2002 Toyota Sienna

TIRE VIBRATION IN STEERING AT SPEEDS USUALLY GREATER THAN 40 MPH AND MOST PREVELANT WHEN COMING OUT OF A TURN. TIRES EVALUATED BY TIRE STORE, SPEED BALANCED AND ROTATED. FOUND THE SIDEWALL DEFECTIVE. MICHELIN X-RADIAL DT P205/70R15. WHEN DEFECTIVE TIRE WAS MOVED TO REAR PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR, MOVED BACK TO THE FRONT PROBLEM CAME BACK.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE FUSES KEPT BLOWING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEN, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP TWICE BEFORE THEY WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP FOUND THE WIRING HARNESS IN THE DASHBOARD MELTED, CAUSING THE FUSES TO BLOW OUT. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK

2002 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE-ORIGINAL OWNER. BRAKES HAVE SQUEAKED SINCE AROUND 5000 MILES. DEALER SAYS 'SIENNA'S BRAKES JUST SQUEAK" AND SHRUGGED THEIR SHOULDERS. DIDN'T EVEN INSPECT BRAKES. HAD BRAKE PADS REPLACED WITH TOP OF THE LINE PADS IN AUG 05. LEFT THE PARKING LOT AND THEY CONTINUED TO SQUEAK. EVERY TIME THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. PASSENGER IN THE REAR STATED IT WAS VERY LOUD IN THE REAR, HOWEVER, I HEAR IT VERY PRONOUNCED AS THE DRIVER. CALLED TOYOTA ANOTHER TIME AND THEY SAID THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, SO THERE IS NO RECALL, ETC. ON 3 OCCASIONS, WHEN BRAKES PRESSED SUDDENLY, THE BRAKE PEDAL JUMPS AND WOULDN'T ALLOW ME TO PRESS BRAKES FURTHER. SCARY. BRAKES DON'T JUST SQUEAK. I WISH I WOULD'VE DISCOVERED THIS WEBSITE BEFORE MY WARRANTY WAS UP. NOW, WITH 58000 MILES ON MY VAN, I FEEL THEY WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING. I BROUGHT MY CONCERNS 3 TIMES WITH IN 5K-25K MILES, AND WAS IGNORED. I WISH I WOULD'VE PURSUED THIS EARLIER. I WOULD'VE TRADED THIS VEHICLE IN A HEARTBEAT, HOWEVER, I DON'T HAVE A PAYMENT, SO THAT IS WHY I'VE CHOSEN TO LIVE WITH THE SQUEAKING. IT IS VERY VERY VERY STRESSFUL. AND VERY VERY ANNOYING. (THIS COMPLAINT IS FOR A SIENNA, NOT A SEQUOIA--THE COMPLAINT ONLY HAD THE SEQUOIA AS AN OPTION WHILE I WAS ENTERING DATA/COMPLAINT INFO)(??)*JB

DT: CONTACT STATES THE BRAKES ARE SQUEAKING ON HER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING A PROBLEM. WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES DURING THE WINTER MONTHS THE PEDAL PULSATED. IF SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES RAPIDLY, THERE WAS A PROBLEM STOPPING THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES. THE BRAKE PADS HAVE BEEN REPLACED, BUT THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *JB

WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP, MY VEHICLE WAS STRUCK AT THE SEVEN O'CLOCK POSITION. DURING THE ACCIDENT, THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS ALLOWED THE BELT WEBBING TO EXTEND BEYOND 25 MM WITHOUT RESTRAINING THE OCCUPANTS. ALL SEAT BELTED OCCUPANTS STRUCK THE VEHICLE INTERIOR DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THEIR PROSPECTIVE POSITION. THE FORCE OF ACCELERATION AND SUBSEQUENT SECONDARY IMPACT WAS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE MODERATE FACIAL LACERATIONS. ELR PERFORMANCE IS BELIEVED TO BE NON-COMPLIANT WITH CFR TITLE 49 PART 571.208 - 571.209 OF THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS. *NM

IDLE CONTROL VALVE FAILURE. PREVENTS CAR FROM IDLING CORRECTLY. CAR WILL START AND THEN CUT OFF RIGHT AFTER YOU DRIVE OFF. POTENTIALLY CAUSING YOU TO GET HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES. THIS HAPPENED ON MY 2002 SIENNA AT 40K MILE AND CONTINUOUSLY SINCE. I KNOW OF 4 OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM. MY MECHANIC HAD ABOUT 10 OR THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS IN HIS SHOP AND HE SAID THAT HE REPLACES THESE ALL THE TIME ON ALL THE TOYOTAS. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE FREMONT TOYOTA DEALER AND THE SERVICE REP SAID THE FAILURE RATE WAS SO HIGH THAT THERE WAS A NATIONWIDE SHORTAGE FOR THIS PART AND THAT IT WOULD TAKE 2 MONTHS FOR THE PART TO BE AVAILABLE. THE DUBLIN CA, TOYOTA DEALER WAS ALSO WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM OF THE IDLE CONTROL VALVE. IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ALL OPERATORS OF SIENNAS, CAMRYS, AND OTHER TOTOTA VEHICLES WITH THIS IDLE CONTROL VALVE. *NM

THE STEERING WENT OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO THIS, I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE GOING 70 MILES AN HOUR, THANKFULLY I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT THE TIME, SO NO PERSONAL INJURY OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND. I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY HAVE BEEN KILLED DO TO DEFECTIVE WORKMANSHIP. I PROMPTLY CALLED GREENVILLE TOYOTA AND REPORTED IT AND THEY WERE TO COME TOW THE CAR FROM RALEIGH BACK TO GREENVILLE. GREENVILLE TOYOTA SAYS THE STEERING COLUMN IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND IT WOULD COST ME $328 TO REPLACE IT. IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE COME LOOSE. HERE IS PART OF THE LETTER I'VE SENT TO GREENVILLE TOYOTA: ------------------------------------------------------------ I CRANKED MY 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA AND PUT IT IN REVERSE AND STARTED TO TURN THE WHEEL TO BACK UP. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STEERING WHEEL POPPED AND THE WHEEL STARTED TO SPIN FREELY. MY BROTHER TOOK A LOOK AT THE SIENNA. HE CHECKED THE FRONT WHEELS AND IT WAS NOT THE TIE RODS. HE THEN CHECKED THE STEERING COLUMN. THE WHEEL SPUN FREELY BECAUSE THE UNIVERSAL JOINT HAD COME LOOSE. THE BOLT THAT GOES FROM THE U JOINT INTO THE STEERING COLUMN NEVER WAS INSTALLED PROPERLY. THE UNIT SHOULD HAVE NEVER, EVER COME APART LIKE THAT. MY BROTHER ATTACHED THE BOLT PROPERLY AND HAD ME ON MY WAY IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. IN HIS MECHANIC'S OPINION THE UNIT WAS NEVER ATTACHED PROPERLY AND WAS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *NM

OBSERVED SLIPPING DURING FULL STOPS, ENGINE DIED SEVERAL OCCASIONS BEFORE THE ACTUAL TOTAL FAILURE OF PARTS INVOLVED, LOSS OF FORWARD MOTION OR SPEED PICK-UP, TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED (TOYOTA ISSUED AN AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTICE INVOLVING 1998-2000 SIENNAS BUT APPARENTLY THE COMPANY ALREADY HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM TO OCCUR). *NM