BELOW THE VEHICLE TOWARDS THE CENTER. REGARDLESS OF BREAKING, ACCELERATING OR COASTING WE FELT A THUMP. WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. WE BROUGHT IT TO TOYOTA FOR REPAIR. TOYOTA REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION ?UNDER WARRANTY? AT APPROXIMATELY 95,000 MILES WITH A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION. WE CURRENTLY HAVE THE VEHICLE AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THEY HAVE INFORMED US THAT THE WAY THAT THE TOYOTA TRANSMISSION WORKS IS THAT THEY HAVE A PIPE THAT RUNS THROUGH THE RADIATOR. THAT ALLOWS FOR COOLING FOR THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. WE WERE INFORMED THAT DUE TO AGE, THE PIPE SIMPLY CORRODED AND CRACKED CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE TRANSMISSION AND TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK INTO THE RADIATOR. WE REQUESTED THE SIMPLEST SOLUTIONS AND WE WERE TOLD TO REPLACE THE RADIATOR AND FLUSH THE TRANNY AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. THE REPAIR SHOP HAS HAD THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY A MONTH BECAUSE THE ORDERED AN AFTERMARKET RADIATOR IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE US MONEY. THE AFTER MARKER RADIATOR DID NOT FIT. I WAS INFORMED THIS PAST WEEKEND THAT AFTER SPEAKING WITH TOYOTA, TOYOTA HAS RECOGNIZED THIS ISSUE AND HAS DISCONTINUED THE STANDARD RADIATORS AND A NEW MODEL WITH MOUNTS NOW NEEDS TO BE ORDERED. OUR FEELING IS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS A DESIGN FLAW. WHAT CAN BE DONE? *TR

PASSENGER SIDE REAR AUTOMATIC DOOR FAILS TO SENSE A PERSON STANDING IN THE FRAME, ENTERING OR EXITING, AND CLOSES ON THEM. PASSENGER SIDE REAR AUTOMATIC DOOR CLOSES AUTOMATICALLY WHEN ON A DOWNHILL SLOPE, CLOSING ON PASSENGER IF THEY ARE STANDING IN THE FRAME. PASSENGER SIDE REAR AUTOMATIC DOOR IS FAILING TO CLOSE AND POPS BACK OPEN, REQUIRING A FORCE CLOSE BY HAND. DRIVER SIDE REAR MANUAL DOOR FAILED TO CLOSE AND LATCH. DEALER INDICATED IT WAS DUE TO FAULTY WELDS. THE ENTIRE DOOR WAS REQUIRED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR CABLE BROKE MAKING THE DOOR INOPERABLE. THE VAN CANNOT BE EXITED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. REPAIR INVOLVES MOTOR AND CABLE REPLACEMENT COSTING $1720. TOYOTA EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 9 YEARS FROM PURCHASE AND 120,000 MILES THEREBY ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR ISSUE TO A FAULTY PART. THEY WOULDN'T REPLACE IT UNTIL IT FAILED. THE CAR WAS GARAGED ITS ENTIRE 9 YEARS AND THEREFORE IT TOOK 127,550 MILES TO FAIL. EVEN THOUGH I AM WITHIN THE 9 YEARS OF PURCHASE BY 4 WEEKS, TOYOTA WON'T HONOR THE WARRANTY EXTENSION DUE TO BEING BEYOND 120,000 MILES. I WILL HAVE TO PAY THIS HIGH COST TO REPLACE A DOOR MOTOR OUT OF MY OWN POCKET. I WILL NEVER BUY A TOYOTA AGAIN. THIS CABLE SHOULD NEVER FAIL AND IS A FAULTY PRODUCT WHICH THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED. *TR

DRIVER HAD FOOT ON BRAKE TO COMPLETE PARKING IN DRIVEWAY WHEN CAR HAD SUDDEN SURGE OF ACCELERATION AND 'JUMPED' INTO A WHEELBARROW AND A PILE OF DIRT BEYOND AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. DEALER CHECKED CAR AND SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. *TR

THIS IS A COMPLAINT, NOT NECESSARILY A SAFETY ONE, BUT A COMPLAINT NONETHELESS. THE AIR CONDITIONING WENT OUT TWICE & HAD TO BE REPLACED TWO TIMES. VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. DISAPPOINTED IN MY TOYOTA. *TR

ACTUALLY HAPPENED LONG BEFORE 11/12 BUT FILING IT ALL TOGETHER - THIS MAY OR MAY NOT AFFECT THE AIRBAGS ON MY CAR. MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, BUT THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD IS RIDDLED WITH CRACKS. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THIS MAKE & MODEL & TOYOTA HAS NOT ADDRESSED IT. HAVE NO IDEA HOW I COULD DO A REPAIR. *TR

STEERING FLUID LEAK ON PASSENGER SIDE EATING THROUGH RUBBER BOOT - REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF RACK & PINION & SOME KIND OF RIGHT & LEFT FRONT BARS. THIS IS AN UNSAFE DEFECT IN THIS MODEL YEAR. APPARENTLY, OTHER 2004 SIENNA'S HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. *TR