2008 Toyota Sienna

APPROXIMATELY SIX (6) MONTHS AGO, I STARTED TO NOTICE MY DASHBOARD GETTING STICKY WHEN THE SUN BEATS DOWN ON IT. IT STARTED IN A SMALL AREA OF THE DASHBOARD ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER, BUT NOW APPEARS TO SPREADING. I HAVE CONTACTED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM AND THEY CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A CONDITION. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB, I FOUND THE FOLLOWING NEWS SEGMENT THAT POINTEDLY IDENTIFIES THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT I AM HAVING: HTTP://WWW.WPTV.COM/MONEY/CONSUMER/TOYOTA-DEALER-CALLS-MELTING-DASHBOARDS-A-DEFECTIVE-PRODUCT-AND-WANTS-AUTO-MAKERS-TO-PAY-FOR-REPAIRS I AM NOT CERTAIN WHAT CAN BE DONE, HOWEVER IN MY OPINION THERE SHOULD BE A FACTORY REGARDING ON THIS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS CONDITION. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AND ADVISE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND PROMPT ATTENTION TO THIS IMPORTANT MATTER. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DURING A RECENT TRIP TO ALABAMA FROM VIRGINIA, OUR 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHILE PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL INSTEAD OF BRAKING. BOTH TIMES, WE WERE APPROACHING MODERATELY HEAVY TRAFFIC. MY WIFE WENT TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO SLOW THE VAN. INSTEAD OF BRAKING AND SLOWING THE VEHICLE, THE VAN WENT INTO FULL ACCELERATION MODE. THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED AND STARTED APPLYING FULL THROTTLE. THE FIRST TIME WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING CRAZY. THE SECOND TIME, BOTH MY WIFE AND I WATCHED AS HER FOOT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND TO OUR AMAZEMENT, THE VAN STARTED ACCELERATING AGAIN! LUCKILY BOTH TIMES, MY WIFE TOOK HER FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND REAPPLIED ONCE THE VAN STOPPED ACCELERATING AND THE BRAKES WORKED THEN. I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO TAKE THIS INTO THE TOYOTA DEALER YET. WE ARE STILL UNDER A 30 DAY WARRANTY WITH CARMAX, SO I HAVE COMMUNICATION OUT TO THEM TO SEE HOW WE SHOULD HANDLE THIS SITUATION. I THOUGHT THIS TOYOTA SUDDEN ACCELERATION STORY WAS EXAGGERATED. NOW I'VE EXPERIENCED IT MYSELF. *TR

IN MAY OF 2013, I WAS TOLD BY ROSNER TOYOTA OF STAFFORD VA, THAT MY VEHICLE, WITH LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT, WOULD NOT PASS A SAFETY INSPECTION BECAUSE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING SYSTEM WAS LEAKING FLUID. NOT WANTING TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FIX IT. I PETITIONED TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS ABOUT THIS, AND THEY AGREED TO COVER $900.00 OF THE $1,300.00 BILL. I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE COVERED THE ENTIRE AMOUNT, BUT I ENDED UP SHELLING OUT $300.00 FOR A NEW BOOT TO TEMP FIX THE PROBLEM, AND THEN THE REMAINING $400.00 TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION. NOW, LESS THAN 1 YEAR FROM THE REPLACEMENT OF THE RACK AND PINION, ROSNER OF TOYOTA TELLS ME THAT THE SAME SIDE OF THE RACK AND PINION IS AGAIN LEAKING FLUID AND THAT IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ROSNER REPLACED THE PARTS, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS JUST A TEMPORARY FIX TO A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM. THIS IS THE THIRD RACK AND PINION FOR THIS VEHICLE IN LESS THAN 6 YEARS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE FOR OPERATION. PLEASE ADVISE AND THANKS. *TR

