2004 Toyota Sienna Brakes Problems

DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTED TO BRAKE. I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE AND A BEEPING NOISE STARTED GOING OFF. THIS CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. I PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR, BUT AS I STARTED DRIVING AGAIN, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THE DASH SHOWED THE CAR WITH THE SKID MARKS BELOW IT BLINKING AS THIS WAS HAPPENING. I TOOK IT TO A SHOP, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSIS THE PROBLEM. NOW WHEN I MAKE A LEFT TURN OF ANY KIND, THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO DO THE SAME THING. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM AND FIX IT, BUT UNABLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY GARAGE SINCE THE MIDDLE OF OCT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF ROAD, THE CAR CAREENED TO THE RIGHT AND THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM SUDDENLY BECAME ENGAGED AND OUR CAR WAS FORCED TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER TURNING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING, THE PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE A SINGULAR INCIDENT. HOWEVER, ABOUT ONE YEAR LATER, ON MARCH 27TH, 2015 A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE HAPPENED BUT AT ONLY 25 MPH. THE CAR, HOWEVER, WAS NOT DRIVABLE. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 25 FEET, THE TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON, THE SIGNAL SOUNDED AND THE CAR BRAKES BEGAN TO PUMP AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS SKIDDING. AS THE CAR SLOWED ALMOST TO A STOP, STEPPING ON THE BRAKE MANUALLY STOPPED THE SIGNAL AND THE LIGHT , AS WELL AS, THE ABS SYSTEM TEMPORARILY ALLOWING THE CAR HAD DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE. AFTER ANOTHER 25 FEET, THE TRACTION LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN, THE WARNING BELL WENT OFF AND THE ABS SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED AGAIN. THIS CONTINUED FOR A SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE BEFORE I DETERMINED THAT THE CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT ACCIDENT OCCURRING. UNFORTUNATELY IN THE FIRST INCIDENT, WE WERE ALMOST STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY A CLOSELY FOLLOWING VEHICLE. IN THE SECOND CASE, THE SAME NEARLY OCCURRED AS I TRIED TO EXIT ONTO A ROADWAY. *TR

TRACTION CONTROL UNEXPECTEDLY ENGAGED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE CURVY HWY 17 FROM SANTA CRUZ TO SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA ON JULY 04, 2012. THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON WITH SOUND "BIP, BIP. BIP.... I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR IN A VERY SHORT MOMENT AND CARS ADJACENT TO ME VEERED AWAY TO AVOID ME. I ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I HAD BOTH TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND QUALIFIED AUTO SHOP TEST MY VAN, REPLACED A FAULT SENSOR (RECEMENDED BY TOYOTA DEALER) BUT THE SAME PROBLEM REMAINS. I HAD TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND PRIVATE QUALIED AUTO TECHNICIAN TEST THE VAN AGAIN AND THEY COULD NOT REPEAT THE SAME PROBLEM, AND DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. DURING THE PAST 12 MONTHS I EXPERIENCED TRACTION CONTROL PROBLEM AROUND 10 TIMES, THE LAST 2 TIMES WERE IN JULY 2013. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS ONLY ON CURVY ROADS, AT ANY SPEED, AND IN A VERY SHORT MOMENT, AROUND 1-5 SECONDS BEFORE THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND SOUND GO OFF. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. *TR

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN HAS BEEN HAVING INTERMITTENT VSC. AT 10-20 MPH THE ANTI-SKID WARNING LIGHT WILL ACTIVATE WITH WARNING BEEP AND THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES WILL ACTIVE AND BEGIN TO STOP THE CAR. WHEN THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ACTIVATE THE CAR PULLS VIOLENTLY TO THE RIGHT AND IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. TOYOTA ISSUED A TSB BR008-04 IN NOVEMBER 2004 STATING ''SOME CUSTOMERS MAY EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT VSC ACTIVATION AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE AND DRIVING STRAIGHT FROM A STOP POSITION. THIS CONDITION IS ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED BY THE INSTRUMENT PANEL VSC LIGHT AND AUDIBLE WARNING BUZZER TURNING ON AT THE SAME TIME. TO PREVENT THIS CONDITION, THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR HAS BEEN CHANGED. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS RECALL MALFUNCTION. WHY WAS THERE NOT A RECALL? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH A SLIP CONTROL ALARM BEGAN TO SOUND AND THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED. DURING THE FAILURE A SLIP CONTROL LIGHT ALSO BEGAN ILLUMINATING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS RUST DEVELOPING ON A SPINDLE NEAR THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SPEED SENSOR. THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SPEED SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND THE RUST WAS CLEANED FROM THE SPINDLE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 94,900. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK JUST AFTER THE IGNITION WAS STARTED. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK AS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE BRAKE SWITCH AND THE ANTI LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 97,145. UPDATED 04/15/11*LJ UPDATED 1/13/2012 *LN *TR

