2004 Toyota Sienna Electrical System Problems

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the tailgate inadvertently opened, then closed independently. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the tailgate hydraulic struts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that she noticed that the failure had reoccurred in 30-degree temperatures on two occasions. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

The failing component is the VSC/ABS system. It puts the occupants of the van and other motorists at risk of either causing a collision or causing the driver of vehicle in question to be unable to control the vehicle . The failure appears when going in a curve in the road at low speed causing the abs to engage lock the brakes and steering wheel rapidly decelerating the car and causing the car to jerk to one side or the other and go into a skid where the driver is unable to control the wheel due to steering wheel locking up when it happens the VSC and TRAC lights come on and there is a loud and rapid beeping that can be heard inside the vehicle. The issue usually appear when going between 25-40mph in banking curves

STARTED HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE DOORS ON THE VAN THE FRONT DOOR WAS THE FIRST PROBLEM WITH A FAILED DOOR CHEEK CAUSING THE DOOR NOT TO BE ABLE TO BE OPENED HAD TO FORCE IT OPEN AND REMOVE THE DOOR CHEEK DUE TO A WELD THAT HAD BROKEN AWAY FROM THE DOOR IS WHY IT FAILED AND THE SECOND WAS THE POWER SLIDING DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE THE DOOR QUITE WORKING AND THEN WHEN SWITCHED INTO THE MANUAL MODE I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE DOOR TO CLOSE OR IT WOULD CLOSE THEM COME BACK OPEN IT TOOK ALMOST A HOUR TO GET IT TO CLOSE AND STAY CLOSED. THIS BEING THE CAR I TRANSPORT MY KIDS IN THAT'S A BIG SAFETY ISSUE TO ME KNOWING THE DOOR MAY NOT WORK OR MAY NOT SAY CLOSED WHILE DRIVING PLEASE HELP.

THE SIDE DOORS HAVE A BUTTON YOU CAN PUSH FOR THEM TO OPEN. I WENT TO OPEN AND SHUT MY DAUGHTER DOOR AND IT WOULD NOT SHUT AFTER LOOKING IT OVER THE WIRE THAT COMES IN AND OUT FOR THE DOORS TO SHUT GOT STUCK IN THE O PART THAT THE CORD RETRACTS TO.BECAUSE OF THIS MY DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE MANUALLY OR AUTOMATIC PUSHING THE BUTTON. I AM ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CONTROL PANEL WHERE THE FUSES ARE UNDER THE HOOD. ONE FUSE GETS FIXED ANOTHER ONE BREAKS. I HAVE CONFIRMED THIS WITH A AUTO SHOP THE PROBLEM IS WITHIN THE CONTROL PANEL.

ELECTRICAL FIRE INSIDE PARKED VAN OCCURRED OVERNIGHT AND BURNED DRIVER AND PASSENGER FRONT SEATS, DASH, AND ALL AIR VENTS AND ALL PLASTIC COMPONENT LOCATED NEAR ALL VENTS. VAN WAS PARKED ON STREET IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.

I AM HAVING A MASSIVE PROBLEM WITH MY VSC. RANDOMLY, REGARDLESS OF SPEEDS (IT'S HAPPENED GOING 70 AS WELL AS 25, AND 40 MPH), MY VSC WILL KICK ON, KILL MY SPEED, AND CAUSE ME TO SWERVE. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, GOING 70 ON AN INTERSTATE WITH OTHER VEHICLES AROUND AND HAVING THIS HAPPEN IS LIFE THREATENING NOT ONLY TO ME AND MY FAMILY BUT OTHER VEHICLES AROUND ME. READING ON SEVERAL AUTO FORUMS, THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN DRAWN TO THE ATTENTION OF TOYOTA CORPORATE TO NO AVAIL. IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEYOND ME THAT THEY SEE NO REASON TO FILE A RECALL.

RIGHT SIDE SLIDING DOOR OPERATES SPORADICALLY, NOT OPENING ALL THE WAY TO LOCK IN PLACE.

THE RIGHT SIDE ELECTRIC SIDE DOOR WILL NOT SLIDE ALL THE WAY BACK. IN A STATIONARY POSITION.

ON AUGUST 29, 2016 WE WERE AWOKEN BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AT 3:30AM LETTING US KNOW OUR 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA WAS ON FIRE IN THE DRIVEWAY. THEY WERE ABLE TO BREAK INTO THE VAN AND CONTAIN THE FIRE BUT THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY BURNT UP ON THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE AND A TOTAL LOSS FOR OUR FAMILY. IT APPEARED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE UNDER THE DASHBOARD. WE FILED A COMPLAINT/CLAIM WITH TOYOTA THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND AS OF DECEMBER 2, 2016, STILL HAVE NOT GOTTEN A RESOLUTION AND HAVE NOT BEEN CLEARED BY TOYOTA TO EVEN TOW THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE PLACED NUMEROUS CALLS TO THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION. INITIALLY, WE WERE TOLD CLAIMS DEPARTMENT HAS UP TO 30 BUSINESS DAYS TO RESPOND TO THE CLAIM. ONCE WE EXCEEDED THE 30 BUSINESS DAYS ' WE CONTACTED AGAIN AND WERE THEN TOLD THEY 'TYPICALLY' TAKE 30 DAYS BUT IT COULD BE LONGER. PREVIOUSLY - TOYOTA SENT OUT A FIRE INVESTIGATOR IN OCTOBER. IN A FOLLOW UP CALL TO THAT INVESTIGATOR BY US ' HE CONFIRMED HE TURNED OVER HIS FINDINGS TO TOYOTA AND LET US KNOW THAT THE CAUSE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED.

THE VSC SENSOR IS ACTIVATING DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS WITHOUT WARNING. THIS IS CAUSING THE VAN TO AGGRESSIVELY APPLY THE BRAKES AND LOSE ACCELERATION. THIS ISSUE MAINLY OCCURS WHEN TURNING DOWN WHILE GOING DOWN HILL, HOWEVER IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY IN OTHER INSTANCES AS WELL. I HAVE BEEN IN SEVERAL LIFE THREATENING INSTANCES WHERE THE BRAKES ARE BEING APPLIED WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH MOUNTAINS WITH LARGE SEMI TRUCKS BEHIND ME.. NEARLY CAUSING SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. MY RESEARCH POINTS TO A FEW THINGS THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE THE CULPRIT: THE YAW SENSOR STEARING WHEEL ROTATIONAL POSITION SENSOR VSC COMPUTER MODULE THIS VIDEO CAPTURES EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY VEHICLE. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=TGMJAFPIFKO I CANNOT FIND ANY INSTANCES WHERE THIS ISSUE WAS FIXED ONLINE

MY REAR DOOR IS NOT WORKING, I HAVE VISITED TWO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD MY THE REAR LIFT GATE AND REAR HATCH LATCH BOTH OF THEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACE. WE DID THAT RELAPACEMT . THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEING SOLVED, WE TRIED TO MAKE THE DOOR WORKING MANUALLY INSTEAD OF AUTOMATICALLY ALSO THIS WAY IS NOT HELPFUL. IT LOOKS LIKE WE REACHING TO CLOSED WAY.

TAKATA RECALL I HAVE A TOYOTA SIENNA 2004. LAST YEAR, THE SLIDING DOOR CABLE WAS BROKEN AND IT WAS JUST PAST THE WARRANTY. I HAD TO PAY $1,200 TO HAVE IT FIXED AS THE DOOR COULD BE OPEN. AND THEN AFTER A FEW MONTH, THE DOOR CAN'T OPEN AUTOMATICALLY AND THE DEALER SAID A MOTOR FAILURE WHICH WOULD COST ANOTHER $1,000. I HEARD A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT TOYOTA SIENNA SLIDING DOOR AND UNFORTUNATE I AM ONE OF THE VICTIMS. I URGE TOYOTA TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND PAY CUSTOMERS BACK.

