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10.0

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

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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

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

2004 Toyota Sienna miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2004 Toyota Sienna Owner Comments (Page 1 of 5)

problem #87

Dec 222023

Sienna

  • miles

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

When opening the rear hatch, it will not stay open and slams down if you let it go. Incredibly dangerous. I turned of the power doors and it still happens. I'm planning to take it to the dealership tomorrow.

- Centennial, CO, USA

problem #86

Dec 212023

Sienna

  • miles
Driving on dry roads at speed not exceeding 35 mph, the traction control system activates. It has happened on slight curves to the right. The traction control symbol lights up, a beeping sound occurs and it feels like the vehicle is braking. It has happened now on several occasions.

- Kernersville, NC, USA

problem #85

Jul 062022

Sienna

  • miles
The 2004 Toyota Sienna van VSC Trac warning light and alarm come on when making turns on highway ramp under normal speed at around 35 mph.

- El Monte, CA, USA

problem #84

Jul 022021

Sienna

  • miles

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

Manual sliding driver side door has stopped latching in the fully open position.

- Cerritos, CA, USA

problem #83

Mar 202021

Sienna

  • miles
Issue with traction (maybe called a VSC system-stability), when going up and down hills with slight curves, the wheels lock up and the vehicle slows down. Even when exiting a freeway ramp that is at a slight decline and curve. This started happening about 3 1/2 years ago, just once in a great blue moon. It started happening more frequently in the past year. Neither Carson or South Bay Toyota dealership could tell us why and could not find anything wrong after they inspected it. We took it to an independent service location and they could not find out why either. We looked it up online and apparently many Toyota Sienna owners are happing the same issue and no resolution. The VSC Trac light comes on when it happens and they goes away. It does not happen all the time. Safety issue for us, we can not really control the van when the wheels lock up and safety issues for all (us and others around us) is the fact that the van slows down and wheels lock up, which could cause someone to hit us.

- Torrance, CA, USA

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problem #82

Aug 242020

Sienna

  • miles
I arrived at my destination and went to put it in park and it wouldn't go. It wouldn't reverse either. My husband checked it out and saw the transmission shift cable bushing was hanging. We looked it up and there was a recall for the 2006 Sienna.

- Riverside, CA, USA

problem #81

Jun 112020

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 175,000 miles

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

In Sept-Oct of 2019 took van into [xxx] and told them about a leak that would puddle in passenger right front seat. [xxx] said its aftermarket nothing we can do. A couple days ago the moon roof would not close completely. Driving down the highway my moon roof flew out of my car. Now there is no ceiling. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Edmond, OK, USA

problem #80

Apr 292020

Sienna

  • 120,000 miles
Sliding doors don't properly latched like they are suppose to when attempting to close door causing a safety issue for passengers. It happens when vehicle is parked or motion on road way or in parking space.

- Watseka, IL, USA

problem #79

Nov 302019

Sienna

  • miles
Toyota issued a nation-wide extended warranty coverage in 2015 for its melting dashboards caused by manufacturing defect, 2004-2010 Sienna, 2007-2011 Camry, 2004-2008 Solara, 2005-2010 avalon, 2003-2005 4runner, total of 3.42 million vehicles affected. The extended warranty lasted for two years until 2017 and some cars have developed the symptoms slower than others particularly for those with less mileage and/or less exposure to sun. Now the melting dashboards are creating serious driving hazard when driving into sun because the reflection is blocking the driver's view. Therefore, it calls for a recall since driving hazards do not have expiration dates.

- Hastings-On-Hudson, NY, USA

problem #78

Jan 022017

Sienna

  • 100,000 miles
The dashboard on my mother's 2004 Toyota Sienna has become 1) cracked, 2)shiny, 3) sticky and with a 4) white, mildew-Y growth along the edges. While the cracked sections are unsightly, the shine is what concerns me very much. The shine produces a glare on top of the dashboard that is dangerous when driving at night. The stickiness attracts dust, hair and other small particles and cannot be wiped off. The white powdery growth also raises a concern due to toxicity. I have complained to our local Toyota dealer, as well as Toyota headquarters at 800-331-4331, but have been told the recall time frame expired on 5/31/17 and there is nothing to be done. They say letters were sent, which my mother never received.the dashboard has progressively gotten worse in the last 3 years. Please refer to warranty enhancement program ZE6 and pol14-11.

- Hialeah, FL, USA

problem #77

Dec 132019

Sienna

  • 125,520 miles

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

Unintended acceleration problem. Two episodes, months apart, both at very low speed. Was stopped behind two cars. Two cars in front started up to go through intersection. I took my foot off the brake and moved it to the gas pedal. Car started up normally. Then a child pushed to crosswalk signal which started to flash. I moved my foot to the brake pedal, and the car started slowing down normally, but then the car suddenly lurched forward. Both I and the passenger thought we had been rear-ended (but there was no car behind). It was a similar feeling to when the cruise control kicks in to accelerate, but no cruise control had been activated. I took my foot off the brake and slammed it back on the brake, and the car stopped. The previous episode had a similar series of events.

- Mukilteo, WA, USA

problem #76

Dec 032019

Sienna

  • 165,000 miles
1) seatbelt twists and gets jammed in the guide near the retractor. Seat belt pulls out, but then will not retract as it is wedged in the guide.this has happened numerous times, but now it is quite wedged. And unusable at the moment. 2) cable that pulls the side door open and closed has rusted and broken. This was subject to a Toyota voluntary service campaign, but my problem started after the expiration of the service campaign.

- Fountain Valley, CA, USA

problem #75

Jul 242019

Sienna

  • 177,000 miles
While my vehicle is in motion on city streets and highways at speeds between 35 and 55 mph, on a straightaway and curve, the stability control light/and alarm comes on randomly. Sometimes it's just the alarm that sounds, and sometimes the alarm sounds and the brakes activate and the minivan swerves. Was the most frightening and dangerous experience ever with my young grandchildren riding with me. I actually had to pull over to the side of the road to calm myself. This has now happened on several occasions with today (7-24-19) being the latest experience.

- Antelope, CA, USA

problem #74

Jun 262019

Sienna

  • miles
Started having problem with the doors on the van the front door was the first problem with a failed door cheek causing the door not to be able to be opened had to force it open and remove the door cheek due to a weld that had broken away from the door is why it failed and the second was the power sliding door on the passenger side the door quite working and then when switched into the manual mode I was unable to get the door to close or it would close them come back open it took almost a hour to get it to close and stay closed. This being the car I Transport my kids in that's a big safety issue to me knowing the door may not work or may not say closed while driving please help.

- Lawrenceburg, KY, USA

problem #73

Jun 012017

Sienna

  • miles
After multiple lawsuits filed, Toyota issued an extended dashboard warranty to replace it until May 31, 2017. Therefore, NHTSA was never involved with this case. Since it was not a recall, there are still many affected Toyota vehicle owners who were either not notified properly or learned about it too late. The problem occurred about 6 or 7 years later once they start driving; however, it was much later for those who do not drive their cars frequently or keeps the car in the garage or indoor parking facility as it has to do with the length of time exposed to the direct sunlight. Not only is it a cosmetic and/or functional problem but also a driving hazard. As you can see from the uploaded picture, the shiny dashboard reflection is blocking the driver's view significantly when facing the sun direction. The problem exists in almost all Toyota, Lexus models produced between 2004 and 2011. I strongly urge that it should be a recall.

- Hastings-On-Hudson, NY, USA

problem #72

Mar 082019

Sienna

  • 180,000 miles
Traction control all of a sudden started turning on at every turn automatically making the car lock its brakes I'm pretty sure this is not the first you guys have heard of this

- San Bernardino, CA, USA

problem #71

Oct 212018

Sienna

  • miles
Developed multiple cracks on the dash around the airbags on passenger side. Toyota is not covering this under warranty.

- Newark, CA, USA

problem #70

May 042007

Sienna

  • 20,000 miles
Electric door open and closing cable snap. On year of 2014 the alloy wheel comes with the xle model, chrome comes off become corrosive on year of 2007

- Elmhurst, NY, USA

problem #69

Feb 272018

Sienna

  • 198,000 miles
While driving on a highway, there was no sign of a falling/kicked up object, there was a sudden loud pop. Almost as if a boulder hit the car. The sunroof was shattered in a million pieces, with no depression in the glass, indicating an explosion from the inside out. The only vehicle near, was a minimum of four car lengths in front of my car. Fortunately, the sunroof was closed and no glass fell inside the car. However, after stopping and driving again, the glass broke apart and flew into the road.

- Stanfield, NC, USA

problem #68

Jan 092018

Sienna

  • 210,000 miles
Fyi: I am a NHTSA employee; I'm the lead engineer for fuel economy. I sit at W43-448. The driver side door panel pops out and gets stuck on the jamb on the floor and then you cannot open the door from inside. The main problem is in the way the handle is secured to the door steel.. it is a plastic piece inside and when it wears from pulling on it, it slips out. That puts tension on the plastic door clips around the edges that are supposed to hold the panel on. When the central anchor in the door handle goes, it causes the door to flex and the peripheral clips can't hold on so they pop out. When this happens, the door cannot open because the floor has a rise at the leading edge, and the panel has dropped below it, trapping the door. This happened with the original door, which was repair due to a deer running into the vehicle. It eventually had to spend over $1000 to get a new panel from Toyota and now, less than a year after being installed, this panel has also failed. Toyota knows that there is an issue with these panels, but is clueless about how to employ a lasting fix. It's a poor design, especially with the main screw being located under the armrest/door pull, a location with experiences the most stress. There is a webpage that details similar issues, which can be found here: www.siennachat.com/forum/15-general-discussion/3366-2005-Toyota-Sienna-driver-passenger-door-panel-popping-out.html#/topics/3366?page=3

- Columbia, MD, USA

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