Recalls


CampaignManufacturerManufacturing dateType# of units affectedDate Owner notified MfgRecall Initiated byManufacturers of recalled vehicles/productsReport Recieved DateRecord Creation DateRegulation Part NumberFMVSS Number
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY
03V291000TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.from 01/10/2003 to 07/22/2003V (Vehicle)3443708/18/2003MFRTOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.08/12/200308/14/2003
Defect SummaryOn certain sport utility vehicles, a part of the fuel tank may become damaged when crashed in the insurance institute for highway safety
Consequence SummaryIf the fuel tank becomes damaged and fuel leakage occurs, a fire may result in the presence of an ignition source.
Corrective SummaryDealers will replace the fuel tank. owner notification began august 1, 2003. owners should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
NotesToyota recall no. ssc 30k.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration

Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY
TC0301808/11/200310003579Fuel tank replacement. special service campaign 30k. *tt10/24/2003
SSC30K08/20/200310003582Fuel tank replacement - urgent to dealers. *tt10/24/2003

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY
107/12/2003
 The consumer received a recall concerning fuel tank failure on august 3, 2003. when consumer called dealer to schedule an appointment he was told that the manufacturer was only sending one tank at a time. *ak the consumer had not been scheduled to receive a fuel tank. *sc
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
04/17/2010720001
 On my 2004 toyota sienna minivan the rear hatchback gas struts have failed. this is a dangerous situation that could easily get a small child killed. i almost had this happen when my 5 year old was helping to get groceries out while i was holding the gate open it slipped and came crashing down. luckily he had just moved and it missed him. these gas struts are a recall item on the power operated lift gates, why aren't they on the manual ones. and the cost of replacements is terrible, $180/ea. [xxx] *tr
09/01/2008100000
 Gas linking
09/22/20081
 After opening and closing the fuel cap door on the 2004 sienna causes the driver side sliding door to intermittently jam and not open. this has happened several times in the past 2 years. to fix, one must squeeze hand into door crack and push down the lever that is stopping the door from sliding. sometimes this jam causes the door to not close. *tr
07/28/2007550001
 The fuel pipe from the tank to the engine on my 2004 toyota sienna le disconnected. i was driving with my kids and stopped at the light, our car being the first in the rightmost lane at a busy intersection. when the light turned green i pressed the accelerator but the car didn't move. i made several more attempts but it was in vain. the message on the screen panel appeared as a discharged battery, which at that moment puzzled me very much. i started looking around, making signs to the vehicles behind mine to try and get into the other lane as i can't start my car (there were few angry drivers). one stopped by me when the light turned red again and then said he smells gas. at the same time a woman and her older teenage daughter were running from across the street waiving and shouting 'get out of the car!'. she helped me and my kids get out and told us that while driving from the other side she saw when the gas gushed from under my car. well the rest is known - 911, police, fire truck and my family scared and blessed to have escaped a horror. the car was towed to the dealer who told me that the pipe disconnected, they put it back and that they've never encountered this problem. when i asked about a warranty on this or a future sign to look for, the answer was
05/28/2007105/27/2007
 Check engine light comes on with every gas fill. (gas cap is closed tightly) is very difficult to fuel. i have to find a pump that pumps very slowly or do it by hand. *jb updated 01-15-08. *kb updated *jn
08/11/200422000811/17/2003
 Radiator ruptured and the engine overheated; hose replaced in steering column recall; rust protective tape recall; dvd screen replaced and the entire dvd player replaced(screen still not easily visible in middle row); passenger seat belt replaced; middle passenger seat belt failing; gasoline smell inside of car with ac on recirculation; driver's window fell inside door in snow storm and was not considered a safety issue to get a loaner vehicle even though the vehicle could not be locked; tires completely bald and leaking under 30,000 miles, dvd player must be at a high db volume and when returned to radio/cd will almost deafen you; interior lights have to be manually over ridden or will drain battery; car hesitates 1-2 seconds when trying to quickly accelerate and then lurches forward alarmingly; cruise control is not functioning; waiting to have fuel mixture sensor replaced. i was not informed of first 2 recalls until i my engine overheated. i did get the rust recall and a sticker on my sliding door informing user of danger of having middle windows open while opening the middle door could catch a head or other extremity. toyota dealer service manager says mine is the only 04 sienna experiencing any problems except for the recalls on the radiator; the steering hose; the rust tape; and the middle seat belt. not so according to all i have read here. most of the problems have occurred between 22,000 and 34,000 miles; the dvd screen always failed to lock into a good position for the middle row viewers. *nm
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
07/15/20061
