Problems with 2004 Toyota Sienna POWER TRAIN

Transmission made a noise when i was slowing down off the highway. now i lost reverse in transmission

Three year old child was able to put the car into neutral without depressing the break pedal and car rolled away. car was parked in a flat driveway, and went across the street and hit a speed limit sign and did damage to the front bumper. i do have a photo unable to upload of bumper. not covered under the 2005 shift lock solonoid recall by toyota.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. while driving, there was an abnormal grinding noise coming from underneath the vehicle. there was no warning indicator illuminated. the contact coasted the vehicle over to the side of the road and powered off the engine. the contact noticed smoke coming through the vents and from underneath the vehicle. the vehicle was restarted, but the gear shifter failed to move out of park. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and later towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

The shifter lever made a sound and behaved as if plastic was breaking inside of it. this happened when shifting out of "park", and into gear when the car was stationary. after this, the shifting lever became loose and does not seem to have the tension to "spring" the lever into the appropriate position naturally. for example, normally the shift lever will have tension pushing toward the left so that the shift lever engages park without having to manually press it into place. now it will float to the right and may not engage into "park" without the driver specifically concentrating on pressing it to the left. this vehicle is current with all of its recalls with the exception of the latest spare tire carrier cable inspection issued in 2014. the specific part that has broken is unknown, but i suspect there is probably a tension spring associated with the shift lever which helps keep it in the desired location which has broken. there are threads on the internet talking about a part that may be related as described in this thread: https://www.siennachat.com/forum/66-problems-maintenance-repair-gen-2/679-broken-shifter-05-xle.html this is a safety concern because i believe the shift lever may not engage or stay in the desired position causing the vehicle to behave in unpredictable ways. first, the driver may believe that the shifter is in "park", but it may not have engaged and may instead be in neutral causing the the vehicle to roll away. second, while driving, the shift lever could move out of position or slip into a different gear or "neutral" causing the vehicle to behave in unexpected ways and cause the driver to become distracted (such as when trying to accelerate), leading to unsafe driving. third, the vehicle may change speeds abruptly which may confuse other drivers when driving by the vehicle. all of these things could lead to an accident.

On april 18, 2018, i parked the car in garage, shifted to park, turned the key off, and removed key. while getting out i noticed that car began to roll. while in park, locked with key out, i noticed that the vehicle could be rolled forward or backwards. after inspection i found that the transmission shift cable had become detached from the shifter. (see first photos) apparently, toyota secures it with some type of plastic grommet which deteriorates with age, disintegrates, and causes the detachment. (second photos) even though the vehicle appears to be locked and in park, it is actually in whatever gear it was in when the detachment occurred. our driveway is on an incline, and had i parked on the driveway when this occurred instead of the garage, the vehicle would have rolled into the street creating a serious risk of injury or death. this design defect in the toyota sienna is inexcusable, and creates an unreasonable risk of injury or death to the owners of these vehicles and the public, and toyota should be required to recall them and correct this dangerous defect.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. while the vehicle was turned off and in park, it started to roll backwards. the contact applied the emergency brake and stopped the vehicle. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was called, but the associates were in a meeting. the failure was not diagnosed. the failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Traction-control malfunction during speeds over 40. vehicle traction control engages, at any time and suddenly. abrupt braking and warning light.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the shift lever in the park position, the vehicle rolled backwards. the contact was able to stop the vehicle by engaging the emergency brakes. the vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the gear shifter cable fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer mas not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 100,000. updated 12/23/16*lj *tr

On may 2, 2016, the driver suddenly lost all ability to shift the 2004 toyota sienna minivan's automatic transmission, and therefore operate the vehicle, upon attempting to shift from *d* to *r*, i.e., drive to reverse. the vehicle was stationary at the time, while preparing to pull into a space in a parking lot. the root cause of the event was the vehicle's shift cable had broken at the cable's termination with either the shift lever or the transmission. repair required replacement of the defective cable, toyota part number 33820-08020. the sudden inability to shift the transmission caused the driver to be stranded, obstructing other vehicle traffic. if this event had occurred in traffic, such as when attempting to parallel park, the disabled vehicle would have presented a collision danger to the driver as well as to other vehicles.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. while driving approximately 25 mph, the transmission failed to respond. in addition, whenever shifting into the park position, the vehicle would roll a short distance. the contact engaged the emergency brake when parked behind another vehicle due to the unintended rolling. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 13v429000 (power train) however, the failure caused internal damage to the transmission. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 13v429000 (power train) and 05v327000 (seat belt) and stated that the parts needed for the repairs were not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. part distribution disconnect.

