1998 Toyota Sienna

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED RUNNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 100,000. THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST STARTED AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT, THE ENGINE WOULD REV HIGH EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR WAS IN PARK. THE CONSUMER STATED HE THEN REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WOULD CONTINUE RUNNING. UPDATED 06/22/10. *JB

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PRIUS IN CALIFORNIA THE SAME DID HAPPEN TO US BACK IN 1999 WITH OUR TOYOTA SIENNA VAN. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON I-5 IN OREGON. SHE PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL TO OVERTAKE A CAR AND THEN WHEN SHE PRESSED THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN THE BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. SHE DROVE INTO THE HWY MEDIAN FENCE TO STOP THE CAR. WHEN WE CONTACTED TOYOTA, THEY DIDN'T ADMIT ANY FAULT WITH THEIR CAR (THE SAME WHAT THEY ARE DOING NOW) AND TOLD US IT WAS OUR FAULT THAT WE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO USE THEIR BRAKES. WE HAVE SEVERAL CARS BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH OTHER CARS. I DIDN'T BUY A TOYOTA AFTER THAT CRASH BUT I AM ALSO WORRIED WHO ELSE THE PART SUPPLIER HAS BEEN SUPPLYING PARTS TO. I CAN BE REACHED AT [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING A TOYOTA SIENNA, SUPERVISED BY MY WIFE. AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, THE VAN ACCELERATED ONTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC CAUSING A HEAD-ON COLLISION. THE VAN WAS TOTALLED AND THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. NO ONE WAS HURT BUT THE ONCOMING CAR WAS ALSO A TOYOTA, SPEEDING THROUGH THE TRAFFIC. I ASKED THAT BOTH VEHICLES BE INSPECTED FOR SUDDEN ACCELERATION. HOWEVER, THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND POLICE FOUND IT EASIER TO BLAME THE ACCIDENT ON MY DAUGHTER THAN INVESTIGATE THE VEHICLES.

I BOUGHT A TOYOTA SIENNA MY '98 BRAND NEW IN MAY 1998 AND STILL OWN IT. THIS CAR ALSO HAS DEMONSTRATED A SIMILAR PROBLEM EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR ' VEERING TO RIGHT. THE DRIVER HAS TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT THE STEERING IN ORDER TO KEEP THE CAR MOVING STRAIGHT. EVEN AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS IN '98, '99, AND 2000, RESPECTIVELY, WERE MADE TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM BY A TOYOTA DEALER (COPY OF THE PAPERWORK CAN BE FURNISHED UPON REQUEST), THE PROBLEM HAS YET BEEN CORRECTED SUCCESSFULLY AS OF TODAY. THIS PROBLEM INCREASES DRIVING FATIGUE ESPECIALLY LONG TRIPS AND IN TURN MAY INCREASE THE CHANCE OF AUTO ACCIDENTS. *TR

I HAVE A 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA LE. ALL OF THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT BACK INTO THE PANELS WITHOUT HELP FROM THE PASSENGERS. IF YOU LEAN FORWARD THEY STAY WHERE THEY ARE EXTENDED TO. I HAVE HAD THEM LOOKED AT AND THE TECHNICIAN SAID THE RETURN SPRINGS HAVE ALL RELAXED. THIS IS THE 4TH TOYOTA AUTOMOBILE I HAVE OWNED AND ALL OF THEM HAVE DONE THIS. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS CAN BE SAFE? *TR

MY 98 SIENNA XLE HAS HAD INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE (MANUAL) SLIDING DOORS NOT OPENING WITHOUT AND ADULT PULLING OUTSIDE. THEN MYSTERIOUSLY THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY. TODAY MY WIFE AND KIDS WERE ABOUT TOWN AND COULDN'T GET THE DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR TO CLOSE. THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS LOCKED IN THE CLOSED POSITION. SHE HAD TO DRIVE HOME IN TRAFFIC HOLDING A BUNGEE CORD TO KEEP THE DOOR MOSTLY CLOSED WHILE THE KIDS WERE IN THE VERY BACK SEAT. I WORKED ON IT FOR A WHILE WHEN I GOT HOME BUT THERE ISN'T A WAY TO GET THE MECHANISM TO OPEN. IT WILL ROTATE FURTHER BACK (DOWNWARD, AWAY FROM THE LATCH LOOP), BUT NOTHING MORE. *TR

1998 TOYOTA SIENNA MINI VAN. INVOLVED IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT WHERE THE MINI VAN RAN INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE ACTUAL COLLISION OCCURRED AFTER THE BRAKES WERE FULLY APPLIED WHEN IT HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE SIENNA, SO MUCH SO THAT THE RADIATOR WAS DAMAGED AND LEAKING. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT NEITHER THE DRIVERS OR PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND ALL MECHANICAL WORK HAD BEEN DONE BY THE DEALER OR OTHER CERTIFIED MECHANIC. SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE AND DID WORK PROPERLY. A CHILD SAFETY SEAT WAS IN USE IN THE SECOND ROW SEAT AND IT ALSO WORKED PROPERLY. *TR

1998 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN - REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE DOOR (THE DOOR STUCK). THIS IS THE SECOND HANDLE THAT HAS BROKEN ON THIS VAN. THE REAR DOOR HATCH HANDLE BROKE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW AND IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS POSTED ON BULLETIN BOARDS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. TOYOTA HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS CONCERN THROUGH A GENERAL RECALL AND APPEARS TO BE BLAMING THE OWNERS. I HAVE HAD MY VAN SERVICED BY A TOYOTA DEALER ON A REGULAR BASIS, SO THIS PROBLEM IS NOT A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. *TR