10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
26 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
10 / 2
Average Mileage:
58,925 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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

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

2004 Toyota Sienna engine problems

engine problem

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2004 Toyota Sienna Owner Comments (Page 3 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #57

Apr 032010

Sienna

  • 43,000 miles

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

I was driving in the middle lane on a three lane road. I arrived at a traffic light and came to a complete stop. I was standing in a traffic light with my foot on the brake. Standing in the same traffic light, there were many cars in front of my vehicle and several cars behind my vehicle. Suddenly, I felt my vehicle was attempting to move and smelled burning rubber from the right front tire. At the same time my foot was still applied firmly to the brakes and my vehicle jumped with a great force colliding with the vehicle in front me, which caused another impact and a third impact. The point of impact on my vehicle was the right side of the front of the vehicle. The left front tire was only two weeks oldand the other three tires were approximately 12,000 miles. The two front air bags deployed and the vehicle was totaled. My daughter was in the front passenger seat and suffered a tiny fracture in the rip cage as a result of the airbag impact. This was the first time we had experienced a case of sudden acceleration.

- Flower Mound, TX, USA

problem #56

Aug 262009

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 0 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Sienna. While driving at approximately 10 mph, the contact eased pressure off the accelerator pedal but the vehicle suddenly accelerated. He depressed the brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from crashing into another vehicle in front. The vehicle continued to accelerate until he turned off the ignition. When he restarted the vehicle, it seemed to function normally. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where he was informed that the problem was caused by the floor mat. The VIN was unavailable at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were unknown. Updated 06/25/10. Updated 06/29/10.

- Canal Winchester, OH, USA

problem #55

Apr 072010

(reported on)

Sienna

  • miles
Ltr fwd fm (wi) re Toyota vehicles incidents of sudden unintended acceleration fm owner of a 2004 Toyota Sienna experienced an incident. The consumer stated the vehicle accelerated between 95-100 mph before she was able to shut the vehicle off. She had both feet on the brake, pressing as hard as she could. The dealership suggested it was the foot feed rubbing against the floor mat, but when she looked down at the floor mat, it didn't appear that was the problem.

- Monroe, WI, USA

problem #54

Jan 212010

Sienna

  • 148,650 miles

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

I was accelerating away from a traffic light, making a left turn from 1300 East onto ft. Union blvd, and the vehicle continued to accelerate rapidly even after I removed my foot from the accelerator. I promptly placed the transmission in neutral, braked rapidly, and narrowly avoided rear-ending the car in front of me. I could not tell if the gas pedal was stuck on the floor mats, but rearranged them quickly and the engine rpms quickly dropped to an idle speed. This was the only time this has occurred. Several days later, I took the car to the local Toyota dealer, larry miller of murray, ut. I spoke with the manager about the problem, he examined my car, informed me that it was not part of the recall, asserted that there had been no reports of issues with the 2004 Sienna, and that the pedal on my car was not of the type implicated in the recalls. He had me take the car to their service department for further inspection and testing. They did not find any failure codes present and no check lights were on. They test drove the car 10 miles, but were unable to replicate the problem. No parts were repaired nor replaced. No further action was taken by them.

- Burke, VA, USA

problem #53

Aug 102000

Sienna

  • 25,000 miles
2004 Toyota Sienna lurches upon acceleration after braking. After breaking for a turn or any other reason the car will not respond to acceleration and then lurch or accelerate quickly. I was told by Toyota that this was a electronic function of the car and it is normal. This is not normal and will lead to transmission repairs or an accident. This occurs all the time and has not been repaired.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #52

Feb 062010

Sienna

  • 70,000 miles
2004 Toyota Sienna - erratic RPM in drive, smog stations are not able to do the test, due to alleged car electronics control issue. This is the first ever smog test that was requested by California dmv for this new vehicle after 5-years of use.

- Fremont, CA, USA

problem #51

Mar 162009

Sienna

  • 72,120 miles

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

I have a 2004 Toyota Sienna, it is not recalled. My Toyota van would struggle to get moving especially going up a small incline I would have to push the gas pedal to the floor(the cars rpms would race) in order for it to move, it was like gasping for air. I brought it to Toyota and they ran the tests and said nothing was wrong, in the end they claimed it was the floor mat preventing the gas peddle from operating properly. Not possible the floor mat was not out of place because of stains on the floor. The floor mat is heavy and does not slide around. Now I am frustrated so brought it to cottmans automotive and they ran the computer on it and said nothing came up on the computer as not working, if it keeps doing it bring it back. Well now I know whether it comes out or not this is a computer problem. It does not show up on the computer tests they run and you can not duplicate the problem on demand. With all the troubles occurring with Toyota, they are trying to blame it all on floor mats, a computer problem would be much more costly to repair sometimes computers can take control. I find it very interesting my problem and now the problem with acceleration is all blamed on floor mats? my Sienna is still having the same problem not able to accelerate and jerks when it does get going. This is our 4th Toyota and we have never had any trouble. In all my years as L loyal Toyota customer I find this very sad. Thank you

- Woodbridge, VA, USA

problem #50

Feb 192010

Sienna

  • 12,500 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Sienna. While the contact was driving 5 mph attempting to park into a parking space, the vehicle had suddenly accelerated without warning causing the contact to crash into a nearby gate. No one was injured and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the vehicle was operating normally. There were no prior warnings. The VIN was not available. The current and failure mileages were 12,500.

- Palentine, IL, USA

problem #49

Oct 122007

Sienna 6-cyl

  • miles
The driver owned a 2004 Toyota Sienna. While driving 60 mph, the driver crashed into a semi-automatic truck. The driver and a passenger in the front seat were killed as a result of the crash. The contact stated that there were no indications that the brake was applied and that the vehicle may have accelerated forward. The current and failure mileages were not available. Updated 04/22/10 updated 06/14/10. Updated 9/29/11

- Chadds Ford, PA, USA

problem #48

Feb 052009

Sienna

  • 75,000 miles
After changing the front brake pads on our 2004 Toyota Sienna sometime early 2009 and while it was propped up on metal ramp, my daughter placed the transmission in reverse applied some gas, it instantly took off at a high speed in reverse. The car traveled approx 40 feet backing into a ditch which at that time it stopped possibly because of the sudden abrupt ditch. I her father was watching and asked "what did you do" she stated "nothing it just took off" this was a year before I heard of the Toyota problems so I just shrugged it off as a weird incident. Now hearing other incidences I suddenly remembered my incident. I only report it now because it may help with any investigation as to what the problem is. I have not yet heard of the accelerating problem happening in reverse like it happened to me.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #47

Feb 112010

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 114,685 miles

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

Sudden unexplained acceleration and brake failure on my 2004 Toyota Sienna. I was almost at a stop at a traffic light when the light turned green. I pressed the accelerator. My van shot off! it accelerated very rapidly. I pressed the brake. They did not engage. I pressed the brake again. They went to floor. With oncoming traffic on my left and a car in the right lane, I had nowhere to go. I hit the truck in front of me who was stopping at the next traffic light. Had I been on a curvy road or the interstate, I could have been seriously injured. I did not look at the speedometer to see how fast the van got. I was too busy trying to find a way not to hit someone. This was very scary. Updated 04/22/10 updated 05/10/10 updated IVOQ 05/12/10 updated 09/28/10

- Goodlettsville, TN, USA

problem #46

Mar 052010

Sienna

  • 41,000 miles
3-5-10 at about 11:39am I was making a left turn into a parking space in front of my condominium when my 2004 Toyota Sienna suddenly lurched forward and jumped the parking stop and hit a cement wall. I tried to brake the car and they did not work. I had new brake pads on 3-1-10 and my car serviced. The car was towed to beachside auto body repair, indian harbour beach, fl 32937. Front end damage. We asked that they have a mechanic inspect the car.

- Satellite Beach, FL, USA

problem #45

Mar 042010

Sienna

  • 98,785 miles
I drive a 2004 Toyota Sienna xle. On 3/4/10 at 1030 am, I was coming to a stop light on broken land pkwy. As I completed a full stop, my Sienna tried to accelerate while my foot was depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle lurched but did not stall out and I was able to continue on my way. During the rest of the morning, I did not experience any more acceleration trouble the rest of the day. I did inform my husband and he suggested I research 2004 Toyota Sienna acceleration. I did that and found a variety of complaints from 2004 Toyota Sienna owners on several internet auto web sites.

- Columbia, MD, USA

problem #44

Dec 072007

Sienna

  • 25,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Sienna. While driving with the cruise control engaged and the vehicle accelerated beyond the set speed. When the vehicle will decreased in speed the sensors detected another vehicle approaching. The contact switched lanes and the vehicle would start to accelerate up to 10 mph beyond the set speed. After the vehicle has passed the approaching vehicle, the vehicle will decrease back to the set speed. The contact has not contacted the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 25,000.

- Prescott, AZ, USA

problem #43

Sep 222006

Sienna

  • 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Sienna ce. The contact was driving approximately 40 mph. When releasing the foot from the accelerator pedal, the vehicle momentarily continued to accelerate. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The contact was under the impression the failure was due to driver error. The failure and current mileages were approximately 30,000.

- Quinsey, MA, USA

problem #42

May 152009

Sienna

  • 20,000 miles
I drove a 2004 Toyota Sienna. My car is not part of the recall. However, I had an incident similar to the gas acceleration. This incident happened last year, where I was in mcdonald parking lot. I took my foot off the gas pedal to slow down in order to park, suddenly the car accelerated (about 20 mph) and I had to step on the brake but the car did not slow down. I had to step on the brake the second time for the car to stop. This incident last only a few seconds. I did not have any more incident after that one.

- Forest Hills, NY, USA

problem #41

Sep 122009

Sienna

  • 80,000 miles
I own a 2004 Toyota Sienna. I purchased it Aug, 2009 and 2 weeks later while flooring the accelerator, the engine accelerated the vehicle spontaneously after pulling my foot off the pedal. I frantically stomped on the pedal and approximately 3 seconds passed until the engine decreased R.P.M. admittedly I had just previously placed an "after market" floor mat in the driver compartment and removed it immediately when reaching my destination. However, this floor mat and the original one were nowhere near the gas pedal. I can only explain the reason why I never reported this until now as: I really don't ever have to "floor" the accelerator anyway. In light of the ongoing exposure in the media of these types of problems with Toyota. I am compelled to voice my experience in hopes that this may avoid harm and even save lives. My Toyota currently is not included in a recall related to this issue, even though other reports are already published in the media similar to my experience with the Sienna. Personally, I believe that the floor mat recall was a hoax, and the claim that the gas pedal sensor, made by a U.S. firm, being at fault is just a deliberate distraction to the costly truth. I believe Toyota has electronic, and probably even computer related problems with it's vehicles, and if all of this due process goes as it should, my prediction is this: All Toyota with "drive by wire" systems will be recalled, and it will involve more than just pedal sensors and floor mats. Seriously, people are in jail because Toyota have accelerated out of control, but what concerns me the most is that I have a wife and four children that I love more than can be described, that depend on this Toyota to function safely for us on a daily bases. Please use this complaint to make an improvement in safety.

- Elk River, MN, USA

problem #40

May 042008

Sienna

  • 50,000 miles
In may of 2008, I was attempting to pull my 2004 Toyota Sienna into the garage. I was idling when suddenly the vehicle took off. I was standing with both feet on the brake and could not stop. I crashed through the rear of the garage and hit a tree which ripped the right tire and axle from the drive shaft. At that point, I can to a stop however the engine continued to race until I turned off the vehicle. My 2 year old daughter had been right outside the back door of the garage when I crashed through. She was somehow pushed off to the side. The back portion of the wall and the back door went about 30 feet into the backyard. The tree I hit was about 45 feet behind the garage. I traveled for another 50 feet after hitting the tree and losing my right front tire. When we had the vehicle looked at by the Toyota dealership in sioux city, ia, they said nothing was wrong with the vehicle. Since it has been repaired, the electronic speed control will quit working at times and there are error lights that show up on the dashboard. I believe it is an ESC light and the check engine light that show up when the speed control quits working. Once these lights go away, the speed control will continue working again.

- Sioux City, IA, USA

problem #39

Aug 042003

Sienna

  • 30 miles
Our family purchased a brand new 2004 Toyota Sienna AWD and had countless issues with it. The most serious issue was - random unpredictable acceleration responses. We contacted Toyota Canada & Japan in 2003. There is absolutely 100% no doubt in my mind, or my wife's mind, that the Toyota product line has something wrong electronically in their accelerator pedal or transmission sensors - or the software that interfaces with them. We did not have sticky gas pedals or floor mat issues - we had a vehicle that didn't operate the way we were asking it to. The vehicle never consistently responded to the actual pressure being placed on the accelerator pedal. A light press in parking lot driving would sometimes result in what felt like full throttle acceleration and when trying to turn across traffic at an intersection, or during merging - the vehicle would hesitate and then move the vehicle when it was no longer safe to do so.. Toyota said " they did not consider this behavior a safety issue " it was only " a nuisance problem ". first our dealership ignored the problem. Then they said " my wife didn't teach the vehicle to drive properly - it had a smart learning transmission you know ". they finally admitted there was a problem after we continued to voice our concern over several near miss incidents with the vehicle. In one incidence, while on the highway using cruise control - the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated full throttle into a corner at over 140 kph forcing us onto the shoulder and almost off the road. It was a nerve shattering experience. Our Toyota dealer finally admitted a similar acceleration problem existed in the Camry / corolla lines and that it was transmission software related. After several months of the run around from Toyota with no fix in sight - being told by the owner of the dealership to drive the vehicle in 3rd gear to minimize the surges until a software fix was created - we walked away from the vehicle.

- Calgary , 00, USA

problem #38

Apr 112009

Sienna

  • 121,663 miles
1. Toyota Sienna ce driver's door welded part (inside door) snap off causing loud thud sound when opening & closing the door. I found out in the internet that before there was a lot of complaints about it but Toyota did not order a recall & now they want me fix it in a shop at my own expense. 2. sudden acceleration from idling during traffic cruising.

- Pittsburg, CA, USA

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