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We found the following complaints for TOYOTA SIENNA (1998)

Read complaints for TOYOTA SIENNA (1998)

Air bags did not deploy in a front end collision.we were traveling at about 65mph on the interstate when another vehicle lost control, wrecked, and came to a complete stop in our lane and facing us. My husband braked hard but we could not avoid the vehicle. We truly have no idea how fast we were going at impact but i would guess 30-40 mph. It had just started raining lightly prior to the accident. Seat belts and god saved us. No major injuries.

Driver in wrong lane hit my van, with most of impact on right front side of van.both vehicles were totalled in collision. Right front passenger seat belt initially held, but released during collision and passenger ended up on driver's armrest.neither airbag deployed.

While operating the vehicle the horn will suddenly become inopperative causing an extremely hazardous situation of operating the vehicle without the horn.the vehicle was taken to the toyota dealership on 08/28/2001 where i was told the clock spring contact was distorted and needed to be replaced ($470.00) not 3 weeks later the exact same thing happened, the horn suddenly becomes inopperative.i was told this was not covered by our extended warranty which we paid almost $900.00 dollars for.the is obvioulsy a very serious saftey concern and are there any avenues to persue to have this problem paid for by toyota?i am very displeased with toyotaand there extended warranty policy.

I have a 1998 toyota sienna recently the airbag light is on and the horn and cruise control are not working i wonder if this can be a safety recall for the life of the vehicle or do i just have to pay for the repair.

We were in an automobile accident recently and have a question about needing to replace the seat belts and possibly question of malfunction of airbags.our toyota sienna van was going about 35 mph and hit straight-on a car that turned in front of us hitting the driver side with extensive damage with essentially no braking.essentially the toyota sustained a front impact collision.the airbags didn't deploy and our repair mechanic is telling us this impact was not sufficient to deploy airbags.the driver and passenger of the toyota sustained chest injuries, knee injuries, with generalized pain, especially neck, shoulders, and back.we think there is something wrong with the airbags not deploying and the seat belts involved in the accident should be replaced.our auto mechanic is telling us that airbags did not deploy because of insufficient impact, and the seat belt does not need to be replaced.can you help us how we get the correct answers?scott s. [email protected].

My wife was driving a 98 toyota sienna with kids on the freeway ina comuter lane. All of a sudden the steering wheel started vibrating and locked in left position. As a result they ended up crashing in the middle divider head on. The van took a 180 degree spin and hit from the back. We have done 99000 miles on this van in last 5 years. This is totally a malfunction or mechanical failure of steering wheel. We have done long trips with our van in the past 5 years and never had problem. Also the air bags did not open up even though the impact was so severe.

On oct 14th 2006 at about 4:45 pm i was driving in a parking lot at slow speed. I came to a stop and then tried to make a right turn. As i turned the wheel and applied the gas the steering column made a noise like breaking plastic and the car moved in a straight line despite the wheel beeing turned. I increased the turning motion until it was clear steering had failed. Since the lot was empty i brought the car to a stop without incident.i had the car towed to sandy springs toyota and was told that the steering shaft had broken at the "knuckle" where the column connects to the shaft. In addition i was told that the spiral cable to the airbag had been damaged in the incident.my concerns are that had this occured at high speed or while already in a turn or in traffic the results would have been catastrophic. In addition the failure of the air bag meant that had i in fact had a collision i would not have had the protection of the airbag. I drive this car daily and i did not detect and change in steering or handling that would have been a warning.the car was repaired and has driven nromally since. I do not know what happened to any replacement parts.

While driving at 30mph vehicle was hit inrear and slammed into a vehicle in the front, and none of the air bags deployed on impact.

1998 toyota sienna mini van. Involved in a vehicle accident where the mini van ran into another vehicle. The actual collision occurred after the brakes were fully applied when it hit the vehicle in front. There was significant damage to the sienna, so much so that the radiator was damaged and leaking. The problem was that neither the drivers or passenger side airbag did not deploy. There was approximately 120,000 miles on the vehicle and all mechanical work had been done by the dealer or other certified mechanic.seat belts were in use and did work properly. A child safety seat was in use in the second row seat and it also worked properly.

Passenger side airbag failed.

Air bag sensor failure,

The air bag light remained illuminating while driving.the dealer informed the consumer the vehicle was not covered under a recall.the seat belt light would come on and the seat belts tensioners were found inoperative.the air bag light would stay on due to sensor failure. *sc

Consumer is having problems with automoble, in that when she turns it off, it starts, and when she puts it in park, it starts up. She took it to a mechanic, who disconnected the alarm system, and the automobile stopped doing the above.she stated that the mechanic found on the internet that there was an investigation on the electrical system on these cars, and that was the exact problem she was having with vehicle.

Wiring problem--electric going on unusual paths--pushing the brake turns on the lights in the dash--i wonder if pushing the brake could cause acceleration problems?

The contact owns a 1998 toyota sienna. The contact stated that the warning indicators on the instrument panel did not function when the vehicle reached high temperatures. The contact stated that only the check engine warning indicator functioned. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 98v278000 (electrical system); however, the vin was not completed. The failure mileage was not provided.

Problem with the horn on my 1998 toyota sienna. The horn stopped working about 3 years ago. I have had the vehicle to a dealer at least 5 times, and to a local repair shop at least 3 times. Spent over $1400 and the problem is not fixed. They have changed the relay, changed contacts, sanded contacts, and still, the horn does not work. For the most part the horn works when the car is stopped and cool. After driving on the highway for about 1/2 hour to 1 hour, the horn stops working completely. I have been able to get it to work on the highway by "jiggling" the steering wheel and pushing the horn at the same time while the vehicle is moving. In a nutshell, it is very erratic and virtually always stops working when we are on a road trip.this is a serious safety hazard because the horn typically does not work at 55 mph on the highway when someone on the highway cuts me off and it's necessary to use the horn.the vehicle has never been in an accident and otherwise runs fine despite having 150,000 miles on it.i've been very dissatisfied with the dealers and their obvious lack of expertise or persistence in troubleshooting this unusual issue.

Horn worked intermittently and now not at all.

I came home and turned my ignition switch off but my 1998 toyota van kept running.turning the key on and off did not turn it off. I tried shutting it down with the ignition switch again and again and again. I tried turning it off again while moving the gear selector lever but to no avail. I begin to smell burning rubber. I lifted the hood and realized the engine was being turned over by the starter which was not disengaging and starting to smoke. Then tons of smoke began boiling off the starter. I disconnected the positive battery connection and the engaged starter stopped cranking the engine. Heavy smoke continued boiling from the starter for about a minute longer. I was very glad i was not inside the garage because i think the starter could have started a fire or the smoke would have smothered me.

While driving the tire pressure light illuminates, this occurs after a tire has been changed or rotated.nlm

The contact owns a 1998 toyota sienna. While attempting to start the vehicle, it suddenly accelerated and the engine continued running. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The current and failure mileages were approximately 100,000. The consumer stated when the vehicle was first started after sitting overnight, the engine would rev high even though the gear was in park.the consumer stated he then removed the key from the ignition. However, the vehicle would continue running. Updated 06/22/10.

Tires. Horn.

Since june 2003 the consumer noticed the horn would not operate all the time.vehicle was taken to the dealer on 8/5/2003. Dealer could not determine the problem.

Summary of vehicle (toyota sienna), garage, and house fire on august 13, 2001.

On august 25, 2010, i was taking my grandchildren to rainbow station daycare in our toyota sports van sienna xle, 1998.warrenton toyota dealer in virginia performed a full 100,000-mile service on van on july 10, 2010.i turned into the parking lot of the day care at a speed of 5 mph with my foot on the brake. While i was about to park the car, there was unintended sudden acceleration of the car and car went from parking lot to sidewalk and began going towards the office of the daycare.i turned the steering to the right as far as i could in order to get away from the entrance of the daycare and the lobby (both have a glass wall) and was trying to get back to the parking lot the car would not stop.i tried to push the brake as hard as i could but the car would not stop instead it left car tire track marks on the sidewalk and the front lawn of the daycare.the car finally hit the brick wall and stopped.fortunately the grandchildren were safe.my right hand wrist bone (radius) was broken.i had to undergo surgery.our car was totaled and is beyond repair. Toyota is trying to find out he cause of accident.

My car's engine failed at 20,000 miles. The dealer said it was due to sludge, based on my not changing the oil often enough.i had changed the oil every 6000 miles, not every 3000 miles.the dealer, jim coleman toyota of bethesda md stated that i was at fault and that toyota would do nothing for me.first coleman flushed the engine, at a cost of 1000.when this repair only held for 2000 miles or so, i was told i needed to replace my engine.i did so at ernie's, a top-rated repair shop in bethesda (consumer check list)at a cost of 5600, considerably less than toyota's price of 7500.i have faithfully changed my oil since that time on or before the 3000 mile mark.the engine has again failed due to sludge build-up!!! i am now expecting that toyota will replace the engine at no cost to me, but i am concerned that there will be some catch to this...

Had sludge in the engine.engine lost oil and smoke coming out the tail pipe.they rebuilt my engine for free. Saying that i did not change oil frequent enough.i have proof and did change every 4-5000 miles but not with the toyota dealership.my concern is that what did they change to make sure this doesn\\'t happen again.they could not promise me it wouldn\\'t even if i changed the oil every 3000 miles

Engine had to be replaced due to oil sludge, oil changes were made made promptly.

Engine oil sludge:my sienna was finally fixed by toyota canada after i made numerous complaints about the dealership (jim pattison toyota) that refused to repair the vehicle. The whole engine was overhauled by a different dealership. I was really happy the way they handled the case. I just received a memo from toyota yesterday that sienna between 1998-2000 have problems with the transmission. They have extended the warranty on transmission for these particular vehicles to 8 yrs or 100,000 miles .

Fax fm george a. Stouffer (nc) request that toyota cover the cost of a new engine for this 1998 toyota sienna due to an "oil gel" problem. *mr white smoke had come from the tail pipe.the service dealer diagnosed that toyota labeled an "oil gel problem" and told the consumer that the engine would be cleaned under warranty.the problem recurred and destroyed the engine.toyota should be responsible for the payment under the same provisions as before.(they refused the request) *scthe request for assistance was denied, because the manufacturer stated the consumer did not properly maintain the vehicle, however the consumer had proof that the vehicle was well maintained, once that proof was sent, the manufacturer claimed the warranty only covered one single repair, but the original repair never fixed the design flaw, but only cleaned out the oil gel.

Engine--camshaft and belt.

At only 30,000 miles, while vehicle still under full bumper to bumper warranty, smoke began emitting from exhaust pipe. Took to dealer - dealer says it is steam. Next smoke gets worse (its blue) & oil light flashes when braking. Take it back to dealer - dealer says need oil change. Do it. Next - same stuff. Take it back. Dealer says oil leak in valves or rings - will call to set up appt. For repair. No call. I call dealer. Dealer says want oil change receipts. I get them. Dealer says no fix under warranty, not covered, caused by consumer lack of maintenance. I complain to manufacturer. No luck. I look on internet - hundreds of identical complaints on various web sites. Caused by sludge in engine, which analysis of shows water & fuel in oil. I contaact you.

We have a toyota sienna van. In 8/02 we had 'oil gel sludging' and the engine was fixed under warranty. Now, we have exactly the same problem and toyota refuses to pay for the repair. With the initial repair, they acknowledged it was a design flaw. Since the engine was poorly designed, and there is a recurring problem due to the design, why do they think a one-time repair will suffice? *la

We have a 1998 toyota sienna.for several years we have had problems opening the rear passenger doors because of faulty springs on the door buttons.now the vehicle spews out blue smoke when starting up or accelerating.the oil is also sludgey.we took it to the dealer after hearing that the blue smoke problem is a recall issue, but the dealer wants proof of all oil changes, even though i change the oil and filter myself.a friend around the corner has the same problems with the faulty doors.*nlm

The engine stopped operating due to engine sludge.the consumer indicated that the engine burned oil too fast which caused the sludge to build up.the dealer says the engine has to be replaced.please provide any additional information.

Oil seals around spark plugs failed in both fwd and aft bank of valve covers.

Engine light came onin my 1998 toyota siennaon i75 in atlanta ga while visiting friends, was able to get to median before it died. Hadit towed to independent mechanic who verified sludge build up. Called toyota about engine failure. Was told to take van to a toyota dealership in sc (where we live) towed the van home took it to dealership who also verified sludge build up. Was told by toyota that they were aware of the problems in their engines but was not going to pay for engine replacement because we did not have receipts proving that oil/filters changes were made.we changed our oil every 3000 miles without fail.if we didn't engine would have died sooner.toyota did say that we could pay for repairs $9000 and then submit receipts for review and may be reimbursed for repairs. Still fighting with toyota, have made complaint with bbb. Police were called to the scene, i was alone with 4 children.

We leased a 1998 toyota sienna because it was the safest van out there at the time.two years later i was driving to work, when the ( dummy gauge) for the oil light turned on.i stopped at the first gas station and checked the oil it was fine.on my way home that morning from work on the freeway.the oil light came on again,then suddenly the engine stalled & i heard some knocking noise , i pulled over, and had it towed to the toyota dealearshipwhere weleased the van.they had it checked out then told us that there was oil sludging and has caused engine damage.they told us that the van needed a new engine and it was not covered under warranty because we had gone over the warranty miles.the estimate was over 5,000.00,we did not have the funds, or credit available to cover for the estimate on the van.so we had no other choice but to give it up as a voluntary repo.knowing that the leasing company was going to try to get their money.there was no other choice but to file for bankruptcy. I had excellent credit and now my credit is ruined.in the year 2002 i received a letter from the manufacturer stating that they were reimbursing and or extending the warranty on the engine at no cost to all customers who had the problem with engine damage due to oil sludging. Well i no longer had the van in my possesion but i did suffer some damages and i only think it is fair that i get some compensation from the toyota manufacturer due to their own defective engine.i wrote a letter to toyota and i have not heard a response from them yet.

While driving35 mph, the check engine light illuminated on the dashboardand the vehicle stalled on the highway. The dealer examined the vehicle and found a build up of sludge in the engine.a new engine was installed.two years later, the same problemrecurredand a new engine was needed. On march 22, 2004 the check engine light had come on.on march 23, 2004 the vehicle was towed to a service dealer who suggested that sludgewas the problem. *sc

We are on our third motor for a toyota sienna 1998 van, purchased new. Several months ago, we had the motor replaced. We were charged $4-500, though toyota handled it under warranty. Now, 10,000 miles later, we must replace the engine again, at a cost of $6000. The problem, again, is 'sludge'. We are also, like others filing complaints on your site and others, being harassed by the dealership, who claim we have "never changed the oil." for argument, let's say this is true. In 10,000 miles, you will utterly destroy a new engine if you miss an oil change, recommended for between 5,000 and 7500 miles?i believe the public has been sold a defective design, and that the company, deliberately or not, is refusing to take owner complaints seriously. *la

Crankshaft ball bearings are defective, causing decrease in oil pressure and crankshaft and oil pump failures

Engine is full of sludge, there was never any warning light or system check that indicated the engine had any problems.

Began issuing blue smoke at startup at about 52000 miles.dealer finds sludge in engine, refuses to repair under warranty, citing lack of maintenance.vehicle has had regular oil changes, and an older vehicle (ford escort) in identical service with same maintenance schedule has no problems.believe that the failure is due to defective engine crankcase ventilation system design, and that failure is leading to emissions in excess of legal limits.

The engine needs replacing, apparently sludge and the dealer/manufacturer is trying to blame me for sloppy maintenance.i was at the dealer in 5/01 for a major maintenance which include engine flush, etc. $550.and since i have been back in 8/01 and 1/02 for different issues and was never asked to perform additional maintenance or warned that i should be careful, etc.i'm aware that i have performed oil & filter changes subsequent to the 5/01 major maintenance but i'm having trouble finding the evidence, in part because i moved aroudn 9 mo. Ago and still haven't quite settled in completely.based on my search in the internet the manufacturer has apparently conceded about a month ago that there is a problem and is paying for the repairs but apparently puerto rico has not heard about this since they are making me jump through hoops to prove the adequate maintenance in order to maybe accept responsibility.i think this is especially sneaky since i have been to the authorized dealer in my new area twice and was never told that i should be doing something additional to the problem observed (in one case i had a check engine light on that they simply re-programmed). Thanks.

Engine sludged at 35000 miles, and again at 79000 miles.warranty coverage was denied even though we presented evidence of regular maintenance.we were recently offered reimbursement for the first repair by toyota in the amount of $2300.they denied reimbursement on the second repair in the amount of $7100 because the vehicle was no longer under warranty.the engine has sludged twice in spite of regular oil changes.total repair and incidental costs have exceeded $10,000.

Engine sludge at 25,000 miles.

Loud bang from egine followed by fire.dealer says engine threw a rod and found hole in engine.also damage to right axle from projectile from engine.complained about white smoke at startup to dealer at 22,500 mile service, but dealer found no problems.now dealer refuses to honor warranty claiming that sludge is in engine.when i had similar smoke problem with 1998 toyota camry, dealer advised that the valve seals were defective and replaced the valve seals and gasket under warranty.internet serches have revealed at least one and possibly as many as three other similar engine failures due to sludge after complaints were made to the dealer of white smoke at startup.i also found multiple reports of engine failure assoiciated with white smoke at startup when doing searches regarding the camry.when i went to dealer to remove articles from the van after it was towed, the service advisor pointed out the left rear tire, on which approximately 10-12 inches of the tread had separated from the body of the tire.this is firestone fr 680 tire with less than 30,000 miles on it.the tire was checked and was fine prior to out trip to pick up out eight year old daughter from summer camp.the engine failure and fire and the separation of thread of the tire occurred after we had driven for approximately 2 hours in 100 degree plus temperatures while returning from the camp.local police and fire department was called to the scene.( dot number: )

Our dealership has one person doing the work which three did at my girlfriend's old dealership; they keep telling us to "keep a log" of problems.she went in and told them the car had to be fixed; they said okay, and it sat for a week while they ordered parts which we thought they already would have in, due to our previous/numerous complaints.so now it's going _back_ in monday morning, although they continue to insist they don't think they have parts for the inside door locks; she's going to ask them about it.it is very frustrating to have the dealership say "we don't have the parts" and/or "keep a log" when toyota must have the parts -- it's their vehicle!! -- and we don't need to.1 qt. Of oil per every 100 miles travelled for the last six-twelve months is insane.and toyota continues to insist that it's from "lack of maintenance"when the oil changes were done primarily at dealerships in mi and fl ... Does not sit well with me.please contact me re: any developments pertaining to the sienna ... Thanks!!-- george seger, (231) 932-9501.

