1998 Toyota Sienna

VEHICLE WAS RUNNING & SUN ROOF OPENED WHEN SON, 3- YEAR OLD GOT HIS HEAD STUCK. AS HE WAS TURNING AROUND, HIT THE BUTTON & SUNROOF STARTED TO CLOSE. CHILD'S HEAD GOT CAUGHT JUST ABOVE THE EARS. WAS HARD TO RELEASE. COULD HEAR SUN ROOF MOTOR RUNNING, TRIED TO CLOSE. 5 PEOPLE PUSHED & PULLED TO RELEASE CHILD'S HEAD. FINALLY CHILD'S HEAD CAME OUT. STARTED VEHICLE & SUN ROOF TRIED TO CLOSE, BUT WOULD ONLY GO BACKWARDS OR FORWARDS 4 INCHES. VEHICLE AT DEALER'S. *AK

BEGINNING AT 4,000 MILES, THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD A RECURRING, INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING MECHANISM. WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN, THE STEERING LOCKS AND CONTINUES TO TURN THE VEHICLE IN A CIRCLE. IT RELEASES ONLY WHEN MANUALLY FORCED BACK TO CENTER. DURING THE COLDER, WINTER MONTHS, THIS WOULD HAPPEN 2 OR 3 TIMES A DAY IN HEAVY CITY TRAFFIC. I HAVE HAD THE POWER STEERING CHECKED BY THE DEALER ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE DEALER INSISTS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS NEARLY 19.,000 MILES ON IT AND THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE. ON FRIDAY, JULY 2, 1999, BECAUSE OF A LOCK UP OF THE STEERING MECHANISM, I NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BY BEING FORCED INTO THE CROSS TRAFFIC WHICH WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION, WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON SUNDAY, JULY 4, 1999. THE POWER STEERING WAS CHECKED AGAIN BY THE DEALER ON JULY 8, 1999, WHO INSISTS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG! *AK

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, STEERING ASSEMBLY WILL MOMENTARILY NOT RETURN TO CENTER, BUT WILL STICK AT ~30DEGREES LEFT OF CENTER. EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO RETURN STEERING TO CENTER, ELSE IT WILL REMAIN IN LOCKED POSITION. ONLY AFFECTS LEFT TURNS AND ONLY WHEN ACCELERATING, OTHERWISE UNDPREDICTABLE (NOT _EVERY_ TURN). NOT RELATED TO ENGINE OR EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE. *AK

THIS 98 SIENNA XLE HAS HAD THE WINDSHIELD DISTORATION SINCE DAY ONE, AND THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE SAID THE COMPANY HAS NO INTENTION OF FIXING IT SINCE NO ONE HAS DIED. BUT IT CASUSES EXCESSIVE EYE STRAIN AND WILL ONE DAY KILL SOMEONE. ALSO THE CHIPPING THEY BLAME ON LEAD FREE PAINT SOMETHING THEY SAID IS ALL RALPH NADERS FAULT. YET THE DESIGN ALLOWS FOR THIS CHIPPING CAUSED BY ROCKS TO BE GREATER BUT IT WAS NOT POINTED OUT WHEN I BOUGHT THE VAN. THEY TOYOTA ABSOLVES ITSELF OF ALL PROBLEMS. IT IS JUST A CONSUMER RIP OFF-THEY WANT ME TO PAY TO REPAINT AND IF I WANT A NEW WINDSHEILA I HAVE TO BUY ONE THOUGH THE DISTORION IS CLEAR ON THE 98 WHEN YOU DRIVE AND LOOK FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. SO CLEAR IT WEARS ON YOUR EYES. THE 99'S SEEM TO HAVE DISTORATION BUT IT IS NOT AS PERCEPTABLE WHEN DRIVING AS THE 98 WINDSHIELD. *AK