 2004 sienna - manufactured 03? july 14th drove from ca to az - 5 kids and my brother sat. after driving ~ 2 hours stopped for gas. filled tank. a few minutes later, the car suddenly lost power & proceeded to slow down very quickly. we quickly pulled to the side. he opened the hood, looked & crawled under car. quickly crawled back with parts of his t-shirt, his face and one arm covered with gas. he said fuel line was loose and line was close to exhaust, danger of fire or possible explosion. had some tools in the car. my description of what he did --> tried to force the connection back together. service person at dealership had no explanation why the fuel line would have come off. there were no accidents/ rocks/ or unusual circumstances. the only facts that i know of that may have played a role is - we had been driving in ~110 weather and then filled the tank - pressure build forced the connection loose ? had my brother not been there, i would have tried to start the car - with the very hot exhaust line / ? possible major fire or explosion. replacing an apparently ok fuel line with new of the same make & model concerns me. toyota should investigate the root cause and find out if part was faulty. this problem can come up again at any time anywhere ... can you recommend a course of action. do you have any power over toyota service - can they for example use additional clamps etc ... this is a major safety issue - we could have been dead. this is not similar to a radiator cap where the faulty part can cause damage to the car ... this can actually kill people without warning. i have asked the service person to keep the old part - can you request that toyota or other unbiased agencies investigate the cause of this problem. there are several references on internet about sienna damaged or faulty fuel tank .. the sites are blocked so i can not read details. *jb
06/23/20061
 Our 2004 toyota sienna suddenly stopped and lost power. fuel started leaking underneath the car. the fire department arrived and said a fuel hose had come undone. i took the car to springfield toyota and they said it might be related to a previous recall on fuel tank replacement. they did not know if a tsb was out on this. a very unsafe potential. toyota replace the fuel line and replaced a cracked clip. *nm
05/06/200411442207/12/2003
 Consumer received recall 03v291000 concerning fuel tank. the fuel tank was replaced due to faulty construction. recall repairs were performed, and the quick disconnect section came apart in the consumer's driveway. dealer examined the vehicle, and simply reconnected the quick connect section.*ak the fuel line became disconnected causing fuel to leak near the exhaust and the engine to fail. *nm
4700207/13/2003
 Consumer complained about a gas line problem. while driving at 40 mph vehicle stalled. consumer went to restart the engine and gas line was pumping gas all over the ground. the gas line was loose, it was put back together, but problem recurred.*ak *la
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
08/15/200305/09/2003
 Sienna le, bought in may 2003. gas pedal lull!!! when coming to a rolling stop and then have to accelerate, the gas pedal has a lull so you push a little more and you screech the tires. this has almost caused two accidents, cutting across traffic, someone was letting me go and the hesitation gave the apperance that i was not going so he started to proceed and finally it kicked in and he almost side rear ended. it also seems to be more pronounced in wet road conditions, can't wait for snow! brought back to dealer and says it is completely normal, gas pedal is controlled by computer can not change it!
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY
05/01/200412001
 Clunking noise noted on steering the 2004 toyota sienna just a few months after it was bought. it had gone through 3 recalls already when first the fuel tank, then the door sills, then the middle row seatbelt bezel, and finally recently, the rear hatch struts were all replaced. vehicle was test driven, but no mention of clunking documented. however, all this time, the clunking had become more noticeable, and vehicle had gone through 2 alignments already, with only about 42,000 miles on it. last serviced for alignment, dealer did note clunking and recommended replacement of intermediate steering shaft. it is now becoming more difficult to steer the vehicle, especially at low speeds, and k-turns now require more maneuvers, and the steering radius has increased potentially causing collisions with objects or pedestrians if compensatory action is not initiated. (steering output has sometimes been unpredictable). second component is lack of tpms sensors when tires were changed at a facility, and i had the facility document the lack of sensors. *tr
10/19/200420984109/12/2003
 Attempted to start our 2004 toyota sienne van in the driveway of our home. the van died immediately after starting and could not be restarted after several attempts. my wife removed our 3 and 4 year olds who were strapped in the third row and used another vehicle to get them to school. returned an hour later with a friend who was going to help start car. while attempting to start the van, a strong odor of gasoline was smelled and it was discovered there was a massive gas leak and gasoline was pouring out from under the van. atempts to start the vehicle were stopped immediately. the van was towed to windward toyota in kaneohe, hawaii. the service technician who inspected the van told my wife the service technician who did the gas tank/fuel line during the recall warranty service did not reattach the gas line to the tank properly probably since they were rushing to perform recall warranty service on many vehicles. this was the second van at this dealership he knew of being serviced for the exact same problem. his explanation was unacceptable and we decided to review nhtsa website. upon reviewing complaints on nhtsa website, we discovered there were 9 other reported incidents involving massive gas line/tank failure. we found this alarming since we reviewed over 100 comlaints filed on the 03 sienna,and 04 rav, sequoia, tundra, and 4runner. no other vehicle reported any fuel tanl/line problems. a fuel leakage problem can have catasrophic results especially since young children in car seats are often in the third row. we no longer feel safe owning and driving this van and want toyota to purchase van back from us.
