NHTSA Complaint #10763148 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

2004 SIENNA LE: FAILURE OF DRIVER SIDE FRONT SUSPENSION SPRING IN JANUARY 2012, PASSENGER SIDE IN JANUARY 2013. EACH SPRING CRACKED CAUSING VEHICLE TO DROP WHILE IN MOTION. METAL IN CRACKED AREAS APPEARED POROUS POSSIBLY SUGGESTING FLAWS IN METAL DURING MANUFACTURE. 2013 FAILURE INCLUDED CRACK NEAR MIDDLE OF SPRING, WITH A SHARP BROKEN PIECE STICKING OUT CLOSE TO TIRE. THANKFULLY OCCURRED WHILE PARKING/AT LOW SPEED; FAILURE AT HIGH SPEED MAY HAVE RESULTED IN PUNCTURE OF TIRE/LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. 2012 FAILURE INCLUDED CRACK NEAR TOP. PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE 2012 SPRING ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. VEHICLE IS IN GOOD CONDITION, WITH ONLY ~65,000 MI AT TIME OF FIRST INCIDENT. DRIVEN ON PAVED ROADS, LIGHT LOADS. BODY RUST FREE WITH MINIMAL SURFACE CORROSION OF UNPAINTED/UNDERCARRIAGE ITEMS. CONTACTED TOYOTA IN 2012, FILED CASE. WAS INFORMED SIMILAR ISSUES HAD NOT BEEN REPORTED, FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED. NOTING EXTREME HAZARD POSED BY BROKEN SPRING PUNCTURING TIRE, ENCOURAGED FURTHER EVALUATION. OBTAINED/REPLACED AT MY COST SPRING FROM LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, HAD ALIGNED. CONTACTED TOYOTA IN 2013 REGARDING SECOND FAILURE. NOTED WAS SECOND OCCURRENCE/EXTREME HAZARD POSED BY PUNCTURING TIRE, ENCOURAGED FURTHER EVALUATION. OBTAINED REPLACEMENT/HAD ALIGNED AT MY COST. RECENTLY CONTACTED TOYOTA; NO NEW INFORMATION AVAILABLE. BROKEN SPRINGS CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AS CAN TIRE PUNCTURE. FAILURES I EXPERIENCED OCCURRED AT LOW SPEEDS; IF AT HIGHER SPEEDS, RESULTS MAY HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. NOTING LIGHT USE AND EXCELLENT CONDITION OF VEHICLE AS WELL AS APPEARANCE OF THE BROKEN SPRINGS, TOYOTA PARTS STAFF AND OUTSIDE MECHANICS INDICATED THAT MANUFACTURING ISSUES MAY BE CAUSE OF FAILURES. REPLACEMENT SPRINGS INCLUDED DIFFERENT COLOR CODING; PARTS STAFF INDICATED THIS MAY CORRESPOND TO MORE RECENT PRODUCTION, SUGGESTED THAT NEW PARTS MAY BE OF BETTER QUALITY.