MY WIFE WAS PARKING OUR 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA WITH OUR 3 YOUNG BOYS IN THE AUTOMOBILE. SHE SLOWLY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP; NEVER USING GAS, JUST COVERING AND TAPPING LIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE. ONCE THE AUTOMOBILE CAME TO A STOP MY WIFE PRESSED THE BRAKE A LITTLE MORE IN ORDER TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK. AT THAT MOMENT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INCREDIBLE FAST, JUMPED OVER AN 8 INCH CONCRETE PARKING LOT DIVIDER AND CRASHED INTO A TREE ABOUT 10 - 15 FEET FROM THE CONCRETE DIVIDER. WE ARE CERTAIN THAT THIS WAS A "SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" INCIDENT CAUSED BY SOME MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PROGRAMMING OR OTHER DEFECT IN THE '08 SIENNA. THIS WAS NOT "DRIVER ERROR"! MY WIFE DID NOT CONFUSE THE GAS PEDAL AND THE BRAKE. THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY A FLOOR MAT OBSTRUCTING THE GAS PEDAL. THIS WAS CAUSED BY SOME TYPE OF A DESIGN OR COMPONENT DEFECT. HOW CAN W BE SO CERTAIN? MY WIFE AND I HAVE PARKED IN THIS PARKING SPOT (LOCATED IN OUR APARTMENT COMPLEX) HUNDREDS OF TIMES. TO PARK IN THIS PARKING SPOT YOU FIRST HAVE TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AT A STOP SIGN. THIS STOP SIGN IS ABOUT 30 - 40 FEET FROM THE PARKING SPOT, WHICH REQUIRES THAT YOU MAKE A SHARP RIGHT TURN. ONCE YOU PRESS THE ACCELERATOR SLIGHTLY TO MAKE THE LEFT AT THE STOP SIGN, YOU DO NOT USE THE GAS AGAIN. YOU SIMPLY TAP AND COVER YOUR BRAKE UNTIL YOU MAKE THE RIGHT INTO THE PARKING SPOT. OUR VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. IN FACT, UPON "STOPPING" ONE OF OUR 3 BOYS REMOVED HIS SEAT BELT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. I'M ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE FROM SOMEONE WITHIN TOYOTA OR THE NHTSA WITH KNOWLEDGE OF THIS FLAW. MY WIFE AND KIDS WERE "FORTUNATE". BUT THIS IS A "FATAL FLAW" AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. *TR

2008 SIENNA HAS DEVELOPED STEERING ISSUE AND ALMOST LOST STEERING CONTROL OF VAN. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE FAILURE OF STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT THAT RESULTED IN INTERMEDIATE ABILITY TO STEER VEHICLE. VERY CHOPPY STEERING. THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH TOYOTAS. CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WAS INFORMED THERE ARE TSB'S FOR PRIOR AND POST YEAR VEHICLES BUT NOT FOR 08 SIENNA. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE AS FAILURE OF STEERING COMPONENT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. TSB IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

MY 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA HAS POWER REAR SLIDING DOORS. WHILE THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR WAS OPENING, THE CABLE FOR THE DOOR MECHANISM SNAPPED AND WOULD NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY. AFTER INVESTIGATING THE SITUATION, THE BROKEN CABLE WAS JAMMED IN THE DOOR MECHANISM, PREVENTING THE DOOR FROM CLOSING. AS A RESULT, THE DOOR NOW DOES NOT FULLY OPEN, AND WILL NOT HOLD IN THE OPEN POSITION. IF PARKED ON A HILL, THE DOOR WILL CLOSE IF NOT HELD OPEN. LOOKING AT THE CABLE, THE PLASTIC SHEATHING AROUND THE CABLE HAD MANY CRACKS CAUSING THE CABLE ITSELF TO RUST AND FAIL. THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CABLE HAS SIMILAR CRACKS BUT HAS NOT FAILED YET. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER. THEY MENTIONED THIS CABLE FAILURE WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS WERE COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY PROGRAM. HOWEVER, THE 2008 MODEL YEAR WAS NOT COVERED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THERE THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID 13V429000 (POWER TRAIN) HOWEVER, THE DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR THE RECALL FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE ANOTHER DEALER TO SERVICE THE VEHICLE UNDER THE RECALL. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. UPDATED 7/25/14*CN CONSUMERS HANDWRITING IS ILLEGIBLE. UPDATED 08/05/14