I had oil changed in the van in september ,2001 less than three thousand miles later it began to smoke. I took it to the dealer and they told me that i had engine sludge, in researching this subject on the internet i discovered that there are many complaints similar to mine.i was told at the dealership thatmy van was no longer under warranty however, that due to the low mileage i have on my van the dealership would be willing to help with the cost of repairs. The van was in the repair shop for two weeks, when i went to retrieve it i was told that the toyota rep. Had also agreed to take care of part of the expenses. Needless to say that toyotas' and the dealerships' generosity have made me somewhat suspicious since i was informed at the beginning that the van was no longer under warranty. Furthermore the complaints that i encountered from other owners on the internet lead me to believe that toyota may be trying to cover-up something. Repairs cost me $1430.81.

Vehicle did not pass vehicle emissions test, dealer said that dirty oil had leaked into the engine causing engine sludge, repairs were not covered under warranty, owner stated that the oil was changed regularly, and knew of other similar cases, onwer is concerned that this condition is a result of a manufacturing or design defect.

In february of 2001 my 1998 sienna engine froze up. No engine light came on.i had it towed to the fort myers toyota dealer and they told me it was my fault and i would need a new engine.mr myers the sevice manager told mr carpenter the new car saleman that a new engine would cost $5,000 minus a $1,000 dollar rebate or a total of $4,000. I told him to go ahead and change the motor.when i went to pick up the van the cost was $6800.00 not $4,000.00.i put the charge on my credit card.later that month i traded the van in for a 2001 highlander.i had trouble with the electrical system in 1999 in ohio and didn't want to have additionalproblem in fla.this sienna was a leased van and mr carpenterallowed me to drop the leased van in fort myers.i heard the other day that toyota was recalling 1998 sienna because of engine problems.the oil was clogging the engine.please advise me of the recall.thanks.

Accepted for arbitration by wa state atty general

According to dealer, engine is sludged up (as many other owners have expereinced). They said they will repair it (w/o guarantee) for $2000, or $5500 (guaranteed).

Engine developed sludge despite maintenance; warranty coverage denied. Dealer and distirct representative for toyota refused to look at oil change receipts or discuss the matter.automation revocation of warranty without consideration of maintenance records.

Engine locked up. Dealer tells us no oil was present in the engine at the time of their inspection.

This engine is under warranty.i provided more than the number of receipts requested by the dealership.toyota says the oil change outlets must not have actually changed the oil.vehicle was purchased as used with 153 miles on it.it was purchased at bale honda in little rock.bale toyota had used it as a demonstrator.bale toyota is in conway, ar which is 35 miles away.landers toyota is the only toyota service center in little rock.after i provided them with all the records requested, they still maintain thattoo few oil changes is the only cause of this problem.the vehicle smoked so bad that i thought it was on fire.

Engine--camshaft and belt.

Idle air control valve failure caused vehicle to stall at intersections. To keep from stalling throttle had to be applied with right foot while left foot used to apply brake.

Air conditioner failed, excessive force of the switch ( back & forth ) is required to make it work.

Air conditioner tube failed.

Every timevehicle goes through a puddle of water air conditioner light flashes, and air conditionerbecomes disabled.warm/moist air comes out.why is consumer trying to defrostwindshield.

Accepted for arbitration by wa state atty general

Radio amplifier.

Consumer states that the original jack equipment is twisting, footer is bent.toyota was contacted. Nlmtoyota has sent an investigator to inspect the vehicle and jack. No copy of a report was provided.*jg

Head lights do not illuminate road appropriately, resulting in poor visibility.

The fuel injector seals were leaking.the dealer claimed this was a fire hazard and replaced the fuel injector seals.*sc

My engine light is on and it all may be from the gas cap.

The push-button on the inside of the sliding side-doors fails to release. In the case the door is unlocked, this prevents to door from closing. If the door is locked, the button does not release, keeping the door from being unlocked and thus the door cannot be opened.

My 98 sienna xle has had intermittent problems with the (manual) sliding doors not opening without and adult pulling outside. Then mysteriously the problem goes away. Today my wife and kids were about town and couldn't get the driver's side sliding door to close. The locking mechanism is locked in the closed position. She had to drive home in traffic holding a bungee cord to keep the door mostly closed while the kids were in the very back seat. I worked on it for a while when i got home but there isn't a way to get the mechanism to open. It will rotate further back (downward, away from the latch loop), but nothing more.

1998 toyota sienna cannot lock and unlock both rear sliding doors electronically from the lock-and-unlock buttons of the front drive and passenger car doors.

1998 toyota sienna van - rear passenger sliding door handle broke off when attempting to open the door (the door stuck).this is the second handle that has broken on this van.the rear door hatch handle broke about two years ago.this appears to be a design flaw and is a potential safety hazard.there are numerous complaints posted on bulletin boards about this problem.toyota has not addressed this concern through a general recall and appears to be blaming the owners.i have had my van serviced by a toyota dealer on a regular basis, so this problem is not a maintenance issue.

Right sliding door has had multiple failures over a four year period. Right sliding door latch failed, the door would not remain open causing a safety hazard for passengers attempting to get in or out.cable for door failed, resulting in door being unable to be opened at all from inside or outside.inside doorpush button would not work intermitently, door could not be opened.exterior door handle would not work intermittently, unable to open door.interior door lock assembly would migrate into door handle, unable to unlock door except with button on drivers door.exterior door handle broke into two pieces.all problems have been corrected so far, although some were out of warranty and were paid for out of pocket.am waiting for response from toyato motor corp regarding reimbursement for repairs to defective door.

Driver's side door handle, both sliding door handles, and rear hatch handle have broke or are still broken. Driver's handle and one side door handle have been super glued to make operational.

Rear sliding doors on both sides of van at times cannot be unlocked and/or opened from inside or outside.sometimes cannot close and latch the sliding door.this all happens when the inside push button door release becomes stuck in the depressed position in the door handle.occurred first on passenger side in cold weather (jan 2000).dealer followed mfg's tsb to help reduce problem.but now (july 2005, hot weather) driver's side sliding door has same problem.

Door locking inconsistent--sliding door.

Since our purchase of our 1998 toyota sienna van we have experienced sparatic problems with both slider doors of the van.i have taken it to several toyota dealerships where they tell me that the rubber stripping has to remain clean.i followed their suggestion and to this day it is still happening.this poses a problem when both doors will not open and everyone has to climb through the front doors.

Power locking system behaves randomly. Doors lock and unlock while driving with key in ignition and while parked without key in ignition. Dealer has been unable to repair.

Sliding door does not latch in cold weather.

Locking mechanism and the door handles onsliding doors on both sides of vehicle fail to operate properly.consumer has difficulty opening both side doors, andlatch fails to catch properly, allowingdoors to open during operation of vehicle. Dealership has examinedvehicle numerous times, and failed to effectively remedy the problem.please provide any additional information/attachments.

I have a 1998 toyota sienna.the passenger-side siding door handle broke off in my hand!this is our family car and we take good care of it.the handles have not been jerked or otherwise roughly treated.now, until we can get this defect repaired, the door cannot be opened from the outside.i am upset because this appears to be common problem with this model.

The rear passenger sliding door lock sticks, causing door not to open. Vehicle has been taken to the dealer for repairs four times.this has also happened on the rear driver side sliding door. Most recent incident was on7/30/2003.

Door locks on sliding doors failed. Mjs

The sliding door shuts and will not open from the inside nor outside. Has happened 3 times and dlr can't fix it.

The latch holding the side sliding door failed, dealer replaced it. The replacement part has also failed, allowing the door to slide closed on a hand, body, or child.

The design of the inside sliding door lock release is very difficult to operate, excessive force required to activate, unable to remedy.

The exterior handle of the front driver's door was broken while i was opening the door. The exterior handle consists of a metal holder and a thin plastic plate. The plastic plate broke in more than two places.

On numerous occasions since purchasing this vehicle (and most recently, today), the sliding door handle/latch/lock has failed. Usually, the failure is such that the door cannot be opened from the inside or outside. Sometimes, the door can only be opened from the inside and sometimes the door can only be opened from the outside. On at least one occasion, an inoperable door spontaneously opened itself when nobody was near it. The dealership has looked at this problem numerous times, to no avail, and significant pieces of the mechanism have been replaced at the cost of several hundred dollars, but the problem persists.a different, but possibly related, problem is that the front passenger door lock (the electronic lock) has also failed repeatedly over the life of the car.

