1999 Toyota Sienna

THE REAR DOOR OF OUR 1999 SIENNA VAN HAS ALREADY BROKEN TWICE SINCE WE PURCHASED IT 5 YEARS AGO. I REPLACED IT ONCE, BUT CANNOT AFFORD TO AGAIN. AS A RESULT, I CANNOT GET TO THE BACK WHICH ALSO PREVENTS ME FROM GETTING TO MY SPARE TIRE SHOULD I NEED IT. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE BACK HANDLE BROKE A YEAR AGO A WEEK LATER A SLIDING DOOR HANDLE. NOW, THREE DAYS AGO, ANOTHER SLIDING DOOR HAS BROKEN. I HAVE NO MONEY TO REPLACE THIS HANDLES AND IT WILL RUN ABOUT 1,000 TO FIX ALL THREE. FURTHER, THE SLIDING DOOR PANELS KEEP LIFTING AND I HAVE TRIED REPLACING THE PEGS WITH NO LUCK. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A CAR THAT HAS HAD NO MANY ISSUE WITH DOOR HANDLES. THEY SHOULD LAST THE LIFE TIME OF THE CAR. I SEE THROUGHOUT THE WEB OTHERS WHO HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. WHEN I CALL FOR USED PARTS, THEY ARE BACKED ORDERED BECAUSE THERE ARE NO MANY REQUEST FOR THEM. ESPECIALLY THE BACK DOOR ONE. I REALLY BELIEVE THEY ARE DEFECTIVE AND WERE NOT MADE TO WITH STAND OPEN AND CLOSING ON A DAILY BASES. I THINK THEY MADE THEM THINKING THEY WOULD BE ON DOORS THAT AUTOMATICALLY RELEASED AND OPENED VERSUS MANUAL DOORS. *TR

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH APPLIED BRAKES AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR -- NO BRAKING OCCURRED. HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE ON A CITY STREET. *TR SEEMINGLY RANDOM FAILURE WHICH THE DEALER SAYS THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF AND HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO FIX SINCE IT'S INTERMITTENT. NOTHING HAS BEEN CHANGED SINCE EVERYTHING IS SUPPOSEDLY WORKING CORRECTLY. THE DEALER WANTS TO SEE THE CAR AGAIN IF THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN -- BUT THE CAR MIGHT BE TOTALED BY THEN - -HOPEFULLY NO ONE WILL BE HURT.

I AM WRITING IN REGARDS TO MY 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE. WE HAVE HAD (AND LOVED) THIS CAR FOR ALL OF IT 134,000 MILES, BUT RECENTLY THE POWER SLIDING DOOR (ON THE PASSENGER SIDE) STOPPED WORKING. USING BRUTE FORCE, AN ADULT CAN MANUALLY PULL THE DOOR OPEN AND SHUT, BUT A CHILD CANNOT. MY LOCAL TOYOTA ADMITS THAT THIS IS A "DESIGN ISSUE" AND THAT HE'S SEEN "DOZENS" OF SUCH CASES, BUT THAT HAS NO BEARING ON THE FACT THAT IT COSTS UPWARDS OF $1600 TO MAKE THE FIX. THIS HARDLY SEEMS FAIR, REASONABLE OR SAFE. I'M SURE TOYOTA WILL SPRING INTO ACTION ONCE A VAN WITH A SLIDING DOOR IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE A CHILD IS TRAPPED AND HURT, BUT IT'S TOO BAD THAT IT WILL HAVE TO COME TO THAT FOR THEM TO DO WHAT'S CLEARLY RIGHT. THE NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE FURTHER -- A RECALL OF SOME KIND IS CLEARLY WARRANTED. *TR

