2002 Toyota Sienna

OUR 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA HAD THE GEAR SHIFT REPAIRED AT A MAJOR ATLANTA AREA TOYOTA DEALER ON MAY 5, 2014. THE GEAR SHIFT REPLACEMENT REQUIRED THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN TO BE DISASSEMBLED. ABOUT ONE WEEK AFTER THAT REPAIR, THE STEERING COMPLETELY FAILED. THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OF THE WHEELS. BY SHEER LUCK THIS STEERING FAILURE OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT AFTER JUST TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE. HAD THIS STEERING FAILURE OCCURRED AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS, THIS MAY HAVE BEEN FATAL. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE SAME MAJOR ATLANTA AREA TOYOTA DEALER AND THE CAUSE OF THE STEERING FAILURE WAS IDENTIFIED AS "STEERING JOINT BOLT BACKED OFF FROM CONNECTION". I WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY ONE BOLT COMING LOOSE. THE STEERING FAILURE WAS CORRECTED BY "RE-TIGHTENED' BOLT WITH LOCK TIGHT". IN SUMMARY, THE REPAIR OF A GEAR SHIFT BY A CERTIFIED TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE CENTER RESULTED IN COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE DUE TO ONE BOLT THAT "BACKED OFF FROM CONNECTION" OR THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY TIGHTENED OR SECURED. IT IS VERY CONCERNING THAT TOYOTA?S STEERING COLUMN DESIGN HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE WHEN ONE BOLT COMES LOOSE. IT IS ALSO A MAJOR ISSUE THAT A CERTIFIED TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE CENTER IS UNABLE TO SAFELY DISSEMBLE AND REASSEMBLE THE STEERING COLUMN AND PROVIDE A SAFE AND DRIVABLE VEHICLE. I WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT HOW OFTEN THIS TYPE OF STEERING FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON THIS AND SIMILARLY DESIGNED TOYOTA VEHICLES. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY CRASHES, SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATHS HAVE RESULTED FROM THIS ISSUE. THIS CERTAINLY CAN?T BE THE ONLY OCCURRENCE. I FEEL IT IS IMPERATIVE TO ALERT OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE AS WELL AS AUTHORIZED REPAIR CENTERS OF THE SITUATION OR ISSUE A RECALL TO ENSURE THAT THE STEERING JOINT BOLT IS SECURE. VIDEO CAN BE SEEN AT: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=6XB-CPKR4HY UPDATED 1/9/2015 *JS

I WAS DRIVING THE CAR TO TAKE DINNER WITH MY FAMILY WHEN ARRIVE TO THE RESTAURANT I NOTICE WAS A LOT SMOG IN THE MOTOR I OPEN THE HOOD WAS A LOT SMOG SO I PLUG OUT THE BATTERY AND I CALL A MECHANIC AND HE TELLME THE FIRE WAS IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP HE DISCONNECT THE CABLE FROM THE POWER STEERING AND TELLME TO BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND MAYBE HAVE A RECALL. THATS BY I WANT TO NO IF IS COVER FOR THE WARRANTY OR RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT FAILED TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK AND DRIVE. THE FAILURE RECURRED SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME ABNORMALLY HARD TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO FINALLY MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE TO THE CONTACTS PLACE OR RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE ON A SLIGHT INCLINE. WHEN SHE STOPPED AND TRIED TO PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE, THE GEARSHIFT BROKE. WE HAD THE VAN TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THE METAL PARTS INTO WHICH THE GEAR SHAFT INSERTS HAD BROKEN CLEAN IN HALF. NEITHER THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP NOR THE MECHANIC HAD EVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN BEFORE THEY CLAIMED. NEVERTHELESS, TOYOTA DID NOT DEEM THIS TO BE A DEFECT AND WE HAD TO PAY CLOSE TO $800 TO HAVE IT FIXED. HAD THIS HAPPENED ON A STEEPER HILL OR HAD MY WIFE BEEN PULLING OUT INTO A BUSY STREET, AN ACCIDENT MOST DEFINITELY COULD HAVE OCCURRED. I HAVE KEPT THE PARTS WHICH I BELIEVE WERE FAULTY/DEFECTIVE. THE PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED WERE A TILT STEERING SUPPORT, A STEERING TUBE SUB-ASSEMBLY, A SHAFT SUB-ASSEMBLY AND A TILT STEERING BOLT. *TR

THE STEERING WENT OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO THIS, I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE GOING 70 MILES AN HOUR, THANKFULLY I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT THE TIME, SO NO PERSONAL INJURY OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND. I COULD HAVE VERY EASILY HAVE BEEN KILLED DO TO DEFECTIVE WORKMANSHIP. I PROMPTLY CALLED GREENVILLE TOYOTA AND REPORTED IT AND THEY WERE TO COME TOW THE CAR FROM RALEIGH BACK TO GREENVILLE. GREENVILLE TOYOTA SAYS THE STEERING COLUMN IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND IT WOULD COST ME $328 TO REPLACE IT. IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE COME LOOSE. HERE IS PART OF THE LETTER I'VE SENT TO GREENVILLE TOYOTA: ------------------------------------------------------------ I CRANKED MY 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA AND PUT IT IN REVERSE AND STARTED TO TURN THE WHEEL TO BACK UP. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STEERING WHEEL POPPED AND THE WHEEL STARTED TO SPIN FREELY. MY BROTHER TOOK A LOOK AT THE SIENNA. HE CHECKED THE FRONT WHEELS AND IT WAS NOT THE TIE RODS. HE THEN CHECKED THE STEERING COLUMN. THE WHEEL SPUN FREELY BECAUSE THE UNIVERSAL JOINT HAD COME LOOSE. THE BOLT THAT GOES FROM THE U JOINT INTO THE STEERING COLUMN NEVER WAS INSTALLED PROPERLY. THE UNIT SHOULD HAVE NEVER, EVER COME APART LIKE THAT. MY BROTHER ATTACHED THE BOLT PROPERLY AND HAD ME ON MY WAY IN A COUPLE OF HOURS. IN HIS MECHANIC'S OPINION THE UNIT WAS NEVER ATTACHED PROPERLY AND WAS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *NM

PROBLEMS: 1: THE STARTING IDLE WILL NOT KEEP CAR ON IF TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 60 AND I HAD TO PAY $200, JUST TO HAVE TOYOTA CLEAN IT, BUT THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE IT. EVEN AFTER IT BEEN CLEANED THE PROBLEM STILL HAPPENS RANDOMLY. 2: TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE SENSOR HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON EVEN AFTER ITS BEEN RESET TWO DIFFERENT TIMES. 3: RANDOMLY THE FRONT WHEELS WILL VIBRATE THEN STOP AFTER ABOUT 15 MILES. I'VE REPLACED WITH NEW TIRES AND HAD BRAKES DONE TWICE BUT PROBLEMS STILL PERSISTS. *NM

CONSUMER PURCHASED VEHICLE ON AUGUST 4,2001, AND ON AUG 6 VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE.CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN POWER STEERING FAILED, AND COULD NOT TURN STEERING WHEEL. CONSUMER THEN NOTICED SMOKE. ,WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE AND GET CHILDREN OUT OF VEHICLE. FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. ENGINE TOTALLY MELTED, AND POSSIBLY WAS A TOTAL LOSS. TOYOTA MECHANIC AND FIRE DEPARTMENT FEEL IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A ELECTRICAL FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK