2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES. THE STEERING SEEMS TO HAVE LOST POWER STEERING CAPABILITIES AS WELL AS OVER TURNING WHEN GOING AROUND CURVES AND CORNERS. *TR

PASSENGER SLIDING POWER DOOR STOPPED WORKING. I MANUALLY TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR AND IT FELL OFF THE REAR HINGE POINT. I AM A MECHANICAL ENGINEER SPECIALIZING IN PRODUCT TESTING. I WORKED IN THE AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENT INDUSTRY FOR 11 YEARS. I CAN SAY THAT THIS DOOR SYSTEM IS WAY UNDER ENGINEERED. TOYOTA SHOULD BE FORCED TO FIX THIS. PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THIS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. I CALLED TOYOTA WHEN JUST THE AUTO OPEN/CLOSE SYSTEM WAS BROKEN. THEY TOLD ME I'M ON MY OWN. THAT SYSTEM FAILS IN TWO WAYS. 1.) IF THE AUTO OPEN/CLOSE SYSTEM FAILS IT SHOULD BREAK WAY FROM THE HINGING SYSTEM SO THE DOOR WILL JUST FUNCTION MANUALLY. INSTEAD IT JAMS THE DOOR IN THE POSITION IT BROKE IN. THAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. 2.) THE HINGE SYSTEM IS WAY UNDER ENGINEERED FOR LOAD. I AM A 180LB 46 YR OLD ENGINEER WHO IS SOFT AROUND THE MIDDLE. I'M NOT VERY STRONG. I TOOK THE DOOR OFF THE HINGE! THAT SHOULD NOT ABLE TO HAPPEN WITH SUCH A LOW FORCE RATE. I SEE THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL. TOYOTA ENGINEERS SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEM SELVES. THAT VAN COST OVER 40K BRAND NEW. IT'S ONLY 6 YEARS OLD AND HAS BEEN WELL CARED FOR. T'S A FAMILY/CHILD CARRIER. IT SHOULD BE DESIGNED LIKE A TANK IN MY OPINION. *TR

THE WIRE APPARATUS THAT FUNCTIONS OUR BOTH OF OUR AUTOMATIC SIDE DOORS ON OUR 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA HAS SNAPPED. BOTH DOORS NOW DO NOT FUNCTION CORRECTLY AND CAUSE THE ONE OF THE DOORS TO REQUIRE A LOT OF FORCE TO SHUT. MY ONLINE RESEARCH HAS ENLIGHTENED ME THAT THIS IS IN PREVALENT ISSUE ON THE 2004 SIENNA MINIVAN. PLEASE HELP! *TR

ITEM 1-- THIS IS AN AWD MODEL WITH RUN FLATS AND NO SPACE FOR A SPARE TIRE. THE LOW PRESSURE WARNING FOR THE TIRES IS REVOLUTION BASED, AND THEREFORE DOESN'T ACTIVATE DUE TO THE STIFF WALL RUN FLAT TIRES. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WHERE THE TIRES WERE VERY LOW WITH NO WARNING, AND TWO OCCASIONS WHERE THE TIRES HAD ZERO AIR AND WERE RUINED WITH NO WARNING, AND THE FIRST INDICATION WAS A ROAR AND SUDDEN VERY BUMPY RIDE. THESE 2 EVENTS HAPPENED AT CITY SPEEDS, BUT I FEAR THIS EVENT AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS. THE LATER MODELS WERE EQUIPPED WITH PRESSURE SENSING DEVICES (NOT REVOLUTION SENSING). THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 38K MILES, PERFECT CONDITION, AND I JUST RENEWED MY EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR 6 MORE YEARS, SO WOULD LIKE A RECALL RETROFIT TO PRESSURE SENSING FOR SAFETY AND PEACE OF MIND. I HAD THOUGHT TOYOTA WOULD DEVELOP A FIX, BUT TO NO AVAIL. I HAVE THIS DOCUMENTED ON TOYOTA SERVICE INVOICES AND THE FACTORY REP HAS REPORTED THERE IS NOTHING TOYOTA CAN DO. ITEM 2--- WHEN PULLING OUT FROM BEHIND A VEHICLE TO PASS AND FLOORING THE ACCELERATOR, THERE IS A FULL SECOND OF HESITATION BEFORE THE DOWN SHIFTING/ACCELERATION BEGINS. THIS HAS CAUSED TWO NEAR MISSES. THIS IS DOCUMENTED WITH TOYOTA, BUT ALL I'VE BEEN TOLD IS THAT IT IS CAUSED BY "DRIVE-BY-WIRE" (?), WHICH I ASSUME IS AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL AS OPPOSED TO A MECHANICAL THROTTLE CABLE, BUT AGAIN, TOYOTA SAYS THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED HE NOTICED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR CHECK MOUNT PANEL WAS NO LONGER WELDED IN SOME AREAS. HE STATED THE DOOR MADE A LOT OF NOISE WHEN OPENED OR CLOSED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE FAILURE A MONTH AGO. HE CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND IT WOULD BE COSTLY TO REPAIR TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,000.

