Problems with 2004 Toyota Sienna SEAT BELTS

2004 toyota sienna. the passenger side automatic sliding door will not open automatically or from within. children sitting in the back that could not open from the inside and had to crawl out over car seats to the other doors. myself included when i shut the door to clean the interior. the passenger side seat belt (second row cabin chair) won't retract and was checked and found that the seat belt was not twisted to cause the malfunction, but with the device itself. *cn

The front passenger seat belt has a tendency to jam whenever put on in a certain way. i have found a way to almost consistently repeat it and have found that it tends to happen with passengers of greater girth or stature. definitely more likely to happen when the passenger pulls the seatbelt out forward towards the dashboard to put it on. what happens is the belt folds over due to the design of the pivot area and gets jammed in the gap resulting in an inoperative seatbelt. this has happened so many times that the seatbelt tension on the passenger side is now noticeably lower than the driver's side. also reproducible on the driver's side but happens less frequently mostly due to a consistent driver. definitely a hazard if it can't be unjammed as the seatbelt cannot be fastened or used properly. there is also a high chance of causing the belt to twist inside the pillar when trying to unjamming it thereby decreasing its strength. have not found a way to consistently unjam it easily and usually just requires lots of manipulation. *tr

The driver's seat belt continuously binds up in the re-tractor bezel. because of this the re-tractor unit does not function properly. some times if you do get it to come out, you can get it latched but the belt fails to tighten. in other cases it binds so badly that the side wall must be taken apart to free it. *tr

I was driving with two of my boys in boosters in the 3rd row seat. the boy on the passenger side pulled the middle seat belt down from the ceiling and wrapped around his neck twice and then put the buckle in the lap clasp. i was driving and had the radio on. luckily my 14 year old daughter noticed him struggling and began screaming, "he's choking, he's choking"; she immediately jumped over the seat and tried to free him while i stopped the car in traffic. she frantically tried to undo the belt; he was unable to make any noise. anyone that has a sienna knows that the middle seat belt on the third seat clips into a lap belt that you need a pen or key to release. as my son struggled, and wiggled to free himself the belt became tighter, locked in and was basically hanging him in his booster seat. i stopped in traffic, got in back and was able to lift the booster up in the air so that it wasn't choking him but couldn't release the belt. my 15 year old was in the front seat and i asked her to take the keys out of the ignition, which i used to release the buckle. my son is fine. luckily my daughter saw what was happening. *tr

Both front seatbelts in our 2004 toyota sienna have repeatedly jammed in the plastic bezel when retracted or extended, rendering them useless. with considerable effort the seatbelts have been loosened, however, they are now twisted inside. having done a quick search online, this appears to be an ongoing source of frustration and hazard for a number of van owners. *tr

Seat belt twists and jams extremely easily. extends all the way, and will not retract. sometimes it can be manipulated to straighten it and get it to retract, but it recurs regularly. the front passenger seat is not usable when it happens. it has happened once or twice on driver's side, but occurs at least once or twice a month on passenger side. *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.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated the front driver's side seat belt webbing failed to retract or properly restrain her. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who stated that the entire seat belt assembly needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. the current mileage was 140,000. *tr

Driver's seat belt jams where it comes out of the seatbelt guide assembly causing excess slack in the seat belt so that it is inoperable. i have only been able to uncanny it once and have had to drive it to the dealership without seat belt protection to have them unjam it. they somehow yank it loose but we have only been able to do this once (today). it is starting to jam almost every time its used now and despite being very careful, it has completely jammed 5 times now. it is a 2004 toyota sienna limited minivan. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the shoulder portion of the seat belt binds in the bezel trim piece. the affected seat belt bezel is located on the shoulder portion on the front driver side seat. the seat belt binds in the bezel, and the extra webbing results in an improperly fitted seat belt on the driver. the powertrain was unknown. the failure mileage was 26,000 and current mileage was 28,000.