The steering angle sensor, pn# 89245-08011 failed. the van can not be driven over 23 mph. the brakes come on automatically over 23 mph and the engine will not respond to accelerate. the steering seems strange (anti-lock brake light coming on) but i was able to keep the van in my lane of traffic. i am concerned that this sensor or others will fail and the van will automatically apply the breaks and loose power preventing me from maneuvering the van to the side of the road. i do not know what would have happened if i was travelling at highway speed. i consider this a major safety problem.

2004 toyota sienna. consumer writes in regards to vehicle transmission cable issues. *smd the consumer stated the shift cable broke, which caused the van to roll, even though the indicator said it was in park. after the incident, the consumer received a recall notice regarding the shift cable solenoid. *jb

Radiator failure resulting in coolant leakage in the transmission fluid and transmission is failing. i noticed my 2004 toyota sienna had some belt noise that got worse. the van was due for a water pump/timing belt change. later the engine temperature gauge read high and after checking the fluids noticed the antifreeze level to be low and topped it up. a week later while driving on the highway steam started coming out of the hood. i noticed the pink fluid had also leaked out of a tube (looked like a relief tube) on the driver side. radiator level was low. the transmission fuel looked pinkish and read about six inches above the max level on the dipstick. trans fluid was milky pink, thick, and had grainy deposit. took the van to the autoland dealer in springfield, nj to diagnose the problem and to have the water pump and timing belt change at the same time. had to leave the van overnight. i picked up the vehicle with a nearly $2000 bill for repairs (brakes, tire rotation, timing belt and water pump) other than changing the trans. fluid or telling me what was wrong. dealer said someone put additive to the fluid???. note that only autoland had been servicing the vehicle. they refused to change the trans fluid. "i am not touching that." the dealer said. i now know from a local trans repair shop that the radiator was leaking coolant into the trans fluid. a known problem with radiators on toyota vehicles that had a recall. i never received notice of the recall. i now have an estimated $4,000 problem to replace the radiator and transmission that could have been prevented if autoland had done its job properly and not refused to change the trans. fluid. i am very disappointed with toyota and with autoland's service. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. on several occasions, it took several attempts to shift the vehicle into park. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 13v429000 (power train); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 107,000. vin tool confirms parts not available.

Toyota dealer (victory toyota of canton , 46352 michigan av, canton, mi 48188) failed to fix the shift lock solenoid assembly that a subject of a recall and promised to call once the new parts are available. it has been more than 2 months and the part has not been replaced. *tr

My 2004 sienna is experiencing the exact same issues as described in the 11/09/2011 voluntary safety recall. the belts have been squealing and the steering becomes difficult to turn at slow speeds. the recall applies to certain sienna models but my specific vin is not included in the recall. all new belts have been replace and the issue continues. is it possible that this recall should be expanded to include other vins in the 2004 sienna series? http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+voluntary+safety+recall+toyota+lexus+vehicles+replace+crankshaft+pulley.htm. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that while in reverse, the vehicle moved forward. the contact attempted to restart the vehicle but failed. the contact stated that the vehicle was stuck in second gear even though the instrument panel read that the vehicle was in park. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 160,000. updated 10/09/14*lj

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact received nhtsa campaign number: 13v429000 (power train). the contact stated the vehicle was seen by the dealer for repairs. the contact stated that when attempting to start the ignition, the vehicle would not start. the vehicle was eventually able to start and taken to the dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 57,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. while driving 20 mph, the vehicle automatically shifted into reverse when the contact applied the accelerator pedal. the contact was able to maneuver the vehicle backwards and engage the emergency brake in order to shift the vehicle into park. the dealer stated that there was a fractured cable linkage. the vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 79,000.

Backing up in reverse, unable to put car into drive, neutral, or park. car would only move in reverse shut car off, was unable to restart car due to being stuck in reverse. vehicle towed to deerfield beach dealership. dealer diagnosed shifter cable broke. addressed this common safety failure with service manager. service manager said no service bulletin exits for this problem. we know it is a common failure because we know other people that have experienced the same problem in their sienna. the tow truck diver stated it is a common failure. parts department knows about this failure. local dealerships carry part in stock. was unable to resolve this safety issue with service manager. toyota doesn't seem to want to address this safety failure. *tr

When starting from 1-25 or slowing down to 25 from 35 there is jerk and van moves forward even if brake has been applied. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that that the vehicle was serviced under nhtsa campaign number 13v429000 (power train) however, the contact was unable to shift into park after the recall service. the vehicle was not diagnosed or further repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage and vin was not available.

2004 toyota sienna. consumer writes in regards to vehicle accident and shift lock solenoid recall notice, received after accident. *smd the consumer and her husband were involved in an accident, when the vehicle suddenly surge forward, after turning into a parking spot. the vehicle violently crashed into the concrete storefront wall. also, the air bags did not deploy. the vehicle was totaled. *jb updated 08/07/14

Driving in passing lane of interstate 70 mph, very loud crashing noises from undercarriage that continued as long as car was moving forward. tow truck driver said power train (drive line he called it) had come off. mechanic identified cause as transfer case seizing up, probably because of some internal part coming loose. right front wheel also seized up. damage to van is catastrophic - it's totaled. miraculously i was able to pull off to shoulder without crashing. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 13v429000 (power train). the dealer and manufacturer were contacted however, they were unable to advised the contact of when the part would become available for the recall repairs. the contact had not experienced a failure. the consumer stated the problem was the shift lock solenoid in the inter lock system. updated 12/23/13

My wife and i purchased a 2004 toyota sienna with 25,000 mi. it was a used vehicle when we purchased it. when we purchased the vehicle we also purchased a 7 year, 100,000 mile bumper to bumper extended warranty that has currently expired. approximately three months ago we notices that when coming to a stop there was a thump below the vehicle which we originally thought was the transmission. my wife and i brought it to a local shop and explained that when the vehicle hits approximately 15 mph we feel a thump below the vehicle towards the center. regardless of breaking, accelerating or coasting we felt a thump. we had problems with the transmission while the vehicle was under warranty. we brought it to toyota for repair. toyota replaced the transmission ?under warranty? at approximately 95,000 miles with a brand new transmission. we currently have the vehicle at a local repair shop. they have informed us that the way that the toyota transmission works is that they have a pipe that runs through the radiator. that allows for cooling for the transmission fluid. we were informed that due to age, the pipe simply corroded and cracked causing coolant to leak into the transmission and transmission fluid to leak into the radiator. we requested the simplest solutions and we were told to replace the radiator and flush the tranny and hope for the best. the repair shop has had the vehicle for approximately a month because the ordered an aftermarket radiator in an effort to save us money. the after marker radiator did not fit. i was informed this past weekend that after speaking with toyota, toyota has recognized this issue and has discontinued the standard radiators and a new model with mounts now needs to be ordered. our feeling is that this is a safety issue as well as a design flaw. what can be done? *tr

There is a crack in my toyota sienna 2004 radiator and the coolant is leaking. i received a letter from toyota with information that they had received reports of cracks in radiators in 2004 and 2005 toyota siennas. as a result of these reports toyota was extending the warranty on these radiators to 6 years or 72,000 miles from the in-service date. since i noticed the crack in the radiator in my 2004 toyota sienna when it had 85,000 miles, toyota has refused to pay even a % of the cost of replacing the radiator. i bought the toyota sienna and paid the higher price because of toyota's reputation for using very high quality parts in its cars. i previously owned a toyota camry and had almost 200,000 miles on it. i did not have any problems with the radiator in my toyota camry. i called toyota's customer service department about this problem and they refused to do anything about it, saying that the car is out of the warranty period since it has 85,000 miles. clearly, the crack in my 2004 toyota sienna is directly due to the defective radiator. so many 2004 and 2005 toyota owners are having problems of cracked radiators after the expiration of the extended warranty period of 6 years or 72,000 miles. the arbitrary extended warranty period of 6 years and 72,000 miles does not protect the toyota sienna owners from the defective radiator because in most cases the radiator will crack just after the extended warranty has expired. toyota should take responsibility for using a defective radiator and at least reimburse owners 50% to 70% of the cost of replacing the defective radiator when it cracks after 72,000 miles. *tr

Car rolled back while on a slope with parking brake fully applied, in park, and engine off. rolled back about 6-9 inches as soon as footbrake was released, with a child immediately behind car at that time. i later found the problem is a worn rear differential front support arm used on all sienna awd's, and likely other toyota's that share the same awd drivetrain design. per the toyota owner boards, it apparently commonly fails and sells for over $200 for just the part. however, it really concerns me here because when it fails, it allows play in the driveline, which then results in the car being able to roll for 6 inches plus even w/ parking brake applied until it reaches the limit of its play. on a slope and with someone just in front or behind the car that could result in serious injury or even death by either impact or crushing. dangerous design and poor reliability. *tr

After years of dealing with this issue toyota has yet to provide a reason or solution. when traveling at lower speeds the transmission disengages and when you need to accelerate there is a 1 to 2 second delay before the transmission re-engages. toyota made me service the transmission...no help....then they claimed i needed a software update...which they charged me $80 ...to update their software design flaw. still... the transmission has not improved. my only concern is that if i should ever need to accelerate to avoid an accident, my van may not respond in time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna le. the contact was driving 30 mph when he abruptly drove over a speed bump. once the contact reached his destination, the shifter could not be moved into park. the contact stated that he did not drive over the speed bump hard enough to where he believed it would cause the failure. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 120 and the current mileage was 130,000.

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

Tl* the contact owns 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle would not accelerate further. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where the technicians stated that the transmission fluid needed to be flushed and recalibrated. after the repairs, the failure continued. the vehicle was taken to the dealer a second time and the technicians stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

a 7-year old boy was climbing from the back seat to the drivers seat of a 2004 toyota sienna minivan. he was the only person in the van at the time, the van was not running, there were no keys in the ignition.. yet somehow, the van's transmission was taken out of park and put into gear. as the parking brake was not set, the van rolled backwards down the driveway, through a fence and into a ravine with the child inside. the child also used the steering wheel during the event (which should not be possible). no one was hurt, but damage to the vehicle and the property is extensive. it is unclear as to why the transmission and steering column lock failed on this van or if this is an isolated defect. after the accident, the transmission lock appears to be working normally. *tr

While merging onto a hwy i was leaned forward looking through the side rear view mirror with my right hand beside the seat hanging down. i raised my hand to place it on the steering wheel and my fingers caught on the shifter. the gear shift slid without resistance into reverse and the transmission shifted to reverse and started trying to go backwards. the transmission is completely wrecked and needs to be replaced. no injuries or damage to other vehicles but was a very close call as a friend was in his truck behind us and almost collided. *tr

I have a 2004 toyota sienna, with only 70,000 miles. i suddenly and intermittently lost power steering. it was not total loss--that i could have handled, but it would come and go, even within a single turn. when i turned the wheel, i could not predict how the car would respond. no accident, fortunately, but a couple of close calls. i drove immediately to a t dealer, and they diagnosed a failed u joint and replaced it today. there had been no prior signs of u joint failure. i wanted to submit this in case others are experiencing similar issues. otherwise, i just consider it an isolated case. thanks. *tr

I wrote to toyota sept. 7, 2007, concerning an acceleration problem with my 2004 sienna minivan, following many visits to the dealer to evaluate and fix it. the throttle response is delayed, in my case; it lags during initial acceleration from a stop, but more importantly, it lags when immediate acceleration is needed for passing, and accelerating after slowing for a turn. the factory rep who responded to my letter said the dealer would reevaluate the problem. the dealer rep drove the van, experienced the same problem, and concluded it was a "quirk" of the car, that could not be fixed unless, perhaps, the computer controlling the throttle was replaced. they would not do that unless a recall was ordered, he said. needless to say, i thought that was the final word, until other problems began to surface with the "fly by wire" system in toyotas. i do believe that the electronic throttle, the throttle position feedback circuit, and related sensors are at fault, all of which are controlled by the computer. i also have other cars with electronic throttles, an accord and a town & country, and neither has that problem. no accidents have been caused by this daily malfunction, as i guess i have adapted my driving style to it, but don't you think there is a systemic problem here? the incident date is a continuing date, beginning during the first year of ownership (2004) up to the present time. *tr

