2001 Toyota Sienna

THE SPARE TIRE MECHANISM BROKE ON MY 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN. THANKFULLY I WAS TRYING TO REMOVE THE SPARE WHEN IT HAPPENED AND THE SPARE TIRE DID NOT GO FLYING INTO TRAFFIC. THE CABLE BROKE AT THE END WHERE THE CABLE GOES THROUGH THE METAL HOLDER/BRACKET THAT ACTUALLY CLAMPS TO THE WHEEL. IF THIS HAD BROKEN OFF WHEN THE VAN WAS MOVING, EITHER THE VAN WOULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY THE SPARE GETTING CAUGHT BETWEEN THE ROAD AND THE VAN OR THE SPARE MAY HAVE HIT ANOTHER CAR. THIS IS MAYBE THE SECOND TIME THAT WE HAVE HAD THE SPARE OFF IN THE 258K MILES WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR SO IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE INSPECT REGULARLY. THERE ARE A LOT OF THESE VANS OUT THERE AND I REALLY DON'T WANT TO BE BEHIND ONE WHEN THE SPARE LETS GO. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED THAT MY VAN DID NOT HAVE A RECALL ON THIS ITEM. *TR

I HAVE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE THAT DOES NOT FIT THE ORDINARY TYPE OF COMPLAINT. I BELIEVE THAT THE TIRE INDUSTRY IS PUTTING THOUSANDS OF DRIVERS AT RISK IN WINTER DRIVING BECAUSE OF POLICIES THAT IGNORE NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. BECAUSE OF TEST ON VEHICLES THAT ARE SKIDDING OUT OF CONTROL THEY ARE MAKING POLICIES THAT PUT THE DRIVER AT RISK WHEN DRIVING IN SNOW. THEY RECOMMEND THAT TWO TIRES WITH GREATER TREAD ALWAYS BE INSTALLED ON THE REAR WHEELS. SKIDS ARE A RESULT OF DRIVING TOO FAST. HOWEVER IF YOU CANNOT MOVE THE CAR THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS OF ABSOLUTELY NO VALUE. IF YOU HAVE A FRONT WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE IN DEEP SNOW AND CANNOT GET ENOUGH TRACTION YOU CANNOT MOVE. IF YOU ARE DRIVING AND A SNOW PLOW MAKE A PILE IN YOUR PATH IT MAY STOP YOUR CAN AND YOU MAY GET HIT IN THE BACKEND. IF YOU HAVE A STEEP HILL AND CAN'T GET UP YOU ARE A BIG HAZARD FOR ALL TRAFFIC BEHIND YOU. I TRY TO DRIVE WITH MY FRONT WHEELS IN MIND AND TO AVOID AT ALL COST LOSING TRACTION. ALSO IF YOU HAVE ABS BRAKES THEY MINIMIZE THE EFFECTS OF REAR WHEEL SKIDS. *TR

MICHELIN X RADIAL TIRES (80,000 MILE TIRES) FROM SAM'S CLUB I HAD 4 MICHELIN X RADIAL TIRES ALL PURCHASED FROM SAM'S CLUB ON MY TOYOTA SIENNA. ALL 4 TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE. ON 9/10/10 MY SIENNA'S RIDE FELT BUMPY. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC. HE SHOWED MY WHERE MY REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE WAS SEPARATING DUE TO THE RADIAL BELT OF THE TIRE COMING LOSE. I TOOK MY SIENNA BACK TO SAM'S CLUB ON 9/10/10. SAM'S CLUB ALSO DIAGNOSED THE TIRE AS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED IT. ON 9/28/10 MY REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE LOST A RADIAL BELT WHILE I WAS ON I-75 TRAVELING AT 70 MPH. I BROUGHT THE TIRE BACK TO SAM'S CLUB ON 9/29/10 AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE TIRE AS DEFECTIVE. ON 10/1/2010 I TOOK MY SIENNA TO MY MECHANIC FOR A SAFETY INSPECTION AND ALIGNMENT (SINCE MY ALIGNMENT WAS THROWN OUT WHEN THE TIRE STRIPPED ON THE HIGHWAY.) MY MECHANIC INSPECTED MY FRONT TIRES AND FOUND MULTIPLE SIGNS OF DEFECTIVE RADIAL BELTS IN BOTH FRONT TIRES. MY MECHANIC MARKED THE PECULIAR WEAR ON BOTH TIRES WITH CHALK. I REPLACED THE FRONT TIRES WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND. I TRIED TO RETURN THE TIRES TO SAM'S CLUB BECAUSE THEY WERE ONLY THREE YEARS OLD WITH LESS THAN 40,000 MILES ON THEM. SAM'S CLUB REFUSED TO TAKE THEM BACK. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE VEHICLE HAS DILL-ACP VALVE STEMS, MODEL TR-413. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE VEHICLE STRUCK A GUARDRAIL AND WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES AVAILABLE. SHE RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VALVE STEMS ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. UPDATED 10/20/08 *BF

