2007 Toyota Sienna

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR HATCH HANDLE WAS COVERED WITH A DEFECTIVE RUBBER THAT MELTED AND FRACTURED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR MADE A LOUD POPPING NOISE WHEN OPENED AND CLOSED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE DOOR HANDLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE NOISE CREATED BY THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS POSSIBLY DUE TO DEFECTIVE WELDING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000. UPDATED 10/22/14*CN

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2007 TOYOTA SIENNA ON A MAJOR ROAD WHEN SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER IT. SHE PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF, AVOIDING ENGINE SEIZURE BECAUSE WITHIN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES IT HAD LOST 2 QTS OF OIL ONTO THE GROUND DUE TO A RUPTURE IN A RUBBER OIL VVT-1 LINE. AFTER READING ONLINE I FOUND OUT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WHICH TOYOTA HAS REFUSED TO ADDRESS PROPERLY. IN 2009 SIENNAS THE LINE HAVE BEEN SWITCHED TO ALL METAL LEAVING THE REST OF THEIR EARLIER CUSTOMERS WITH TICKING TIME BOMBS. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IS UNACCEPTABLE, AN ENGINE SEIZURE AT 70MPH WILL BE DEADLY AND THE SPILT OIL ON THE ROAD POSSES HAZARDS AS WELL. A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE OVER $500.00 TO REPLACE THIS $23.00 HOSE. *TR

THE DASHBOARD SEEMS TO BE BREAKING DOWN, MELTING AND/OR STICKY TO A DEGREE IT IS NOW SHINY AND REFLECTS LIGHTS BACK INTO THE DRIVER/PASSENGER COMPARTMENT ON SUNNY DAYS. THIS CREATES A GLARE MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT WHEN OPERATING THIS VAN. AT TIMES, IT BECOMES HARD TO SEE CARS, STOP LIGHTS AND PEDESTRIANS. A LOCAL CHANNEL HERE IN HOUSTON RAN A STORY ON THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM CONCERNING DASH BOARDS THAT ARE BREAKING DOWN AND CAUSING SAFETY ISSUES. THANKS, *TR

MY SPARE TIRE FELL OFF MY VEHICLE WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON I91 IN VERMONT BETWEEN EXITS 5 AND 6 . THE VEHICLE FOLLOWING ME, WHICH WAS BEING DRIVEN BY MY HUSBAND, STRUCK THE TIRE. IT BECAME LODGED UNDER HIS CAR DAMAGING THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WE DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT WAS THE TIRE FROM MY CAR. WE PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER WE WERE ABLE TO DISLODGE THE TIRE AND CONTINUED ON.AFTER DISCUSSING WHAT HAPPENED AND INSPECTING THE CAR DID WE REALIZE THAT IT WAS MY SPARE. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS COMPLETED BY TOYOTA IN 2011. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THESE CARS AND WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT SOMETHING WORSE DID NOT OCCUR. WE REPORTED IT TO TOYOTA AND ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THEIR RESPONSE SO FAR. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING AT 75MPH ON INTERSTATE, I NOTICED HEAVY WHITE SMOKE TRAILING VEHICLE. SLOWED AND PULLED OVER. INSPECTED ENGINE AND FOUND LARGE OIL LEAK. NO CHECK ENGINE OR LOW OIL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO SMOKE. ENTIRE BOTTOM OF THE CAR COATED WITH OIL, INCLUDING EXHAUST SYSTEM, FRONT PASSENGER TIRE AND REAR TIRES. NO OIL REGISTERED ON DIPSTICK. TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. FAILED PART WAS THE OIL COOLER HOSE. TECHNICIAN SHOWED ME THE FAULTY RUBBER HOSE WHICH HAD A PIN-HOLE LEAK AND THERE WAS BARELY ONE HALF QUART IN THE ENGINE, WHICH HOLDS 6.4 QUARTS. JUDGING BY HOW OFTEN I HAD BEEN LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR DUE TO TRAFFIC, I'D ESTIMATE THE LEAK WAS ONLY A FEW MINUTES IN LENGTH AND THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE BEEN WITHOUT OIL AND AT HIGHWAY SPEED VERY SOON IF I HADN'T NOTICED. THIS IS NOT AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT UNTIL YOU REALIZE THAT THE OIL HOSE THAT FAILED WAS PART OF TOYOTA'S 90K OIL COOLER HOSE LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN FOR 2GR-FE V6 ENGINES IN 2011. I HAD MY CAR UNDERGO THIS FIX, WHICH SIMPLY REPLACED A RUBBER HOSE WITH ANOTHER RUBBER HOSE WHICH WAS SUPPOSEDLY MADE FROM A COMPOUND THAT BETTER RESISTS HOT OIL. THE REPLACEMENT HOSES ARE FAILING, WHICH IS WHAT TOYOTA TSB-0201-11 "OIL COOLER SEEP" (DEC 21, 2011) IS MEANT TO COVER AND IT REPLACES THE RUBBER OIL HOSES WITH AN ALL-STEEL HOSE. HOWEVER, IT ONLY APPLIES TO CUSTOMERS STILL UNDER THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY AND WITH A "SEEPING" HOSE. MOST 2007 SIENNA OWNERS, LIKE ME, WERE WELL PAST WARRANTY MILEAGE IN 2011, HAD NO INDICATION FROM TOYOTA THAT THE RUBBER OIL HOSES WERE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND ARE ONLY GETTING THE STEEL HOSE AFTER CATASTROPHIC ENGINE OIL LOSS. I WAS BILLED $532 FOR THE OIL COOLER HOSE REPLACEMENT AND QUOTED $307 TO REPLACE THE O2 SENSOR WHICH WAS DAMAGED BY THE VOLUME OF HOT OIL THAT SPRAYED ON IT. HUGE OIL LOSS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. TOYOTA KNOWS, BUT MANY OWNERS DO NOT. *TR

WE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP, AND PICKED UP OUR SIENNA MINIVAN AT THE PARKING LOT. I OPENED THE LEFT SIDE SLIDING DOOR, PUT SOME LUGGAGE IN THE BACK SEAT, AND THEN CLOSED THE DOOR. THE DOOR SLIDE CLOSED BUT DID NOT LATCH. I CYCLED THE DOOR AGAIN, AND IT STILL DID NOT LATCH. I TRIED THE RIGHT DOOR AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. WE HAD TO DRIVE HOME WITH THE WARNING BEEPING IN OUR EARS (THIS COMES ON IF THE CAR IS IN GEAR AND THE DOORS ARE NOT LATCHED). THE NEXT MORNING WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO OUR TOYOTA DEALER, AND THEY SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, BUT OUR CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO THEY WANT $3700 TO FIX THE DOORS. TO US, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY MATTER THAT THE DEALERSHIP ADMITS IS DUE TO FAULTY PARTS -- THEY SAY THEY HAVE SEEN A LOT OF THIS PROBLEM ON SIENNAS. A CHILD COULD FALL OUT IN TRAFFIC, OR A PIECE OF LUGGAGE COULD BECOME A HAZARD TO OTHER DRIVERS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE TOYOTA BE COMPELLED TO COVER THIS REPAIR REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE -- THEY SAID THE NORMAL 36,000 MILE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO 120,000 MILES FOR THIS PROBLEM, WHICH THEY ACKNOWLEDGE AS A DEFECT, BUT THAT DOES NOT HELP THE MANY TOYOTA OWNERS WHO KEEP THEIR CARS LONGER. YOUR ASSISTANCE IS MOST APPRECIATED. *TR