2001 Toyota Sienna

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S SLIDING SIDE DOOR REMAINED LATCHED AND ONCE THE DOOR BECOMES LATCHED IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REOPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED WITH A REMOTE LOCKING DEVICE. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE'S PUSH BUTTON NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN FIXED DUE TO COST.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH A VEHICLE PULLED OUT AT AN INTERSECTION RESULTING IN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HITTING THE OTHER VEHICLE IN THE SIDE. THERE WAS PRE-IMPACT BRAKING. THIS WAS A FRONTAL IMPACT. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED UP TO THE ENGINE, HOWEVER THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE HOWEVER INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED TO THE DRIVER. THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN ALERTED. THE POLICE WERE ALERTED TO THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE POLICE REPORT STATED THERE WERE NO INJURIES. UPDATED 07/28/06. *JB

2001 TOYOTA SIENNA LE, PURCHASED NEW, STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON WHEN VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 25,000 PLUS/MINUS MILES. UNDER WARRANTY, TOYOTA DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR WITHOUT A CHARGE. HOWEVER, DURING THIS PROCESS, THE "BEEP" SIGNAL YOU HEAR WHEN LOCKING-UNLOCKING THE VEHICLE WITH REMOTE KEY WAS DISAPPEARED. THIS IS ALSO FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 35,000 MILES. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID IT IS DUE TO A DIRTY VACUUM HOSE, THEY CLEANED IT WITH A CHARGE LITTLE OVER $100.00. THE NEXT DAY THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, THIS TIME THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE CHARCOAL CANISTER (PARTS FREE, BUT WE HAVE TO PAY LABOR--ABOUT $100.00). THIS THING CAUSES EXTREME MENTAL DISTRESS, TIME, MONEY, SECURITY ETC.*JB

THE ENGINE OF MY TOYOTA SIENNA 2001 WITH AN IDENTIFIED OIL SLUDGE PROBLEM SEIZED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VEHICLE COULD NOT BE CONTROLLED AND MY TODDLER THREW UP IN FEAR AS WE TRIED TO AVOID BEING SMASHED INTO WHILE THE CAR COASTED TO A STOP. MECHANIC REPEATEDLY SAID CAM SEIZED, METAL FILINGS FOUND, AND "COULD NOT THINK OF ANY OTHER REASON BUT THE SLUDGE PROBLEM." TOYOTA REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE UNDER UNLIMITED MILEAGE, 8-YEAR WARRANTY. CAR IS PRESENTLY WITH DEALER AND MAY BE EXAMINED BY ENGINEERS FROM NHTSA (DEALER AGREED ON 12/22/05). THIS FAILURE WAS PREDICTED BY ANOTHER DEALER. CAR ALWAYS SMOKED--BLAMED ON "NEW ENGINE BREAK IN", "LACK OF MAINTENANCE", ETC. LATER TOYOTA SENT LETTER ABOUT THE ISSUE. THIS TIME DEALER AGREES MAINTENANCE WAS EXCELLENT. *NM

THE VAPOR VALVE, WHICH USUALLY STOPS THE REFUELING WHEN THE GAS TANK IS FILLED UP, HAS BEEN FAULTY. IN ESSENCE, WHEN TRYING TO FILL UP A GAS, THE PRESSURE IN THE GAS TANK BUILDS UP AND STOPS THE GAS PUMP FROM REFUELING EVERY 1 TO 2 GALLONS IT HAS TAKEN US MANY GARAGE VISITS, INCLUDING TOYOTA DEALERS, TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM CORRECTLY. TOYOTA USA REFUSED TO COVER THE PROBLEM SINCE THEY CLAIMS THAT OUR CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY (TOYOTA SIENNA LE 2001). WE ONLY CONTEND THAT THIS DEFECT WAS DUE TO THE FAULTY ORIGINAL INSPECTION AT THE FACTORY AND ASK THAT TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS OWN PRODUCTS. *JB

