What 610 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Sienna

I WAS PARKING THE CAR AND NEEDED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE BACKWARD IN A PARKING LOT WITH A SLIGHT SLOPE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE SHIFT LEVER TO REVERSE THE LEVER LOCKED UP AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARD. I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO NO AVAIL AND THE ENGINE DIED. THE STEERING WAS LOCKED. THE IGNITION SWITCH ALSO LOCKED. THE VEHICLE STOPPED . I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID TO APPLY THE BRAKES VIGOROUSLY, AT THE SAME TIME PUMP THE ACCELERATOR AND TURN THE IGNITION. I DID AND THE FUNCTIONS ALL STARTED WORKING. NO DAMAGE, NO INJURIES. THIS OCCURRED IN FREDERICKS BURG, TX THIS APPEARS TO BE THE SAME INCIDENT IN COMPLAINT # 10585286, DATED 3-17-2014. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10627701

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND DECELERATED TO 25 MPH BEFORE STALLING WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE OVER 5 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS TEST DRIVEN. THE DEALER WAS ABLE TO RECREATE THE FAILURE BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

NHTSA ODI 10460806

VEHICLE WOULD EXPECTEDLY SLOW DOWN WHEN YOU ACCELERATE. THE LOSS OF POWER WOULD LAST BETWEEN 2 TO 7 SECONDS. I HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER SINCE THE 15K-MILE SERVICE. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING. NONETHELESS, THE ISSUE IS STILL OCCURRING ON A WEEKLY BASIS. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS HAZARD. AFFECTED VEHICLE COULD GET REAR ENDED AS IT ACCELERATE FROM STOP LIGHTS WHEN IT SUDDENLY SLOWS DOWN. WHAT'S WORSE? IMAGINE YOUR FAMILY IN THE CAR WHEN YOU WANT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, YOU PRESS THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE, BUT IT SLOWS DOWN BEFORE YOU CAN CLEAR THE ON COMING TRAFFIC. I HOPE TOYOTA IS LISTENING TO THIS!!! THIS DEFECT COULD HAVE VERY DIRE RESULTS. I HAVE FOUND SIMILAR COMPLAINTS IN VARIOUS FORUMS ONLINE. I AM CERTAIN MORE PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING THIS AND DON'T KNOW WHERE TO REPORT IT. NHTSA, PLEASE REQUEST SIMILAR COMPLAIN DATA FROM TOYOTA DEALERS ABOUT THIS VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10458177

THE CAR ACCELERATES VERY RAPIDLY IN REVERSE AFTER A COLD START. A MORNING A FEW DAYS AFTER BUYING THE CAR, I STARTED IT UP, SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, AND SLOWLY RELEASED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CAR BEGAN ACCELERATE BACKWARDS SO RAPIDLY THAT I THOUGHT I MUST INADVERTENTLY PUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. I PULLED MY FOOT AWAY FROM THE PEDALS BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I SHIFTED INTO PARK, BUT BEFORE THERE WAS ANY CHANGE IN SPEED THE CAR CRASHED INTO MY NEIGHBOR'S CAR ACROSS THE STREET, CAUSING OVER $5,000 IN DAMAGE. IF THERE HAD BEEN SOMEONE STANDING ACROSS THE STREET, IT WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN A FATALITY. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SENT OUT A CORPORATE REPRESENTATIVE TO EXAMINE THE CAR. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THERE WAS RAPID ACCELERATION IN REVERSE, AND STATED THAT WAS "NORMAL" OPERATION FOR THE CAR AFTER A COLD START, AND THAT IT WOULD BE EVEN FASTER IN COLD WEATHER (WE LIVE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA). HE STATED THEY HAD INCREASED THE CAR IDLE SPEED AFTER COLD STARTS FOR POLLUTION CONTROL PURPOSES, AND THIS WAS THE RESULT. I CAREFULLY REVIEWED THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND INSIDE OF THE CABIN FOR ANY WARNING ABOUT RAPID ACCELERATION IN REVERSE AFTER A COLD START, AND THERE WAS NONE. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A CAREFUL DRIVER WHO HAS MAINTAINED A GOOD DRIVER DISCOUNT, AND NOTHING REMOTELY LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE. AT THE VERY LEAST, BECAUSE THE COMPANY IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE THEY SHOULD PROMINENTLY PROVIDE WARNINGS TO NEW CAR BUYERS AND OWNERS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT WILL RESULT IN INJURY AND DEATH IF NOT ADDRESSED PROMPTLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10402983

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SWITCH TO THIRD GEAR WITHOUT WARNING INTERMITTENTLY, MAKE A LOUD NOISE, AND THREE ALERTS WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL; THESE LIGHTS WERE A SKIDDING SIGNAL, EXCLAMATION MARK, AND A SIGNAL THAT ADVISES THE CONTACT TO NOTIFY THE DEALER. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE BEYOND 55 MPH, THE RPM METER MOVED TO THE RED ZONE AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. THE DEALER MADE TWO ATTEMPTS TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SAY WHAT THE DEALER DID WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN; HOWEVER THE PROBLEM OCCURRED THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE CONTACT FROM THE DEALER. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE MANUFACTURER NOR WAS THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,400. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 300.

NHTSA ODI 10375015