All seat belts sticking or not retracting. *tr

At times when the driver quickly pulls out his shoulder belt the belt doubles over itself inside the guide on the door post behind and to the left of the driver's shoulder. if the driver continues to pull the belt the amount of overlap increases causing the belt to jam very tighly inside the belt guide. when this happens it is almost impossible to undo the doubled over belt (without damaging the belt) unless the trim panel and mechanism that attaches the belt guide to the car frame is removed. the shoulder/seat belt cannot be used when the belt is doubled over and jammed tightly inside the guide since the belt length cannot be adjusted. as such, when this fault occurs, the driver would be unbelted when operating the vehicle. *tr

Front seat passenger unfastened front seat belt when exiting vehicle and noted that seat belt wouldn't retract. *tr

Driver seat belt fails to retract as the strap gets caught in the opening where it retracts. it did this on rare occasion under warranty but now does it constantly. there fore the seat belt is very loose and does not restrain the occupant. the rear belts were recalled for this type of defect and were working fine at the time of the recall. this problem has been ignored by the dealer under warranty and now they simply work it free when we bring it in, despite us telling them that it recurs daily. *tr

I own a 2004 toyota sienna. since 7,000 i have been in numerous times to fix the middle passenger seatbelt. it becomes twisted and unable to retract properly. it has been replaced twice and un-tangled several times by the dealership. they have taken the seat out to repair it numerous times. it has had the recall done in the past. recently it was brought back for another seatbelt replacement due to it being tightly caught inside the seat. when the car was returned to me, the same seat no longer locked into place. it was brought back to the dealership and i have been told they will not fix it because it was caused by crumbs being in the track when the seat was put back in. i have never felt safe but a child in this seat because i never knew when the seatbelt would not retract properly. i have tried talking with the dealership about repairing the seat however they refuse. this seat is not safe. *jb

The driver side seat belt sometimes fails to retract. when i pulled the belt out, it stayed out and would not retract. i inspected the area and found no interference. this happened on a sat. i drove the vehicle sat. and sun with a faulty belt. i called the dealers service dept. told them the problem but couldn't get in for a week. in the meantime, the belt began to work again. the dealer said"bring it back when it doesn't work." i have a phobia not knowing when the seat belt will fail again. the vehicle is a 2004 toyota sienna. i purchased it new from the same dealer. carmax in kenosha wi. i sent this same e mail to toyota. *jb

3rd row middle seat is equipped with a ceiling drop down seat belt for the shoulder assembly. the assembly is to hook into a holder in the ceiling when not in use. when pulled from the ceiling it attaches to the lap belt for use by the rear middle occupant. the assembly does not stay hooked and will fall out of the ceiling holder after driving a mile or two, striking the outer rear (passenger side) occupant in the head. happens constantly, dealer says there is no fix. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated the front driver seatbelt buckle did not stay latched. the release button on the seatbelt was depressed a couple times, and then the buckle latched. after this incident, the seatbelt no longer stayed latched at all. there was an audible click when the buckle was forcefully latched into place. also, the contact stated that there was difficulties releasing the buckle after the first incident. the buckle was free of dirt and other contaminants. there were no pictures of repair invoices available. the dealer was contacted, who determined that the component was not under any recall.

Front passenger seat belt folds over on itself when pulled to engage. this prohibits the use of the seatbelt. does not happen every time but probably occurs 15 to 20 times a year. when it jams if the occupant does not know how to correct the problem they ride with no seatbelt protection. toyota washes their hands and states that it is out of warranty. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated the front passenger side seat belt retractor locks up while in use. the seat belt must be released, and then put back on. the dealership determined this was a safety feature for child safety seats. the dealership stated it was illegal to replace the front seat belt assembly.

Rear right seat belt repeatedly fails and has been replaced twice now. it has failed yet a third time. the seat belt gasket at the top of the seat comes apart and restricts the belt movement rendering it unusable. its a safety hazard for passengers. *jb

Consumer has made numerous attempts to have seat belt recall (05v327000) work performed. consumer has been told that the parts were not in or were used on another customer. *ts *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated the front driver's seat belt intermittently jammed and became stuck whenever he attempted to buckle the belt. the seat belt would become stuck while partially removed from it's retractor. in order to remove the belt from the jammed position, the contact would need the assistance of a screw driver. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed the vehicle was operating as intended. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 25,000 and the current mileage was 65,000. the vin was unavailable. updated 06/08/11*lj

The seat belt cover (bezel) on the middle row passenger-side seat comes apart, causing the seat belt to not properly retract. the dealership has replaced the cover 4 times and tried to glue it together 3 times. the dealership and the toyota district manager claim no knowledge of it being a widespread problem, but obviously it is.

Our pool is two blocks from our house and with the third row seats folded down in our toyota sienna minivan, we often let our children (ages 5 and 7) sit in the back to ride home. when leaving the pool on may 29, there was an adult friend in the front passenger seat and four children (ages 5,5,7 and 8) in the back. when we were almost home, one child said that the 7 year old was stuck. the adult passenger turned and saw that the side seat belts for the third row were wrapped around his neck and tight. when we stopped the van and opened the tailgate, we discovered that he had pulled both sides out far enough to activate the rachet mechanism, put the belts from each side around his neck and tightened them to a point he could not get them off. when we tried to help, we found out we could not get him out. with the rachet mechanism activated, the belts have to go all the way back in before they release again. since he had used one from each side that is fastened at both ends, this could not be down without strangling the child. the only way we could get him out was to go in the house and get scissors, then cutting the seat belt. luckily we were home. *jb

With normal use seat belt on 2004 toyota sienna locks and will not release without the belt being completely released back in to housing. this happens at any time, not just when breaking or when turning. we have taken twice to toyota dealership to have it fixed but have been told it is to dealer spec.*ak

Rear seat belts did not lock, making it unsafe in case of an accident. dealer was aware of the problem , and will contact manufacturer.*ak

While driving my toyota van (seina 2004) an eleven year old child was able to wrap the seat belt in the rear passenger side around his neck. this was done while playing in the backseat. he began to chock and required a fireman to cut the belt to save his life. *jb

Dt: read an article about toyota sienna minivans concerning seat belts in the second row passenger side jamming in the plastic molding. had to fix it many times. took vehicle to the dealer, and they could not fix it. the clip that they installed popped off. the seat belt will get stuck and not retract.*ak

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated the front drivers side seat belt was resting in an uncomfortable position across her neck. there was no option to adjust the seat belt. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician stated there was no repair available. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 2.

Mid-row passenger side seat belt guide/cover broken jamming the seat belt preventing it to retract. failure repeated three to four times after each separate repairs. i'm concern for my 7-year old daughter who may not be properly restrainted after she leans forward and the seat belt does not retract.

Seat belt on passenger's side got stuck, it did not retract or extend. dealer repaired it at least 6 times. manufacturer recommend they go to arbitration. *ak the consumer believes the manufacturer needs to redesign the seat belt because the fix only alleviates the problem temporarily. *nm ea05-010.pco

Radiator ruptured and the engine overheated; hose replaced in steering column recall; rust protective tape recall; dvd screen replaced and the entire dvd player replaced(screen still not easily visible in middle row); passenger seat belt replaced; middle passenger seat belt failing; gasoline smell inside of car with ac on recirculation; driver's window fell inside door in snow storm and was not considered a safety issue to get a loaner vehicle even though the vehicle could not be locked; tires completely bald and leaking under 30,000 miles, dvd player must be at a high db volume and when returned to radio/cd will almost deafen you; interior lights have to be manually over ridden or will drain battery; car hesitates 1-2 seconds when trying to quickly accelerate and then lurches forward alarmingly; cruise control is not functioning; waiting to have fuel mixture sensor replaced. i was not informed of first 2 recalls until i my engine overheated. i did get the rust recall and a sticker on my sliding door informing user of danger of having middle windows open while opening the middle door could catch a head or other extremity. toyota dealer service manager says mine is the only 04 sienna experiencing any problems except for the recalls on the radiator; the steering hose; the rust tape; and the middle seat belt. not so according to all i have read here. most of the problems have occurred between 22,000 and 34,000 miles; the dvd screen always failed to lock into a good position for the middle row viewers. *nm

Right side second row seat belt fails every 2000 to 3000 miles. encasement is located on the seat itself instead of the roof of the vehicle. this clip holding the encasement together pops out allowing the seat belt to catch in opening below, causing the seat belt to fail. a child or passenger could be seriously hurt. most people won't even realize there is a problem unless they check this belt regularly as child passengers generally won't tell you when the belt doesn't not operate correctly. *jb

Middle seat seal belt top positioner sometimes gets jammed, causing the belt to be very loose, especially with children who may not realize that it is loose. it appears that the plastic support at the top of the seat is not very secure, and becomes loose after a while.*ak

Clunking noise noted on steering the 2004 toyota sienna just a few months after it was bought. it had gone through 3 recalls already when first the fuel tank, then the door sills, then the middle row seatbelt bezel, and finally recently, the rear hatch struts were all replaced. vehicle was test driven, but no mention of "clunking" documented. however, all this time, the clunking had become more noticeable, and vehicle had gone through 2 alignments already, with only about 42,000 miles on it. last serviced for alignment, dealer did note clunking and recommended replacement of intermediate steering shaft. it is now becoming more difficult to steer the vehicle, especially at low speeds, and "k-turns" now require more maneuvers, and the steering radius has increased potentially causing collisions with objects or pedestrians if compensatory action is not initiated. (steering output has sometimes been unpredictable). second component is lack of tpms sensors when tires were changed at a facility, and i had the facility document the lack of sensors. *tr

Pe0500,8 rear passenger seat belt catches in plastic housing that repeatedly comes apart.*ak

Seat belt gets jammed in the guides, does not retract. this is a major safety concern because when seat belt does not retract it is ussless. dealer replaced guides but still occuring. same issue happened in loaner sienna. getting passed around calling toyota.

Driver seat belt will, at times, not retract due to cloth becoming jammed. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that the rear seat belts would not secure in the latch. the dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 1 and the current mileage was 129,000. the vin was unavailable.

Passenger's side seat belt in middle row of the captain chair will not retract. dealer is aware of the problem. driver is concerned because he picks up and transports children from place to place. *ak

The plastic cover/guide for the shoulder belt on the passenger side middle row captain seat came apart, causing the belt to stick and not retract properly. dealer replaced the part, and within a day or two the new part failed in the same way. returned to dealer; they said 2 other people had the same problem. dealer simply removed the part, which improved operation of the belt; now it seems to work, just looks ugly. *la ea05-010.pco

1. mid row passenger captains chair seat belt-shoulder harness webbing jams. . took vehicle to dealer--replaced plastic belt guide. did not improve situation. jammed before i left the dealership. 3. i now use strapling tape to hold guide in place. still can have jam problems. . purchased this vehicle because of safety rating, since i transport my grandchildren on a regular basis. have been very disappointed with toyota's "non response" to the problem. 5. i feel many persons are not aware of the problem since children are the usual passengers in this position & are not aware that this malfunction should be reported.*ak

The way the middle seat is located and designed it has a split in the plastic. the seat belt gets caught in the split, and as a result, the seat belt fails to retract. dealership replaced the seat belt, but problem still exists. *ak *cb

Every three thousand miles the second row of seats, seat belt fails. the seat belt will slip down a crack on the side of the seat and locks itself. the dealer has repaired the seat belt four times for this one problem. *nm