NHTSA Complaint #11042099 — 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA

THIS REPORT INCLUDES TWO SEPARATE SAFETY ISSUES. FIRST ISSUE: AFTER BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY ONTO MY STREET, MY CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO DRIVE GEAR FROM REVERSE. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART AFTER TURNING THE KEY OFF SINCE IT WAS STILL IN REVERSE, EVEN THOUGH THE LEVER WAS SHIFTED BACK TO PARK. THANKFULLY, I DON'T LIVE ON A BUSY STREET AND THERE HAPPENED TO BE A FEW LINEMEN DOING WORK THAT WERE ABLE TO PUSH THE VAN BACK INTO MY DRIVEWAY. WITH TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND NOT BEING ABLE TO PUSH THE VAN ON MY OWN, THIS COULD'VE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN A BUSY LOCATION. AFTER DISASSEMBLING THE DASH, MY HUSBAND DISCOVERED THE MECHANISM IN THE GEAR SHIFT HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS ABLE TO REPAIR IT HIMSELF INSTEAD OF TOWING IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER FOR PRICEY REPAIRS AND TOWING FEES. SECOND ISSUE: ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS (USUALLY, BUT NOT ALWAYS, WHILE ACCELERATING ONTO A HIGHWAY ON-RAMP) THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE, A REPETITIVE BEEPING WILL SOUND, AND THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES AND BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL SINCE IT FREEZES UP. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON DRY ROADS AND SMOOTH DRIVING CONDITIONS ONLY WHEN NO TRACTION CONTROL IS NEEDED. EACH TIME IS HAPPENS IT IS A STRESSFUL EXPERIENCE SINCE IT COULD BE LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT DUE TO LACK OF CONTROL. AFTER CALLING A TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER TO INQUIRE IF THERE ARE ANY KNOWN ISSUES OF THIS, THEY DENY IT. UPON DOING OUR OWN RESEARCH, WE WERE ABLE TO DISCOVER OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. A VERY SIMILAR REPLICATION OF OUR SITUATION IS SHOWN IN THIS VIDEO. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT OURS DOESN'T HAPPEN AS OFTEN IN ONE DRIVE. IT USUALLY WILL HAPPEN A ONE OR TWO TIMES AND THEN NOT HAPPEN AGAIN FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=SY9A8SHJ0XG