2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING FROM OHIO TO FLORIDA, ON SPRING BREAK. I WAS THE SOLE ADULT IN THE VEHICLE WITH MY TWO DAUGHTERS, WHO WERE RIDING IN THE MIDDLE SEATS. WE HAD TRAVELED ALL DAY AND HAD STOPPED IN LAKE CITY, FL TO FILL UP WITH GAS. WHEN WE GOT BACK ON THE HIGHWAY (I-75), MY DAUGHTER TOLD ME SHE WAS HOT. IT WAS JUST AFTER 8 PM AND THE SUN HAD SET. NOT WANTING TO TURN ON THE AIR CONDITIONER, I TOLD HER I WOULD OPEN THE REAR VENT WINDOWS TO MOVE AIR THROUGH THE CAR. I PUSHED THE BUTTON TO OPEN THE REAR VENT WINDOWS, AND THE WINDOW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FLEW OFF THE VAN. I HEARD THE NOISE, AND MY DAUGHTER YELLED THAT THE WINDOW WAS GONE. I LOOKED IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR TO SEE THE WINDOW SAILING THROUGH THE AIR IN THE DRAFT OF THE VAN. THEN IT CRASHED AND SHATTERED ALL OVER THE HIGHWAY. WE WERE VERY LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS TRAVELING DIRECTLY BEHIND US. I SLOWED DOWN AND WAITED FOR ANY CARS TRAVELING BEHIND ME TO PASS AND TO SEE IF ANYONE WAS GOING TO PULL OVER. NO ONE STOPPED, AND THERE WAS NO REASON FOR ME TO GO BACK FOR THE SHATTERED WINDOW. I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT AN EXCESSIVE SPEED. THANKFULLY MY VAN WAS THE ONLY CAR INVOLVED AND NO ONE GOT HURT. ONE EXPECTATION THAT I HAVE WHEN I BUY A CAR IS THAT THE WINDOWS WONT FLY OFF WHEN I OPEN THEM DURING NORMAL OPERATION, NO MATTER HOW OLD THE CAR IS. MY CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, AND FURTHER MORE IT HAD JUST BEEN IN THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE 90K MAINTENANCE AND BODY CHECK.

PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR FAILED TO OPEN WHEN USING REMOTE AS WELL AS WHEN IT WAS MANUALLY ATTEMPTED TO OPEN. GOOD THING WE HAVE ONE MANUAL SLIDING DOOR...THOUGH THIS DOOR IS AUTOMATICALLY LOCKED WHEN GAS TANK DOOR IS OPEN. UPDATED 08-29-11 *BF UPDATED 3/08/2012 *LN

THE CABLE WHICH DRIVES THE SLIDING DOOR IS COMPLETELY EXPOSED TO ELEMENTS. (YOU'LL FIND IT WITHIN THE GROOVE LOCATED UNDER THE REAR SIDE WINDOWS) THIS CABLE IS MADE OF SOME KIND OF METAL (STEEL? WHO KNOWS.) THEN COATED WITH A BLACK PLASTIC/ACRYLIC/RUBBER CASING (SUCH AS AN ELECTRICAL WIRE). WITH TIME, THE CASING BEGINS TO DRY AND BE BRITTLE, CAUSING IT TO CRACK AND FALL OFF THE WIRE, LEAVING THE WIRES COMPLETELY VULNERABLE TO GETTING WET, RUST, FREEZE, ETC, ALSO RUBBING EXTENSIVELY UNPROTECTED AGAINST THE GEARS. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OR EVEN WEEKS, THE METAL CABLE WIRES SNAP THUS GETTING CAUGHT IN THE MECHANISM. ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER AND THE WHOLE CABLE SNAPS, MAKING THE DOOR JAM ALTOGETHER. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED ON AN INCLINE, THE CABLE FRACTURED AND THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR SLAMMED SHUT. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOTOR AND CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DENIED ASSISTING THE CONTACT WITH THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TOYOTA SIENNA AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR FAILED. THE DOOR IS UNABLE TO BE OPENED EVEN IN MANUAL MODE. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS MY CHILDREN NEED TO CLIMB OVER SEATS TO EXIT THROUGH THE ONLY DOOR THAT WORKS. WHEN THAT CABLE MECHANISM BREAKS, THEY WILL HAVE NO WAY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY. *TR

MOST RECENTLY, PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC DOOR STOPPED MID-WAY, I CLOSED IT MANUALLY, DROVE A COUPLE OF FEET AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. THEN THE CAR WOULD NOT START. DOOR IS NOT WORKING AUTOMATICALLY ONLY MANUALLY. STARTED EASILY WITH JUMPER CABLES BUT CONTINUES TO NOT START ON ITS OWN MOST OF THE TIME, USUALLY WHEN ENGINE IS COLD IT WON'T START ON ITS WON. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO AND DEALER SAID IT NEEDED A STARTER EVEN THOUGH I SHOWED PRINTOUT FROM TOW TRUCK SHOWING IT WASN'T THE STARTER. THIS ALSO HAPPENED SOME TIME BEFORE THAT AND DEALER SAID I NEEDED A NEW BATTERY AND THAT SEEMED TO FIX THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE I FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR AND THE DEALER DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR MAKES A POPPING NOISE WHEN OPENED & CLOSED. DEALER INSPECTED IT AND INDICATED IT WAS A DRIVER STRAP WELD THAT IS BAD. DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER OFFERED TO COVER 50% OF REPAIR WHICH I REFUSED AS THIS IS A COMMON DEFECT WITH SIENNAS ('04 TO '07). TOYOTA PREVIOUSLY ISSUED A "WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT" FOR THIS DEFECT BUT HAS NOT BEEN ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR POOR DESIGN AND MATERIALS. A CALL TO TOYOTA CONSUMER AFFAIRS WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN RESOLVING THE PAYMENT ISSUE. *TR

WE HAD USED THE AUTOMATIC OVERHEAD BUTTON TO OPEN THE REAR DRIVER'S SLIDING DOOR. AFTER OUR CHILDREN GOT IN THE CAR, WE TRIED TO USE THE BUTTON AGAIN TO CLOSE THE DOOR, HOWEVER THE DOOR STOPPED MIDWAY BECAUSE THE CABLE CAME OFF IT'S TRACK. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CLOSE THE DOOR WHILE THE CABLE WAS OFF THE TRACK, SO WE HAD TO CUT THE CABLE AND REMOVE IT IN ORDER TO SHUT THE DOOR. WE CAN ONLY USE THE DOOR MANUALLY NOW, HOWEVER, IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO OPEN AND CLOSE, ESPECIALLY ON THE SLIGHTEST INCLINE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR WHOEVER IS SITTING IN THE REAR SEATS, TYPICALLY MY CHILDREN, FOR IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT, IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO GET OUT. APPARENTLY THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR YEARS WITH THE TOYOTA SIENNA'S AND TOYOTA WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGERS AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR REQUIRED EXTENSIVE FORCE WHEN IT WAS OPENED MANUALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE POWER SLIDING DOOR MOTOR. THE SERVICE WARRANTY EXPIRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT AND WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

RADIATOR LEAK, CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. COULD CAUSE CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. TOYOTA WILL NOT ADDRESS REPAIR. *TR UPDATED 3/01/2012 *LN