2004 toyota sienna xle . when accelerating the van hesitates. have to press the accelerator harder to force a hard downshift. this is very dangerous when a predictable acceleration is needed specially merging highway. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna .the contact stated while driving 10 mph or more the transmission would hesitate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the current mileage was 140,000. updated 11/05/10. *lj

2004 toyota sienna steering. steering suddenly binds while attempting to turn. very hard to steer at times. hard to control. there is 2 to 3 seconds delay and slight acceleration lag even when taking off from a stop. couple of times i was close to run into accident. *tr

I always took my 2004 toyota sienna in for maintenance. the maintenance was performed by midas or toyota. i took the vehicle in for brakes august 2008 and was told a timing belt was needed along with driving belt. i was never verbally told of a problem with the transmission. i took the vehicle back in for service to replace the timing belt, driving belt, and thermostat; still no mention of a problem with the transmission. a couple of days later the check engine light came on. when i took the vehicle back to the dealer they told me the transmission was bad and show me the dirt from the transmission. never prior to the last visit did they verbally mention anything about a transmission problem. *tr

While making a sharp left turn, i can hear clunk, clunk from the steering column. dealer says the steering column (rack-pinion) joint is bad, need replacement, not under warranty, will cost 500 to 600 $, not an immediate safety threat , can wait until the noise gets too bad. i am not happy that such things break down at 45,000 miles. *tr

I've seen other complaints about the transmission being hesitant and the car surging and slowing unexpectedly. i've had these problems, too. the dealership told me i needed a flash to the computer that would give the car a shift enhancement. they said it wasn't part of the powertrain warranty, but then agreed to do it for the $45 i initially paid them to look the car over. it shifts more aggressively now, but it still seems to slow and surge unexpectedly and fails to downshift for acceleration at times. today was my first dangerous situation in which i made a left hand turn right before a curve in the road. just as i was beginning my turn a car appeared and i had to step hard on the accelerator. the car did not respond as quickly as it should have, but i did manage to make it across.

My husband noticed the 2004 toyota sienna moving in the driveway and found that the automatic transmission shifted out of park. he then played around with it and found that it can be shifted out of park without depressing the brake. i took it to the local toyota dealership and was told that something broke off inside and would cost around $700 to fix it. they then said that my children must have broken it off swinging from the shifter. i responded that i really didn't think that my children did such a thing and the customer service rep admitted that they're probably not strong enough to break it anyhow. thiswas very dangerous. *ak

Toyota 2004 le sienna. driving on straight, dry, road about 30-40 mph. vsc suddenly light turned on unexpectedly, followed by loud beeping noise. van appeared to hesitate. can't go more than 40 mph. i was glad that there was no car behide me otherwise there would have been an accident. van was brought into dealer (toyota of palo alto, ca). they found no error code. *nm

Vehicle hesitates when accelerator is pressed. vehicle 'surges' at times when brake is depressed. similar to other complaints noted in this section, my sienna has a rough transmission, tires occasionally spin out with normal acceleration from a parking lot, toll booth, etc. repeated trips to dealership bring no satisfaction: response from dealer is that vehicle is operating within standards. *nm

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that while decelerating to 10 mph, the vehicle would stall before accelerating. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and dealer stated they could not find a problem within the vehicle. the contact then took the vehicle to a local mechanic and the mechanic acknowledged the failure but could not identify the problem. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 120,000. the vin was not available.

There is 2 to 3 seconds delay and slight acceleration lag even when taking off from a stop. couple of times i was close to run into accident. *jb

Delay 2-3 seconds when press gas pedal. i though i am the only one have this problem. i hope soon toyota can solve this problem because if i will get into and accident with this van i am going to hire a lawyer to sue the toyota. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle hesitated while pulling out of a parking lot with the accelerator depressed. the vehicle was driven to the dealer who determined the transmission control did not operate correctly. the consumer stated there is a 2-3 second delay in acceleration. when the transmission does activate, it seems to search for a gear and when a gear s found it is usually a low gear which causes the vehicle to lurch into traffic. updated 10/04/06. *jb