The latch designed to hold the side sliding door in an open position failed, so that the door would not stay open, allowing it to slide shut on a hand, body etc. The part was replaced by the dealer, but the replacement part also failed(see second complaint)

Sienna van back door latch failure to open. Latch components include a piece of plastic that can apparently break rendering the back door latch unusable.occupants of vehicle would not be able to use the back to escape in case of an accident or allow emergency crews access.considering a door handle (latch) to be a critical component for safety reasons, i was surprised to find this part made out of plastic.in calling toyota service i was told that its not uncommon for this piece of plastic to break on the vehicles after ~7 years.this is when they expect the failures to occur and the service personal indicated they had just repaired one last week too.at a cost of over $300 to repair this piece of plastic and allow the trunk to open and close again, i personally consider this a safety defect.the trunk latch is not used on a daily basis as the doors are but is an integral part of the vehicle access and failure to design and use parts that can stand up for the life of the vehicle is a safety hazard.the failure came with no prior indication.went to open trunk and piece of plastic under latch handle broke renderingit useless.i don't know if there are any other failures related to the passenger or driver doors with the latches or if they are made of the same material.something for nhtsa to review.

Side sliding doors of toyota sienna mini-van do not unlock / lock or release for open.door button is stuck in a pushed-in position and will not release on eitherside door.this prevents passenger from opening door.passenger is locked in and cannot exit the van.passenger must exit the van by climbing into the front seat and out the front door of the van.the button on the slide door eventually unsticks and pops out, allowing the door to open.

Some of the door handles on my 1998 toyota sienna have fallen off, and i have concerns that in a traffic accident rescue personnel would have a difficult time getting me or my children out.

Side door latches continue to jam and rattle.when jammed doors will not latch or lock causing severe safety hazard.as of yet dealer unable to solve this problem

Consumer states that sliding door latch failed.door will not latch when closed.consumer has to tie door to hold it closed.

Sliding door handles stick and them sometimes prohibit opening the doors all together.door handle on right side actually came off in my hand after hundreds of times of sticking, now door can't be opened at all causing a safety hazard.

Passenger sliding door handle/button (interior) jam 6 out of 10 times, making it impossible for passengers to exit car.i have reported this to dealer several times, only to be told it's a billable repair, despite there being a known problem with this vehicle/handle.many occasions my kids have had to climb out through the front seats or tailgate, making this a legitimate safety hazard. 1998 toyota sienna levid4t3gf13cwu068998.

Sliding door doesn't lock in place when opened.it moves back & forth while trying to hold open to let passengers in & out.consumer'schild finger was amputated.this is one of many problems with this vehicle, owner is seeking full reimbursement for purchase.dealer is checking into problem. *ml

Passenger side sliding door latch failed.the door will not remain in the open position.

Sliding doors stick and/or jam.right side door handle has fallen off causing no entry/exit capabilities from right side of vehicle.left door still jams/stick causing exiting from drivers door or back hatch.

I previously contacted you about the right door, i am currently under legal advice for the amputation to my daughters finger.while going through legal process left door failed, started out where every now and then it wouldnt stay open then it wont stay open all the time ,then the door knob broke off now the door is locked completly shut and we cant open it.under our attorneys advice were told to not get it fixed while going through the lawsuit, tried to get attorney to let us get if fixed several times, he says we can not even get a replacement, the doors arent the only defects on this mini van, we have problems with the van swaying to one side while driving, tires getting bad to fast, emergency lights coming on for no apparent reasons, windshield whipers not working, seats not staying in correctly, seatbelts sticking, car shaking etc, etc.....please help us we need it.

1998 toyota siennasliding door on left and right get stuck and will not open.in case of accident or fire my grandchildren would not be able to get out.rear door handle broke off in my hand which would create the same hazard of not being able to exit.i've had this problem since i bought the car, and they have never been able to fix it even though they have tried.there are many complaints about thiis very problem from sienna owners.this will definitely cost someone's life.

Rear door to van does not shut tightly.

Rear door handle on 1998 toyota sienna van broke off during normal use.door can not be opened from interior or exterior now.this presents a significant danger to passengers in the event of fire and or accident as egress from this door is unavailable.

Outside handle for rear liftgate broke when i attempted to open.the liftgate was then locked and remained that way till fixed because there is no inside release.this created safety issue.dealer installed new handle unit at cost of $250.00 saying "normal wear and tear".*nlm

Outside latch release on rear liftgate broke when i attempted to open liftgate.this caused us to note (as we had never before) that there is no inside release for the liftgate, which could be a major safety hazard in case of a crash where the rear liftgate might be the only way out of the van.we feel strongly that toyota should have to correct this safety design flaw in all 1998 sienna vans, and that it should have to pay for our repairs in this case.

Rear door latch on 98 sienna broke when being opened normally.no excessive force was used.rear hatch is now unable to be opened from inside or out in an emergency.

I have 1998 toyota sienna. When opening the rear door the handle broke off in my hand!in looking for the replacement part on the web i seethat many owners have this problem.it looks like a serious design flaw, and dangerous because in an accident the rear door can't be opened at all!what can be done about this?

Driver's side door handle, both sliding door handles, and rear hatch handle have broke or are still broken. Driver's handle and one side door handle have been super glued to make operational.

Vehicle was parked on an incline with no keys in park andvehicle rolled through the garage door. Manufacturer was not able to duplicate the defect.

Since i bought my 1998 used toyota sienna with 190xxx miles, when press a litte bit the gas pedal on a uphill it start to accelerate like crazy, i can barely stop it, i must to put the transmission in neutral to stop the van, today i was on a very pronuntiated uphill and almost crash because it accelerates itself when press a little the gas pedal. I''m scared to use the van again but i don't have other choise and at the same time i'm scared to sell the van to someone else.

The car is shifted from park to drive and it accelerates suddenly without me pressing the accelerator. Pressing the brakes do not stop the car, the only way to stop it is by shifting into park or neutral.

Dt:the contactreceiveda warranty extensionfor transmission problems.the vehiclewas making noise.the transmissionhad no other noticeable problems at this point.the mechanic, who looked at the vehicle, stated the transmission will have to be replaced soon.the mechanic said it was making noisedue to defective differentialand the transmission was slipping.the service manager stated that toyota would provide the part, and the contact would have to pay for the labor.update 1/4/2006 -

Problems with vehicle's transmission.*mr there is a noise when driving changes pitch with speeds. Bearing noise from inside transmission.

Transmission and alignment problems.

While exitingintersate at 15-20 mph transmission locked up.wheels instantly locked up withmotor running.dealer was notified, and will have to replacetransmission. Please provide more information.

1998 toyota sienna - complete automatic transmission failure on highway at 67,800 miles. *nlm

We have a 1998 toyota sienna le with about 88,000 miles on it. We do not drive the car too much and most of the time it sits in our garage. On the way up to nh from nj at june 17 2006, the transmission started to have problems, which the transmission was sometimes unable to engage. We finally made it home and sent the car to the toyota dealer. The dealer told us "this is a known issue."that are known for transmission failures.we understand that the extended warranty covered up to 100,000 miles and 8 years. But our car just passed it by 5-6 weeks and is well under 100,000 miles. Dealer told us to contact toyota as it just past the deadline and has low mileage. Toyota has given us a very hard time. They insisted that it is our problem now because we didn't discover it before the 8 years deadline.here is what is listed about in the nhtsa.gov website that lists technical service bulletins: make: toyota model: sienna year: 1998 type: passenger car service bulletin number: tc03014 nhtsa item number: 10003372 summary description: extended warranty coverage regarding a no movement or a slipping condition of the automatic transaxle.

Accepted for arbitration by wa state atty general

Transmission failed.yh

While driving at highway speedstransmission locked up, causing the vehicle to come to a violent stop. Dealer and manufacturer have been notified.

Transmission failed.yh

At interstate speed i had a few second drag and then complete transmission disengagement.managed to get it off the interstate by letting it set a few minutes and being able to drive a 1/4 mile or so at a time.i have always taken very good care of the van including fluid changes.it only has 77,000 miles but toyota refuses to do anything about it even though they are aware of the defect( because there warranty extension is only for 8 years 100,000 and i am over the 8 years.

Transmission started slipping.

My 98 toyota sienna failed to respond to the acelerator while i was making a left turn twice on 6/22/05. On the second time, the engine failed. I was able to restart the engine, and go back home three blocks away where this happened. I parked my car inside my garage, went inside my house and luckily i had to go back to the garage immediately, because my car was on fire.i am still waiting for my nsurance company to do their investigation and i opened a claim with toyota, since i did all the necessary maintenance and the car was fine until that day.how can i be sure i am going to find out the truth why the car got on fire and if there is any problem related to the year and model of my car that may expalin what happened? sometime ago i received a letter from toyota saying that they were extending the warranty on transaxle case and internal part, torque converter and parts related to the transaxle because certain models of sienna had a "no movemen"or "slipping condition"related to that parts.my car was fine until the morning of 6/22/05and then did not respond to the accelerator twice (is this what they call no movement or slipping condition?) and then got on fire. Does the fire could happen because o anything related to the transaxle case and internal parts any other parts related to it?i am afraid, since i am the only one who has anything to loose , that toyota won't take resposibility for this and my insurance company already advised me that they do not cover the cause of fire only damages caused by the fire, they do not cover rental care while my car is incvestigated and i don't feel that they are in any hurry to do solve my problem.i would like to know if there is any way to get an investigation of the cause of the fire from someone who has no interest in the case, who is not the one to take responsibility or not, or who is not the one in charge to cover the expenses related to what happened to my car?thank you very much.

While cleaning the vehicle consumer's son inadvertently moved the gear shift lever.vehicle began to roll backwards until the gear shifted was placed back in park.the gear shift lever can be moved, even when the key is not in the ignition.

The vehicle was idling in our driveway, when we came out of the house, it had popped into reverse and backed into our garage. It is possible for the shift lever to stop in-between park and reverse and then pop into reverse in a few minutes by itself. Is this a typical problem and not considered a defect?

The vehicle lost control and crashed into the concrete medium divider and landed on top of it after the right rear-axle snapped and the wheel came off while driving at 60mph on i-10 in pomona , ca on 9/22/2000.

Rear axle will not balance.was told that it cannot bet aligned.also, told that it may have happened during transport. Consumerhas to keep buying tires.

Ignition lock would not unlock.nlm

While driving 50 mph the acceleration decrease and vehicle stalled.mr

Seat belt had to be replaced twice due to failing mechanism. When taken to dealer forservice it was determined that failure was due to the spring.

The seat belts in our 1998 toyota sienna have been failing. They will not retract.we have had two replaced at our cost, now two more have failed. I have the parts from the second belt that failed. It is not twisted and there is no foreign material in the belt or it's path.prior to the failure of our seat belts, i talked our friends (the miller family) into buying a van just like ours. They were hit by a red light runner may 29, 2005. The seat belt holding their three-year-old son, kyle, failed and he was ejected from the vehicle. He was killed instantly. The rest of the family walked away from the crash.toyota has refused to acknowledge any responsibility in the failure of our seat belts.i have read of similar problems from other owners (on the internet).please help to hold toyota responsible. At the very least, they should replace the belts at their cost.

I have a 1998 toyota sienna le.all of the seat belts do not retract back into the panels without help from the passengers.if you lean forward they stay where they are extended to.i have had them looked at and the technician said the return springs have all relaxed.this is the 4th toyota automobile i have owned and all of them have done this.i don't know how this can be safe?

Seat belt light remains illuminated. Dealer replaced system which has not corrected the problem. Consumer states the seat belt was replaced and the warning light no longer illuminates.

Rear seat belt failed.

Front seatbelt warning lightcomes on when buckled, goes off when unbuckled.not sure if seatbelt will function properly in a crash.dealer charged $92 to diagnose and quoted $375 to replace whole seatbelt assembly.i've read online about other people having the same problem with this light so i felt i should report it.

The shoulder belts in the middle row lock up instantly when first put on by the passenger. The belt stays locked up and binds the passenger(s) in the seat. The left side seat belt was replaced by the dealership about 2 weeks ago. There was no change in the seat belt. The belt continunes to lock up.

Dt*:the contact stated while pulling out the left middle row seat belt strap of the retractor, the material was fraying into.additionally, the left second row seat belt and the left third row seat belt strap completely disengaged from the retractor.the contact spoke to the dealer, who insisted that due to the age of the vehicle it wasn't their problem.updated 05/30/2006.

Accepted for arbitration by wa state atty general

Vehicle pulls to the right.also, headrests are very loose and wiggle around when vehicle is driven/third raw backseats are loose and vibrate.

Started to get clunking/rattling noises on highway that sounded like it was coming from front left driver's side.reduced speed to 50 mph.about 5 miles from home brake light came on.pulled over and found brake fluid leaking around front drivers side tire (about 9pm).slowly drove to mechanic about 2 miles away and left car overnight.returned next morning and examined brake fluid reservoir.found very little fluid in reservoir - distributed across the entire bottom.mechanic reported the front strut mounting failed (apparently a problem with these cars). After failing the strut punctured the bottom of the brake fluid reservoir (about 3/8" hole) at one of the corners (see photo) allowing the fluid to drain.should i have lost almost all fluid with a 2 circuit braking system?does the reservoir have an internal baffle to prevent almost total lose of fluid?i am the original owner and have all maintenance receipts.

Brake disc failure.

I have had multiple problems with both sliding doors on my minivan.i had rattles fixed on 3 separate occassions and recently took the van in because the driver side sliding door would not open without putting the weight of my body behind it.the dealer shrugged it off by saying there was a coke spilled in the door.the dealer cleaned "the coke" and the door is still sticking shut.now the tailhatch handle has broken off and i can no longer open the tailgate.i have also had problems with the suspension.the van feels like the front wheels are pulling to one side.i have had it aligned on numerous occasions and the dealer says there is nothing wrong.the other day it felt like the front wheel was going to fall off.i have also had the brakes worked on (at my expense) because the dealer said i left the parking brake on all the time.i no longer leave the parking brake on and the brakes are beginning to sqeek and squeal again. Mr

Accepted for arbitration by wa state atty general

Noisy brakes.

While driving 5 mph abs engaged. This caused the consumer to have extended stopping distance when the brake pedal was depressed.dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.

Brake pedal almostgoes to the floor, resulting in extended stopping distance.dealer has adjusted the brakes three times.the manufacturer has been notified. Also, rear brakes are not self adjusting.owner should be notified of possible extended stopping distance.

While consumer is driving tire pressure light goes on. Dealer saysabs actuator is dfective.dealership is waiting for parts to repair vehicle. Please add vin#

When the consumer attempted to brake, the abs failed, which caused the vehicle to experienceextended stopping distance.

Whenever the brakes are applied, they make a lot of loud noises. At dealership, the entire brake system had to be changed. Problem occurred after an accident (rearended by another vehicle).

Front brakes with loud grinding noise especially bad when applied going downhill.dealer says all the toyotas do that!this is my third toyota vehicle and have experienced the same problem with brakes on all three vehicles.guess this will be my last toyota!worried about brakes possibly failing as it "takes too long for braking to be effective".this has been a problem since aprx. 12,000 miles!brakes have been checked and are at 70% (30% worn).the rt. Side passenger sliding door is difficult to open from the inside, and when finally open, difficult to get it to lock in place (kids can't do it) i have to slam it back really hard to get it to lock in open position to avoid slamming shut on us!it also rattles while driving.the electrical system intermittenly stops working correctly, driver unable to control passenger-side windows and locks. Even unable to unlock driver side on one occasion.

The motor acutator for the abs system was found to be defective as indicated by a abs warning light.the dealer said the item was not covered under the warranty and the cost to repair was $1300.00 for part and $300.00 for labor.the dealer indicated that i would have no abs on the vehicle but that it was safe to drive.i spoke with a service representative named mark.i think that the abs system is a safety device and should be fixed by the manufacturer.i am seriously concerned that if this system decides to malufundtion because of a defective part that the vehicles brakes could be affected causing a serious wreck and putting my family in harms way.

The actuator pump for the abs locked up, toyota is refusing to replaced the pump because the vehicle is out of warrenty.nlm

The brakes have made lots of noise since 1 month after purchase.we heard popping noises, sounds like a spring unloading, snapping sounds. Dealer (classic toyota, waukegan, illinois.) has attempted to repair 3 times. Latest fix stopped popping snapping noises but now the abs system engages without need, the brakes moan and make new noises. We havent experienced failure, yet. I looked up registered complaints and many have experienced failure. We are taking the van back for the 4th time friday 2-24-00.

My wife was driving on i-5 on our 1998 toyota sienna van, when the brakes got locked-up and we started skidding. The vehicle went out of control and swerved to to the median and collided with the cable divider. We all survivived because of the cable, the van is still in body shop. I am worried about the safety of its brake system and the related parts.

Abs actuator failed on 38 month old vehicle with less than 40,000 miles, resulting in toal failure of abs system.

Brakes making clunking and scraping noise.dealer says drums are cracking.

Brakes making noise.nlm

While driving at no set speed and when applying the brakes they make loud sounds, and the pedalgoes to the floor. Car will keep going through lights and stop. Consumer contacted the dealer, dealer unable to determine the cause of the problem. Please provide any further details.

Brakes squeal and grind, dealer states there are no problems.

Brake make continual noise.

Brakes squeak.yh

Brakes failed.yh

While putting on brakeshears a loud grinding noise intermittently with no warning.

