2001 Toyota Sienna

TWO ISSUES ON MY 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH 113K MILES: 1) REAR LATCH HANDLE BROKE APART WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH. THE PART THAT BROKE IS PLASTIC. THE BREAK OCCURRED WHILE TRYING TO OPEN THE LATCH UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS. CONSEQUENCE OF THIS PART FAILURE: UNABLE TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH. CORRECTION: TOYOTA DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE MECHANISM (COSTING ME $200). 2) WHILE INVESTIGATING THE BROKEN LATCH ISSUE, I OBSERVED THAT THE MECHANISM THAT PHYSICALLY LATCHES THE REAR DOOR (TO THE MINIVAN BODY) WAS LOOSE. THE THREE SCREWS THAT SECURE/ATTACH THIS LATCHING MECHANISM IN PLACE WHERE BACKED HALF-WAY OUT. FAILURE: NO FAILURE HAD OCCURRED. HOWEVER, IF THE THREE SCREWS LOOSENED MORE, I FEAR THAT THE REAR HATCH COULD OPEN WHILE THE VAN WAS IN OPERATION. CORRECTION: TOYOTA DEALER TIGHTENED THE THREE SCREWS. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S SLIDING SIDE DOOR REMAINED LATCHED AND ONCE THE DOOR BECOMES LATCHED IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO REOPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED WITH A REMOTE LOCKING DEVICE. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE'S PUSH BUTTON NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN FIXED DUE TO COST.*AK

WE OWN A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN, WE PURCHASED IT IN 2001 BUT IT WAS USED WITH 18,000 MILES ON IT. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, SEVERAL THINGS HAVE GONE WRONG. #1- PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW HAD A DEFECTIVE MOTOR AND WOULD NOT GO BACK UP. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, SO WE HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THAT REPAIR. #2- DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH SHUT. THE BUTTON GOT STUCK FROM THE INSIDE WHICH PREVENTED THE DOOR FROM LATCHING SHUT. THIS HAD HAPPENED MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE BUTTON POPPED OUT AND THE DOOR WOULD SHUT. BUT ON ONE OCCASION THE BUTTON POPPED OUT AND THE DOOR STILL WOULD NOT SHUT. WE HAD TO DRIVE HOME HOLDING THE DOOR SHUT THE ENTIRE WAY! OF COURSE, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE WITH OUR 2 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AT THE DEALER (AGAIN NOT UNDER WARRANTY), BUT THE DOOR STILL CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE, OR THE BUTTON GETS STUCK IN. #3- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A DIAGNOSTIC TEST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS- IDLE AIR CONTROL, BANK 1 SENSOR (MOST LIKELY OXYGEN SENSOR), LEAKY CHARCOAL CANISTER. WE FIXED THE IDLE AIR CONTROL SINCE THAT WAS CAUSING THE VAN TO NOT START AND STALL. THIS REPAIR WAS ALMOST $700, AND NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE WE HAD GONE OVER 36,000 MILES. WE DID NOT FIX THE OTHER TWO PROBLEMS LAST MONTH DUE TO COST. THE VAN OVERHEATS AND CAN NOT BE DRIVEN. WE WROTE A LETTER TO TOYOTA AND TALKED TO THEM VIA PHONE. THEY TOLD US THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BECAUSE OUR VAN IS NOT A LEGAL US VAN- IT IS WAS BUILT IN CANADA. WE BOUGHT IT AT A TOYOTA DEALER IN ROCHESTER, NY AND WERE NEVER TOLD IT WAS CANADIAN. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT NO WARRANTY WOULD EVER BE COVERED IN THE US BECAUSE IT IS CANADIAN. CARFAX.COM SAYS IT WAS BUILT IN THE UNITED STATES HOWEVER. WE TRIED TO GO THE ROUTE OF THE LEMON LAW, BUT COULD NOT. *NM

I WAS LOCKED INSIDE MY 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA CE VAN AND COULDN'T GET OUT FOR 3-4 MINUTES. I HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR 6-8 MINUTES AND PARKED IN A PARKING LOT TO GO INTO A STORE. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND TRIED ALL THE FOLLOWING:*AK 1. ALL DOOR HANDLES 2. THE "KEYLESS" KEY FOB 3. THE BUTTON ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE ARM REST IN THE DOOR WHICH ENABLES/DISABLES THE DOOR LOCKS AT EACH DOOR 4. THE POWER WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE ONLY AFTER PRESSING ALL THESE BUTTONS NUMEROUS TIMES DID THE DOORS FINALLY "WAKE UP" AND UNLOCK. I SUSPECT THE PROBLEM HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SPECIFICALLY THE 50-MONTH OLD BATTERY. BUT EVEN IF THE BATTERY IS LOW ON POWER, WHY SHOULD THE DOOR LOCKS BE INOPERABLE? SHOULD THE LOCKS AUTOMATICALLY REVERT TO THE OPEN POSITION IF THERE IS INSUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL POWER?