I OWE A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. WITHIN THE LAST 30 DAYS I HAD TO REPLACE MY BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER AT MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (OVER $1500) DUE TO A BRAKE FLUID LEAK WHICH CAUSED BRAKE FLUID TO ACCUMULATE INTO THE BOOSTER AND INTO THE ENGINE (AND THE BRAKE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE). THIS IS A VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEM WHICH CAUSED TOYOTA TO ISSUE THE RECALL THAT WAS ANNOUNCED ON OCTOBER 20TH WITH THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER MODEL. I FEEL THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO THE SIENNA MODEL. I CONTACTED TOYOTA, AND THEY WILL NOT OFFER ANY REIMBURSEMENT OR RELIEF FOR ME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH AROUND A CURVE, THE BRAKES ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT HEARD A BEEPING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

OUR 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA EXPERIENCED A MALFUNCTION RELATED TO THE ABS VSC COMPUTER CONTROL. THE CAR WOULD GET UP TO ABOUT 6 MILES AN HOUR AND THEN THE VSC LIGHT AND WARNING BELL WOULD COME ON. YOU COULD FEEL THE BRAKES TRYING TO LOCK UP THE VEHICLE AND BRING IT TO A STOP. MY WIFE WAS FIXING TO GET ONTO THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I FOUND THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN # 10011806 RELATED TO THIS EVENT, THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND I AM WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE AWD, 109,000, WITH BRIDGESTONE RFT SNOW TIRES. AT 15-20 MPH ON DRY PAVEMENT, I TRIED TO STOP QUICKLY FOR A DOG STROLLING IN FRONT OF US. THE VAN SLIGHTLY SLOWED, THE DOG WADDLED OUT OF THE WAY AND WE CAME TO A ROLLING, GRADUAL STOP WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED FULLY TO THE FLOOR. I HADN'T TIME TO PUMP BRAKES AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD HAVE MATTERED. THE TOYOTA DEALER COULDN'T DUPLICATE PROBLEM AND SAID PADS, ETC; WERE GOOD. HAS HAPPENED TO ME THIS ONE TIME ONLY, BUT GOOGLE SEARCH SUGGESTS OTHERS MAY HAVE HAD THIS EXPERIENCE. THANKS

1. EVENTS LEADING TO THE FAILURE: MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON PEEBLES RD IN ALLISON PARK, PA IN OUR 2004 TOYOTA, SIENNA. AFTER MY WIFE PROCEEDED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WITH DUNCAN AVENUE THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MY WIFE SUDDENLY STOPPED SHORT AND THAT PERSON'S BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT COME ON. WHEN MY WIFE REALIZED THE SITUATION SHE HIT HER BRAKES HARD AND THE PEDAL WENT QUICKLY TO THE FLOOR PROVIDING NO BRAKING AND RESULTING IN MY WIFE?S VEHICLE TO HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. WHILE ALL VEHICLES WERE TRAVELING WELL WITHIN THE SPEED LIMIT THE DAMAGE WAS EXTENSIVE AS THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MY WIFE WAS A FORD EXPLORER. 2. THE FAILURE, FREQUENCY, AND CONSEQUENCES: I HAVE TRIED TO REPLICATE THIS FAILURE AND CAN READILY RECREATE IT. IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT I HAVE TRIED TO SUDDENLY AND DRAMATICALLY HIT THE BRAKES AND THE PEDAL QUICKLY GOES RIGHT TO THE FLOOR. SOME FAIRLY LIMITED BRAKING DOES OCCUR DURING THESE ATTEMPTED RE-CREATIONS BUT IT SEEMS TO BE TOO LITTLE AND DELAYED. MY WIFE'S VEHICLE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED REQUIRING $7,083.61 IN TOTAL REPAIR COST (DOCUMENTATION IS AVAILABLE). 3. WHILE THE CRASH WAS THE FIRST TIME FOR SUCH A DRAMATIC FAILURE, OUR CONCERNS OF THE SOFTNESS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPORTED TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS "THAT IS HOW THOSE BRAKES ARE". SO NOTHING HAS REALLY BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE AND I BELIEVE ALL THE PARTS IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM CURRENTLY ARE ORIGINAL TO THE VEHICLE. *TR

THE VSC HAS ACTIVATED MULTIPLE TIMES ON MY VAN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND USUALLY IN A TURN, THE VSC LIGHT WILL FLASH, THE WARNING BEEP WILL BEEP, AND THE ABS BRAKES WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE APPLIED AND THE ENGINE WILL QUICKLY DECELERATE. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR-ENDED SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THE VAN WILL SUDDENLY DECIDE TO DECELERATE. I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND NO CONTROL OF THE VAN WHEN IT DOES! *TR

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE LTD. THERE WERE TIMES WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WOULD GET STUCK AT 60 MPH OR WHEN I WAS TURNING ON A LONG FREEWAY ON RAMP GOING ABOUT 30-35, THE VAN WOULD ACCELERATE WHEN I DID NOT WANT IT TO. *TR

