1999 Toyota Sienna

I WANT TO REPORT A SCARY INCIDENT OCCURRED YESTERDAY WITH MY MINIVAN. ON 2/11/2011, AT ABOUT 7 AM, I STARTED BY TOYOTA SIENNA TO SEND MY SON TO HIS HIGH SCHOOL, I HEARD STRANGE NOISE. IT SOUNDS LIKE NOT ALL THE CYLINDERS WERE RUNNUNG. THE CAR WAS NOT POWERFUL AS USUAL. I TRIED TO TURN OFF MY VAN, BY TURNING THE KEY TO STOP AND TAKING KEY OUT. THE CAN DID NOT STOP. I INSERTED THE KEY TO START AGAIN, IT STILL HAD THE NOISE. I DROVE MY SON TO HIS HIGH SCHOOL ANY, WHICH IS LESS THAN A MILE AWAY. AFTER DROPPING HIM OFF AT THE SCHOOL, I DROVE BACK TO HOME. WHEN I WAS CLOSE TO MY I SAW THE TEMPERATURE METER WAS MIDWAY. WHEN I GOT TO HOME, I STOPPED MY CAR IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, TOOK THE KEY OUT. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. I OPENED THE HOOD, SAW SMOKE CAME OUT FROM THE ENGINE AREA. ALTHOUGH NO FLAME WAS STARTED, I USED MY HOUSE FIRE DISTINGUISHED TO PUT OUT THE SMOKE. THEN THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE CAR DIED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE ON MY DRIVE WAY. I REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO TOYOTA TODAY. *TR

ON OCTOBER 18, 2010 MY 2009 TOYOTA SIENNA DASHBOARD VSC (VARIABLE SKID CONTROL)/OFF TRACK AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. I TOOK MY VAN IN FOR SERVICE IMMEDIATELY. THE DEALERSHIP MADE REPAIRS THAT WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND ASSURED ME THAT THE VAN WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. ON NOVEMBER 24, 2010, THE SAME VSC/OFF TRACK AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN. WHEN I RETURNED TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE, I WAS INFORMED THAT DUE TO THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID NOT HAVE AVAILABILITY UNTIL NOVEMBER 30, 2010. SERVICE ADVISOR ASSURED ME THAT MY VEHICLE WAS SAFE TO DRIVE, AS LONG AS I STAYED IN TOWN, AND WASN'T PLANNING ON TAKING THE CAR ON ANY LONG TRIPS. HOWEVER, I NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO RETURN MY VAN TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE ON NOVEMBER 29, 2010 IT STARTED TO MAKE UNUSUALLY LOUD NOISES AND ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY. NATURALLY, I ATTEMPTED TO STOP BY BRAKING, BUT THE BRAKES WERE NOT FUNCTIONING AT ALL. I TRIED AGAIN AND AGAIN TO BRAKE, BUT TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT THE BRAKE PEDAL DID NOTHING, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I PUMPED IT. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO AVOID HITTING ANY PEDESTRIANS OR CARS BY STEERING UP THE CURB AND INTO A LAMPPOST. THE VAN CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY UNTIL IT FINALLY CAME TO REST ON THE STEPS OF THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE! *TR

LOOSE SPARE TIRE IN CARGO SEATING AREA OF TOYOTA SIENNA 1999 VAN. DUE TO A RECALL ON THE CORROSION OF THE SPARE TIRE CABLE, THE SPARE TIRE WAS REMOVED AND PLACED IN THE CARGO AREA OF THE VAN. THE TIRE IS NOT SECURED DOWN AND MOVES AROUND DURING DRIVING. IF THERE WAS ANY TYPE OF ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY A ROLL OVER, THE TIRE WITH THE RIM WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE AROUND THE SEATING AREA AND COULD CAUSE SEVERE INJURIES. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I DID CALL TOYOTA WITH MY CONCERN WITH THE TIRE NOT BEING SECURED, THEY GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER AND TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AT THIS TIME. *TR

TWO SEAT BELTS IN MY 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA HAVE GOTTEN "JAMMED". IT HAPPENED SUDDENLY WITH EACH BELT, AND THEY BOTH JAMMED IN THE SAME MONTH. THEY ARE NOT USABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT RETRACT FAR ENOUGH TO BUCKLE, AND ONE IS EVEN STUCK RETRACTED OUT. THERE IS NOTHING THAT I CAN THINK OF THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. THEY ARE NOW PERMANENTLY JAMMED, AND I CANNOT FIND A WAY TO FIX IT. TOYOTA WANTS TO CHARGE $350 PER SEAT BELT AND I CANNOT AFFORD THAT, SO THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. I HAVE TALKED TO MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH TOYOTA VEHICLES THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

I HAVE A 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA, BOUGHT NEW IN APRIL 1999. ON NOVEMBER 11, 2005, I HAD TO HAVE THE HORN FIXED BECAUSE TO MAKE THE HORN FUNCTION, YOU HAD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IT COST ME $399.35. THE DEALERSHIP LISTED "POOR CONTACTS IN CLOCK SPRING; REPLACE CLOCKSPRING". I NOW HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. I AM WONDERING IF THIS IS AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE VEHICLE. TOYOTA WILL NOT HELP WITH THE EXPENSE AS THE WARRANTY IS ONLY GOOD FOR 36,000 MILES OR 3 YEARS. HAVE YOU HAD ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA VEHICLES? IN ALL THE YEARS AND WITH ALL THE CARS WE HAVE OWNED (WE KEEP THE CARS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS) THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM WITH HORNS NOT WORKING; THAT IS WHY I FEEL THIS PROBLEM IS INHERENT WITH THIS MODEL IF NOT OTHER TOYOTA MODELS. (PLEASE NOTE; THE EQUIPMENT CHOICES PICKED ARE TO FILL IN THE REQUIRED INFORMATION FROM THE CHOICES GIVEN; NOT NECESSARILY CORRECT. THE PARTS NUMBERS ARE LISTED ELSEWHERE. *TR

DRIVER-SIDE SLIDING DOOR AND THE REAR DOOR ON 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE BOTH WENT OUT OF CONTROL AT THE SAME TIME. BOTH DOORS ARE LOCKED AND DO NOT RESPOND TO REPEATED EFFORTS TO OPEN THEM, BY KEY OR MANUALLY. THE LOCK HANDLE ON THE REAR DOOR IS PERMANENTLY DEPRESSED, I.E., NO LONGER PRESSABLE, NO LONGER ACTING LIKE A MOVABLE PART. *TR