At all times when applyingbrakes they would make a high pitch/grinding noise.did not affect stopping. Took vehicle to dealer, and was informed that entire braking needed to be replaced.consumer was also informed that replacement parts are defectively designed, consumer stated that the backing plate is too thin and defective.left front rear wheel lug nut was cross threaded.knocking noise from the right front when going over bumps, dealer replaced strut mounts.

Loud front brake 'grinding' noise when braking hard or moderately hard from 15-20 mph down to a full stop.began at 5,000 miles or so and does not seem to effect the ability to stop the vehicle.i've spoken with the dealer who indicates there is a fix in the form of new brake pad material but that it's not yet available.the visual inspection did not revela anything unusual. I've contaced the manufacturer and there is a service bulletin (tsb# br006-98) that i couldn't find on this web site.i don;t think this is a saftey issue but i impatiently await the new parts.

I am curious if any reports about potential brake problems have been submitted.i have my brakes checked frequently as they squeakcontinuously and don't seem to stop the vehicle as they should.there is also a pulling to the right side when braking at any speed, worse at higher speeds.i have been told by a local dealer that there are no recalls, yet have heard from others that there has been.a search here turned up nothing.i am just trying to keep my family safe.thank you.

Front disc brakes noisy.nlm

Front disc brake failure.

Front brakes were grinding, and steering wheel was shaking, brakes had been repaired several times, but problem continued, contacted dealer, and dealer stated nothing was wrong. *yd

Brake disc failure.

Brakes have been noisy since the car was purchased. They have also been spongy and needed a lot of pressure to stop. The front discs were resurfaced and pads were replaced when the car was 7 months old! the noise continued, the car pulses when i try to stop and at 54,000 miles the front rotors are warped. I drive mainly on flat roads and don't ride my brakes. The rotors should not have warped! 1998 siennas clearly have brake problems and it's time toyota addressed this issue properly!

Brake pads and rotors failed.nlm

Brake pads worn out.yh

Brake pads and rotors failed.nlm

Rotors failed.

Front brake rotors noisy.yh

Brake drum failed.

Extremely loud groaning and grinding noise when braking in reverse everytime

The brake drum was off, resulting in brake cylinder rupture and fluid leaking into brake shoe.yh

When applyingbrakesvehicle makes a loud noise in the rear brakes. Dealer cannot find asolution.

Brake drum warped.

After decelerating exiting off a freeway ramp and making a left or right turn, the steering wheel would lock up momentarily and then disengage.*la

When making left turns, steering wheel often "hangs" (doesn't smoothly return to center position), requiring constant vigilance to avoid collision or loss of control.this was reported to dealer at first service after purchase, and i have requested information as to a "fix" several occassions, most recently with derby at star toyota on 4/7/04.stated "never heard of the problem".i am aware that there is a tsb on this issue however, and would very much like this problem resolved after 5+ years.additionally, the car goes through tires like crazy... Perhaps related to this pull to the left?i've put on a complete new set plus 2 tires in the 50k miles i've had the vehicle.

I bought a toyota sienna my '98 brand new in may 1998 and still own it.this car also has demonstrated a similar problem ever since i bought the car ' veering to right.the driver has to constantly correct the steering in order to keep the car moving straight.even after three attempts in '98, '99, and 2000, respectively, were made to address this problem by a toyota dealer (copy of the paperwork can be furnished upon request), the problem has yet been corrected successfully as of today.this problem increases driving fatigue especially long trips and in turn may increase the chance of auto accidents.

Gear shifter mount unit on the steering column broke apart, stranding the vehicle in the middle of the road.

Transmission and alignment problems.

Steering has a moderate pull and drifts to the right at all speeds.after two alignments, dealer stated that front wheel drive vehicles pull because of differential torque.

Car started making clunking noises when turning the steering wheel. Took it to a mechanic who test drove it and examined the steering. He validated the clunking noise and said he found the steering rack was broken at the mount and needs to be replaced to drive the car safely.

Vehicle skidded @40-45 mph on wet surface, causing driver to loose control.

While driving something in steering wheel broke and lost control of steering.steering wheel would no longer turnwheels on vehicle. Dealer contacted.

While making a left turn the steering wheel sticks/locks instead of automatically returning to center, the problem seems to be more noticeable in warm weather, dealer has been unable to find the problem.nlm

When accelerating from a stop and making a left turn, steering assembly will momentarily not return to center, but will stick at ~30degrees left of center.effort is required to return steering to center, else it will remain in locked position.only affects left turns and only when accelerating, otherwise undpredictable (not _every_ turn).not related to engine or external temperature.

While turning the wheels froze, and i was unable to control the car. I had to jam on the breaks in order to keep myself from going off the road...very dangerous situation.

When turning left and accelerating, the steering wheel "sticks" and must be manually pulled back to center

The steering wheel was turned in the right position and the driver was in the process of straightening it when it locked up.this causedlost of control of the vehicle.the vehicle had gone into the highway divider and was totaled.the cause of the failure was undetermined. *scc

Steering shaft malfunctioned.when making turns steering wheel would click on left hand turns, and then became loose on left handed turns. Contacteddealer.

Hit on driver side at 30mph--van rolled over.

Beginning at 4,000 miles, this vehicle has had a recurring, intermittent problem with the power steering mechanism.when making a left hand turn, the steering locks and continues to turn the vehicle in a circle.it releases only when manually forced back to center.during the colder, winter months, this would happen 2 or 3 times a day in heavy city traffic.i have had the power steering checked by the dealer on different occasions.the dealer insists there is nothing wrong.the vehicle now has nearly 19.,000 miles on it and the problem is getting worse.on friday, july 2, 1999, because of a lock up of the steering mechanism, i nearly caused an accident by being forced into the cross traffic which was stopped at an intersection, while making a left hand turn.it happened again on sunday, july 4, 1999.the power steering was checked again by the dealer on july 8, 1999, who insists there is nothing wrong!

Power steering fluid leak while vehicle was stuck in snow and ice caused a fire in the right front wheel.

Accepted for arbitration by wa state atty general

The vehicle's right rear wheel along with the axle/spindle came off after the spindle/axle snapped while driving at high speed on i-10 westbound near pomona, ca on 9/22/2000 night. The vehicle went totally out of control and crashed into the concrete center divider and finally landed on top of the concrete divider with direction facing eastbound.

Consumer states while driving 40mph both tire rods broke causing lost of steering. Please provide any additional information.ph

Vehicle when turning left such as at an intersection will continue to turn unless the steering wheel is manually returned to the straight ahead position.in other words if you are not paying attention the vehicle will continue to turn and would turn in a circle.this occurs sporadically.when taken to the dealer their repsonse is that toyota is aware of the problem and that it usually occurs when turning to the right.theyare working in the problem. Our feeling is that this is a safety issue and it seems to be getting worse in catching in the left turn mode.toyota says there is no safety issue.they have been working on this problem for several months or so they say.

Door handles on all doors have broken off.in case of accident, there would be no way to enter the vehicle from the outside.rear sliding doors also stick and again do not allow entry or exit from the vehicle without use ofa lot of strength which is dangerous for children in back of van.

Sliding doors - both were sticking and difficult to open.then passenger side door could only be opened from the outside and now it can't be opened from outside or inside.power window - driver's side power window began working intermittently and now won't work at all

Both sliding door handles broke without excessive force when doors were opened,the manufacturer has been notified of the problem but a recall has not been issued for the problem. *nlm

It appears that toyota has created artificial obstacles to prevent my obtainment of an eligible reimbursement for recall (safety recall a9e - tire carrier cable) repairs. In response to the recall notice i had the cable inspected then contacted toyota in accordance with the recall letter but i was denied reimbursement. On october 2, 2013 i wrote to toyota following the inspection and attached the original work order from a toyota dealer for the replacement of part number "51900-08010" as required. I received an october 17th response saying i needed to provide answers to three questions:reason the vehicle brought into the repair facility; the repair facility diagnoses, and the repair performed in order to correct the concern. After several telephone calls to toyota customer service and again having the current cable reinspected, obtaining and forwarding copies of the repair order, proof of payment, and ownership of the vehicle for repair work performed by a toyota dealership using an identical part number for reimbursement eligibility, i was directed to contact the manager at the dealership and obtain written information on the cause of the breakage that occurred nearly ten years earlier and that i needed to contact him because he was not responding to the corporate customer service office.i sent a letter, dated january 20, 2014, to him but never even received an acknowledgement. Although i've done everything required, sometimes more than once, had repairs completed using the proper part number, as shown on the repair worksheet issued by a toyota dealer, i've been denied reimbursement due to toyota's own dealership repair manager's lack of cooperation. If the repairs were not due to the cable breakage and if the replacement part was not needed, why did the toyota dealership do the repair and charge me for it? copies - letters and receipts will be provided, if needed.

Both driver's and passenger's side interior door handles broke, in addition to both outdoor handles for the sliding doors (total of three times), and the handle for the trunk broke.first one (exterior sliding door) broke four years ago.they continue to snap to this day.

The sliding doors locks freeze up and cannot be opened from inside or outside and present a danger if you are in an accident and cannot open the locks.

