1998 Toyota Sienna

SECOND FAILURE OF WINDOW ELECTRIC MOTORS. FIRST OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AGO--DRIVER'S SIDE MOTOR REPLACED. SECOND IS CURRENT. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THAT MOTOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED ON PASSENGER SIDE. WAS TOLD NO RECALL OR SERVICE BULLETINS ISSUED BY TOYOTA EVEN THOUGH DEALERS SERVICE PEOPLE SAID WINDOW MOTOR FAILURES WERE COMMON IN TOYOTAS. *JB

THREE YEAR AGO I BOUGHT 4 SPORTIVA WHEELS FOR MY 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE MODEL OF THIS WHEEL WAS MILANO. ON MAY 25, 2006 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME WITH MY 5 YEAR OLD KID AND ON ROAD 116 KM 0.2 LAJAS, PUERTO RICO ONE OF THE WHEELS BROKE IN THE CENTER AND MY WIFE LOST CONTROL OF THE MINIVAN FOR A FEW SECONDS. HOPEFULLY SHE AND MY SON DON'T HAVE ANY INJURIES BUT SHE WAS VERY SCARED. IF SHE WERE DRIVING AT MUCH HIGHER SPEED AT THAT TIME MY WIFE AND KID COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. SHE WAS DRIVING AT 25 MPH BECAUSE IT WAS A TURN. MY CAR HAS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT FENDER, BRAKE DISK, FRONT AXLE, TIRE ETC... THE REST OF THE WHEELS ARE CRACKED IN THE SAME AREA. I'M WRITING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE SOMEBODY THAT HAVE THIS WHEELS CAN DIE AND I WILL HAVE TO SPEND MUCH MONEY TO FIX MY CAR. *JB

MICHELIN HYDROEDGE TIRE: TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE FOR THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE TIRE ON A PASSENGER VAN. TIRE WAS PROPERLY INFLATED JUST 4 WEEKS AGO WHEN ONE OF THE TIRES WAS REPLACED BECAUSE OF A PREVIOUS ROAD HAZARD. NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE SINCE THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY REMOVE THE VEHICLE FROM LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE ROAD SHOULDER. THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO HAVE ANY DAMAGE (ROAD HAZARD) TO THE TIRE. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING OUT THE LEFT MIDDLE ROW SEAT BELT STRAP OF THE RETRACTOR, THE MATERIAL WAS FRAYING INTO. ADDITIONALLY, THE LEFT SECOND ROW SEAT BELT AND THE LEFT THIRD ROW SEAT BELT STRAP COMPLETELY DISENGAGED FROM THE RETRACTOR. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO THE DEALER, WHO INSISTED THAT DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE IT WASN'T THEIR PROBLEM. UPDATED 05/30/2006. *AK

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN MY 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA ON I75 IN ATLANTA GA WHILE VISITING FRIENDS, WAS ABLE TO GET TO MEDIAN BEFORE IT DIED. HAD IT TOWED TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO VERIFIED SLUDGE BUILD UP. CALLED TOYOTA ABOUT ENGINE FAILURE. WAS TOLD TO TAKE VAN TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN SC (WHERE WE LIVE) TOWED THE VAN HOME TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP WHO ALSO VERIFIED SLUDGE BUILD UP. WAS TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS IN THEIR ENGINES BUT WAS NOT GOING TO PAY FOR ENGINE REPLACEMENT BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE RECEIPTS PROVING THAT OIL/FILTERS CHANGES WERE MADE. WE CHANGED OUR OIL EVERY 3000 MILES WITHOUT FAIL. IF WE DIDN'T ENGINE WOULD HAVE DIED SOONER. TOYOTA DID SAY THAT WE COULD PAY FOR REPAIRS $9000 AND THEN SUBMIT RECEIPTS FOR REVIEW AND MAY BE REIMBURSED FOR REPAIRS. STILL FIGHTING WITH TOYOTA, HAVE MADE COMPLAINT WITH BBB. POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE, I WAS ALONE WITH 4 CHILDREN. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED A WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS MAKING NOISE. THE TRANSMISSION HAD NO OTHER NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS AT THIS POINT. THE MECHANIC, WHO LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE, STATED THE TRANSMISSION WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED SOON. THE MECHANIC SAID IT WAS MAKING NOISE DUE TO DEFECTIVE DIFFERENTIAL AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT TOYOTA WOULD PROVIDE THE PART, AND THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LABOR. *AK UPDATE 1/4/2006 - *NM

PROBLEM WITH THE HORN ON MY 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE HORN STOPPED WORKING ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER AT LEAST 5 TIMES, AND TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AT LEAST 3 TIMES. SPENT OVER $1400 AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED. THEY HAVE CHANGED THE RELAY, CHANGED CONTACTS, SANDED CONTACTS, AND STILL, THE HORN DOES NOT WORK. FOR THE MOST PART THE HORN WORKS WHEN THE CAR IS STOPPED AND COOL. AFTER DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY FOR ABOUT 1/2 HOUR TO 1 HOUR, THE HORN STOPS WORKING COMPLETELY. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET IT TO WORK ON THE HIGHWAY BY "JIGGLING" THE STEERING WHEEL AND PUSHING THE HORN AT THE SAME TIME WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. IN A NUTSHELL, IT IS VERY ERRATIC AND VIRTUALLY ALWAYS STOPS WORKING WHEN WE ARE ON A ROAD TRIP. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE HORN TYPICALLY DOES NOT WORK AT 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN SOMEONE ON THE HIGHWAY CUTS ME OFF AND IT'S NECESSARY TO USE THE HORN. THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND OTHERWISE RUNS FINE DESPITE HAVING 150,000 MILES ON IT. I'VE BEEN VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THE DEALERS AND THEIR OBVIOUS LACK OF EXPERTISE OR PERSISTENCE IN TROUBLESHOOTING THIS UNUSUAL ISSUE. *JB

SIENNA VAN BACK DOOR LATCH FAILURE TO OPEN. LATCH COMPONENTS INCLUDE A PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT CAN APPARENTLY BREAK RENDERING THE BACK DOOR LATCH UNUSABLE. OCCUPANTS OF VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE BACK TO ESCAPE IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT OR ALLOW EMERGENCY CREWS ACCESS. CONSIDERING A DOOR HANDLE (LATCH) TO BE A CRITICAL COMPONENT FOR SAFETY REASONS, I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THIS PART MADE OUT OF PLASTIC. IN CALLING TOYOTA SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT ITS NOT UNCOMMON FOR THIS PIECE OF PLASTIC TO BREAK ON THE VEHICLES AFTER ~7 YEARS. THIS IS WHEN THEY EXPECT THE FAILURES TO OCCUR AND THE SERVICE PERSONAL INDICATED THEY HAD JUST REPAIRED ONE LAST WEEK TOO. AT A COST OF OVER $300 TO REPAIR THIS PIECE OF PLASTIC AND ALLOW THE TRUNK TO OPEN AND CLOSE AGAIN, I PERSONALLY CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY DEFECT. THE TRUNK LATCH IS NOT USED ON A DAILY BASIS AS THE DOORS ARE BUT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE VEHICLE ACCESS AND FAILURE TO DESIGN AND USE PARTS THAT CAN STAND UP FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE FAILURE CAME WITH NO PRIOR INDICATION. WENT TO OPEN TRUNK AND PIECE OF PLASTIC UNDER LATCH HANDLE BROKE RENDERING IT USELESS. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER FAILURES RELATED TO THE PASSENGER OR DRIVER DOORS WITH THE LATCHES OR IF THEY ARE MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL. SOMETHING FOR NHTSA TO REVIEW. *JB