1999 Toyota Sienna

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH ON A RAINY DAY ON FLAT ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL BACK LIGHTS. THE RAIN WATER CREATED A SHORT CIRCUIT ON THE VEHICLE HARNESS CABLES IN THE HITCHER. THE CABLE HARNESS WAS REQUIRED TO CONNECT THE TRAILER LIGHTS. THE CONTACT DISCONNECTED THE HARNESS CABLES TO RESTORE THE VEHICLE BACK LIGHTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO REFERRED THE CONTACT TO A DEALERSHIP.

POWER DOOR LOCKS HAVE STARTED TO FAIL ON MY 1999 SIENNA LE. THE DRIVER'S DOOR SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEMATIC PART OF THE SYSTEM. THE OTHER DOORS SEEM TO WANT TO RESPOND BUT DRIVER DOOR MAKES A 'CLICK, CLICK, CLICK' SOUND AND DOESN'T RESPOND. KEY USUALLY WORKS TO LOCK AND UNLOCK BUT NOT CONSISTENTLY. DANGEROUS SINCE PEOPLE COULD BE TRAPPED IN VEHICLE DURING AN ACCIDENT, ETC AND OTHER POSSIBLY DANGEROUS SCENARIOS COULD OCCUR. REPORTING THIS SINCE IT MOST LIKELY HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS AND WANTED IT ON RECORD. DRIVER AND OTHERS COULD BE TRAPPED INSIDE WHICH IS DANGEROUS. *JB

LATCH ON VAN'S BACK HATCH DOOR BROKE DURING OPENING, CAUSING INABILITY TO OPEN BACK HATCH DOOR. NO EXCESSIVE PRESSURE WAS USED DURING OPENING, ONLY THE NORMAL GRIPPING MOTION TO OPEN THE LATCH. WHEN BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP WE PURCHASED VAN FROM, WE WERE QUOTED $350, AS THEY NEEDED TO "TAKE THE WHOLE DOOR APART." WE TOOK THE VAN TO TWO OTHER PLACES FOR AN ESTIMATE, BOTH WHICH THOUGHT THIS WAS A RECALL ISSUE (THOUGH ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS WAS NOT A RECALL ISSUE). FINALLY WE BROUGHT THE VAN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO ORDERED THE $45 TOYOTA PART, AND HE WAS ABLE TO PLACE IT IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES WITHOUT TAKING THE DOOR APART. *NM

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING MY 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN, IN MAY, 1999, I NOTICED A SEVERE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. I COULD NOT LET GO OF MY STEERING WHEEL FOR EVEN A SECOND OR THIS VEHICLE WOULD PULL. I TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (NEILL SANDLER IN MURFREESBORO, TN) AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I TOOK IT ANOTHER DEALER AND THE LADY WORKING THERE JUST ACTED LIKE IT WAS IN MY HEAD. LATER I TRIED TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY WOULD NOT DIAGNOSE IT SINCE I HAD TAKEN IT TO THE OTHER DEALERSHIP - WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. RIGHT BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, IN 2002, MY HUSBAND TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND THE LADY THERE STILL ACTED LIKE WE WERE CRAZY. LUCKILY, THE SERVICE MANAGER OVERHEARD OUR CONVERSATION AND OFFERED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. AFTER RETURNING FROM HIS DRIVE, HE STATED THAT IT WAS THE WORSE DRIVEN VEHICLE HE HAD EVER BEEN IN. THEY ENDED UP BENDING THE FRAME AS THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE "SOLVED" ANY OTHER WAY AND HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT AFTER BUYING NEW TIRES IT WOULD BE BETTER, AND IT WAS, FOR A WHILE. SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE TROUBLE WITH IT, AND HAVE PURCHASED AT LEAST THREE SETS OF FRONT TIRES FOR THE VEHICLE. IT CONTINUES TO PULL AND WE JUST THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE WORTH MENTIONING AFTER SEEING YOUR WEBSITE. *JB

WHILE TRYING TO OPEN THE TAILGATE/TRUNK ON MY VAN THE PLASTIC PIECE THAT I WOULD USE TO OPEN THE TRUNK SNAPPED AND BROKE. NOW I CAN NOT OPEN THE LATCH, CHANGE THE LIGHTS THAT ARE A SAFETY CONCERN. THIS PART WAS VERY FLIMSY AND PLASTIC IN NATURE AND WE DID NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY THAN WE USUALLY WOULD DO BUT NOW WE CAN NOT USE THE TRUNK AT ALL. *JB

