2021 Toyota Redundant Sienna

The third row seats in the new Sienna, like most minivans, fold flat into the floor. However, there is no latch to hold the seats in place when folded. I noticed this immediately after taking delivery of the van in April because when the seats are folded, they bounce a bit over bumps. On web forums for the car, other owners mention this as well. However, twice in the last two weeks while I was driving the car, the seats popped up out of the rear well and latched violently into place. The first time this occurred was driving over a pothole at about 40 mph, and the second over a speed bump at about 25 mph. I was terrified the first time it occurred - there was a very loud metal on metal noise and impact at the rear of the van. I thought I had hit something, but when I checked after I got home, the seats were out of the well with the bottom cushions latched into place as they would be if the seats were unfolded for use (the backrests remained folded on the bottom cushions). This is a major safety issue. The third row is split into two independent sides, so if anyone was sitting in one side of the seat, they could easily be injured if the other side suddenly sprang from the well. A pet in the rear of the car could easily be killed. Depending on weight, cargo in the rear could be thrown around the car. Finally, as it was for me, this could be a major distraction for the driver. I checked online, and many others 2021 sienna owners have reported issues with the third row and some have reported the same issue with the seats springing out if the well and latching in place.

Van has just over 5k miles. Multiple warnings occurred while at speed on a highway. Primary warning was 'Low Brake Power' and braking became extremely touchy as it seemed to utilize the emergency brake as a backup. This extreme braking is hazardous and could result in an accident caused by braking too quickly - with a possible rear-end collision by traffic to the rear. Additional warnings/malfunctions were listed as well, due to the low brake power: LTA Malfunction (Lane keep assist), Automatic Emergency Brake Malfunction, Parking Brake Malfunction, Check Engine. There were no symptoms of poor braking prior to the incident. Dealer filed a TAS report with Toyota to address the problem, and was subsequently inspected by the Toyota Field Representative. Initially could not duplicate/identify the issue and the van was returned. Within one week the incident reoccurred, again on the highway. Van is currently with the dealer and the Brake Booster and Brake Master Cylinder will be replaced. Expect the dealer will retain the parts.

With the rear seat entertainment system in use, the rear visibility is completely blocked in conjunction with the standard rear view mirror. This is a major design defect and is avoidable with available options that should be standard. Without being able to utilize all possible ways to view around the vehicle, Toyota has put its owners, occupants, and fellow drivers at unnecessary risk. An easy remedy is Toyota retrofitting and including going forward their digital rear view mirror.

When the 3rd-row folding seats are down and stored and the breaks are applied suddenly the seat will release and attempt to return a nonstored position. I had a box of water on top of the seat to keep it from moving. Unfortunately when I breaked the box moved and the seat left the stored position and crushed the water bottles. If I had had a pet back there they would have been injured.