ON 8/18/05 MORNING THE SHIFTER LEVER BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS BROKEN LOOSE THAT I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE GEARS. THEN I BROUGHT MY VAN TO STEVENS CREEK TOYOTA (SAN JOSE, CA) WHERE I BOUGHT THE SIENNA VAN FOR REPAIR. AFTER THE TOYOTA TECHNICIAN OPENED UP FOR INSPECTION, I LATER WENT THERE TO TOOK SOME PHOTOS OF THE CONDITIONS, I FOUND OUT THAT THE MAIN CAUSE FOR THE MALFUNCTION OF THE SHIFTER WAS A BIG PIECE OF CAST IRON (APPROX. 1/2" THICK) THAT SERVES AS A MAIN FRAME OR BRACKET FOR ALL OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE ASSEMBLY FOR SUPPORT OF THEIR MOVING MECHANISM BROKE IN HALF ( HAVE PHOTOS TO PROVE IT) LITERALLY. SINCE IT APPEARS AS A "DEFECTIVE PART" OF THE SHIFTER AND NOT A "WEAR & TEAR" CONDITION, I 'VE REQUESTED TOYOTA CORP. (BOTH LOCAL & HEADQUARTES) TO REPLACE IT WITH FREE OF CHARGE. THE REQUEST WAS DECLINED DUE TO WARRANTY POLICY BEYOND 30,000 MILES/ 3 YEAR. THEN TOYOTA CORP. ISSUED ME A CASE NO.:2005-0818-0778 (FILED 8/18/05).I ALSO ASKED SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, AUTO MECHANICS, AND TOYOTA CORP. AGENT THAT HAVE THEY SEEN OR HEARD ANYTHING SIMILAR LIKE MY CASE, NOBODY COULD CONFIRM IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM OF "WEAR & TEAR" BEYOND WARRANTY PERIOD. THE QUESTION IS HOW A CONSUMER LIKE MYSELF GET PROJECTED FROM THE "DEFECTIVE PART" THAT A DRIVER DEFENDS HEAVILY FOR MANEUVERING OF THE VEHICLE HAS NO CONTROL OVER THE GEARS? FORTUNATELY, THE INCIDENT DIDN'T HAPPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH MY WIFE AND (3) YOUNG KIDS OR GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RAILROAD WITH RUNNING TRAIN APPROACHING. I BELIEVE THAT "SAFETY ISSUE" SHALL BE THE FIRST PRIORITY NEEDED TO BE RESOLVED BY TOYOTA CORP.

WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY I-87 OUR MOONROOF IN OUR MINIVAN STARTED TO BLOW OFF. LUCKILY MY HUSBAND WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND COULD HOLD THE GLASS WHILE I PULL OFF. WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED TOYOTA OF CLIFTON PARK TO TELL THEM AND TOOK IT THERE THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THEY GAVE US TWO OPTIONS, ONE FULL REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF APPROX 1,340 + TAX OR TO HAVE THEM ATTEMPT TO REPLACE THE GLUE AND WE WOULD HAVE TO LET IT "CURE" FOR A FEW DAYS. WE DIDN'T DRIVE IT FOR APPROX 8 DAYS AND TWO DAYS AFTER DRIVING IT, IT FLEW OFF AGAIN, THIS TIME I WAS ALONE AN COULDN'T GRAB IT AND IT BLEW OUT AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE TO THAT CAR. WE TOLD TOYOTA ORIGINALLY THAT IT HAD TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, YOU DON'T DRIVE AROUND AND EXPECT THE WINDOWS TO BLOW OUT OF YOUR CAR. THEY SAID BECAUSE WE WERE OVER OUR 50000 MILES THEY WOULDN'T BE RESPONSIBLE. NOW IN ADDITION TO THEM NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR A DEFECTIVE MOONROOF, THEY ALSO GAVE US BAD ADVISE ON FIXING IT. THEY TOLD US ONLY ONE VERY EXPENSIVE OPTION AND THEN ONE VERY CHEAP. NOTHING IN BETWEEN WAS OFFERED AND AFTER TALKING TO OUR INSURANCE ADJUSTER, THERE WAS MANY OTHER WAYS TO FIX THE VEHICLE (ONLY REPLACE THE GLASS, GET ONE FROM A JUNK YARD ETC) BUT THEY DIDN'T OFFER THOSE LESS EXPENSIVE REPAIRS SO OF COURSE WE TRIED THE GLUE. AFTER METLIFE SENT AN ENGINEER FROM AN INDEPENDENT COMPANY DID WE FIND OUT THEY USED AN APPOXY THAT ISN'T MEANT FOR FIXING SUNROOF'S OR CARS. *JB

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