REAR PASSENGER ELECTRIC SLIDING DOOR DOES NOT OPEN OR CLOSE AND FAILED ONE DAY. THE DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLY IS ELECTRICALLY OPERATED AND THERE IS NO MANUAL OVERRIDE. THE DOOR CAN ONLY BE OPERATED ELECTRICALLY AND CANNOT BE OPENED MANUALLY AT ALL WITH OUT MAKING A $1500 - $3500 REPAIR TO REPLACE THE FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLY AND DOOR MOTOR) OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION FOR SMALL CHILDREN SINCE IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE CHILDREN OUT OF THE VEHICLE SINCE THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPERATED MANUALLY? THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND A TOTAL RECALL OF ALL ELECTRICAL DOOR ASSEMBLIES NEED TO BE MADE FOR ALL YEARS AFFECTED AND A MANUAL OVERRIDE NEEDS TO BE ENGINEERED SUCH THAT CHILDREN'S LIVES ARE NOT AT RISK DUE TO FAULTY ENGINEERING.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR NO LONGER OPENS/CLOSES WHEN THE BUTTONS ARE PUSHED (FROM THE CEILING IN THE FRONT, FROM A REMOTE KEY, AND FROM THE BUTTON RIGHT NEXT TO THE DOOR.)

POWER SLIDING SIDE DOORS, BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVE SIDES, DO NOT WORK. I HAD THE DEALER REPAIR THE DRIVER'S SIDE A FEW YEARS AGO FOR ABOUT $1,600. LAST YEAR, THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR STOPPED WORKING. I DON'T WANT TO PAY ANOTHER $1,600 TO HAVE THIS DOOR REPLACED GIVEN ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT I SEE ON THE WEB REGARDING THIS ISSUE AS I AM CONCERNED THIS WILL BREAK AGAIN. BASICALLY, WE DON'T USE THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR ANYMORE, BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID IT WILL GET STUCK AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO CLOSE IT; WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. MANY PEOPLE ARE CLAMORING FOR A SAFETY RECALL; 1) HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/TOYOTA-SIENNA-FAULTY-POWER-SLIDING-DOORS-233250320033754/; 2) HTTP://REPAIRPAL.COM/PROBLEM-WITH-DOOR-MECHANISM-IN-ELECTRIC-SLIDING-DOORS-992