SINCE I HAVE OWNED MY 1999, THE REAR HATCH HANDLE IS BROKEN TWICE AND THE SLIDING DOOR HANDLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE HAS ALSO BROKEN. WE I CALL FOR PARTS I FIND OUT THAT THE REAR IS ON BACK ORDER DUE TO IT BEING SUCH IN DEMAND FOR REPLACEMENT. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT ANOTHER SIENNA OWNER WAS CALLING FOR THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE SLIDING DOOR HANDLE. ITS SEEMS THESE HANDLES ARE MADE VERY POOR AND DO NOT WITHSTAND THE PULL ACTION REQUIRED TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR. ON THE REAR, THERE IS A TINY PIECE THAT CONSTANTLY BREAKS OFF CAUSING THE HANDLE TO BE REPLACED. *TR

I AM THE FIRST OWNER OF THE 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA LE WITH WHICH HAS ONLY 61,000 MILES SO FAR. HOWEVER, IN THE EVENING OF TWO DAYS AGO, I STARTED IT AND COULDN'T STOP IT ANYMORE. IT KEPT RUNNING EVEN I TOOK THE KEY OUT. I WAS SO AFRAID OF CAUSING FIRE EVENTUALLY, BUT I STILL HAD TO DRIVE AROUND TRYING TO STOP IT. EVENTUALLY I SMELT SOMETHING BURNING AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP IT FROM RUNNING. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER IN DUBLIN, CA TO HAVE THE STARTER REPLACED. THIS IS SCARY PROBLEM FOR THE CAR I BOUGHT IN THE BELIEF OF SAFETY AND RELIABILITY. *TR

THE REAR HATCH HANDLE JUST SNAPPED IN MY HAND AS I TRIED TO OPEN THE HATCH. DEALER INITIALLY ESTIMATED REPAIR COSTS AT $350-$600 BECAUSE THEY HAD TO "BREAK INTO THE CAR." ACTUAL REPAIR COST WAS $250 FOR A POORLY DESIGNED PART. MECHANIC TOLD ME THE DESIGN AND PLACEMENT OF THE HATCH HANDLE IS SUBJECT TO CONSTANT EXHAUST FUMES FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR, WEAKENING THE PLASTIC HANDLE. NO INSIDE HATCH RELEASE IS AVAILABLE MAKING THIS A SAFETY ISSUE IN THE EVENT THE SIDE DOORS ARE DAMAGED IN AN ACCIDENT. POOR ENGINEERING. *TR

I TRIED TO OPEN THE REAR EXTERIOR DOOR IN THE BACK AND THE HANDLE MADE A SNAPPING SOUND AND IS NOW STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION AND NOW THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN ON THE OUTSIDE AND I DON'T SEE A WAY TO OPEN IT ON THE INSIDE. I PURCHASED THE VAN TO TRANSPORT MY GRANDKIDS. NOW I'M FEARFUL TO TAKE THEM ANYWHERE IN IT NOW FOR THEIR SAFETY REASONS. JUST IN CASE I HAVE TO GET IN THAT WAY FOR AN EMERGENCY. *TR

THE CONTACT DRIVES 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA (FAILURE MILEAGE: 100K). HE STATED THAT YESTERDAY WHLE DRIVING HE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A SEMI-TRUCK. HE STATED THAT HIS VEHICLE WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION, HOWEVER AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. AS A RESULT HE WAS INJURED: JAW AND HEAD IMPACT TO THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE WAS A REPORT TO THE POLICE. THE CONTACT HAS LEFT A MESSAGE WITH TOYOTA.--DS

MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING OUR TOYOTA SIENNA WHEN SHE RAN INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER VEHICLE (THAT HAD JUST BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT) AT ABOUT 35-40 MILES PER HOUR. IN SPITE OF A FRONT IMPACT COLLISION THAT BUCKLED THE HOOD AND TOTALLED OUR VAN, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK. THIS CAUSED MY DAUGHTER TO HIT HER HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. MY CONCERN IS OVER THE FACT THAT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. EVEN THOUGH THE VAN IS 8 YEARS OLD THERE HAS NEVER BEEN ANOTHER ACCIDENT IN IT AND NO TAMPERING HAS BEEN DONE WITH THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. IT SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DEFECT.