2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

THE SIDE DOORS HAVE A BUTTON YOU CAN PUSH FOR THEM TO OPEN. I WENT TO OPEN AND SHUT MY DAUGHTER DOOR AND IT WOULD NOT SHUT AFTER LOOKING IT OVER THE WIRE THAT COMES IN AND OUT FOR THE DOORS TO SHUT GOT STUCK IN THE O PART THAT THE CORD RETRACTS TO.BECAUSE OF THIS MY DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE MANUALLY OR AUTOMATIC PUSHING THE BUTTON. I AM ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CONTROL PANEL WHERE THE FUSES ARE UNDER THE HOOD. ONE FUSE GETS FIXED ANOTHER ONE BREAKS. I HAVE CONFIRMED THIS WITH A AUTO SHOP THE PROBLEM IS WITHIN THE CONTROL PANEL.

THE ANTI SKID CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN I AM DRIVING, ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY. IN ADDITION TO THE LIGHT, THERE IS WARNING BEEPING, AS IF I'M SLIDING ON ICE. AT THE SAME TIME, I COMPLETELY LOSE CONTROL OF THE ACCELERATION AND BRAKING. IT'S VERY SCARY, AND I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND MY FAMILY'S. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES ON CLEAR, DRY DAYS, SO IT'S DEFINITELY NOT CAUSED BY THE ROAD BEING WET OR ICY.

THE SHIFTER LEVER MADE A SOUND AND BEHAVED AS IF PLASTIC WAS BREAKING INSIDE OF IT. THIS HAPPENED WHEN SHIFTING OUT OF "PARK", AND INTO GEAR WHEN THE CAR WAS STATIONARY. AFTER THIS, THE SHIFTING LEVER BECAME LOOSE AND DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE THE TENSION TO "SPRING" THE LEVER INTO THE APPROPRIATE POSITION NATURALLY. FOR EXAMPLE, NORMALLY THE SHIFT LEVER WILL HAVE TENSION PUSHING TOWARD THE LEFT SO THAT THE SHIFT LEVER ENGAGES PARK WITHOUT HAVING TO MANUALLY PRESS IT INTO PLACE. NOW IT WILL FLOAT TO THE RIGHT AND MAY NOT ENGAGE INTO "PARK" WITHOUT THE DRIVER SPECIFICALLY CONCENTRATING ON PRESSING IT TO THE LEFT. THIS VEHICLE IS CURRENT WITH ALL OF ITS RECALLS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LATEST SPARE TIRE CARRIER CABLE INSPECTION ISSUED IN 2014. THE SPECIFIC PART THAT HAS BROKEN IS UNKNOWN, BUT I SUSPECT THERE IS PROBABLY A TENSION SPRING ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHIFT LEVER WHICH HELPS KEEP IT IN THE DESIRED LOCATION WHICH HAS BROKEN. THERE ARE THREADS ON THE INTERNET TALKING ABOUT A PART THAT MAY BE RELATED AS DESCRIBED IN THIS THREAD: HTTPS://WWW.SIENNACHAT.COM/FORUM/66-PROBLEMS-MAINTENANCE-REPAIR-GEN-2/679-BROKEN-SHIFTER-05-XLE.HTML THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE SHIFT LEVER MAY NOT ENGAGE OR STAY IN THE DESIRED POSITION CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BEHAVE IN UNPREDICTABLE WAYS. FIRST, THE DRIVER MAY BELIEVE THAT THE SHIFTER IS IN "PARK", BUT IT MAY NOT HAVE ENGAGED AND MAY INSTEAD BE IN NEUTRAL CAUSING THE THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY. SECOND, WHILE DRIVING, THE SHIFT LEVER COULD MOVE OUT OF POSITION OR SLIP INTO A DIFFERENT GEAR OR "NEUTRAL" CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BEHAVE IN UNEXPECTED WAYS AND CAUSE THE DRIVER TO BECOME DISTRACTED (SUCH AS WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE), LEADING TO UNSAFE DRIVING. THIRD, THE VEHICLE MAY CHANGE SPEEDS ABRUPTLY WHICH MAY CONFUSE OTHER DRIVERS WHEN DRIVING BY THE VEHICLE. ALL OF THESE THINGS COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT.

