2008 Toyota Sienna

THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC DOOR CABLE SNAPPED. THE CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND THERE ARE WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF THIS BEING A COMMON DESIGN FLAW WITH TOYOTA SIENNA AUTOMATIC DOORS. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY INDICATED IT WAS $1600 TO REPAIR THE CABLE. THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS! I WROTE TO TOYOTA THROUGH THEIR CUSTOMER SUPPORT SITE INQUIRING ABOUT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY I READ ABOUT REGARDING THIS ISSUE, HOWEVER THEY OPTED TO IGNORE ME AND NOT RESPOND. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S FRONT AND REAR SIDE DOORS FAILED TO UNLOCK INTERNALLY. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AND REAR SIDE DOORS WERE ONLY ABLE TO BE UNLOCKED FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE DOORS ELECTRIC CABLE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND THE CURRENT 126,600. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA THAT I BELIEVE HAS A SAFETY ISSUE, PARTICULARLY IN COLD WEATHER. THE EXTERIOR SWITCH THAT ALLOWS THE REAR HATCH TO OPEN IS NOT FUNCTIONAL IN COLD WEATHER DUE TO A MATERIAL MALFUNCTION. I NOTICED THAT DURING WARMER WEATHER, THE RUBBER SEAL OVER THIS EXTERIOR SWITCH HAD BECOME SOFT AND GUMMY. OVER TIME, THE RUBBER SEEPED BETWEEN THE SWITCH HOUSING AND THE SWITCH BUTTON. AS THE WEATHER BECAME COLD, THE RUBBER HAS HARDENED AROUND THE SWITCH BUTTON AND THE EXTERIOR SWITCH IS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. THE ONLY WAY I CAN OPEN THE REAR HATCH IN COLD WEATHER IS TO OPEN A FRONT DOOR AND USE THE INTERIOR SWITCH TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH. MY CONCERN IS IF WE WERE TO GET INTO AN ACCIDENT DURING THE COLD MONTHS AND THE ONLY WAY SOMEONE COULD GET ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE IS THROUGH THE REAR HATCH, IT COULD NOT BE DONE BECAUSE THE EXTERIOR SWITCH ON THE REAR HATCH WOULD BE SEIZED PREVENTING ACCESS. IT IS VERY ALARMING WHEN I THINK OF MY ENTIRE FAMILY, ESPECIALLY MY 15 YO, MY 3 YR, AND MY 6 MO, BEING INSIDE OF THIS VAN AND PEOPLE NOT GAINING ACCESS TO THE INSIDE TO HELP THEM DUE TO INJURIES, FIRE, WATER HAZARDS, ETC... I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER AND IT APPEARS TO HAVE THE SAME SWITCH. HOWEVER, THE RUBBER ON THE SWITCH IS PERFECTLY FINE AND FUNCTIONS NORMALLY. THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN A MATERIAL CHANGE ALLOWING THE RUBBER TO SOFTEN RESULTING IN A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD DURING THE COLD MONTHS. I SPOKE TO OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY ARE FULLY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND SAID THAT TOYOTA DOES NOT CONSIDER THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE. INITIALLY I THOUGHT THE PREVIOUS OWNER APPLIED A SOLVENT OR SOMETHING TO SOFTEN THE RUBBER. AS I RESEARCHED MORE ON THE INTERNET, THIS ISSUE APPLIES TO MANY TOYOTA VEHICLES, WITH MODELS INCLUDING THE SIENNA AND THE 4RUNNER. THE EARLIEST MODEL YEAR THAT I CAN FIND FOR EITHER MODEL IS 2007. *TR

MY SISTER AND I HAD JUST RETURNED HOME FROM THE STORE AND I PRESSED THE BUTTON TO LIFT THE BACK DOOR TO GET OUR THINGS OUT. WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF GETTING OUR THINGS OUT WHEN THE DOOR STARTED CLOSING ON US. I GOT OUT AND MY SISTER GOT CAUGHT AND IT CAME DOWN ON HER BACK AND SCRATCHED HER UP PRETTY GOOD. EVER SINCE THEN JUST OUT OF THE BLUE IT WILL NOT STAY UP AND IT WILL CLOSE DOWN ON YOU. I THINK THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE TWO LITTLE CHILDREN. IT COULD REALLY DO SOME HARM TO THEM. THE SLIDING DOORS STOP CLOSING IF SOMEONE IS IN THE WAY AND IT SHOULD BE THE SAME FOR THE BACK DOOR. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF THE TOP OF THE LINE FANS FOR SAFETY. SO FAR I AM NOT IMPRESSED. SOMEONE NEEDS TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE! I AM SCARED TO EVEN OPEN UP THAT BACK DOOR BECAUSE OF THIS.....AND THAT IS NOT GOOD. *TR

