2001 Toyota Sienna

07-08-01 34 MILES STEERING FAILURE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. 01-29-03 7552 MILES STEERING FAILURE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. AFTER SLOWING DOWN AT TOLLS,FAILS TO ACCELERATE,LOUD NOISE FOLLOW. WET/RAINY SURFACE,FRONT TIRES SPIN AT TAKE-OFF. WIND NOISE VERY PROMINENT ON HIGHWAYS. RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER LOCK DOES NOT LATCH/UNLATCH AT TIMES. REAR HEATER IS DEFECTIVE.

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.

INITIALLY OIL LEAK AFTER OIL CHANGE. WAS TOLD THAT TRANSMISSION PAN WAS LEAKING AND PAID FOR REPLACEMENT. TRANSMISSION FLUID THEN STARTED LEAKING. RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER; TRANSMISSION PAN WAS TIGHTENED. NOTICED FLUID STILL LEAKING; RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETECT SOURCE OF FLUID LEAK; PLACED DIE IN OIL AND TRANSMISSION FLUIDS; ASKED TO RETURN VEHICLE IN A FEW WEEKS. RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP; WAS TOLD THERE WAS A LEAK SURROUNDING ENGINE SEAL AND SEAL WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED.

2001 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE VAN, VIN [XXX], APPROX 34,600 MILES. VEHICLE STILL UNDER MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY OF 36 MONTHS, 36,000 MILES. DRIVING STRAIGHT, LANE 2, NB 880 N OF MARKET STREET, APPROX. 50-55 MPH (ELEVATED FREEWAY, BROKEN CLOUDS, INTERMITTENT SUNSHINE WINDY AND LIGHT RAIN (RAINBOW CONDITIONS), ROADWAY GROOVED, AND ROADWAY UNDER 4 YEARS OF AGE). SUDDENLY, STEERING LIGHT, SIMULTANEOUSLY SENSED REAR SLIDING COUNTERCLOCKWISE VIEWED ABOVE, STEERED RIGHT, COUNTER SPIN. VEHICLE 1 DARTED UNCONTROLLABLY RIGHT, GROSSLY OVER STEERING, HEADING FOR RIGHT WALL, CORRECTED STEERING LEFT VEHICLE DARTED UNCONTROLLABLY LEFT, GROSSLY OVER STEERING, CROSSING ACROSS LANE 2 TO LANE 1, HEADING FOR LEFT WALL. VEHICLE 2, IN LANE 1, MADE CONTACT, COUNTERCLOCKWISE SPIN RESULTING WITH SEVERE IMPACT WITH LEFT WALL AT RIGHT FRONT OFFSET ANGLE. VEHICLE CONTINUED COUNTERCLOCKWISE RESTING FORWARD AT AN ANGLE TO LANE 1, AND LEFT REAR OF VEHICLE SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE, AWAY FROM LEFT WALL. BOTH AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. DRIVER OF VEHICLE 2 FIRST OBSERVED THAT WHEEL-SIDE END OF LEFT CONTROL ARM (LCA) OBSERVED TOUCHING ROADWAY IMMEDIATELY AFTER COLLISION. ALL 3 PARTICIPANTS OBSERVED WHEEL-SIDE END OF LCA STRAIGHT, APPEARING UNDAMAGED SAVE DISCONNECTION FROM LEFT SUSPENSION. LCA THREADS, LIKE NEW IN THE CENTER OF THREADED PORTION POINTING DOWN 90 DEGREES TO LCA, TOUCHING ROADWAY. BALL JOINT OBSERVED AT TOP,INTACT, NO DAMAGE. COLOR OF MIDDLE SECTION OF THREADED PORTION WAS BRIGHT/CLEAN, ALMOST LIGHT BRASS-LIKE COLORED, AVAILABLE SUNLIGHT. LEFT FRONT WHEEL FULLY DISPLACED CLOCKWISE EXPOSING STRAIGHT LCA. CHP ACCIDENT REPORT TAKEN STATEMENTS FROM 3 OCCUPANTS. REPORTED TO CHP SERVICE BREAKS NEVER APPLIED, THERE WAS NO TIME DRIVER OF VEHICLE 2 ANSWERED/REPORTED TO CHP THAT LCA BROKEN, AND SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION BY CHP CONFIRMED CONDITION OF LCA. CHP USED CRUISER TO 3 TIMES RAM RIGHT QUARTER, PUSH PARALLEL TO LANE 1 AND LEFT RETAINING WALL, TO FACILITATE REMOVAL BY TOW TRUCK. TS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION