NHTSA Complaint #11119497 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

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.