2001 Toyota Sienna

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACTS REAR SEAT BELT WAS PULLED OUT OF THE HOUSING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC TO HAVE THE SEAT BELT REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED FROM EXTENSIVE USE OVER TIME. THE CONTACT STATED THE SEAT BELT SHOULD NEVER COME OUT OF THE HOUSING AND IF THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH SOMEONE COULD GET INJURED DUE TO THE SEAT BELT MALFUNCTIONING. THE CONTACT HAD NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.

DT: CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN WHEN IT STOPPED AT A REST STOP, HIS 13 YEAR OLD SON WAS UNABLE TO GET OUT OF SEAT BELT. THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE, THE SEAT BELT KEPT GETTING TIGHTER AND TIGHTER UNTIL IT STARTED TO RESTRICT THE SON'S BREATHING. IN ORDER TO GET THE SEAT BELT LOOSE CONSUMER HAD TO CUT THE BELT. THE PART OF THE SEAT BELT THAT WOULD NOT RELEASE WAS THE RETRACTOR. THE BOY WAS WRAPPED IN THE SEAT BELT, BUT THE LATCH WAS UNDONE. HE WAS WRAPPED IN SUCH A WAY THAT HE COULD NOT GET LOOSE DUE TO THE RETRACTOR PULLING ON THE BELT. CONSUMER SAYS THAT THE RETRACTOR WOULD CONTINUE TO WIND UP WHEN HE WAS WORKING ON GETTING HIS SON LOOSE, BUT HE COULD NOT GET THE RETRACTOR TO RELEASE TO ALLOW HIM TO UNWRAP HIS SON, WHO SUSTAINED BRUISES AROUND WAIST.*AK

WE OWN A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN, WE PURCHASED IT IN 2001 BUT IT WAS USED WITH 18,000 MILES ON IT. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, SEVERAL THINGS HAVE GONE WRONG. #1- PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW HAD A DEFECTIVE MOTOR AND WOULD NOT GO BACK UP. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, SO WE HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THAT REPAIR. #2- DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH SHUT. THE BUTTON GOT STUCK FROM THE INSIDE WHICH PREVENTED THE DOOR FROM LATCHING SHUT. THIS HAD HAPPENED MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE BUTTON POPPED OUT AND THE DOOR WOULD SHUT. BUT ON ONE OCCASION THE BUTTON POPPED OUT AND THE DOOR STILL WOULD NOT SHUT. WE HAD TO DRIVE HOME HOLDING THE DOOR SHUT THE ENTIRE WAY! OF COURSE, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE WITH OUR 2 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AT THE DEALER (AGAIN NOT UNDER WARRANTY), BUT THE DOOR STILL CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE, OR THE BUTTON GETS STUCK IN. #3- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A DIAGNOSTIC TEST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS- IDLE AIR CONTROL, BANK 1 SENSOR (MOST LIKELY OXYGEN SENSOR), LEAKY CHARCOAL CANISTER. WE FIXED THE IDLE AIR CONTROL SINCE THAT WAS CAUSING THE VAN TO NOT START AND STALL. THIS REPAIR WAS ALMOST $700, AND NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE WE HAD GONE OVER 36,000 MILES. WE DID NOT FIX THE OTHER TWO PROBLEMS LAST MONTH DUE TO COST. THE VAN OVERHEATS AND CAN NOT BE DRIVEN. WE WROTE A LETTER TO TOYOTA AND TALKED TO THEM VIA PHONE. THEY TOLD US THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BECAUSE OUR VAN IS NOT A LEGAL US VAN- IT IS WAS BUILT IN CANADA. WE BOUGHT IT AT A TOYOTA DEALER IN ROCHESTER, NY AND WERE NEVER TOLD IT WAS CANADIAN. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT NO WARRANTY WOULD EVER BE COVERED IN THE US BECAUSE IT IS CANADIAN. CARFAX.COM SAYS IT WAS BUILT IN THE UNITED STATES HOWEVER. WE TRIED TO GO THE ROUTE OF THE LEMON LAW, BUT COULD NOT. *NM

THE CENTER REAR SEAT BELTAPPEARS VERY UNSAFE. WHEN LOCKED IN PLACE, MY CHILDREN CAN EASILY LOOSEN THE BELT WITH JUST THE TOUCH OF THEIR FINGERS. THE BELT DOES NOT COME OUT OF THE LOCK, BUT IT MOVES THE TIGHTNESS AND THE KIDS ARE SITTING WITHOUT ANY RESTRAINT. THEY ARE ABLE TO GET UP AND MOVE AROUND! I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER (MAROONE TOYOTA 4050 WESTON ROAD-INVOICE #TOCS317153) ON 7/9/01. I WAS TOLD THAT THAT IS JUST HOW IT IS DESIGNED AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. WHEN I ARGUED HOW UNSAFE IT WAS, I WAS TOLD MAYBE I SHOULD NOT PUT YOUNG CHILDREN IN THAT SEAT. HOW CAN THIS BE??? ALL OF MY SEATS NEED TO BE UTILIZED WITH MY LARGE FAMILY AND MY KIDS FRIENDS. PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU HAVE GOTTEN ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS. THANKS.*AK