2008 Toyota Sienna

1. ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON ALERTING US TO A PROBLEM (CHECK ENGINE, SERVICE ENGINE, ETC.). AFTER ALLEGED REPAIR, SPOUSE DROVE TO FAMILIES HOUSE APPROXIMATE 600 MILES AWAY AND FOUND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OIL HAD LEAKED FROM THE SYSTEM - OIL HAD BEEN CHANGED AS PART OF THE FIX. A SECOND DEALER, AT THE NEW LOCATION, "FIXED" WITH THE SAME HOSE AGAIN, WITH SIMILAR RESULTS, THOUGH MY SPOUSE ONLY DROP 120 MILES. SHE IS UNABLE TO CONTINUE THE TRIP HOME DUE TO THIS ISSUE. 2. AFTER TAKING TO DEALER, WAS TOLD THE VVT OIL LINE WAS A KNOWN FAULTY PART AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. WAS NOT A "FORMAL" RECALL, BUT WAS CONSIDERED AN INTERNAL RECALL TO TOYOTA THAT NEEDED TO BE FIXED FOR "FREE". BOTH DEALERSHIPS CLAIMED TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM, THOUGH THE ENGINE IS STILL LEAKING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OIL. THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF DATA ON THE WEB THAT ADDRESSES THIS OIL LINE AND THE ASSOCIATED ISSUES. 3. PART WAS REPLACED, BUT WITH SAME TYPE (PART NUMBER, COMPOSITION, ETC.). BASICALLY, A "NEW" BAD PART WAS REPLACED. FURTHERMORE, THE FIRST DEALERSHIP INSTALLED VARIOUS GASKETS AND SEALS INCORRECTLY, AND STILL GAVE THE CAR A SAFE RATING FOR A 600 MILE TRIP. THE SECOND DEALERSHIP MERELY REPLACED A BAD OIL LINE WITH ANOTHER BAD OIL LINE. *TR

PULLED INTO PARKING SPACE AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND HOPPED ONTO CURB AND RAN INTO PILLAR AT A RESTAURANT. LUCKILY NOBODY WAS EATING ON THE SIDEWALK WHERE VAN ENDED UP. PLACED VEHICLE INTO PARK AND REMOVED FOOT FROM BRAKE AND VEHICLE CONTINUED TO LUNGE FORWARD. IMMEDIATELY HIT BRAKES AGAIN AND A BYSTANDER CAME TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG. TALKING TO BYSTANDER TO DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED, I TOOK MY FOOT OFF BRAKE AGAIN AND VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD (WHILE STILL IN PARK). DECIDED TO SHUT VEHICLE OFF AND HAVE IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. I AM AWAITING A CALL FROM TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER TO SETUP AN INSPECTION, HOWEVER I WENT TO DEALERSHIP TO PICK UP SOME THINGS OUT OF THE CAR. I INSTRUCTED THE SERVICE AGENT THAT THE VAN WAS NOT TO BE DRIVEN UNTIL THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER INSPECTOR HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE VAN WITH ALL PARTIES. NEXT THING I KNOW THE SERVICE AGENT HAD PULLED THE VAN INTO THE SERVICE BAY FOR ME TO GRAB MY BELONGINGS OUT OF. I HOPE THIS DID NOT RUIN ANY DATA IN THE COMPUTER ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PARKING LOT. *TR