HILD SAFETY LOCKS ON REAR SLIDING DOORS ARE BYPASSED AND RENDERED USELESS BY REAR POWER DOOR BUTTONS. WITH THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS ENGAGED THE SLIDING DOORS CAN NOT BE OPENED MANUALLY FROM THE INSIDE. HOWEVER THE REAR POWER DOOR BUTTONS LOCATED ON THE REAR DOORS, ON THE FRONT CONSOLE, AND ON THE REMOTE ALL FUNCTION NORMALLY. THERE IS A SEPARATE BUTTON ON THE FRONT CONSOLE THAT DEACTIVATES THE POWER DOOR FUNCTION, BUT IT DEACTIVATES IT FROM ALL 3 POINTS (BUTTONS ON THE REAR DOORS, ON THE FRONT CONSOLE, AND ON THE REMOTE) RENDERING THE EXPENSIVE POWER DOOR FEATURE USELESS. TO COMPLY WITH THE CHILD SAFETY LOCK REQUIREMENT, WHEN THE CHILD SAFETY LOCK IS ENGAGED IT SHOULD DISABLE MANUAL OPENING OF THE DOOR BY BACKSEAT OCCUPANTS AND SHOULD DISABLE THE POWER DOOR BUTTONS LOCATED ON THE BACK DOORS WITHIN EASY REACH OF BACKSEAT OCCUPANTS. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT HAS FAILED TO FOLLOWUP OR OFFER ANY SOLUTION (TOYOTA CASE # 2003 1204 0595). POWER DOORS CLOSE TOO HARD AND POSE SERIOUS INJURY RISK TO CHILDREN. POWER DOORS CLOSE HARD ENOUGH TO EASILY HURT AN ADULT. MY TWO YEAR OLD SON WAS INJURED WHEN HE ACTIVATED THE POWER DOOR BUTTON LOCATED IN THE BACK SEAT AND MANAGED TO CLOSE THE DOOR ON HIS ARM. MULTIPLE DEALERS HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THE POWER DOORS ARE NOT ADJUSTABLE AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE CHANGED. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT HAS FAILED TO FOLLOWUP OR OFFER ANY SOLUTION (TOYOTA CASE # 2003 1204 0595). TIRE PRESSUE MONITORING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. IT FAILS TO WARN OF LOW PRESSURE IN TIRES (TESTED TO 15 LBS BELOW APPROPRIATE TIRE PRESSURE ON EACH TIRE INDIVIDUALLY AND THEN ON ALL 4 TIRES SIMULTANEOUSLY). HOWEVER, THE WARNING LIGHT DOES COME ON WHEN DESCENDING FROM HIGH ALTITUDES IN SPITE OF ALL TIRES BEING INFLATED PROPERLY. MULTIPLE DEALERS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND FIX THE PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED (TOYOTA CASE #2004 0109 0681).*AK

LEASED VEHICLE NEW IN APRIL 2001. TO DATE, HAVE HAD 11 BRAKE REPLACEMENTS IN A PERIOD OF 21 MONTHS. BRAKES SQUEALING IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEING REPLACED, SOUNDS LIKE A SEMI COMING TO STOP. FILED UNDER FLORIDA LEMON LAW, WHICH DEALER SAID "COULD NOT DUPLICATE CONCERN-OPERATING TO DESIGN & INTENT". BRAKES GRIND METAL TO METAL AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. VIBRATION & UNEVEN, PREMATURE TIRE WEAR DESPITE SEVERAL ALIGNMENTS. VEHICLE ALSO MAKES CLUNKING SOUND WHEN BREAKING IN REVERSE & INITIAL ACCELERATION.

TREAD SEPARATED ON FIRESTONE TIRE IN A SIMILAR MANNER TO FORD EXPLORER RECALLED TIRES. TOOK TIRE TO TOYOTA DEALER WHO INITIALLY ADVISED ME TO TAKE TIRE TO A FIRESTONE SERVICE CENTER. LATER TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT ASSERTED THAT TREAD SEPARATED BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN WHILE TIRE WAS NOT PROPERLY INFLATED. TOYOTA DEALER OFFERED TO REPLACE TIRES HOWEVER. I STILL HAVE SEPARATED TIRE AND I WILL TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS. I INTEND TO KEEP SEPARATED TIRE IN MY POSSESSION. APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES PRIOR TO TREAD SEPARATION, I PUT AIR IN TIRES. I DROVE ON THE INTERSTATE AND ABOUT 2 MILES OFF OF THE INTERSTATE IS WHERE THE TREAD SEPARATED. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS PARTICULAR TIRE IN NOT CURRENTLY PART OF THE FIRESTONE RECALL BUT I WOULD LIKE YOUR AGENCY TO NOTE THIS REPORT OF THE PROBLEM THAT I EXPERIENCED WITH THE AFFINITY TIRE. (DOT NUMBER: W2VFAAT050 TIRESIZE: P215/65R15)