2005 Toyota Sienna Suspension Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR WOULD INDEPENDENTLY ACTIVATE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN AND SOMETIMES VEER TO EITHER THE DRIVER OR PASSENGER SIDE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WORSENED OVER TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

THIS COMPLAINT IS IN REGARD TO TOYOTA RECALL 08V-244, WHICH REPLACES THE STRUTS ON THE BACK DOOR HATCH. THE DEALERSHIP, FRED ANDERSON TOYOTA OF RALEIGH, INFORMED ME OF THE RECALL AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE STRUTS BE REPLACED. UNFORTUNATELY, ONCE THE NEW STRUTS WERE IN PLACE THE DOOR WOULD NO LONGER CLOSE PROPERLY. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THE MOTOR WAS TOO WEAK TO WORK WITH THE NEW STRUTS AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A NEW MOTOR. I HAVE FOUND ON EDMONDS.COM THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. IT IS EVIDENT THAT TOYOTA DID NOT CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF THE NEW STRUTS ON THE MOTOR. CONSUMERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE THAT ALLOWING TOYOTA TO REPLACE THESE STRUTS PER THE RECALL WILL RENDER THE BACK DOOR INOPERABLE. TOYOTA SHOULD REVISE THIS RECALL SO THAT NEW STRUTS WILL BE USED THAT ACTUALLY WORK WITH THE EXISTING MOTOR OR INSTALLATION OF A NEW MOTOR THAT WILL WORK WITH THE NEW STRUTS SHOULD BE COVERED. AN ADDITIONAL SAFETY CONCERN IS THAT THE NEW STRUTS ARE TOO POWERFUL. THE BACK DOOR SHOOTS UP LIKE A ROCKET. THIS MAY BE CAUSED B/C THE EXISTING MOTOR IS TOO WEAK TO OFFER ANY RESISTANCE. I AM AFRAID THAT THE DOOR WILL CAUSE DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OR ANOTHER PERSON B/C IT OPENS UP MUCH TOO FAST AND MUCH TOO HARD. *TR

I HAVE RUN FLAT TIRES ON MY 2005 SIENNA (PURCHASED OCTOBER 2004). I ALSO BOUGHT A SET OF WINTER TIRES & RIMS) IN DECEMBER 2004 AND SINCE THEN I AM ALTERNATING THEM 6 MONTHS OF THE YEAR. HAVE CURRENTLY 21,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE. THE DUNLOP TIRES ARE ALMOST WORN OUT, ALTHOUGH I PROBABLY PUT ON THEM MO MORE THAN 12-13,000 MILES. PART OF THE REASON I BELIEVE IS THAT WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR(EVEN WHEN I TEST DROVE IT) I NOTICED A ROUGH RIDE AND A PULL TO THE LEFT, BUT COULD NOT WAIT FOR THE DEALER TO ORDER ANOTHER CAR, SO I TOOK IT HOME (I BOUGHT IT FROM A DEALER OUT OF TOWN). ALSO I WAS BLAMING THE TIRE THREAD GEOMETRY FOR THE ROUGH RIDE, AND THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED ME TO CHANGE THE TIRES FOR THE CHEAPER ONES BRIDGESTONE, BUT I HAD TO PAY LIKE $80 FOR THE OPERATION, SO I DECIDED NOT TO. THE ROUGH DRIVE CONTINUED UNTIL I DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO FOUND OUT THAT IT WAS MISALIGNED. THE DID A FREE ALIGNMENT BUT THE CAR WOULD STILL PULL TO THE LEFT. THIS, I WAS TOLD, WAS NORMAL, SINCE THE TIRES HAD BEEN WORN UNEVENLY, SO NOW THEY HAD TO GET THE NORMAL WEAR AGAIN. NOW THE CAR NO LONGER PULLS, BUT THIS COMES A THE COST OF HAVING EXCESSIVELY WORN TIRES. I SEE THAT THIS IS NOT AN UNIQUE CASE. *NM