AFTER DRIVING THE MINIVAN TO DROP OFF THE CHILDREN AT DAYCARE, THE DRIVER SIDE POWER DOOR WAS OPEN AUTOMATICALLY BUT AFTERWARD, WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE MOTOR THAT OPENS AND CLOSES THE DOOR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE BUTTON THAT OPENS AND CLOSES THE DOOR. IT WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE REMOTE CONTROL BUTTON THAT OPEN AND CLOSES THE DOOR. THAT DRIVER SIDE DOOR STAYED STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. I ATTEMPTED BUT COULD NOT PUSH IT TO GET IT CLOSE. I ATTEMPTED TO PRESS AND USE THE BUTTON ON THE DASHBOARD THAT WOULD MAKE THE DOOR GO INTO MANUAL MODE BUT ONCE THE MOTOR IS ENGAGE TO DRIVE OPEN THE DOOR, IT SEEMS THAT IT WOULD NOT DISENGAGED. AGAIN, THE DOOR JUST STAY STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. I ENDED UP DRIVING THE MINIVAN SLOWLY ON THE SIDE ROADS FOR ABOUT 5 MILES TO GET BACK HOME WITH THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR OPEN AND PARK IT BACK IN MY GARAGE. I CALLED TOYOTA HEADQUARTER TODAY (2-9-2015) TO FILE MY SAFETY CONCERN/COMPLAINT AND AM GIVEN A COMPLAINT #[XXX] TOYOTA WILL NOT HELP ME RECTIFY THE SAFETY DEFECT, THEY SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTEE. I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE SAFETY DEFECT MYSELF. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. LUCKILY, THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA WHERE WEATHER IS USUALLY NOT AN ISSUE. I USE TO LIVE IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. THIS VAN WAS PURCHASE THERE IN MINNESOTA IN FACT. I CAN IMAGINE A SCENARIO WHERE IF THE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE DURING WINTER WITH CHILDREN IN IT, IT COULD BE DANGEROUS AND CATASTROPHIC IN TERMS OF EXPOSING THE PASSENGERS TO THE HARSH ELEMENTS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DASH BOARD HAS A CRACK ON PASSENGER SIDE RIGHT WHERE THE AIR BAG IS. WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY NOTICED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND SPEEDOMETER READING WENT TO 0. STOPPED COUNTING MILES AND CAR GOING ON 65 BUT SPEEDOMETER READS 0. ALSO GAS TANK LEVEL INDICATOR GOES FROM HALF TANK TO EMPTY AND GAS LIGHT TURN ON. IT IS NOT SAFE AS I DON'T KNOW AT WHAT SPEED MY CAR IS GOING ON AND ALSO IF THE CRACK ON THE DASH BOARD GETS BIGGER, AIR BAGS MIGHT POP OUT. NEED SOMEBODY TO LOOK INTO THIS AS THE VAN IS DRIVEN ONLY 49000 MILES. THIS IS VERY UNUSUAL . *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE VEHICLE'S AUTOMATIC DOORS, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE. WHILE TRYING TO CLOSE THE DOORS, THE DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE CONTACT TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A FRAYED CABLE ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE AUTOMATIC DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CABLE WAS CUT FOR THE CONTACT TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE THE DOOR MANUALLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR BECAME INOPERABLE APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS LATER WITH THE CABLE BEING FRAYED AT THE TOP OF THE DOOR AND WOULD NOT CLOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CABLE WAS CUT AND THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MECHANIC STOPPED ELECTRICITY FROM GOING TO THE DOOR SO THAT THE DOOR COULD BE OPENED AND CLOSED MANUALLY AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. SINCE THE DOORS WERE ORIGINALLY AUTOMATICALLY POWERED TO OPEN AND CLOSE, THEY BECAME VERY HARD TO OPERATE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 134,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR FAILED TO OPEN AND THE WIRES WERE CORRODED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 197,000.

IN GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT ,PUT GROCERIES IN DRIVER SIDE BACK POWER SLIDING DOOR . WENT TO SHUT AND DOOR WOULD NOT SHUT ALL THE WAY . IT WAS STUCK .FINELY GOT IT SHUT AFTER ,ABOUT 30 MINUTES .GOT HOME POWER CABLE HAD BROKEN RUSTED AND FRAYED .RECALL WAS FOUND ,BUT TOYOTA WILL NOT FIX !!! THIS HAPPEN 2YRS. AGO 2014 & STILL TRYING TO GET THIS RECALL FIXED ..THEY SAID I HAD TO MANY MILES ON THE VAN ,THAT I GOT IN 2011.. IT HAD 146,892 MILES WHEN THE DOOR CABLE BROKE & WAS INSPECTED . THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS .I WILL NOT LET ANY CHILDREN SIT NEXT TO THAT BROKEN POWERED BACK DRIVER SLIDING DOOR !! THIS SHOULD BE A MANDATORY RECALL !! MILES SHOULD NOT BE A CONCERN ! LIFE OF A PERSON SHOULD BE . I'M STILL FIGHTING TO GET THIS FIXED & IT'S 2016 .. BROKEN ,RUSTED & FRAYED POWER CABLE NOT FUNCTIONAL & INOPERATIVE & CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS ! BECAUSE IT'S POWERED WITH OR WITHOUT THE AUTOMATIC DOOR FEATURE .TOYOTA NEEDS TO UP DATE THIS RECALL TO A SAFETY MANDATORY RECALL WITH NO LIMITS !!!!