07/01/2004112/01/2000
 Email fm lisa dawn jones (ky) re her defective 2001 toyota sienna, the gas tank & radiator have been replaced & the engine gelled.*mr the consumer recently purchased a 2004 sienna after learning that it was totally redesigned including the engine. immediately after purchasing the vehicle the consumer heard that there was a problem with the gas tank. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer several times. to date the consumer has had the gas tank replaced, the radiator replaced and is in the process of having the gas tank replaced a second time. *nm
04/19/20041
 While parking consumer noticed gasoline leaking from underneath the vehicle. consumer had vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic replaced the fuel tank due to a hole inside of the tank. *ak
03/27/20049000106/09/2003
 Driving in residential area when engine cut off. coasted into nearby parking area and notice major smell of gasoline. fumes very strong so evacuated the van. notice all gasoline had leak (quite quickly) from tank. very dangerous situation as any spark may have caused an explosion. this all occurred after recall on fuel tank completed. vehicle has been towed to dealership. concerned about continued safety of vehicle. *jb
03/16/2004145791
 Recall no.#03v291000, fuel tank leakage: the dealer refused to replace the fuel tank, because he wanted to check to see if a new one was needed. the recall letter clearly stated that the dealer was suppose to replace the fuel tank per recall order. *nm *nm
107/01/2003
 The dealer doesn't have the parts available to perform the fuel tank leakage recall 03v291000. it has been 6 months since the recall was issued. *nm *mr
01/24/200410000105/09/2003
 Massive gasoline leak under driver side. the entire car was filled with fume from the gasoline. we and the kids had to exit the van asap. van has to be towed to the dealer. we bought this van on may 2003 and during october we brought this van back to the dealer to have the gas tank replace because of a recall by the manufacturer. we have no accident with this van and we keep the van in top condition. we are really concern on what had happened. *la
1
 The dealership did not have the recalled parts for the fuel tank leakage. recall number 03v291000. the parts have not been available for 6 months. *nm *sc *jb
12/11/200336001
 Consumer was unable to start vehicle because the fuel leaked out of the fuel tank. this occurred after dealership performed recall 03v291000 repairs. *ak
10/23/20036675307/20/2003
 Problems with 2004 toyota sienna fuel tank equipment. *mr the gasoline tank may catch fire or explode from a leak, it was the third fuel tank that had been installed on the vehicle. the first change was due to a recall. the third tank was due to a profuse gasoline leak. *scc *jb
12/08/20031
 Recall 03v29-000 concerning fuel tank failure. no parts were available to perform recall repairs. romania toyota, 388 good pasture island road, eugene, oregon 97041, service manager kevin. *ak
12/08/2003112/06/2003
 Consumer purchased a toyota, sienna, 2004 , and discovered recall 03v291000 concerning fuel tank leakage: contacted the manufacturer, who informed consumer that this vehicle was not included in the recall. there was no record that indicated that recall repairs were done. also, consumer was told that recall papers should have been included with the purchasing papers. consumer stated no such papers were found. a few days later, dealer informed consumer that the work document was found. consumer wanted to know how she could find out if the repairs were done. *ak
09/25/20031
 The dealership has been unable to perform the fuel tank leakage recall (03v291000) because the parts have not been available for 3 months. *nlm
08/25/20031
 Consumer received recall 03v291000 concerning fuel tank leakage. consumer contacted the dealer several times to schedule an appointment. dealer indicated to the consumer that dealership only received a certain amount of parts each month for the recall. dealer did not inform consumer when the parts would be available. but consumer continued to contact the dealer to get the repairs done.*ak consumer recieved a recall notice for 2004 toyota sienna concerning fuel tank leakage. consumer called dealer to schedule an appointment to have the recall repairs performed on vehicle. the consumer was informed that there were not enough parts to complete repairs nor was the consumer informed when the parts would be in. after contacting odi consumer received an appointment to have recall repairs performed on vehicle.*mr
10/16/20031
 Nhtsa recall 03v291000 concerning fuel tank leakage: unable to get recall honored because no parts were available. jim white toyota,toledo ohio. 419 841 6681. *ak
08/15/2003102/15/2003
 Consumer received recall 03v291000 concerning fuel tank leakage. dealer was contacted on 08/15/2003. dealer did not have the parts, and could not provide information as to when the parts would become available.*ak
10/13/2003200108/15/2003
 Fuel tank replacement still not completed after 30 days waiting for local dealership to complete recall process. i am told there is a delay in the part supply but toyota corporate claims there is not restriction in parts supply. *la
10/12/20031400103/23/2003