The contact owns a 1998 toyota sienna. The contact received a notification related to nhtsa campaign id number 10v160000(structure) and stated that the repair was not taken care of in a reasonable amount of time. The dealer indicated parts were not available. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was contacted.

Front end of vehicle is low by design causing it to hit concrete.yh

On 18separate ocassions our sienna minivan's automatic door locks toggles lock and unlock by themselves.at one point our 5 yr old and 2 yr old were locked in the van.i had gotten out of the driver side, shut my door and before i could open the driver side sliding door, the locks locked me out.i had to call my wife to bring her keys so we could unlock the van.of course my children were frightened and thank goodness the ac was running as this was during a hot summer day.the locks continue "freaking out" but we no longer shut the door if we have to get out with the van running.i've contacted our local toyota dealer and all they said is i would have to pay all parts, labor and troubleshooting to find and repair the problem.and of course my 7 year, 100k mile expensive extended warranty does not cover this.being that this has turned into a safety hazard, my question is;should i have to pay upwards of $300 for the dealer to repair a safety hazard which i feel the manufacturer should issue a recall for?i am very much relieved that cbs news aired a story about this very same problem.thank you for your concern in this matter. Sincerely, [xxx]. Parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Rear right sliding door holder failed.yh

Consumer stated the sliding door button gets jammed inside, as a result thedoor cannot be locked, or the door becomes locked when button gets stuck, and the door will not open, dealer advised consumer that sliding door will need to be replaced at the consumers expense..

The sliding door on the passenger side does not open unless someone kicks the bottom or it is opened from the outside of the vehicle. The locking mechanism is off also. Took to dealer. The problem has not been remedied as of yet. Nlm

My 13 year old daughter went to open the driver side sliding door and it caught in the track and fell off. That's right,fell off! toyota's customer assistance program was no help at all.after about 10 days of pleading my case, the dealership did the right thing and repaired the track-they straightened it out instead of replacing it. The door works fine and it didn't cost me a penny. But the point is toyota never listened to me as to how it occurred. They said i must have tried to forcibly open the door when i was fueling the vehicle, and it just simply did not happen like that. I'm an engineer and understand the safety stop they have built into the car. So you can't slide the door open when fueling. I never ever did that. Please contact me so i can go into more detail .

When both sliding door are unlocked andconsumer pushes button in to open door,button gets jammed and doors do not unlock. Contacted dealer, and dealerdid some cable adjustment. Butremedy did not work.dealer has attempted to fix problem 3 times.

Sliding door handle on exterior has broken off.broken off when pulling handle to open door.no history of accident.part will need to be replaced.

Power sliding door on both sides of vehicle jamming, can't open door from inside or outside,evenwhen trying manually it will not open. Dealer contacted. Please add vin.

Inside rear door molding came loose tearing door seal.

The inner sliding door release button stuck in the depressed position, the door has been repaired but now it rattles and squeeks.nlm

Side door stuck all the time.yh

Two door problems:(1) driver and passenger side hinged doors periodically will not open, regardless of whether remote, manual, or electrical push button is used.they just freeze shut.(2)sliding door on drivers' side will not open, sometimes not at all and sometimes not more than an inch or two.the inability to open is an inability to open from either inside or outside the vehicle.it occurs mostly in hot weather.dealer unable to duplicate problem, so toyota not much help.seems very dangerous to us - not being able to exit the vehicle.

Sliding door can not be opened because the open buttons on door handles stick.

Right middle door failed. Yh

While traveling on the highway and without prior warningpassenger's sliding door will come open.

Consumer is unable to open all four doors from the outside. All the handles are broken. Consumer has to go through the rear hatchback window to get inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. The cause has not been determined at this time.

Intermittently sliding door will stick either in the open or closed position.when this occurs excessive force has to be applied to the door handles,which resuls inhandle falling apart.the cause of problem is undetermined.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

Both rear sliding doors raddle & makes a stretching noise.....

Shape and design of the vehicle creates severe blind spots.

I am getting rat inside my car from some open space communicating from outside.it could be fatal when you find mice inside your car while driving as you may get panic.i think this is a manufacture defect should be fix by manufacturer as soon as possible before any fatality.

I have seen mouse inside my van. I think there is some open space from where a mouse can get into the van.

Car made loud pop sound, then lost control.

Many sienna owners have complained of unknown "pulling" problems. This is believed to be a serious nationwide problem, and detailed records can be retrieved from toyota dealer repair logs. Toyota has failed to issue recall to correct this potential safety hazard. Please investigate immediately and thoroughly.

While driving heard a loud noise. Had vehicle serviced,. Wasinformed that transmission had busted.

Vehicle pulls to the right.also, headrests are very loose and wiggle around when vehicle is driven/third raw backseats are loose and vibrate.

Serious torquing and pulling problems. This was one of the first vehicles to come off the new georgetown, ky assembly line.

Tires on vehicle were worn out due to vehicle pulling to right & needing alignment. Had tires (4) rotated & aligned. Vehicle still pulls to right. Mechanic checking for cause of problem.

While driving there was a loud clanking noise coming from underneath the vehicle.*nlm

Shock absorbers.

The left rear tire went flat as i was driving at about 60 miles per hour. I found the side wall of the tire (the side facing in towards the car) had split in 4 places.the tire came with the car at time of purchase andtherfore only had 21100 miles logged on to the tire.the minivan is typically used in local traffic at a average speed of 35 miles per hour.( dot number: w2vf tire size: p215/65r15 )

Tread separation exactly as described in current recall situation.i'm confident firestone continues to hide something.dt

While driving, firestone tire, fr680 95s m+5, p205/70r15, experienced blowout, no other information given.

The left front tire went flat on the highway.a large section of the steelbelt is detached from the tire. (dot number: tr 680tiresize: p205/70r15)

Severe tread separation steels coming apart unsafe to drive.dt

Left front andright rear firestone affinity tires size: p215/65r15, experienced blowouts with approximately 24,000 miles on themon a 1998, toyota, sienna.first blowout occurred in the tread of the tire, the second blowout occurred in the sidewall, consumer states they experienced several punctures in the tires prior to the blowouts, dot number w2vfa1a160.

On 8/4/00 we were having our tires rotated by america's tire store in folsom, ca.they showed us the passanger front tire was beginning to peel.about 20% of the tire was affected.with the reports i'm hearing abouit the other firestone tires i wanted to report this.we kept the tire for evidence just in case it is needed.( dot number: w2m0 f6l tire size: 205/70/r15 )

All 4 tires developed "knots".one tire wore oddly to the belts.car was balanced and aligned.tires have been rotated regularlypressure has been maintained at all times even though there was plenty of tread left.they became unusable.*nlm **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis*734317

Side wall crack in tire. Tire ident. Number: wehy awa manufacturer: firestone size: p215/70r14

The right rear tread completely separated from the tire.the tire dealer who replaced the entire set said that all the tires were coming apart.the only reason we realized we had a problem was the car has a tire condition/pressure indicator and the car was riding rough.my husband inspected the tires on several different occasions and never noticed the tread separating.i also took my car to a tire dealer on two separate occasions when i first noticed the light indicator.the tire dealer never noticed the tread coming apart either.we only realized we had a problem when the ride became very rough.my husband changed the tire and placed the spare on the car until i could get to the tire dealer.( dot number: 95s tire size: p205/70r15 )

All 4 tire developed "knots". One tire wore oddly to the belts. Car was balanced and aligned. Tires has been rotated regularly. Pressures had been maintained at all times. Even though there waplenty of tread left, they became unusable. (dot number: w2m0tiresize: p205/70r15)

Tires. Horn.

I replaced the firestone tires which our sienna came equipped with when new because the vehicle began steering very poorly, to the point of my becoming fearful of driving on them.i rotated the tires myself (fronts to rears) and found that the steering problem was solved.of course i then knew that at least one of the rear tires was no good.when i purchased the four new tires, i asked to examine the old firestones just removed.two employees of the discount tire and myself found bubbles indicating that separation was occurring.i kept the tires.they may be examined at my home.( dot number: tire size: p205/70r15 )

Catastrophic tire failure while traveling on interstate highway.tires not under-inflated. Tire explosively separated (belt and carcass) causing violent feedback to steering..no wreck due to luck; no turnover solely due to low profile of vehicle. Tire now looks the same as previously recalled firestone tires.replaced all four tires with other brand. Recommend a look at basic firestone radial tire design. (dot number: w2vfaittiresize: p215/65r15)

Tire blowout on freeway at 65mph (dunlop sp 40 p215/65r15).

While driving, firestone tire, fr680 95s m+5, p205/70r15, experienced blowout, no other information given.

While traveling, @ approx. 60 mph, on a state hwy., the rear passenger tire blew out. Driver immediately pulled off the road. It appears the tire completely peeled away from wheel. Owner incurred excessive towing fees and tire replacement costs not expected on a 2 yr. Old vehicle with only 22,000 miles. ( dot number: tire size: p215/65r15 )

Aluminum alloy rims apparently expand and contract with temperature changes, causing leaks in tires. Sometimes pressure drops 2-3 lbs. But sometimes it drops to dangerous levels (15 lbs. Or even less).sometimes the tire pressure monitor alerts and some times it does not, even at dangerous low levels.

