2008 Toyota Sienna

MY WIFE WAS PARKING OUR 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH OUR 3 YOUNG BOYS IN THE AUTOMOBILE. SHE SLOWLY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP; NEVER USING GAS, JUST COVERING AND TAPPING LIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE. ONCE THE AUTOMOBILE CAME TO A STOP MY WIFE PRESSED THE BRAKE A LITTLE MORE IN ORDER TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK. AT THAT MOMENT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INCREDIBLE FAST, JUMPED OVER AN 8 INCH CONCRETE PARKING LOT DIVIDER AND CRASHED INTO A TREE ABOUT 10 - 15 FEET FROM THE CONCRETE DIVIDER. WE ARE CERTAIN THAT THIS WAS A "SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" INCIDENT CAUSED BY SOME MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PROGRAMMING OR OTHER DEFECT IN THE '08 SIENNA. THIS WAS NOT "DRIVER ERROR"! MY WIFE DID NOT CONFUSE THE GAS PEDAL AND THE BRAKE. THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY A FLOOR MAT OBSTRUCTING THE GAS PEDAL. THIS WAS CAUSED BY SOME TYPE OF A DESIGN OR COMPONENT DEFECT. HOW CAN W BE SO CERTAIN? MY WIFE AND I HAVE PARKED IN THIS PARKING SPOT (LOCATED IN OUR APARTMENT COMPLEX) HUNDREDS OF TIMES. TO PARK IN THIS PARKING SPOT YOU FIRST HAVE TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AT A STOP SIGN. THIS STOP SIGN IS ABOUT 30 - 40 FEET FROM THE PARKING SPOT, WHICH REQUIRES THAT YOU MAKE A SHARP RIGHT TURN. ONCE YOU PRESS THE ACCELERATOR SLIGHTLY TO MAKE THE LEFT AT THE STOP SIGN, YOU DO NOT USE THE GAS AGAIN. YOU SIMPLY TAP AND COVER YOUR BRAKE UNTIL YOU MAKE THE RIGHT INTO THE PARKING SPOT. OUR VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. IN FACT, UPON "STOPPING" ONE OF OUR 3 BOYS REMOVED HIS SEAT BELT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. I'M ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE FROM SOMEONE WITHIN TOYOTA OR THE NHTSA WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THIS FLAW. MY WIFE AND KIDS WERE "FORTUNATE". BUT THIS IS A "FATAL FLAW" AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. *TR

MY 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA HAS POWER REAR SLIDING DOORS. WHILE THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR WAS OPENING, THE CABLE FOR THE DOOR MECHANISM SNAPPED AND WOULD NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY. AFTER INVESTIGATING THE SITUATION, THE BROKEN CABLE WAS JAMMED IN THE DOOR MECHANISM, PREVENTING THE DOOR FROM CLOSING. AS A RESULT, THE DOOR NOW DOES NOT FULLY OPEN, AND WILL NOT HOLD IN THE OPEN POSITION. IF PARKED ON A HILL, THE DOOR WILL CLOSE IF NOT HELD OPEN. LOOKING AT THE CABLE, THE PLASTIC SHEATHING AROUND THE CABLE HAD MANY CRACKS CAUSING THE CABLE ITSELF TO RUST AND FAIL. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CABLE HAS SIMILAR CRACKS BUT HAS NOT FAILED YET. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER. THEY MENTIONED THIS CABLE FAILURE WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS WERE COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM. HOWEVER, THE 2008 MODEL YEAR WAS NOT COVERED. *TR

