2005 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED ON THREE OCCASIONS. IT WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD AND COASTED TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.

SIDE MIRRORS BREAK VERY EASILY, AND SPRAY A TYPE OF ANTIFREEZE ON THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS ANTIFREEZE STAINS/CORRODES THE PAINT PERMANENTLY, REQUIRING A PAINT JOB. ON A MINIVAN, THIS COSTS UPWARDS OF $1500-2000, AS THE ENTIRE SIDE OF THE VAN WAS SPLATTERED. I SIMPLY BUMPED MIRRORS AT A VERY LOW SPEED ON A NARROW STREET, THE GLASS SHATTERED, AND THE ANTIFREEZE SPRAYED THE CAR. THE MAIN HOUSING OF THE MIRROR WAS NOT DAMAGED, ILLUSTRATING THAT THIS WAS IN FACT A VERY MINOR AND SMALL IMPACT. IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT IT CAUSED THE GLASS IN THE MIRROR TO BREAK, BUT TO CAUSE A $2000 REPAIR IS VERY BAD. DEALERSHIP REPORTED OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE AS WELL. CARS ARE JUDGED IN PART BY HOW EXPENSIVE THEY ARE TO REPAIR IN A MINOR COLLISION. THIS WASN'T EVEN A TRUE COLLISION! *NM

2005 TOYOTA SIENNA LIFT GATE STRUT FAIL, CAUSING THE LIFT GATE TO FALL ON USERS. *NM

THERE IS A FAULT IN THE GAS SENSOR WHICH GOES FROM THE PEDAL TO THE ENGINE. THE CAR FAILS TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, THEN SUDDENLY LEAPS FORWARD, THROWING THE OCCUPANTS BACK AGAINST THE SEATS. IT IS DANGEROUS TO TRY TO ENTER A HIGHWAY, PASS A SLOWER VEHICLE, OR RETAIN SPEED WHEN GOING UPHILL.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH ON DRY FLAT ROAD CONDITIONS, THE FRONT PASSENGER RUN FLAT TIRE LOST AIR. AT THE SAME TIME, A REDUCED TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER, AND UPON VISUAL INSPECTION, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE TIRE HAD LOST AIR PRESSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN 6 MILES TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE, AND THE TIRE FAILED COMPLETELY UPON ARRIVAL. ON 10/05/06, THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND DETERMINED THAT THE TIRES WOULD BE REPLACED UNDER THE 36000 MILE WARRANTY. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THAT A VEHICLE WITHOUT A SPARE TIRE POSED A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK IN THE EVENT THAT A CONSUMER'S TIRE FAILED ON A HIGHWAY WITHOUT A CELL PHONE. THE FRONT PASSENGER RUN FLAT TIRE WAS REPLACED UNDER A RECALL ONCE BEFORE WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD 18000 MILES BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE TREAD WEAR. THE TIRE MANUFACTURER WAS DUNLOP. LINE WAS TUBELESS AND SIZE WAS 17 IN.

MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM WITH TIRE AIR PRESSURE SYSTEM. NORMAL TIRE PRESSURE IS 35 PSI. BECAUSE OF THE TIRE DESIGN, YOU CAN RUN WITH VERY LOW AIR PRESSURE AND NOT FEEL IT (ON A NORMAL CAR, IT IS VERY OBVIOUS). THAT IS WHY TOYOTA HAD TO PUT IN THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM/LIGHT. TWICE THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM DID NOT COME ON UNTIL A TIRE HAD ~10 PSI. THAT IS A DANGEROUS LEVEL. THE FIRST TIME I DID NOTHING AND THE TIRE WAS REPLACED BY THE TIRE MANUFACTURER (NAIL ISSUE) AND THE TIRE WAS LESS THEN 7 MONTHS OLD. THE SECOND TIME, I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER. THEY TESTED TWO WAYS: 1) ON THE COMPUTER AND IT PASSED; 2) TEST DRIVE WHERE ALERT LIGHT CAME ON BELOW 18 PSI. IN MY TESTING IT CAME ON BETWEEN 10-15 PSI AND IN REAL LIFE CLOSER TO 10-11 PSI (BASED ON MY 2 PROBLEMS). CHECKING TIRE PRESSURE DAILY DOES NOT HELP BECAUSE IN REAL LIFE, IF YOU TAKE A TRIP YOU CAN DRIVE FOR 3-6 HOURS WHICH IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE TIRE DURING THE TRIP, YOU WILL NOT KNOW UNTIL IT FAILS (AGAIN THIS IS BECAUSE UNLIKE NORMAL TIRES, YOU CAN NOT TELL THE TIRE HAS LOST SIGNIFICANT AIR PRESSURE. YOU CAN READ HERE AND OTHER PLACES ABOUT THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURES OTHERS HAVE HAD IN JUST THIS SITUATION. I SPENT MANY MANY HOURS ON THE PHONE WITH TOYOTA TO GET THE SPECIFICATION ON WHEN THE SYSTEM SHOULD ALERT YOU. I WAS ONCE TOLD IT IS A DIFFERENCE OF MORE THEN 5 PSI. HOWEVER, IT SEEMS THAT TOYOTA HAS NO PUBLISHED SPEC FOR HOW THE SYSTEM SHOULD WORK IN REAL LIFE. THIS IS DEFECTIVE AND TOYOTA IS NOT TELLING US THE TRUTH. ALL SYSTEMS HAVE TO BE DESIGNED TO A SPEC. THIS SYSTEM WAS AND THERE IS SOMEWHERE AT TOYOTA A SPEC. THEY ARE NOT SHARING WITH CONSUMERS BECAUSE OF THE IMPLICATION IT WOULD HAVE (THEY WILL HAVE TO RECALL/FIX THEM). I DO HOPE SOMEONE AT THE NHTSA WILL PURSUE THIS SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR FAMILIES. *NM

EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR ON TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN AWD. 2005 AWD 19,000 MILES. EXCESSIVE NOISE. HAS TAKEN TO DEALER TWICE TO TRY AND GET REPLACEMENT. I READ NUMEROUS INCIDENTS WITH THESE TIRE AND THE INABILITY OF THE TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. TO FIX THE PROBLEM. DUNLOP TIRES *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD DIFFICULTY SWITCHING GEARS AND CAUSED ACCELERATION ISSUES. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED THE COMPUTER SYSTEM ADJUSTED TO THE DRIVER AND THIS WAS A NORMAL FUNCTION. HOWEVER, THE CONTACT STATED THE GEARS DID NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. UPDATED 10/18/2006 - THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE WHEN PICKING UP SPEED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER FOUND CODE FOR EVAP PURGE VALVE. THE TECHNICIAN FOUND THE VACUUM LINES OFF AT INTAKE. *NM

TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM ON MY 2005 SIENNA AWD (13,000 MILES) TURNED ON. CHECKED PRESSURE IN ALL TIRES, LEFT REAR WAS BELOW 15 PSI, ALL OTHERS WERE 25 PSI (RECOMMENDED PRESSURE IS NTE 51 PSI). FILLED TIRE TO SPECIFICATION TIRE PRESSURE AND LIGHT RESCINDED. WITHIN 5 DAYS, LIGHT REAPPEARED WITH SAME PROCEDURES AND RESULTS. TOOK TO THE DEALER. DEALER REPLACED SINGLE TIRE INDICATING A NAIL WAS FOUND. WITHIN 30 MILES, THE REPLACEMENT TIRE DEFLATED (DUNLOP, OEM RUN FLAT TIRES) ON FREEWAY. NO TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AIR PRESSURE WAS CHECKED AND DID NOT REGISTER ANY PRESSURE, ASSUME 0 PSI. TRIGGERED TO CHECK TIRE PRESSURE AFTER HEARING A LOUD POPPING SOUND. TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM IS NOT OPERATING AS EXPECTED AND DEALER INDICATES THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND "THAT'S JUST HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS". REMAINING DUNLOP OEM RUN FLAT TIRES DO NOT RETAIN PRESSURE GREATER THAN 25 PSI. DEALER SAYS THEY RETAIN PRESSURE WHEN MONITORED THERE. BUT WITHIN 5 DAYS, PRESSURE RETURNS TO 25 PSI. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE LIFT GATE WAS OPENED, THE LEFT REAR SUPPORT HYDRAULIC STRUT FRACTURED AND THE LIFT GATE FELL DOWN WITHOUT WARNING. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED BOTH REAR LIFT GATE HYDRAULIC SUPPORT STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.