2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR WAS MALFUNCTIONING DUE TO THE HENGE FAILING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AND HAD NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MIELAGES WERE 92,000.

ON MARCH 13, 2012, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR WAS SERIOUSLY STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. IT WOULD START TO CLOSE, BUT THEN POP BACK. IT WOULD NOT CLOSE IN MANUAL MODE EITHER. SINCE THEN, IT'S HAPPENED ONE ADDITIONAL TIME. EVENTUALLY, WE WERE ABLE TO FORCEFULLY SHUT THE DOOR. TODAY, MAY 17, 2012, THE DEALER (TANSKY TOYOTA IN COLUMBUS, OHIO) INSPECTED THE DOOR BUT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE IT WASN'T SYMPTOMATIC AT THE TIME OF MY APPOINTMENT. I'M LEFT HOPING THAT THE DOOR WILL GET STUCK AGAIN (AND WHEN I'M NEAR THE DEALER) BEFORE THE NEW LIMITED WARRANTY EXTENSION (A TOYOTA CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM) EXPIRES FOR MY VEHICLE. GIVEN THE SAFETY ISSUES, I SUGGEST A FORCED RECALL TO BEST PROTECT THE OWNERS FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT WEBBING FAILED TO RETRACT AND PROPERLY RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT. THE EXCESS WEBBING WAS HANGING ON THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO PERFORMED A TEMPORARY REPAIR. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE ENTIRE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

THE RIGHT SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS ACCUMULATING MOISTURE AND CONDENSATION INSIDE WHICH CAUSES THE HEADLIGHT TO FAIL. *TR

CAR ROLLED BACK WHILE ON A SLOPE WITH PARKING BRAKE FULLY APPLIED, IN PARK, AND ENGINE OFF. ROLLED BACK ABOUT 6-9 INCHES AS SOON AS FOOTBRAKE WAS RELEASED, WITH A CHILD IMMEDIATELY BEHIND CAR AT THAT TIME. I LATER FOUND THE PROBLEM IS A WORN REAR DIFFERENTIAL FRONT SUPPORT ARM USED ON ALL SIENNA AWD'S, AND LIKELY OTHER TOYOTA'S THAT SHARE THE SAME AWD DRIVETRAIN DESIGN. PER THE TOYOTA OWNER BOARDS, IT APPARENTLY COMMONLY FAILS AND SELLS FOR OVER $200 FOR JUST THE PART. HOWEVER, IT REALLY CONCERNS ME HERE BECAUSE WHEN IT FAILS, IT ALLOWS PLAY IN THE DRIVELINE, WHICH THEN RESULTS IN THE CAR BEING ABLE TO ROLL FOR 6 INCHES PLUS EVEN W/ PARKING BRAKE APPLIED UNTIL IT REACHES THE LIMIT OF ITS PLAY. ON A SLOPE AND WITH SOMEONE JUST IN FRONT OR BEHIND THE CAR THAT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR EVEN DEATH BY EITHER IMPACT OR CRUSHING. DANGEROUS DESIGN AND POOR RELIABILITY. *TR