I HAVE A 2004 SIENNA WITH ~125,000 MILES ON ITAND THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS. IT HAPPENED TWICE IN A SPAN OF 5 MINUTES, AND THEN DIDN; SINCE THEN IT HAS OCCURRED WITH GREATER FREQUENCY AND INTERMITTENT SEVERITY. IN ALMOST ALL CASES, IT OCCURS WHEN DRIVING 55-70 MPH AND WHILE GOING AROUND A RIGHT HAND BEND IN THE ROAD, THE "SKID" LIGHT WILL COME ON, BEEP, AND THEN THE BRAKES WILL SUDDENLY ENGAGE, CAUSING THE CAR TO PULL ONE WAY OR THE OTHER (OFTEN LEFT TOWARDS ONCOMING TRAFFIC). AS SOON AS YOU EXIT THE CURVE, THE LIGHT GOES OFF AND YOU CAN ACCELERATE BACK TO SPEED.

TRACTION CONTROL KICKS IN FOR NO REASON, TRATION BEEPING AND TIRES LOCK,AT FREWAY SPEED TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVATES AND CUTS OFF SPEED DRAMATICALLY.VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND USUALLY ON A SLIGHT CURVE TO THE RIGHT, THE TRACTION CONTROL ALARM AND BREAKS GO OFF CAUSING THE VAN TO JERK AND SHAKE. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS MIGHT BE LOW TIRE PRESSURE BUT THE TIRES ARE FINE. WE HAVE HAD AN ALIGNMENT, NEW TIRES THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE IT FOR THE MECHANIC. WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS MAYBE HAPPENING 20 TIMES. I FEEL IT IS JUST NOT SAFE ENOUGH TO DRIVE OR PASS THIS PROBLEM ON TO SOMEONE ELSE. I WOULDN'T WANT THE CAR ON THE ROAD WITH ME EITHER I HAVE READ ONLINE OF OTHER TOYOTA SIENNA'S WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT ISOLATED AND IS A SAFETY CONCERN.

ELECTRICAL FIRE INSIDE PARKED VAN OCCURRED OVERNIGHT AND BURNED DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SEATS, DASH, AND ALL AIR VENTS AND ALL PLASTIC COMPONENT LOCATED NEAR ALL VENTS. VAN WAS PARKED ON STREET IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.

MY VAN WAS IN A PARKING LOT. IT WAS A CLEAR HUMID 95 DEGREE DAY. HADN'T RAINED IN DAYS. THE VAN HADN'T BEEN WASHED RECENTLY. I OPENED THE REAR LIFTGATE MANUALLY, GOT IN THE VAN BUT IT WOULDN'T CLOSE WITH THE INTERIOR BUTTON IN SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. IT TOOK 4 ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE IT MANUALLY. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED. I DIDN'T MAKE NOTE OF THE NUMBER OF BEEPS EMITTED. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, I DIDN'T TAKE NOTE OF THE WEATHER CONDITIONS, BUT THE LIFTGATE WOULD ONLY CLOSE AFTER REPEATED MANUAL ATTEMPTS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND A WARNING CHIME SOUNDED. THE VEHICLE LOST STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITY, AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO JERK FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND THE FAILURES WENT AWAY AFTER THIRTY SECONDS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURES RANDOMLY STARTED APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AGO AND GREW WORSE. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE LOCK ON THE SLIDING DOOR SHOWED THAT IT WAS UNLOCKED; HOWEVER, NO ONE COULD EXIT THE VEHICLE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

TOOK SIENA IN TO TOYOTA FOR RECALL ON SPARE TIRE ASSEMBLY. WAS TOLD THAT WHILE UP ON THE RACKS, NOTICED BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS WERE BROKEN AND NEED TO BE REPLACED ASAP.