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.
Car lunges forward when braking. This occurs at low rates of speed and is particularly prone to occur when making right and left turns. This has been going on since I bought it in 2021. Dealer laughs at
This problem has been happening for a while now, over one year. When I am braking there is a jolt of acceleration. This happens frequently, and I believe this is dangerous.
When applying the brakes, at lower speeds around 20 MPH my Sienna lunges forward for a few seconds, increasing speeds. This is happening frequently in school zones due to the slow speeds. Dealer told me it was out of warranty (36k or 3 yrs) and i had to pay $250 for diagnostic plus $300 for a TSB solfware reset because the Fed didn't receive enough complaints from users to make Toyota do a recall on this Safety issue. This is a major safety issue myself and many other Sienna owners are dealing with.
In certain conditions, like coasting downhill and lightly braking and then going to harder braking - there is an unintended lurch forward which requires immediate harder braking to stop the vehicle.
- Cedar Park, TX, USA
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-Multiple instances recently of feeling like the car was accelerating or lurching forward lightly while I was braking - thought I was going crazy. Today however, the car very clearly lurched forward while I was braking coming into an intersection with my kids in the car. Checked my foot on the pedal, mats, etc. Will be taken to dealer on earliest appointment they have in 7 days. -If there was a car coming through that intersection, my family and I could have been T-boned due to the unexpected acceleration. -There are no warning lamps or messages active in the vehicle. -Symptoms likely started a few months ago, but the most severe instance was today, 9/16/2024. I finished driving my kids to soccer and while there I googled this and called my dealer. Apparently this is a known issue" -How can Toyota not notify owners of this serious issue" There needs to be a recall immediately. This is my family vehicle that we bought new just a few years ago, this is dangerous and absolutely unacceptable.
Intermittently and randomly the vehicle will lunge forward with the brake applied. I engage the brake, the vehicle slows and then lunges/lurches forward as if I were not braking. Not only is this terrifying but it is also extremely dangerous. This has happened many times since purchase in February 2021 and continues to now.
While braking, the brakes will momentarily stop working. This has happened multiple times. Today, it caused the van to not be able to stop in time and the van finally came to a stop in the middle of a four way intersection. I did a Google search. There are many many people in online forums who have reported this same issue.
Acceleration or surge seemingly while transitioning from regenerative braking to friction braking. Observed numerous instances where at slower speeds, after removing my foot from the accelerator and beginning brake application, a surge or acceleration occurs. In these instances I ensured that my foot was NOT contacting the brake and accelerator simultaneously. There is a distinguishable surge in driveline when this occurs. The surge may also be caused or exacerbated by a change in driveline power (engine/battery) occurring simultaneously with the transition from regenerative to friction braking. One of the most concerning instances of the anomaly occurred while turning. When making accelerating, coordinated turn and expecting the vehicle to respond appropriately by decreasing speed, it instead momentarily accelerated. This caused great concern and a moment of panic as I had to immediately react to avoid striking other vehicles or obstacles because my intended path of travel changed as a result of this surge. Since this report of surging of the Sienna Hybrid is also reported by other owners on various forums, I-??m willing to have additional sensors installed to enable ample recording of these events. This should be considered a safety event.
When applying light brake force to slow to stop for traffic light/sign the vehicle will feel like the brakes have released and stop slowing (feels like vehicle surges forward) requiring to either really apply much greater force to pedal or to release and reapply force to brake pedal to continue to slow the vehicle. Safety concern as without warning and not consistently happening additional 20 to 50 foot braking distance added to vehicle stop. Occurrence is random and happens approximately one in ten stops. The main consistency is a lower speed and gentle type stop: start braking speed generally in the 25-35mph range, brake release feel at 10-15mph range with light to medium braking force being applied. Seems to happen most often with a light downhill gradient. Occurs rendomly and cannot be reproduced on demand for service tech. Has happened since vehicle was bought new and still occurs randomly 26000 odo.
When breaking, mostly during downhill, the brakes feel like they simply -??let go-?? for an instant. Most times this is very short and It feels like a typical downshift during breaking in an ICE car. However, last time it really gave me a lurch and I almost ended up falling off a cliff face. Many reports all over the internet but nothing from Toyota.
The brakes release for a period of time when stopping. This has been ongoing since owning the vehicle. It feels like a lurch forward when my foot is actively braking.
Intermittently, when braking to slow down towards a stop, the brakes let loose, and the vehicle surges forward for a very short spurt (like less than 1 second). While continuing to apply brake pedal pressure, the brakes, then, continue to work. This is VERY unnerving, and we are afraid that, if there were to be a pedestrian in a crosswalk in front of the vehicle they may be hit as this does cause a slightly greater braking distance overall. I reported this to my Toyota service department relatively soon after I purchased the vehicle (new), but they indicated they know nothing of the issue. I now see many people reporting this in various Internet discussion threads. This is a very serious issue.
Sometimes when each of us 2 are slowing to a stop while applying the brake, the Sienna will lunge forward. This unexpected event may cause a rear-end collision if too close. Also, it is enough to cause us to hit our head on the head rest. Can-??t understand why this happening. We are sure we only have our foot on the brake and not the accelerator.
Safety of self and others at risk due to odd breaking. Feels like you have to put pedal to the floor to break! Especially if turning. I found a Toyota service bulletin when googling the issue. This is a major safety issue!
There has been several incidents when I step on the brakes and the vehicle seems to accelerate forward after what feels like an attempt to find the right gear when decelerating. This occurs infrequently but usually when decelerating along with an external factor. I was able to consistently replicate when I-??m coming off the highway onto a service road then have to make quick turn at a corner. It feels as if the vehicle is trying to search for a gear and once it finds it there-??s a momentarily acceleration forward.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Conroe, TX, USA