2004-'11 Toyota Sienna Recalled Because Spare Tire Could Fall Off | Edmunds.com

Edmunds.com

2004-'11 Toyota Sienna Recalled Because Spare Tire Could Fall Off | Edmunds.com

Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. said it will recall approximately 370,000 2004-'11 Toyota Sienna minivans in the U.S. because the spare tire could fall off the vehicle if a cable rusts.

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cranheim

I have had an outstanding recall on my 2004 Sienna since 2010 for the spare tire holding cable. It is under Campaign # 10V-169. The first recall resulted in inspecting and lubricating the cable. They said it was ok, but a final recall is still pending. I have recently received another recall for the same thing. After doing some research in letters from Toyota about this, I found that there is a new cable coming out sometime in the future, but with no target date in sight. Now, the" temporary" fix is to cut your existing holding cable, and relocate the tire inside the van where the rear seats normally fold into the floor so the van can be used for cargo. Once they relocate the tire, it has to be removed in order to put the rear seat down every time you want to use the van for cargo, which I do several times a week. I have read Sienna owners complaints about their spare tire being relocated many months ago with no date in sight to get the new holding cable. This recall has been going on for years! It will take more than some random complaints to get the problem resolved. It appears that by relocating the tire, the safety issue of the tire falling out is eliminated, giving Toyota years, (If ever), coming up with the new cable fix. I have asked my dealer, and called Toyota customer support and got the same unknown target date answer. I wrote twice to Toyota, and never got a response.
Perhaps a call from Edmunds might give them some incentive to take some corrective action on his problem

stever

Does the spare get bolted to the van floor when it's relocated from underneath?

cranheim

The relocated tire is not bolted down to the van floor. It has to be held down by a holding strap that connects to the small holding loop located at the left side of the floor, passed through the center hole on the spare tire wheel, then connected to the small holding loop on the right side floor. It appears the tire is too large to lay flat on the open floor, and has to be placed in the holding area on an angle. Basically, the spare tire and it's holding strap occupy most of the room in the "back floor hole" leaving very little space for anything else.
If you need to use the van with the rear seat down, as I do several times a week, you would have to remove the spare tire and strap each time and either find another place to carry the dirty tire, or leave it home in the garage. This tire relocation really does a number on people using the van for cargo. I just hope enough people complain about it so Toyota will take some action, like replacing the holding cable, even though it may not be the final design that could take many more months or years to obtain.

stever

K, straps are strong enough, and I assume the holding loops are too. Try putting the spare in a garbage bag and run the strap through it, until the real fix arrives.

cranheim

I use my Sienna more often with the rear seat folded down in the place Toyota wants to place the spare tire. Having the spare tire located under the van body so that the van could be used for large cargo with the full floor was a selling point. Now, it appears Toyota is willing to take that feature away for some indefinite time period because it is easier and cheaper to do than provide the improved cables. It just bothers me to know that Toyota has identified this problem in 2010 and still has not been able to give an estimated date for the real fix.

stever

Yeah, I know - the spare takes up a lot of room. When the spare tire cable broke on my first minivan back in the 90s, I wasted little time getting a new hoist gizmo from the wrecking yard. Having that big empty back there is a main reason to own a van. Unfortunately I don't know anyone at Toyota (although I'll be driving close by the Blue Springs factory in a couple of days but they probably won't let me through the gate in a Grand Caravan. ).

If you are on Twitter, try tweeting them. Or complain to the NHTSA about having that flying projectile in the cabin, even with it strapped down.

cranheim

I am not on Twitter or Facebook to spread the word about this. If I had an online Consumer Reports account, I would write to them about the situation. Again, I don't blame the Toyota dealer for what the Toyota Corporate Office is doing (or not doing) about this situation. I have read more than one comment from Sienna owners who say they will never buy another Toyota because of this unresolved issue. Hopefully, enough people will complain and the media will pick up on it and write about it. That might push Toyota to resolve the problem in a timely manner.

jonk4

I completely agree. It is hard to believe that this recall started 5 years ago and they still do not have a fix. I have a 2009 Sienna and the dealership moved my spare tire to the cargo area because of this recall. No one can tell me when it can be fixed. What is Toyota doing? Don't they care about their customers?

mkarias72

I have a 2005 Sienna and the amounts of recall letters that I have received in the 11 years that I have owned it is unbelievable. Basically almost every year there was a different recall. Garbage quality. Never again will I buy a Toyota. Yes, this spare tire situation is being mishandled by Toyota. How hard is it to get a solution? Just get a new part. Spray paint it with anti-rust if it is too much work to produce a better cable.

gordonbleu

I own a 2005 Sienna, received the recall and had my cable cut w/o my input by the dealer (in spring off 2015); now they're protected, but I have this big problem as I am on a major road trip where I can't leave my spare behind in the garage but have 2 bikes so can't store the spare where the dealer had it, so just have it sort of strapped down behind the driver's seat on the floor where the passenger seat was. Thanks for nothing Toyota. I'll be ready for a new van when i get home the end of June, but if this issue isn't corrected by then (how about another cable; that's what you're using on the new Siennas), I won't be burying another Toyota.