I was pulling my 2011 Toyota Siena into a parking space. My foot was on the brake and the car was going about 5 mph. The car made a slight sound, along with a perceptible yet small physical shift, and (while my foot was on the brake) independently accelerated with tremendous force. It was like it was ignited. The car hit a concrete pole and was totaled. The acceleration over-rode the brake. No one was hurt. The concrete pole averted what could have been a catastrophic accident, had we hit pedestrians, or had we rear ended a car or truck on the freeway. The brakes failed as the car jumped into independent acceleration. My safety and the safety of my passenger were both at risk. As I said, in a different situation, we might have hit pedestrians, or gone through the wall of the grocery store and hit customers. The concrete pole saved us and others. The mechanic at the service center where the car was towed said it was impossible to discern if there had been a failure in the system of the car - though clearly both my passenger and myself experienced that failure in the car's ability to override an independent, forceful acceleration not caused by the driver. There was no warning of any kind. On the Edmunds site, there are many, many testimonials by other drivers of the Toyota Siena of similar, frightening experiences of independent acceleration. It is terribly dangerous and should be investigated. If there is not a recall on this vehicle, there should be. This is a potentially catastrophic defect.
Toyota Sienna brake failure problems
62 of the 8,561 owner complaints about the Toyota Sienna describe brake failure, most of them for the 2005 model year.
- owner complaints
- 62
- worst model year
- 2005
- typical mileage
- 48,000
By model year
Often reported together
ABS 7Sudden acceleration 4Transmission failure 1Tire blowout 1Steering lock-up 1Stalling 1Premature wear 1Power steering loss 1
What owners say
I was driving around 30 MPH when the vehicle suddenly turned off. The engine stopped running, all instrumentation turned off, no power steering and no brakes. The car became uncontrollable until it coasted to a stop.
I had my car's brake lines replaced at McGee Toyota in Hanover MA on June 20, 2023. On July 19, 2023, my wife and I had just exited the interstate, and were stopping at a grocery store on our way home. I tried to brake upon entering the parking lot and the brake pedal sank to the floor. There was no resistance when I tried pumping the brakes. Fortunately, I was traveling at a slow speed and there were no moving cars in the lot, so I was able to safely stop the car without an accident. I had the car towed to McGee for repairs and the next day was told the catastrophic brake failure was due to a defective part. Since this would likely have had much more serious consequences such as serious injuries or worse if the failure occurred on the exit ramp or at the busy state highway intersection in front of the grocery store, I wanted to report it to be sure it doesn't happen to someone else.
The dashboard lights up. abs and traction control light, vsc and brake. It seems like the bushings by the rack and pinion become loose and leads to random brake failure.
Abs pump stopped working. No warning. Brakes failed,ran into my garage. Took to local mechanic. Had to pump breaks to get it there or pay towing cost. Learned over 2000.00 for the part. It is know to go out he said and shouod gave been a recalled item...
Abs brake pump module. Went out causing accident. No warning. Abs lights came on. Took to shop. Draining battery,causing brakes to fail. Shouod be recalled due to no warning,complete brake failure,causing vehicle to be dangerous, not road worthy.
Brakes ABS not working. Can't find out why. Sometimes I have brakes, sometimes I don't. Lighrs come on and off. Looked up recalls descriptions show tge same recalled issues but my car has zero recalls. Driving in traffic ,brake pedal goes to the floor. No brakes. I got out of traffic and parked car in driveway. Pebdemic came. Now I need to find a way to fix it.
We were visiting niagara falls this week and when we got off the exit my wife had no brakes. So we had it towed to a triple a repair shop and was told our brake line failed because it was corroded and was a cheap non oem brake line. We had to stay an extra night at our hotel. We bought it almost a year ago with 36000 miles and now has 43000 on it, I feel that braunability which did the handicap conversion should have used a oem brake line when the replaced it. I have als but my wife's number is (xxxxx) or email me back. We have a piece of the defective brake line thanks (xxxxx) parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 toyota sienna. While driving approximately 40 MPH and attempting to stop the vehicle, the brakes failed. As a result, the vehicle rear ended the preceding vehicle. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The air bag did not deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was damaged and towed to a tow yard. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
On 8/2/18, while driving my 2014 toyota sienna van, bought new from a local dealer with appr. 89,000 miles and meticulously maintained for all service, I was driving on a city street when the brakes failed after pumping them three times. The brake failure caused my vehicle to rear-end the vehicle I was following. No injuries, but the van was totaled. No citation was issued by norman, ok. Police, accident report #2018-57682. Passengers in my van witnessed the brake failure.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Vantage Mobility International, LLC (Vantage) is recalling certain 2012-2018 AMS Genesis wheelchair vans, built on a Toyota Sienna vehicles. The rubber brake hoses that attach to the rear wheel assembly may be too short, causing them to rub against the rear axle trailing arm.
- Risk
- The contact may cause failure of the rear brake hoses, resulting in a loss of vehicle control and reduced braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Vantage will notify owners, and dealers will install a set of rear brake hoses that will provide the proper clearance, free of charge. The recall began December 16, 2019. Owners may contact Vantage customer service at 1‑800‑488‑9082.
Recall number 19V553000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Toyota Sienna mobility van conversions. The brake lines may have incorrect tube nut fittings installed, which may cause a pressure drop within the braking system.
- Risk
- The reduction in the braking system pressure may cause a loss of braking power in the rear braking system, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Braun has notified owners, and dealers will install an adaptor to correct the issue, free of charge. The recall began June 25, 2019. Owners may contact Braun customer service at 1‑800‑488‑0359.
Recall number 19V410000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry and Highlander vehicles, 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles and 2017 Lexus RX350 vehicles. During the manufacturing process, the oil galley in the rotor for the brake booster vacuum pump assembly may have been improperly machined possibly resulting in a sudden loss of brake assist.
- Risk
- A sudden loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake booster vacuum pump, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑888‑270‑9371, or Lexus customer service at 1‑800‑255‑3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0K/JLD.
Recall number 18V211000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2011 sienna vehicles. The brake stop lamp switch is mounted on a small bracket welded on the left side of the service brake pedal support assembly. Due to its proximity to the parking brake pedal, in limited circumstances the stop lamp switch bracket could be damaged by the operator's foot during parking brake application.
- Risk
- This could result in brake drag with associated brake noise, vibration, and/or illumination of the brake warning light. Braking effectiveness could be reduced increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the bracket assembly free of charge. Toyota plans to mail an interim owner notification in the middle of january 2011, to advise owners of the recall. A second letter will be mailed when parts are available to complete repairs. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 10V620000 · Recall details
Questions about the Toyota Sienna brake failure
Which Toyota Sienna years have brake failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2005 (12 complaints), 2004 (8 complaints) and 2011 (7 complaints).
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