I OWNED A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA LE THAT I BOUGHT USE IN APRIL 2004. THREE WEEKS AGO, AS I WAS DRIVING ON AN EXPRESSWAY AT A SPEED OF 55 MPH, MY HOOD JUST POPPED OPENED AND HIT MY WINDSHIELD WITH A FORCE OF DYNAMITE. LUCKILY I DIDNT GET PANIC AND LOOKED THROUGH THE CLEARANCE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ARCHED HOOD AND SLOWLY STOPPED THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NOBODY GOT HURT. WHEN I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THIS DEALER, THEY FOUND THE SECONDARY HOOD LATCH WAS FAULTY AND WAS LEFT OPENED THAT SUPPOSED TO PREVENT THE HOOD TO COME LOOSE IN CASE SOMEONE LIFT THE HOOD OPENER FROM INSIDE BY MISTAKE. (THERE IS A TENSION SPRING IN LATCH MECHANISM THAT KEEPS THE HOOK ENGAGED TO KEEP THE HOOD FROM FREEING WAS NOT STRONG ENOUGH) I ASKED THE DEALER IF THIS FAULTY LATCH WOULD BE COVERED UNDER TOYOTA SAFETY PROGRAM BUT WAS REFUSED AND PAID FOR IT OUT OF MY POCKET. I HAVE INFORM TOYOTA ABOUT THIS INCIDENT AS WELL AS TO ADVISE TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY AND AT LEAST PAY FOR MY REPAIR COST OF THE LATCH AND OTHER DAMAGES DONE TO MY CAR DUE TO THIS INCIDENT. I COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE AND HAD RUN INTO SOMEONE ELSE. I AM IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING PROFESSION AND WOULD SUGGEST TAKING A DEEPER LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM SINCE I KNOW ANOTHER PERSON WHO HAD IDENTICAL PROBLEM WITH THE SAME MODEL YEAR. BUT TOYOTA CORPORATION, AFTER WRITING THEM TWICE INSISTS THEIR VEHICLES HAVE NO PROBLEM. MAY BE OTHER PEOPLE DOESNT WANT TO TAKE TIME TO WRITE WHAT THEY HAVE FACED. BUT TWO SIMILAR INCIDENTS CANNOT BE A CO-INCIDENT. I WANT THIS REPORT TO BE KNOWN TO OTHER 2001-TOYOTA SIENNA OWNERS SO THEY BECOME AWARE OF THIS SEEMINGLY SMALL UN- REPORTED BUT DEADLY PROBLEM THANKS SYED N MASOOD. *JB

THERE ARE 2 POTENTIALLY SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS, WHICH APPEAR TO BE COMMON, BASED ON COMMENTS FROM 2 OTHER FAMILIES WE KNOW WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS IN THE SAME VEHICLE, A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE LOCK BUTTON ON THE REAR VAN DOOR GETS STUCK AND APPARENTLY THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT IS TO BANG ON THE HANDLE UNTIL IT POPS BACK OPEN. WHEN IN THIS POSITION THE DOOR CANNOT BE CLOSED. THE OTHER IS WITH THE IGNITION LOCK; IT STICKS AND LOCKS EVEN AFTER THE WHEEL MAY BE DISENGAGED; THIS LEADS TO A POSSIBILITY OF BEING STRANDED, OR WORSE. *JB

POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE TO BECOME LOCKED INSIDE THE VEHICLE WITH NO WAY TO OPEN THE DOORS. WHEN DOORS ARE LOCKED WITH THE REMOTE CONTROL (DELIBERATELY OR ACCIDENTALLY), WITH NO KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK THEM IS WITH THE REMOTE OR TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. THE DOORS CAN BE LOCKED WITH THE REMOTE, AND A PERSON NOT HAVING THE REMOTE WILL BE UNABLE TO GET OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT LEAST 4 TIMES SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR. *LA