2002 Toyota Sienna

IS TOYOTA 2002 SIENNA SAFE TO DRIVE? AS OF FEBRURAY 2010, WE STILL OBSERVE SLIPPAGE DURING STOPS AT SLOW SPEEDS. THE BRAKES PULSATE WHEN APPLIED SLOWLY. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT COMES AND GOES. IN DECEMBER 2007, WE REPORTED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS TO THE DEALER 1) ABS AND LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHTS TURN ON AND OFF 2) CRUNCHING SOUND HEARD WHEN BRAKING WITH DELAYED BRAKING ACTION, PARTICULARLY IN COLD, RAINY WEATHER. THE DEALER FOUND NO SIGNAL AT RIGHT REAR SPEED SENSOR, AND RECOMMENDED REPLACING ABS ACTUATOR (WHICH WE DID) -- TOTAL COST APPROX. $2,000.00, BUT INSISTED THAT THIS WAS A "FLUKE." VAN HAD 66,481 MILES AT THE TIME. PROBLEM WITH BRAKING STILL OCCURS, THOUGH NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEAR. WE ARE CONCERNED THAT TOYOTA IS SELECTIVELY RECALLING NEWER MODELS AND IGNORING THE FACT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTED BRAKING AND ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WITH OLDER VEHICLES AS WELL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH THE CONTACT RELEASED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT TRIED APPLYING THE BRAKES BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN COMPLETELY. THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL AND IT STILL DID NOT SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT THEN SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE OVER AND SHUT IT OFF. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE RPM'S BEGAN TO INCREASE RAPIDLY. THE CONTACT PUMPED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE RPM'S DECREASED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THREE LOCAL MECHANICS AND NEITHER ONE OF THEM COULD DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS ALSO UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE AND THAT "GUNK" COULD HAVE COMPOSED IN THE ENGINE, CLOGGED IT WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE CURRENT RECALL FOR THE PEDAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,271.

I HAVE TAKEN MY 2002 SIENNA TO THE DEALERSHIP (LAST WINTER) BECAUSE THE BRAKES HAVE FAILED IN VERY COLD WEATHER. THE FAILURE HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES, MOST RECENTLY THIS PAST SUNDAY MORNING. THE FIRST TWO TIMES THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED OUTSIDE IN BELOW ZERO TEMPS FOR A FEW HOURS. I BACKED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY (NO PROBLEM BRAKING IN REVERSE)...ALL WAS WELL. HOWEVER AS I DROVE TOWARD THE STOP SIGN IT WAS AS THOUGH THE POWER WAS ALL GONE FROM THE BRAKING SYSTEM. I PUSHED THEM TO THE FLOOR AND HELD THEM THERE AND EVENTUALLY IT STOPPED BEFORE I WAS TOO FAR OUT INTO THE INTERSECTION. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE, UNDER EXACTLY THE SAME CONDITIONS OVER THE LAST TWO WINTERS. THE DEALERSHIP COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. THIS PAST SUNDAY MORNING I HAD MY TWO YOUNGEST CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND WE WERE HEADED TO CHURCH. AS I BEGAN TO BRAKE FOR THE STOP SIGN AHEAD, AGAIN THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I HAD TO HOLD THEM TO THE FLOOR AND BARELY ESCAPED ENTERING THE INTERSECTION. IT FRIGHTENED ALL OF US. THIS TIME THE CAR HAD BEEN INSIDE THE GARAGE. THE FIRST TWO TIMES THIS HAPPENED I DID RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND NOTHING. AFTER THIS SUNDAY MORNING I LOOKED AGAIN AND NOW SEE THAT DIFFERENT AND NEWER TOYOTA MODELS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE PROBLEMS BRAKING IN COLD WEATHER. I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF I MAY BE DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I'M REALLY HOPING YOU CAN HELP ME WITH THIS. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VAN, NOT JUST FOR OUR OWN SAFETY BUT THAT OF OTHERS. I DON'T TRUST IT. I WOULD APPRECIATE A REPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *TR

SLIDING DOOR ON 2002 SIENNA VAN HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES. FIRST TIME WAS WITHIN 40,000 MILES AS THE TENSION ON THE CABLE HAD TO BE ADJUSTED. KEPT STICKING CLOSED AND COULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR. THE DOOR LOCKS HAVE STUCK LOCKED AND COULD NOT UNLOCK THEM, DOOR HAD TO BE TAKEN APART. HAS BEEN FIXED BY TOYOTA DEALER ONCE FOR $200 PLUS DOLLARS, NOW THE CABLE CAME OFF ITS TRACK. THE DOOR NO LONGER WORKS, KEEPS GETTING STUCK, AND NOW THE CABLE STICKS OUT WHEN YOU OPEN THE DOOR. *TR