TAIL GATE DROPPED WITHOUT WARNING FALLING 4 TIMES AND STRIKING OPERATOR ON HEAD. ITEM WAS RECALLED IN 2008 AND TOYOTA IS FAILING TO MAKE THE REPAIR UNDER THE RECALL. THIS RECALL SHOULD COVER THIS INCIDENT AS IT IS STILL THE SAME PROBLEM AND IS DANGEROUS. THE FIX WAS NOT PERFORMED PROPERLY OTHERWISE THE SAFETY WOULD WORK AND THE TAIL GAIT WOULD NOT DROP ONTO THE OPERATORS HEAD. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING POWER DOOR BECAME DIFFICULT TO PULL CLOSED. OCCASIONALLY STUCK IN CLOSED POSITION SUCH THAT SOMEONE OUTSIDE HAS TO LET PASSENGER OUT. POWER SLIDING NOT WORKING, MUST BE PULLED MANUALLY. TAKEN INITIALLY TO MY REGULAR MECHANIC AT 99598 MILES, HAVE DOCUMENTATION. TOLD TO GO TO TOYOTA. I WAITED UNTIL I NEEDED OIL CHANGE AND ANOTHER RECALL DONE TO GO LAST WEEK AT 109639 MILES, VAN AGE = 9 YEARS AND 13 DAYS. I AM TOLD THE ACTUATOR, CABLE, AND LATCH NEED REPLACING AND THAT THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT, WITH TOYOTA EXTENDING WARRANTY TO 120,000 MILES OR 9 YEARS. TOYOTA WILL NOT COVER MY CAR UNDER THIS WARRANTY BECAUSE IT IS 13 DAYS PAST, THOUGH UNDER THE MILEAGE LIMIT, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF THE PROBLEM FROM 7 MONTHS AGO. COST OF PARTS $1167, LABOR $1069. UNAFFORDABLE. CORPORATE OFFICE SAID THEY WOULD COVER PARTS AS A "GOODWILL GESTURE" BUT DO NOT CARE THAT MY DOOR HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING FOR A LONG TIME AND I HAVE DOCUMENTATION TO THIS EFFECT, AND THIS WARRANTY EXTENSION WASN'T EVEN AVAILABLE UNTIL THIS MONTH, TO MY KNOWLEDGE. THE DANGER FROM THIS PROBLEM IS THAT THE DOOR CAN BECOME STUCK IN THE CLOSED POSITION. IF THIS HAPPENED AFTER A BAD CAR ACCIDENT OR FIRE, YOUNG OCCUPANTS COULD BECOME TRAPPED. HOWEVER TOYOTA IS NOT WILLING TO ADDRESS THIS KNOWN DEFECT AND PREFERS TO ACCEPT THIS RISK. THERE ARE COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS OF SIENNA SLIDING DOORS BECOMING STUCK AT ALL AGES OF VEHICLE. THE 2004 SIENNA WAS THE FIRST MODEL YEAR OF A NEW DESIGN AND HAS SUFFERED A MUCH HIGHER THAN USUAL NUMBER OF RECALLS. TOYOTA SHOULD SIMPLY RECALL AND REPAIR THEIR SLIDING DOORS RATHER THAN RISK THEIR CUSTOMER'S LIVES. *JS

STEERING ON OUR VEHICLE SLIPS THEN BECOMES VERY HARD TO TURN, AND IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO TURN. WHEN COMPLETING A TURN, SOMETIMES THERE IS OVERCORRECTION DUE TO THIS DIFFICULT TURNING THEN STEERING SLIPPAGE FLUID LEVELS ARE FINE, NO LEAKS. SOME SIENNA'S HAVE RECALLS ON CRANK-SHAFT PULLEY THAT CAN CAUSE STEERING PROBLEMS, BUT CURRENTLY OUR VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. VEHICLE HAS 71,000 MILES ON IT ANT I AM TOLD IT NEEDS A $1400 STEERING RACK. *TR

DRIVERS DOOR POPPING SOUND. BRACKET LEVER FOR DOOR STOP MOUNTING PLATE BROKEN LOOSE. DEALER REFERRED ME TO AUTO BODY SHOP. ADVISED NEED FOR NEW DOOR: WELDING THE PLATE BACK ON HAS NOT PROVEN SUCCESSFUL. IT JUST BREAKS OFF AGAIN. COST OVER $3000. DEALER SAID TOYOTA EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 5 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. I WAS NOT ADVISED AND AM NOW OUTSIDE THOSE LIMITS. ANOTHER TOYOTA BOONDOGGLE/COVER-UP ALONG WITH THEIR SURGING ACCELERATION; AND MORE.. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE. LATE LAST YEAR, BOTH OF MY POWER SLIDING DOORS BROKE WITHIN A WEEK OF EACH OTHER. THE CABLE THAT OPERATES THE DOORS FRAYED AND SNAPPED APART. I WAS ABLE TO FORCE THE DOORS CLOSED BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO OPEN THEM SINCE. MY KIDS HAVE HAD TO CLIMB THRU THE FRONT SEATS UNTIL WE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THEM. I TALKED TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO FIX THEM THE COST OF THE PARTS ONLY WOULD BE $1200 A DOOR. THIS COST INCLUDED A NEW MOTOR AND CABLE BECAUSE TOYOTA DOES NOT REPLACE JUST THE CABLE. I BELIEVE THIS CABLE ISSUE SHOULD OF BEEN UPGRADED TO A RECALL MANY YEARS AGO AND IS VERY DISCOMFORTING TO US WHO ARE LOYAL TOYOTA DRIVERS. WE AS DRIVERS HAVE PAID $30K+ FOR OUR VEHICLES AND BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM ON A FEATURE THAT WE PAID FOR AS AN UPGRADE TO THE ORIGINAL PACKAGE. THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM NATIONWIDE FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ON SEVERAL WEBSITES AND BLOGS AND INCLUDES SEVERAL DIFFERENT YEAR MODELS FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE MY STORY AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT THIS ISSUE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. *TR