 Sudden massive fuel leakage under my new 2004 toyota sienna mini van under normal operation condition. i bought a new 2004 toyota sienna from the dealer in march 2003. when i stopped the vehicle at a traffic light, all of a sudden a massive fuel leakage under the vehicle. the fume of the fuel filled up the passenger compartment. all passengers needed to be immedately exited the vehicle. the vehicle has less than 1400 miles and did not have any accident or even a slight impact before. before the incident, the vehicle has been fixed by the dealer for a recent toyota recall for fuel tank issue. the vehicle has been towed back to the nearest dealer for further investigation. *la
1
 Dealership is delaying recall 03v29100 repairs for the fuel tank leakage because they are not ordering parts correctly. *ak
09/02/20031
 Consumer received recall notice 03v291000 concerning fuel tank leakage. dealer did not have the parts to do repairs.*ak
09/14/20031400207/05/2003
 Toyota, sienna 2004. vehicle was taken to dealer on a recall to replace the fuel tank. consumer picked up vehicle and filled tank, and gas leak out to the ground. consumer believed that the fuel tank had a defective gasket or seal. *ak a week after the recall was performed, the service engine and cvs lights illuminated. it turned out that the gas cap wasn't placed on properly. consumer's husband fueled the vehicle and gas began to spill out. not where the nozzle go in but underneath the van. gas fumes started penetrating throughout the vehicle. consumer evacuated her 4 year old and newborn. the next day vehicle was take to the dealer. mechanic was made aware the previous day events and emptied the gas tank. the mechanic found the seal was either installed wrong or it became dislodged where the recall was performed. this was the cause of the leaking. *ph *nlm *cb
09/15/20031
 Fuel tank failed without warning. *ak
08/25/200340001
 There were no parts available to repair recall 03v291000 concerning the fuel tank. the dealer informed the consumer that they could only order one part per day. curious toyota of brandon 813-621-7747. *ak
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY - MOUNTING
05/19/20041
 Two months ago consumer received a recall letter regarding the fuel tank. dealership still does not have the parts available to conduct recall repairs. *ak
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
02/03/2010100001
 I wrote to toyota sept. 7, 2007, concerning an acceleration problem with my 2004 sienna minivan, following many visits to the dealer to evaluate and fix it. the throttle response is delayed, in my case; it lags during initial acceleration from a stop, but more importantly, it lags when immediate acceleration is needed for passing, and accelerating after slowing for a turn. the factory rep who responded to my letter said the dealer would reevaluate the problem. the dealer rep drove the van, experienced the same problem, and concluded it was a quirk of the car, that could not be fixed unless, perhaps, the computer controlling the throttle was replaced. they would not do that unless a recall was ordered, he said. needless to say, i thought that was the final word, until other problems began to surface with the fly by wire system in toyotas. i do believe that the electronic throttle, the throttle position feedback circuit, and related sensors are at fault, all of which are controlled by the computer. i also have other cars with electronic throttles, an accord and a town & country, and neither has that problem. no accidents have been caused by this daily malfunction, as i guess i have adapted my driving style to it, but don't you think there is a systemic problem here? the incident date is a continuing date, beginning during the first year of ownership (2004) up to the present time. *tr
01/28/201010001
 I own a 2004 toyota sienna. i have had issues with a sluggish accelerator that suddenly gives. i have taken it to the dealer and independent mechanics and neither have resolved the issue. i have documentation of repairs, cleaning the fuel injectors, removing the carpets, etc. nothing has worked and am worried why the sienna has not been included in the recall. *tw
11/01/20091
 I purchased a 2004 toyota sienna le in 2003. the date that i was to pick up the brand new van i was informed of a recall. when i pick up the van i was told that the recall concerning the gas tank was made. now, the gas tank is linking, what should i do now. *tr
10/01/2008580001
 The power sliding door on my 2004 toyota sienna van has become inoperable. i have been stranded with a door 'stuck open'. this is clearly a safety issue. toyota originally quoted over $1400 to repair what is clearly a design flaw given the 100's of other complaints i've seen online. *tr
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - DELIVERY - HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
05/04/2004100001
 While driving and coming to complete stop vehicle stalled, vehicle was taken to the dealer, and mechanic determined that gas line was disconnected from the gas tank. *ak
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY
09/21/20041
 Consumer received recall 03v291000 for replacement for the fuel tank. no parts were available. *ak
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER - STORAGE - TANK ASSEMBLY - MOUNTING
01/20/20041
 Consumer received nhtsa recall letter 03v291000 on august 2003. called every month to a local dealer where she bought the vehicle, and still they did have the part to repair gas tank. *ak