2025 Toyota Sienna Hybrid

While driving my 2025 Toyota Sienna XLE with Sure Grip Push‑Rock electronic hand controls, the acceleration suddenly stops working without warning. When this happens, the hand control will not accelerate at all — only the brake still works — leaving me coasting in traffic with no way to speed up. This has happened multiple times at different speeds and creates an immediate danger because I can only slow down or stop, not accelerate out of the situation. At the same time these acceleration failures occur, the vehicle shows a “SRS Airbag System Malfunction” warning. Toyota’s internal records show the airbag system had faults before I bought the vehicle. The airbag warning and the acceleration failure often appear together, which makes me believe there is an electrical or wiring problem affecting multiple systems. I also discovered that Toyota documented underbody impact damage from a pothole months before I purchased the vehicle. This damage was not disclosed to me, and CARFAX does not show any record of this damage, even though Toyota’s own service history confirms it. The CARFAX report I received states “No accidents or damage reported to CARFAX”. I have owned multiple BraunAbility‑converted vehicles, and all of them have had electrical issues. BraunAbility cuts out the bottom of the vehicle for the lowered‑floor conversion and splices in their own wiring harness, which I believe is causing repeated electrical problems across different vehicles, including this one. Because the acceleration fails, the airbag system shows active faults, and the wiring appears to interfere with the vehicle’s safety systems, I am reporting this as a serious safety hazard.

The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), specifically the airbag system, is the component of concern. During a two-impact collision involving my 2025 Toyota Sienna XLE, none of the airbags deployed despite significant front-end damage that resulted in the vehicle being declared a total loss. The vehicle is currently in the possession of the insurance company or its storage facility. I do not know whether it has been released for salvage, but it may still be available for inspection. I, my wife, and our children were all wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision. After an oncoming vehicle struck the front-left portion of my vehicle while making a left turn, my vehicle lost control and collided with a concrete pillar. None of the airbags deployed during either impact. All occupants sustained injuries and were transported to the emergency department. I suffered injuries to my right leg, wrist, chest, neck and back. My wife sustained injuries to her neck, chest, back, and knee, and our children sustained injuries including head impacts. My wife and I continue to receive physical therapy. The vehicle was declared a total loss following the collision, and no dealer or independent repair facility has evaluated or reproduced the concern. The vehicle was inspected by the responding law enforcement officers at the crash scene, and a police crash report was completed. The insurance company (GEICO and Allstate Fire and Casualty) inspected the vehicle and declared it a total loss. To my knowledge, Toyota has not yet inspected the vehicle, and I do not know whether the Event Data Recorder (EDR) or Supplemental Restraint System has been analyzed. Prior to the collision, I did not observe any airbag warning lights, SRS warning messages, or other indications that there was a problem with the Supplemental Restraint System. The vehicle was operating normally before the crash.

The affected component appears to be the rear seat / seat track recall system. I took my Toyota vehicle to the dealership / repair center in approximately October 2025 for recall-related repair, and the vehicle was then kept there for months. During that time, I was deprived of the use of the vehicle while continuing to make lease payments. I repeatedly contacted the repair center for updates but was not provided a clear repair completion date. Toyota and the dealership later claimed that the recall had been repaired only after the stated 60-day buyback review period had expired, yet NHTSA’s VIN lookup still showed the same recall as unrepaired for my vehicle. No credible current documentation was provided showing the exact recall repair completion date or the work performed. Under these circumstances, I am not comfortable accepting return of the vehicle. My children ride in the rear seat, and because this recall involves the seat / seat track area, I cannot reasonably be expected to trust the vehicle without clear proof that the recall repair was properly completed. I have also experienced a serious accident in the past, which makes this issue even more concerning to me. At this point, I have lost confidence in Toyota’s handling of this matter. I am seeking repurchase of the vehicle and fair final resolution.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Airbags did not deploy How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Me, my wife & 4 small children were in the vehicle when it was struck - and none of the airbags deployed. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No