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE TIME OF OWNERSHIP. (BOUGHT NEW FEB 2008). THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING PWR DOOR STICKS CLOSED. I WOULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, AND IT WOULDN'T DO IT, AND THEY COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. THEY JUST KEPT TELLING ME IT WAS BECAUSE I LIVE DOWN A DIRT RD. I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES. MY CAR NOW HAS 46,000 MILES ON IT, AND THEY ARE FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGING THERE IS AN ISSUE OTHER THAN MY DIRT ROAD. WHEN YOU TURN THE PWR SWITCH FOR THE DOORS OFF ON THE DASH, A STRONG GROWN MAN CANNOT EVEN GET THE DOOR OPEN, AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE OPENS EASILY WITH JUST A FINGER. IT MAKES HORRIBLE SOUNDS WHEN IT DOES OPEN. I HAD 5 KIDS IN MY VAN THE OTHER DAY, AND I WAS AN HOUR FROM HOME. MY DOOR OPENED THAT DAY, AND THEN IT WOULD NOT CLOSE BACK. THAT IS THE FOURTH TIME I HAVE HAD TO DRIVE WITH MY DOOR OPEN! I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER, AND THEY SENT ME HOME, SAYING IT WAS THE DIRT ROAD, AND THEY CLEANED THE TRACKS. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO CLEAN AND GREASE THE TRACKS AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK! I WENT UP THE RD AND TRIED IT, AND IT DID NOT WORK. I AM SUPPOSED TO TAKE IT IN TOMORROW, BUT HAVE READ THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS. JUST GOOGLE, "SIENNA POWER SLIDING DOOR PROBLEMS". YOU WILL BE ASTONISHED LIKE I WAS! IT IS AWFUL THAT THEY ARE NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS PROBLEM! I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPAIR THIS, ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP MANY TIMES BEFORE MY WARRANTY WENT OUT. I FEEL IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE OTHER DAY MY SON WAS SICK, AND I COULD NOT GET THE DOOR OPEN, SO HE ENDED UP PUKING ALL OVER MY CAR. I WORRY ABOUT MY CAR BEING ON FIRE AND ME NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THE KIDS OUT OF THEIR CARSEATS! IT IS ALSO A DANGER WHEN YOU ARE IN A BUSY PARKING LOT OR SOMETHING AND CANNOT GET YOUR CAR DOOR OPEN SO YOUR KIDS CAN GET IN. IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY TOYOTA IMMEDIATELY! THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THIS HAPPENED YESTERDAY JULY 10, 2010 SATURDAY IN THE REGIONAL PARKS PARKING LOT. SINCE IT'S UNPAVED SO THERE WAS ROCKS AND DIRT ON THE GROUND SO I WAS DRIVING EXTREMELY SLOW TO COME TO A STOP AT A SPOT TO PARK ' I WAS DRIVING WAY BELOW 5 MPH AND EVEN SLOWER WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO COME TO STOP ' AS I ALSO KNOW OUTSIDE OF THE WIRE FENCE, BEYOND THE NARROW ROAD, IT WAS A CLIFF WITH A SUBSTANTIAL DROP OF ELEVATION; AND I HAVE MY WHOLE FAMILY IN THE CAR. I WAS DRIVING A TOYOTA SIENNA MINI VAN WHICH I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL CUSTOMER AND A BIG BELIEVER OF THE QUALITY. JUST AROUND THE TIME THE CAR IS ABOUT TO STOP, ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT SPED UP FORWARD IN SUCH A FORCE WE WERE ALL PUSHED BACK AGAINST THE SEAT BACK, I IMMEDIATELY MOVED MY FOOT TO THE BRAKE AND PRESS ALL THE WAY BUT IT WAS NOT RESPONSIVE AND DID NOT SLOW THE CAR. INSTEAD, THE CAR SPED UP AND WENT THROUGH THE WIRE FENCE AT ABOUT 45 DEGREE ANGLE, WHILE I WAS STEERING TOWARDS LEFT TO AVOID IT WITH VERY LITTLE EFFECT, AND DROPPED DOWN THE SLOPE ONTO THE ROAD, ALL THE WHILE KEPT SPEEDING UP, AND THEN GOT ACROSS THE ROAD AND HIT A WOODEN POLE ON THE ROAD SIDE BY THE CLIFF STRAIGHT ON. THEN THE CAR STOPPED AND THE BRAKE SEEMED TO WORK AGAIN AS MY RIGHT FOOT WAS PUSHING ALL THE WAY DOWN ON THE BRAKE FOR THE WHOLE TIME ' SO I SHIFTED TO PARK, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, AND THEN OPEN THE DOOR TO TELL PEOPLE COMING UP THAT WE WERE FINE. SOMEONE CALLED THE HIGH WAY PATROL AND THE OFFICER ARRIVED LATER TO TAKE THE CASE AND LATER TRANSFER THE CASE TO THE PARK POLICE FOR REPORT. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP AND MOST LIKELY IS TOTALED. WE HAVE INSURANCE COVERAGE SO THE FINANCIAL DAMAGE TO US WASN'T BIG. BUT WE ARE REALLY CONCERNED OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED. WE WERE SO LUCKY TO HAVE ESCAPED THE DROP DOWN THE CLIFF AND EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT WE DID NOT HIT ANYONE ALONG THE WAY, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONLY A FEW SECONDS (MAYBE 3-5 SECONDS) BUT THIS WAS A CROWDED PARK AND THERE WERE MANY BIKERS BIKING ALONG THE ROAD. *TR