RIGHT REAR POWER SLIDING DOOR ON 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA LXE MALFUNCTIONED. DEALER QUOTED NEARLY $1000.00 TO FIX. RIDICULOUS. HAD DEALER DISCONNECT SYSTEM (OVER $70.00) AND NOW CAN USE DOOR MANUALLY ALTHOUGH DOOR IS CUMBERSOME TO MOVE -- ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR CHILDREN TO OPERATE. INEXCUSABLY POOR DESIGN! SAME PROBLEM RIGHT REAR WINDOW. WILL NOT OPERATE. NOW DISCONNECTED BY DEALER (INCLUDED IN $70.00 CHARGE NOTED ABOVE). WINDOW CANNOT BE OPERATED MANUALLY. PERMANENTLY SHUT. BAD! VENTILATION IN REAR AND THUS THROUGHOUT VEHICLE ADVERSELY AFFECTED. *TR

THE RUBBERIZED SURFACE OF THE REAR DOOR LATCH HAS DISSOLVED INTO GOO. I ASSUME THAT HEAT FROM AN ELECTRICAL SHORT MELTED THE RUBBER. THUS, TWO PROBLEMS: 1) THIS MAY BE A SIGN OF A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT WILL MANIFEST ITSELF AGAIN BUT WITH RESPECT TO A CRITICAL COMPONENT; AND 2) EACH TIME THE LATCH IS USED, SOME OF THE BLACK GOO COMES OFF ON MY HAND. *TR

I ARRIVED AT WORK AND USED THE INTERIOR PUSH BUTTON TO OPEN THE POWER DOOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF MY VAN AFTER EXITING THE VAN MY KEY FOB WOULD NOT ACTIVATE THE CLOSE OF THE DOOR. IT WAS DARK AND I CLOSED THE DOOR MANUALLY. AFTER LEAVING WORK I ATTEMPTED TO ACTIVATE AND OPEN THE SAME DOOR WITH MY KEY FOB. THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN AND I COULD NOT OPEN IT MANUALLY. AFTER CLOSER EXAMINATION (IT WAS NOW DAYLIGHT) THE POWER DOOR CABLE WAS HANGING DOWN FROM THE FURTHEST REAR WINDOW. IT HAD SNAPPED. THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN MANUALLY (IT WOULDN'T BUDGE) AND IF I ATTEMPTED USING THE FOB OR INTERIOR PUSH BUTTONS YOU COULD HEAR THE COMPONENT THAT ACTIVATES THE CABLE HUMMING BUT THE DOOR HAD NO MOVEMENT. THE FAILURE OF THE DOOR TO OPEN AS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE LATCH AND BATTERY WERE DEFECTIVE. THE PARTS WERE REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

ALL OF THE SUDDEN WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY (2008 SIENNA LIMITED AWD) LAST TWO WEEK IT SUDDENLY STOPPED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT 75 MPH. WITH NOT PRIOR SIGNS OF MALFUNCTION BEFORE THE INCIDENT. I TRIED TO START IT UP BUT IT DIDN'T WORK. (AUGUST 1, 680 SOUTH BOND AL COSTA BLVD IS WHERE MY CAR BROKE DOWN) SO WE TOWED THE CAR TO THE SUNNYVALE TOYOTA. THEY SAID THEY WOULD GIVE US A REPORT OF WHAT WENT WRONG . TURNS OUT THE FUEL PUMP DOESN'T WORK, AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHY BECAUSE IT IS A INDEPENDENT PART, I CONSULTED A PROFESSIONAL AUTO MECHANIC FOR A SECOND OPINION. HE SAID THAT IT USUALLY DOESN'T HAPPEN UNLESS YOUR CAR IS OVER 10 YEARS OLD. I CALLED THE TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS TO FILE A COMPLAINT BUT THEY SAID IT WASN'T A VERY "BIG" PROBLEM AND DIDN'T FOLLOW UP WITH ME AND SAID I HAVE TO CALL MY OWN DEALER ONLY. AND THAT IT WAS PERFECTLY SAFE FOR ME TO PULL OVER WITH THE LEFT OVER MOMENTUM. I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THEIR ANSWER AND I FOUND IT WEIRD THAT ITS BREAKING DOWN ALREADY. WITH ONLY 30,000 MILES AND 2 YEARS NEW. NOT ONLY THAT WHEN THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO US, THEY DECIDED TO MENTION TO US THAT APPARENTLY NOT ONLY IS THE FUEL PUMP NOT WORKING APPARENTLY THE BATTERY ROTTED TOO. THEY SAID THAT ALL THE LIQUID IN THE BATTERY LEAKED OUT SO THEY HAD TO CHANGE IT ALSO. I AM NOT PLEASED THAT THEY DECIDED TO TELL ME THIS WHEN THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO ME NOT BEFORE WHEN THEY TOLD ME THE FUEL PUMP WAS NOT WORKING. I AM NOT PLEASED WITH THE QUALITY OF TOYOTA, AND DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY CAR AROUND. *TR