On 9 august, 2000 experience a severe steering wheel fluctuation when departing a parking lot at approximately 5 mph.stopped and checked tires, appeared okay. Proceeded to drive home, at night, changed tolessening vibration with increase of speed. Took car to dealer to have checked out. They reported that steering and chassis systems were good, that the problem was bad tires. They did not elaborate on what was bad with the tires.......took vehicle to tire dealer, not firestone, and had them inspect and subsequently replace all 4 tires. They stated that the tread was separating on the inside area of the left front tire. Retained old tires at my home for review if necessary. Only thing i noticed was abnormal wear on inside areas of all 4 tires.......no vibration experienced after tires replaced......original tires had been balanced, rotated and alignment complied with at the dealers at prescribed intervals.....no problems with tires or vehicleexperienced up to the time of failure( dot number: w2mof6l178 tire size: p205/70r15 )

Pe00020, after market bridgestone, bt70s with about 400 miles, tire size 20570r15. While driving tire tread came off which almost caused a crash.

One of the vehicles five factory installed firestone tires (fr680 failed due to the steel belt separating, there were no injuries and no damage(firestone fr 680, p205/70r15.95s.m+s).nlm

Pe 00 020; consumer tookvehicle to firestone for rotation.becausesteering wheel was vibrating, and attendant told her thatleft front tirethread started separating. Firestone,p2057015, she has contacted.

When i took my vehicle in for a yearly wv state inspection, i was told it failed due to the tires being "shot".i was shown where the tread on both front tires was separating from the tire.my vehicle was bought new and had only 24,000 miles on it at that time.an alignment check was done and the vehicle was found to be in perfect alignment.they couldnot explain why this type of wear and tread separation would occur with only 24,000 miles on these tires.the next day was when the announcement was made concerning ford vehicles and the firestone tires .i have contacted toyota motor corporation and was dismissed with the comment to voice my concerns to the firestone company.i have waited for toyota to either make a public announcement or send a questionaire to its consumers asking them to check their tires and be aware of the potential for tread separation on the affinity firestone tires that were placed on these vehicles.i am out the cost of replacing these tires , but more importantly, had my state not had an inspection program, i never would have thought to check these tires at this time and most likely would have become another statistic soon after.please feel free to contact me anytime. I am requesting that this complaint and my concerns be passed on to sen. John mccain, senate commerce committee chairman and nhtsa administrator sue bailey immediately.( dot number: w2vfa1t tire size: p215/65r15 )

Firestone fr680, p205/70r15, dot unknown, original equipment on a 1998, toyota sienna with 28000 miles. While driving 65-70 mph, rear passenger tire experienced tread separation.rear driver side tire was also showing signs of tread separation.jg

One of the vehicles five factory installed firestone tires (fr680 failed due to the steel belt separating, there were no injuries and no damage(firestone fr 680, p205/70r15.95s.m+s).nlm

The factory installed firestone tire failed due to steel belt separation.the consumer replaced the remaing tires as a precaution.(firestone tires)

All four tires have tread seperation. (tiresize: p205/70r15)( dot number: tire size: p205/70r15 )

Orginal equipment passengers side rear firestone, fr680, tires size p205/70/r15 with fourty seven thousand miles, experienced tread separated, dealer has been contacted and informed consumer that sixty percent of the tire tread was gone.consumer stated separation was over 14 inches longs with a flap of over 2 inches on one section of the tire, on another section of the tire, there was a buldge and the start of another separation.

Vehicle was parked in front of consumer's house.bothfrontdriver's and passenger's tires were flat.

The factory installed firestone tire failed due to steel belt separation.the consumer replaced the remaing tires as a precaution.(firestone tires)

Pe00 020;consumerwas traveling about 55mph onhighway andheard a noise.she was able to pull over toside of shoulder, andnoticed thatdriver's side tire tread separated.firestone, wildernesss at tire.there were no injuries.

The thread on the tires seems to be separating.the very far edges of the tires seem to be peeling off.where can i take my vehicle to have it inspected? (tiresize: 215-65r15)

Exterior handle on rear hatch door cracked and broke which prevents the back door hatch from being opened. *nlm

Tire air pressure warning light stayed on after the tire was replaced.yh

While consumer is driving tire pressure light goes on. Dealer saysabs actuator is dfective.dealership is waiting for parts to repair vehicle. Please add vin#

Toyota sienna 1998 purchased in late 1997.

What happened to the prius in california the same did happen to us back in 1999 with our toyota sienna van. My wife was driving on i-5 in oregon. She pressed the gas pedal to overtake a car and then when she pressed the brake to slow down the brakes didn't work. She drove into the hwy median fence to stop the car. When we contacted toyota, they didn't admit any fault with their car (the same what they are doing now) and told us it was our fault that we do not know how to use their brakes. We have several cars but we didn't have a problem with other cars. I didn't buy a toyota after that crash but i am also worried who else the part supplier has been supplying parts to. I can be reached at [xxx] .information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

My daughter was driving a toyota sienna, supervised by my wife.at a traffic light waiting to make a left turn, the van accelerated onto oncoming traffic causing a head-on collision.the van was totalled and the air bags deployed.no one was hurt but the oncoming car was also a toyota, speeding through the traffic.i asked that both vehicles be inspected for sudden acceleration.however, the insurance company and police found it easier to blame the accident on my daughter than investigate the vehicles.

Vehicle lost complete control between 20-60 mph when driver releasedfoot from the gas pedal. He felt the car rapidly slowing down, dealer has repaired the vehicle four times, and the same incident occurred again. The dealer cannot duplicate the problem.

While driving at 65 mph vehicle raced forward, causing the consumer to hit a wall and throttle cable to pinch.front left side ofvehicle was the side that hit the wall.

Vehicle exhibited sudden unintendend acceleration on two previous occasions. On this thrid time it caused my wife to rear end a jeep cherokee. The front of the vehicle, above the bumper, was pushed all the way to the engine. The airbags did not deploy. Toyota has been contacted previously on the accelration problem, they say it isn't their problem, but won't guarantee that it won't happen again.

Blower switch.

Design of the tinted windows causing poor visibility.

Rear window shattered spontaneously without being struck by anything and without striking anything.this happened on a hot day, with windows closed and air conditioning on full.no apparent cause for window disintegrating identified.

Rear windshield spontaneously shattered while driving on an open country road , no overhanging trees or overpasses), with other traffic present. No sign of any impact.sounded like a thump", then lookedback to see the windshield shattered. Pulled over as my daughter andsonwho was in the back row of seats began screraming.

Left front window inoperable.yh

Second failure of window electric motors.first occurred approximately one year ago--driver's side motor replaced.second is current.was told by dealer that motor would have to be replaced on passenger side.was told no recall or service bulletins issued by toyota even though dealers service people said window motor failures were common in toyotas.

Electric side mirrors click and don't move properly.yh

Vehicle was running & sun roof opened when son, 3- year old got his head stuck. As he was turning around, hit the button & sunroof started to close.child's head got caught just above the ears. Was hard to release. Could hear sun roof motor running, tried to close. 5 people pushed & pulled to release child's head. Finally child's head cameout. Started vehicle & sun roof tried to close, but would only go backwards or forwards 4 inches. Vehicle at dealer's.

Son had poked head through sun roof & it became stuck. Believes sonhad hit button too close tosun roof as he was turning his head around. Motor can be heard running while trying to close. Pushed/pulled from bottom to release head. Sun roof locked in position after son's head was released. Went to start vehicle & sun roof went back/forth, 4 inches each way. Taking to dealer.

Windshield cracked from bottom where heater blewout which may have contributed to this problem.one day prior to the incident, there was a snow storm and ice build-up on front windshield.the windshield cracked later on.

Left rear center molding for window came apart.yh

This 98 sienna xle has had the windshield distoration since day one, and the toyota representative said the company has no intention of fixing it since no one has died. But it casuses excessive eye strain and will one day killsomeone. Also the chipping they blame on lead free paint something they said is all ralph naders fault. Yet the design allows for this chipping caused by rocks to be greater but it was not pointed out when i bought the van. They toyota absolves itself of all problems. It is just a consumer rip off-they want me to pay to repaint and if i want a new windsheila i have to buy one though the distorion is clear on the 98 when you drive and look from right to left. So clear it wears on your eyes. The 99's seem to have distoration but it is not as perceptable when driving as the 98 windshield.

Driver's and passenger's windshields aredistorted and have a melted look on the glass. Dlr cannot determine the problem.cause unknown.please provide details.

Rear window washer pump failed.

Rear windshield wiper/washer leaking.nlm

Windshield wipers.

While traveling on highway heard a noise. Consumer was able to pull over. Passenger's side front wheel fell off.consumer stated that the dealer told him there was a recall on the model and the year of the vehicle, but not on his vehicle because of vin. # and they said the recall was only forcars/vans with a special wheel.

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We found the following complaints for TOYOTA SIENNA (1998)

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