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. BOTH SLIDING DOORS NOW HAVE BROKEN CABLES AND WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. THEY ONLY OPEN WHEN FORCED OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE REPAIR COST FROM A TOYOTA DEALER IS $1,600.00 PER DOOR. THE PART ITSELF COST $1,100.00 PLUS THE LABOR. THE DOORS NOW ARE A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE MY SON CAN NOT GET OUT OF THE BACK QUICKLY IF NEEDED. THE CABLES RUSTED AND SEVERED WHILE OPENING. THE DOORS DO NOT HAVE A MANUAL OVERRIDE TO ALLOW OPENING PROPERLY ONCE THE ELECTRONIC OPERATION IS COMPROMISED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT REMAIN CLOSED AND THE LATCH WOULD NOT CATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED TWICE BY THE DEALER BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AFTER THE THIRD FAILURE WHO OFFERED TO COVER THE COST OF THE PART AND THE CONTACT WOULD BE LIABLE FOR THE LABOR COSTS. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED FOR A THIRD REPAIR. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 64,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 24,000.

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA MOISTURE IN PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY DIMINISHES THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE LIGHT AND REDUCES VISIBILITY. TO REPLACE THE ASSEMBLY THE DEALER QUOTED OVER $400. THIS IS APPARENTLY A PROBLEM MANY TOYOTA SIENNA OWNERS HAVE. TOYOTA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE. DRIVING ON DARK, SMALL WINDING ROADS WITH ONE HEADLIGHT NOT GIVING OUT ENOUGH LIGHT IS DANGEROUS. SHAME ON TOYOTA FOR IGNORING THIS PROBLEM! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER DOOR WAS FRACTURED AND WOULD NOT OPEN ANY MORE THAN TWO INCHES. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE HINGES ON THE DOOR WERE NOT WELDED PROPERLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS THEN CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THEY WERE OFFERING AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE FAILURE, BUT SHE DID NOT FALL WITHIN THE CATEGORY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000.

WHAT I ASKED TOYOTA TO DO IS REPAIR MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR DUE TO A KNOWN DEFECT. LATE MODEL TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVANS HAVE MANUFACTURING DEFECTS THAT TOYOTA IS NOT WILLING TO ADDRESS. TOYOTA SIENNAS ARE PRONE TO DOOR POPPING WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING DUE TO BROKEN DOOR WELDS. I AM TOLD AFTER THE FACT THERE WAS A TOYOTA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN THAT WAS ISSUED TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT WAS NOT BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. THIS BULLETIN EXTENDED OUT THE REPAIR OF THIS DEFECT BY FIVE YEARS TO 2009. WHEN THE PROBLEM SURFACED ON MY SIENNA IN FEBRUARY, 2011, I WAS TOLD THE TOYOTA DISTRICT MANAGEMENT WOULD NOT FIX THIS DEFECT BECAUSE IT WAS PAST THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PERIOD OF 2009. TOYOTA MANAGEMENT REFUSES TO CORRECT THIS KNOWN DEFECT. MY ESCALATION HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED IN TOYOTA REFERENCE NUMBER 1103311750 TO THE TOYOTA