MY TOYOTA 2008 SIENNA LE PASSENGER AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR WON'T CLOSED AND OPENED COMPLETELY. I'VE EXPERIENCED AN INTERMITTENT JAMMED WITH THIS DOOR FOR THE PAST 3 DAYS. AS A TEMPORARY FIX, I NEED TO GET OUT FROM THE CAR TO HELP THE DOOR IN CLOSING AND OPENING IT BECAUSE THE BUTTON INSIDE THE CAR AND EVEN THE REMOTE(HAS NEW BATTERY INSTALLED) WON'T DO THE WORK . ONE DAY, WHEN DRIVING MY KIDS TO SCHOOL. AS I MADE A LEFT TURN, I HEARD AN AUDIBLE NOISE/ALARM AND WE WERE SURPRISED AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE SOUND CAME FROM UNTIL MY KIDS TOLD ME THAT THE DOOR IS PARTIALLY OPEN WHILE DRIVING. I PULLED OVER AND TEMPORARY CLOSE THE DOOR. I MANAGED TO GO BACK HOME AND STILL WITH THE ALARM ON AND THEN RE-PUSHED HARDER TO MAKE THE DOOR COMPLETELY CLOSED. THAT WAS SCARY BECAUSE MY KIDS WERE SITTING IN 2ND ROW. TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. ON SAME DAY, I RUSHED MY CAR TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT CABLE ASSEMBLY IS BROKEN AND NEED TO REPLACE ALL PARTS BUT MUST PAY $1700 + TAX BECAUSE THE ISSUE WAS THE POWER SLIDING DOOR CABLE ASSEMBLY ALTHOUGH MY CAR HAS VERY LOW MILEAGE 30, 312 MILES (SITTING MOST OF THE TIME INSIDE THE GARAGE) AND STILL NOT COVERED BY TOYOTA WARRANTY ENHANCE PROGRAM FOR REAR SLIDING DOOR CABLE. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING AND ADDING INSULT TO INJURY, I WAS TOLD THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE HAD THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR THE BUT THE DOOR ONLY OPENED SIX INCHES WIDE WHILE USING THE FOB, THEN SHUT INDEPENDENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD TO MANUALLY PRY THE DOOR OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE DOOR CABLE HAD SNAPPED AND WRAPPED AROUND THE MOTOR. THE MOTOR AND THE CABLES WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE INCIDENT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON INSPECTION, THE TRUNK DOOR UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSED WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE TRUNK DOOR LANDED ON HER BACK AND CAUSED A BRUISE, WHICH WAS A RECURRING INJURY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

MY SISTER AND I HAD JUST RETURNED HOME FROM THE STORE AND I PRESSED THE BUTTON TO LIFT THE BACK DOOR TO GET OUR THINGS OUT. WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF GETTING OUR THINGS OUT WHEN THE DOOR STARTED CLOSING ON US. I GOT OUT AND MY SISTER GOT CAUGHT AND IT CAME DOWN ON HER BACK AND SCRATCHED HER UP PRETTY GOOD. EVER SINCE THEN JUST OUT OF THE BLUE IT WILL NOT STAY UP AND IT WILL CLOSE DOWN ON YOU. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE TWO LITTLE CHILDREN. IT COULD REALLY DO SOME HARM TO THEM. THE SLIDING DOORS STOP CLOSING IF SOMEONE IS IN THE WAY AND IT SHOULD BE THE SAME FOR THE BACK DOOR. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF THE TOP OF THE LINE FANS FOR SAFETY. SO FAR I AM NOT IMPRESSED. SOMEONE NEEDS TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE! I AM SCARED TO EVEN OPEN UP THAT BACK DOOR BECAUSE OF THIS.....AND THAT IS NOT GOOD. *TR

WHEN OPERATING THE REAR LIFT GATE (TRUNK) ON THIS 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN, WE HAVE NOTICED THE LIFT GATE DOES NOT OPEN ALL THE WAY UP, CAUSING AN AVERAGE HEIGHT ADULTS TO BUMP THEIR HEADS ON THE LIFT GATE. BUT WORSE, THIS HAPPENS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE LIFT GATE COMES FALLING DOWN, HITTING AN ADULT ON THE HEAD, CAUSING A HEAD INJURY. WORSE YET, IF A CHILD HAPPENS TO BE STANDING UNDER THE LIFT GATE, THE HEAVY TRUNK CAN CAUSE A MAJOR INJURY OR DEATH! THIS IS HAPPENING ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA AS THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR A FAMILY MINIVAN WITH LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SAFETY RECALL ISSUED ON THIS TYPE OF MALFUNCTION AND HAVE THIS REPAIRED OR REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE BY TOYOTA DEALERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE SPARE TIRE BECAME DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE CONTACT TO DRIVE OVER THE TIRE AND EXPERIENCE A FAILURE WITH THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SPARE TIRE CABLE WAS CORRODED AND CONSEQUENTLY CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE BRAKING SYSTEM. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V160000 (STRUCTURE) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED AND THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.