IN THE SUMMER OF 2009 MY TOYOTA 2008 SIENNA XLE AWD ENGINE SPEED SLOWLY STARTED TO CLIMB WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT SEQUENCE OF EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED BUT I BELIEVE I PLACED IT INTO NEUTRAL, STOPPED, PLACED IT INTO PARK (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF THEN ON AGAIN. AFTER THAT THE ENGINE RESPONDED ONLY TO MY ACTIONS ON THE GAS PEDAL. IT DID OCCUR TO ME THAT THE PEDAL COULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT UNDER THE FLOOR MAT SO I CHECKED ITS POSITION AND IT WAS SOME DISTANCE FROM THE PEDAL AND COULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FROM NEW IN MAY 2008 AND THIS UNDIRECTED ACCELERATION HAS ONLY OCCURRED ONCE. THE CAR HAS JUST COMPLETED 20,000 MILES. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER WHO SERVICED MY CAR FOR THE 20,000 MILE INTERVAL AND VIA TOYOTA'S WEB SITE BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE AWARE THAT SIENNA VANS CAN ALSO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION DOES NOT RESPOND TO GET THE CAR INTO THE FIRST OR LOWEST GEAR WHEN PRESSING ON ACCELERATOR IF YOU DO NOT COME TO A COMPLETE FULL STOP AT AN INTERSECTION. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT PRIOR BRAKING OR SLOWING THE VEHICLE AS YOU COME TO A STOP AFFECTS HOW THE CAR SHIFTS INTO GEARS AND COULD BE WHY IT HESITATES OR HANGS IN NO GEAR WHILE TRYING TO ACCELERATE THROUGH AN INTERSECTION OR STOP. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS AT LEAST 90% OF THE TIME. THE RESPONSE FROM THE TRANSMISSION WHILE ACCELERATING IN THESE SITUATIONS WARRANTS A REPLACEMENT OR ADJUSTMENT. *TR

EARLY AM ON 6/1/10 I WAS DRIVING TO MY CABIN IN THE COUNTRY AND HEARD A SOFT POPPING SOUND, STOPPED MY CAR AND SMOKE BEGAN FLOWING OUT ALL OPENING AROUND THE HOOD, WHEN I LOOKED UNDER THE CAR I SAW FIRE FALLING TO THE ROAD. I WENT TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND OPENED THE DOOR ONLY TO FIND THAT AREA FILLED WITH TOXIC FUMES, SHUTTING THE DOOR I REALIZED ALL WAS HOPELESS EXCEPT TO GET AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. WITHIN SECONDS MY CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I RAN AS FAST AS I COULD TO GET HELP. HAD I BEEN LESS ALERT, INACTIVE, LESS PROACTIVE I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY DIED. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW IN NOV, 2008 AND HAD A LITTLE OVER 10,000 MILES. THERE WAS NO SMELL OF FUEL OR ANOTHER STRANGE ODOR. THE CAR WAS BURNED TOTALLY, WITH NOTHING REMAINING EXCEPT THE STEEL FRAME. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA AWD. SATURDAY AFTERNOON I WAS DRIVING EAST ALONG LEE HIGHWAY IN ARLINGTON, VA (PROBABLY MOVING AT ABOUT 30 TO 35 MPH) WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN, AND I SLOWED AS I APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION WITH HARRISON STREET (WHICH IS A RATHER BUSY INTERSECTION). MY TRAFFIC LIGHT WAS RED, SO I NEEDED TO STOP. I APPLIED THE BRAKES FULLY, AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO SLOW, BUT IT DID NOT STOP FULLY. I RELEASED THE BRAKE AND THEN PUSHED IT HARD ALL THE WAY TO THE MAT, BUT THE CAR STILL CONTINUED TO INCH FORWARD. I BECAME FRIGHTENED AND THREW THE CAR INTO PARK AND HIT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CAR SEEMED TO STOP, BUT I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION JUST IN CASE. I WAS A FEW MINUTES FROM HOME, SO I DROVE HOME WITH MY HAZARDS ON AND PARKED THE CAR. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT SINCE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THAT HAS BEEN PRIMARILY SERVICING THE VEHICLE (KOONS ARLINGTON), AND WAS TOLD TO CALL TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS - 800.331.4331. I CALLED THIS NUMBER FOR HEADQUARTERS, BUT AFTER REMAINING ON HOLD FOR OVER 5 MINUTES WITH NO END IN SIGHT AND WITHOUT HEARING A LIVE PERSON, I HUNG UP AND TRIED THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. A SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH I DID EARLY THIS MORNING. I AM AWAITING A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I EMAILED THEM FOR A STATUS UPDATE EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON. *TR