ON BACK DOOR OF MINIVAN, THE OUTSIDE HANDLE BROKE WHEN WE SQUEEZED IT TO OPEN. THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED. WHY IS THERE NO RELEASE FROM THE INSIDE? THE QUOTE TO FIX IS $275-300. ALSO, ON THE REAR SLIDING DOOR (DRIVER SIDE, NOT AN AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR), THE PUSH-BUTTON LATCH "STICKS" SO THE DOOR WILL NOT LATCH WHEN CLOSING; WE HAVE TO PRY THE PUSH-BUTTON OUT WITH A KEY OR SCREW DRIVER SO THE DOOR WILL LATCH. *JB

THIS COMPLIANT IS REGARDING TWO SPECIFIC SAFETY ISSUES WITH A 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA VEHICLE. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE REAR HATCH HANDLE HAS BROKEN. (3 HANDLES SO FAR) THERE IS NO RELEASE MECHANISM FROM THE INSIDE, SO THERE IS NO WAY TO GET OUT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IN CASE OF FIRE OR ACCIDENT DISABLING THE SIDE DOORS. THE PART IN QUESTION IS POORLY DESIGNED AND IS MADE OF PLASTIC. THE PLASTIC HANDLE IS UNDER SPRING TENSION AND ACCUATES A METAL PART TO RELEASE THE DOOR LATCH. THE PLASTIC IS TOO WEAK TO PUSH AGAINST THE METAL PART IN NORMAL USE. THE HANDLE SHOULD ALSO BE MADE OF METAL TO CURE THIS DEFECT. THE LATEST AND SECOND SAFETY DEFECT INVOLVES THE REAR REMOVABLE POD SEATS. THE SEAT TODAY WILL NOT LOCK IN THE NORMAL SEATED POSITION. AN OCCUPANT CAN PULL THE SEAT UP AND OUT OF THE TRACK IF THEY LEAN FORWARD ENOUGH. I WOULD ASSUME IN AN ACCIDENT THE ENTIRE SEAT WOULD FLY FORWARD AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. *NM

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE FLORIDA TURNPIKE WITH OUR SONS (AGES 3 AND 1) IN THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE ENGINE DIED. SHE COASTED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE STAYED IN VEHICLE AND KEPT THE BOYS IN THEIR CAR SEATS AS SHE WAS ALONG A MAJOR HIGHWAY. A ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE VEHICLE PULLED UP BEHIND HER WITHIN A MINUTE OR TWO. HE ASKED MY WIFE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. SHE TOLD HIM AND HE ASKED HER TO POP THE HOOD. SHE DID. HE OPENED IT AND FLAMES CAME OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. NEITHER HE NOR MY WIFE KNEW OR SUSPECTED A FIRE. NO FLAMES. NO SMOKE. NO SMELL. NO HEAT. HE YELLED TO MY WIFE TO GET HERSELF AND THE KIDS OUT OF THE CAR. SHE DID AND THEY WERE ALL UNHARMED. HE PUT THE FIRE OUT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. OBVIOUSLY, MY WIFE AND CHILDREN PROBABLY WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED HAD THAT ROAD SIDE ASSISTANT NOT BEEN THERE. FL HIGHWAY PATROL ARRIVED. THE FHP OFFICER FILED INCIDENT REPORT # FHPK05OFF042549. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO WHERE I BOUGHT IT, TOYOTA OF ORLANDO (3800 W. COLONIAL DRIVE ORLANDO, FL 32808 407-298-4500) I VIDEO TAPED THE BURNED ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE FROM HEAD TO TOE AND WILL BE HAPPY TO SUBMIT A COPY TO YOU. I WAS CALLED BY A MR. MANNY COLON OF TOYOTA OF ORLANDO. HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT SLUDGE BUILD UP WAS FOUND AND SAID THAT WAS PROBABLY THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. I HAVE RECORDS (WITH A DIFFERENT SHOP-GOODYEAR) SHOWING THAT THE OIL WAS CHANGED REGULARLY AND NOT TERRIBLY LONG AGO. THERE SEEMS TO BE AN EXTREMELY WELL DOCUMENTED (AND ACKNOWLEDGED BY TOYOTA) SLUDGE PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA'S - INCLUDING THE 99 SIENNA. I HAVE FOUND MANY ARTICLES ON THE INTERNET AND I AM COLLECTING THEM. I WAS NEVER INFORMED OF THIS ISSUE BY ANYONE. IF THIS ISSUE CAN CAUSE AN ENGINE FIRE, WHY ARE THESE VEHICLES BEING ALLOWED ON THE ROAD WITH FAMILIES AND CHILDREN RIDING IN THEM? MY ENTIRE FAMILY ALMOST DIED YESTERDAY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS. I DON'T WANT OTHERS TO DIE IF IT CAN BE AVOIDED. *NM