WHEN BACKING 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA LE VAN IN DRIVEWAY THE BRAKES FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAS 41,000 MILES AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED BY TOYOTA. THE BRAKES WERE CHECKED AT 34,388. THE CAR HAS A HIGHER IDLE (FUEL CONSUMPTION) SO IN THE PROCESS OF BACKING, THE CAR WAS ROLLING. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND DID NOT TOUCH THE ACELERATOR. THE VEHICLE ROLLED AND CONTINUED TO PICK UP SPEED, SINCE I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AROUND 3 TIMES AND THEN I OPTED TO HIT THE RETAINING WALL INSTEAD OF GOING BACK INTO THE A BUSY STREET WITH WIFE AND CHILDREN IN THE CAR. IT WAS EITHER PRAY FOR NO COMING TRAFFIC OR RUN INTO THE NEIGHBORS HOUSE AND VEHICLES. WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS IN THE PAST. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY ROOT CAUSE. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE AND WANTED A COMPLAINT AS A MATTER OF RECORD. IN RESEARCHING THE INCIDENT IN GOOGLE THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW RECORDS OF SUCH CASES WITH THE SIENNA VAN AROUND THIS MAKE AND MODEL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THERE WERE 30-40 YARDS BETWEEN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE AND THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOORBOARD. THE BRAKES GRABBED MOMENTARILY, BUT THEN BECAME "MUSHY." THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE PRECEDING VEHICLE AND CAUSED INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANT IN THE OTHER VEHICLE. THE PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY, CAUSING THE PASSENGER TO STRIKE THE DASHBOARD AND SUSTAIN MINOR INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED FROM THE SCENE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 55,000.

DRIVING OUR '04 SIENNA AT ABOUT 30-40 MPH IN FLOW WITH TRAFFIC WITH ABOUT 30-40 YARDS OF SEPARATION HAD TO BRAKE FOR SUDDENLY STOPPING TRAFFIC IN FRONT WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR WITH SHOCKING MUSHINESS FAILING TO STOP IN TIME RESULTING IN TOTALING OF OUR VEHICLE AND SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WE STRUCK. *TR

THE CAR IS USED ON AN OCCASIONAL BASIS. 34,000 MILES IN FOUR YEARS. IT HAS SUFFERED CORROSION BUILDUP ON THE ROTORS, SO WE HAVE TRIED TO USE IT AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK, KNOWING THAT CATASTROPHE CAN OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT USED WITH SOME REGULARITY--ESPECIALLY IN THE COLD WEATHER. ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, MY WIFE COMPLAINED OF NOISE, AND I TOLD HER IT WAS DUE TO CORROSION BUILDUP AND THAT DRIVING WOULD REMOVE THE CORROSION. THEN SHE ABANDONED THE CAR A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER WHEN THE BRAKES FAILED. THE INNER PAD HAD WORK DOWN TO METAL, AND THE METAL BACKING SLID OUT OF PLACE. MY WIFE WOUND UP BRAKING ON THE CALIPER PISTON. I WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE SHOES AND ROTORS, AND MUST ALSO REPLACE A CALIPER IF I CANNOT FIND THE PISTON AS A SEPARATE PIECE. ESTIMATE: $300, NOT COUNTING THE CALIPER, WITH ME DOING ALL THE WORK. TOYOTA WOULD LIKELY CHARGE A LITTLE MORE THAN $1,000 FOR THE JOB. THE CAR HAS SAT UNUSED AND UNREPAIRED NOW FOR WEEKS FOR WANT OF THE CASH FOR THE PARTS. *TR

2004 SIENNA, HAD TO REPLACE BRAKE PADS TWICE. BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR 30,000 MILE CHECK, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE AGAIN 75% WORN OUT AND NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR THE THIRD TIME. ALSO, HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES AT 18,000 MILES. *AK

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA I BOUGHT NEW THAT HAS HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED 3 TIMES IN 62,000 MILES. THE LAST 2 SETS ONLY LASTED 17,000, BUT THE FACTORY ONES LASTED 27,000. IT' WAS WORN OUT ROTORS, AND HAD TO REPLACE THOSE TWICE. IT WA SBECOMING VERY EXPENSIVE, AND SEEMED TO BE A PRODUCT DEFAULT. NO OTHER MINI VAN I DROVE HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS. *AK

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA (WITH 30600 FAILURE MILEAGE AT 30 MPH THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE STRUCK A SECOND VEHICLE , T-BONED, ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE, PUSHING THE OTHER VEHICLE OUT OF THE WAY AND CONTINUING DOWN THE STREET. THE VEHICLE PICKED UP SPEED GOING DOWN A HILL. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND TRIED TO DOWN SHIFT, BUT NOTHING SEEMED TO DECREASE THE VELOCITY. THE VEHICLE HIT A STREET SIGN, JUMPED A CURVE ,AND THE CONTACT PURPOSELY CRASHED INTO A CLUMP OF GUIDE WIRES IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PUSHED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND IT DID NOT ENGAGE. THE CONTACT NOTICED AFTER THE CRASH THAT THE VEHICLE HAD LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE. *AK