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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
74,495 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Toyota Sienna miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2004 Toyota Sienna Owner Comments (Page 3 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #47

Jul 252006

Sienna

  • 37,447 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When negotiating moving into traffic at slow speeds, when a small amount of accelerator movement is made the vehicle rapidly accelerates making it necessary to quickly apply the brakes to avoid collision. The vehicle was purchased used from a dealer and there was a recall bulletin (tech service bulletin issued 11/7/2003 for 04-05 Sienna bulletin no TC007-03 out on the engine control module. When pointed out to the dealer they simply stated that that recall was only available to the original purchaser and then only if reported within the first three months after purchase. Was told by two dealers that the recall did not apply to our vehicle and later that a recall was not issued for that problem. ( I have a copy of the origional recall notice stating the above problem)

- Catonsville,, MD, USA

problem #46

Sep 012015

Sienna

  • 99,500 miles
2004 Toyota Sienna drivers side door broken. Internal door asymbly broke inside door. Door hinges also broke. Dealer said it would cost $2000 to fix. Auto body shop repaired for $300. This was a safety issue and Toyota should recall.

- Camarillo, CA, USA

problem #45

Sep 012015

Sienna

  • 99,500 miles
2004 Toyota Sienna right side rear power door will not close. Opens half way and then must be manually closed. Cable broken. Causes safety concern for passengers in rear seats ability to exit car in emergency. My grandchildrens lives are precious to me!

- Camarillo, CA, USA

problem #44

Jul 012010

Sienna

  • 75,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Received a "warranty enhancement" ltr from Toyota in May 2015 stating that they would replace cracked dashboards over the next "several months". our dealer said they may not have the dashboards until end of 2016. Was there a deadline agreed upon to replace?

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #43

Sep 102015

Sienna

  • 180,000 miles
The cable snapped and the door will not close

- Alpharetta, GA, USA

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problem #42

Sep 012012

Sienna

  • 75,000 miles
The leather dashboard of my 2004 Toyota Sienna has developed large horizontal cracks from one side of the vehicle to the other. There are also vertical cracks from the top to the bottom of the dashboard. My concern is that these cracks will allow large pieces of the dashboard to become projectiles in the event of an accident, which will cause the front airbags to deploy. I do not know why these cracks developed, since the vehicle was well maintained. This is a potential safety hazard that should be repaired or replaced at Toyota's expense, since the cracking of the dashboard appears to be a recurring problems with this model.

- Destrehan, LA, USA

problem #41

Aug 132013

Sienna

  • 35,574 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Since 2010, the dashboard of our 2004 Sienna has been experiencing cracks and splits due to an unknown quality issue. My concern is that in an event of a collision, these pieces will more easily come apart to become a fragmented projectiles and increase the probability of serious injury. Additionally, they may also impact the condition and operation of the passenger-side airbag. It is obvious this issue is the result of substandard quality in the dashboard material. The vehicle is parked in a garage almost all the time. When it's not in the garage, a custom made window screen is used that fits the window perfectly. Furthermore, the vehicle currently has about 42K original miles. I did some online research and found that many others were experiencing the same issue. I contacted Toyota's usa headquarters (ca) on August 13, 2013 to request a repair (since the cost was >$1000). They told me I needed to take the car in at my expense to get it checked. If they were found to be at fault, they might help offset some of the cost; otherwise, I would have to pay for the inspection and any other repairs. We couldn't afford the repairs and didn't trust that Toyota wouldn't force us to pay anyway. Approximately January 2015, we received a letter from Toyota acknowledging the issue and stating that it would be addressed by the end of May 2015. I contacted them on June 1, 2015 and was told that the parts weren't available and to check back in a couple months. I contacted them again on September 4, and again was told that the parts weren't available and to contact them again in October. I contacted our local dealership and was told that I could save money by waiting for Toyota to handle it, implying they could get the parts. This appears to be a safety issue that Toyota is not addressing. I would like to have this issue fixed asap to ensure the safety of my family!

- Murfreesboro, TN, USA

problem #40

Dec 282012

Sienna

  • miles
The electric sliding door does not close. It constantly shuts and opens. If a person is stepping into the car the door will close on the person unless they physically manhandle the door. An adult had a difficult time stopping the door from closing on her. During the winter months the sliding doors will not open. Some how the handle release the door ajar beeping noise but the doors will not open from the inside or outside. People need to climb to the back from the front. We received a recall notice but when we took our car in to the dealership it was beyond the 9 year limit. The dealership said it would be over $1000 to repair. We have since had an accident related to the spare tire recall that we thought the Toyota dealership remedied. I now realize the problem and issues with manufacture errors and responsibility. I believe Toyota should be responsible to repair the sliding door issues before someone gets crushed in the electric slider. If ever we were in an accident in the winter, how would the people sitting in the middle rows exit the car. There needs to be a better system to inform consumers of faulty equipment before an accident happens. Manufacturers need to be responsible before an incident occurs. When I called Toyota, they said that I did not have a service history or brand loyalty. We have owned our Toyota for 8 years! we have taken our car to local mechanics except for issues of recall. Our friends bought a Toyota Sienna due to our recommendation and car history. 2 weeks ago we just purchased a Toyota prius for our daughter. That is customer loyalty.

- Westhampton Beach, NY, USA

problem #39

Aug 092015

Sienna

  • 120,000 miles
My van was parked on the drive way. Suddenly I saw gasoline flowing from below of the van. There were not much gasoline left. Somehow I could manage to take to the nearest Toyota dealer. He said that it must be water drainage from ac system. After driving 200 meters it stops completely. I brought gasoline in a jar and car started but saw that the gasoline is dripping from below. Again gave back to Toyota dealer to take a look.

- Dublin, OH, USA

problem #38

Sep 192014

Sienna

  • 90,000 miles
Spare tire support rusted and spare tire fell into road.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

problem #37

May 182011

Sienna

  • 100,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Noticed the left sliding door had 2 of 3 bolts missing. Went to local dealership when service personnel said it was a body shop issue and they would not be able to handle it. Therefore, no record of the incident in their system either. My mechanic was able to replace the 2 missing bolts and tighten them all, allowing the door to close without challenges until just the other day, the door was unable to fully close. (June 22, 2015). My mechanic & I discovered the door to be in worse shape than ever. The part which latches & keeps the door securely closed had completely broken off & in need of welding to be repaired. All 3 bolts had fallen out and were nowhere to be found. This obviously is very dangerous, especially when transporting precious cargo like children.

- Honolulu, HI, USA

problem #36

Mar 012015

Sienna

  • miles
I'm merely documenting that from the moment my rear door struts were replaced in 2012 due to a recall, they have not worked well. They continue to get worse. Now in cold weather, they are unable to keep the door up at all. Apparently there is no recall to fix the botched initial recall.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #35

Aug 052014

Sienna

  • 91,222 miles
I am having problem with Toyota motors sales, U.S.a., Inc. Service. Toyota issued an important safety recall #A9E back in 2010 about a spare tire carrier cable. The remedy for it was applied to my car on 10/26/2010 at miller Toyota in manassas, va. I thought it was over. In June 2014 I received another safety recall notice #E1S (interim notice) about the previous inadequate remedy procedure and I was told to return my vehicle back to the dealer for an additional inspection. I visited miller Toyota in manassas, va on 08/05/2014 and they simply relocated the spare tire from under the floor area to the luggage compartment as a temporary solution until the new remedy will be available. It is February 2015 now. I am still driving my car with the stinky spare tire in the luggage compartment for six months. Beside the issue I have because of the technician mistake - he put the tire to the right side (should be on the left side per the instruction) and bent and stained the interior panel - I cannot use this compartment at all for luggage and can not stow the rear seats to make the car floor flat as I needed. I called Toyota at 877-957-9847 three times (10/17/2014; 11/20/2014; 01/20/2015). I have a case #[xxx] for reference where they recorded my calls. Nobody whom I talk to during these calls knew when this remedy will be released for actions and what its status was at all. Nobody in Toyota was care about my inconvenience during the driving. I notified the miller Toyota manager about the panel damages right away but not sure he will remember what happened when I will appear for this new remedy completion. It is time for Toyota to act with repair and it is time for more valuable compensate to my inconvenience than "just apologize". please, help me to bring a responsible party to actions. Thanks. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Bristow, VA, USA

problem #34

Nov 012004

Sienna

  • 100 miles
The doors of my Toyota Sienna 2004 freeze shut and have done so since I purchased it new in 2003!! it is a huge safety concern as if there is ever an emergency, my kids cannot get out and emergency personal cannot get in! I am finally writing about this now as my kids' grandfather is absolutely wild that this has been a problem since I purchased the vehicle new in late fall 2003. I have received so many recalls on this vehicle over the years ( at least 10 recalls) but none have been for the frozen doors. We live in a Toyota Sienna town with many families owning one, and we all have the exact same complaint about frozen sliding doors!!! why Toyota 2004 Siennas have had so many recalls for, I cannot fathom why the frozen door issue has not been addressed.!!! every November and December I am reminded of the problem when I drop my kids off at school and they have to crawl over the front seats in order to get out of the car.

- Jackson, NH, USA

problem #33

May 122014

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 95,000 miles
I had a flat tire. I was trying to use spare tire stored under the car. I was able to lower the spare tire and remove the spare using the hoist but after removing the tire, I tried to retract the cable back holding the spare tire then it got stuck, I was able to turn the lever but the cable would not retract. So I have about 2 feet of cable with 2 X 5 inches of metal, which holds the spare, dangling under the car. I was able to loop the cable and tie it on as piece of metal under the car, but I have to go under the car to this. This is the first and only time I use the spare tire for this car. The shop I brought car to said it was rusted and needs to be replaced.

- Sterling Heights, MI, USA

problem #32

Sep 202013

Sienna

  • 112,000 miles
Tried to open my driver side sliding door and the cable just snapped. Now I can't even open my door.I have a car seat on the side that works and my kids have to jump over the car seat or get out the front doors. It's not safe at all and it's too expensive for me to fix as a single mother with 3 children.

- Southington, CT, USA

problem #31

Mar 082013

Sienna

  • 131,432 miles
Upon pressing the open button on the remote for the passenger side sliding rear door, it makes noise but does not open. Upon further investigation we realized the cable had frayed and the door got jammed half way open. We took it to the dealership and were told to ask for an exception but because it was not completely broken they would not fix it! this poses a safety issue as the only exit for rear passengers is now the drivers side rear door until it breaks as well. Research suggests we are just barley over and only months beyond the extended warranty service for this defect @ 120K or 9yrs, leaving us to absorb the entire 1500-1800$ cost associated with repair.

- Redmond, OR, USA

problem #30

Jun 012009

Sienna 6-cyl

  • miles
The dashboard is cracking and splitting and may affect the deployment of the airbags.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #29

Jan 102006

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 40,000 miles
The electric door (passenger side) intermittently worked for years, sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not. Finally it quit working. The rear fan goes on and off at will. There is an electrical short. My rear tail light on driver's side is always out, even after replacing it multiple times. The trunk door lost all its hydraulic lift and actually hit me in the head. It has no hydraulics left now and is very hard to lift. The lighted buttons by the front windshield where you operate the garage door, electric door - burnt out at probably 37,000 miles and were ridiculous to replace. The door locks are all screwed up. Hard to unlock the driver's door manually with a key, have to unlock from passenger side. The door clicker does not work. Batteries have been replaced multiple times and the clicker quit working shortly after, again an electrical short of some sort"?" so no clicker, no electric door, no trunk lift, no dome lighting, no tail light, not to mention all the recalls that van had (extra tire, seatbelts, door issues). I had to replace my radiator?? cause it was leaking. Van currently has 126,000 miles on it. It is by far the worst quality vehicle I have ever owned. I have owned an 80S Toyota corolla which was fine, Saturn, Acura integra, Ford Explorer, also Mazda, 2001 Chrysler 300M (horrible also), there is no doubt that after reading all the posts on the edmunds site about this 2004 Sienna van, it should be recalled for electric door problems and all door problems.

- Brecksville, OH, USA

problem #28

Mar 262011

Sienna

  • 90,300 miles
The incident occurred while I was driving from Ohio to Florida, on spring break. I was the sole adult in the vehicle with my two daughters, who were riding in the middle seats. We had traveled all day and had stopped in lake city, fl to fill up with gas. When we got back on the highway (I-75), my daughter told me she was hot. It was just after 8 pm and the sun had set. Not wanting to turn on the air conditioner, I told her I would open the rear vent windows to move air through the car. I pushed the button to open the rear vent windows, and the window on the passenger side flew off the van. I heard the noise, and my daughter yelled that the window was gone. I looked in my rear view mirror to see the window sailing through the air in the draft of the van. Then it crashed and shattered all over the highway. We were very lucky that no one was traveling directly behind us. I slowed down and waited for any cars traveling behind me to pass and to see if anyone was going to pull over. No one stopped, and there was no reason for me to go back for the shattered window. I would like to note that I was not traveling at an excessive speed. Thankfully my van was the only car involved and no one got hurt. One expectation that I have when I buy a car is that the windows wont fly off when I open them during normal operation, no matter how old the car is. My car has never been in an accident, and further more it had just been in the dealership for the 90K maintenance and body check.

- Bellbrook, OH, USA

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