2004 Toyota Sienna Steering Problems

The Traction Control System commonly malfunctions while making turns on curving road sections. I will lose power through turns as the TCS light blinks on my dashboard and makes a beeping sound. On some occasions the brakes will automatically engage in the tire that the car perceives as experiencing slippage. This problem is continuously worsening and commonly endangers me and my passengers, as the car engages brakes or cuts power to the engine at unexpected and in opportune times.

NHTSA ID

11659970

Incident

Mar 1, 2025

Vehicle often applies brakes on its own . At first it was only in turns . However now it does it when driving straight on the the freeway or just down the street at 45mph. I have fixed my alignment ,new tires, all of the front suspension and nothing prevents the car from trying to brake for me. it is a safety feature that is not safe at all. a car slamming on your brakes at any speed is dangerous in addition to that it seems to cut off your fuel , leaving you unable to accelerate until its done beeping which can take a long time. the vsc , chenk engine and trac off flash there is no crash to report I have been lucky so far

NHTSA ID

11649266

Incident

Mar 2, 2025

While driving typically around 35 mph and either left or right turn the vehicle traction control engages and the van brakes and steering is affected. The roads have always been dry and in each instance the speed of the van was at or below the speed limit - traction was never lost and yet the traction control engaged as if we were in a skid. This occurred at least 12 times while driving to and from a day trip in the mountains (windy road). It has also happened multiple times at around 50 mph while turning left on a nearby flat freeway. An independent service shop has not been able to replicate the problem. The safety of the driver and passengers were at risk when it occurred on the freeway as a driver behind us got close to rear ending the van while it was in its brake mode.

NHTSA ID

11641856

Incident

Feb 1, 2025

The trac control is activated while the car is driving variable speed and brake the car and and the driver loose control of acceleration.

NHTSA ID

11533834

Incident

May 30, 2023

The slip indicator light and alarm comes on sporadically, engaging the ABS suddenly and unexpectedly, when we are on completely dry roads. Happens while driving 40-80 mph. And doesn’t matter if I’m going straight or turning.

NHTSA ID

11531539

Incident

Jul 11, 2023

- Traction control engaged at high speed(70 mph on interstate) causing the vehicle to brake abruptly and pull the vehicle to the right. Had I been traveling in the left hand lane, I could have been forced into the right hand lane causing a collusion with another vehicle. Also occurred at lower speed(30 mph on a windy road) causing the same issue as described above, almost causing the vehicle to leave the paved surface. - Mechanic was able to duplicate the issue - Mechanic diagnosed intermittent traction control activation, scanned computer for codes. Yaw rate/steering angle correlation causing false activation ABS/traction. Replaced hub bearing and spindle. Four wheel alignment, including check castor, camber and adjust toe. Performed zero point calibration and reset ABS memory. - Traction control lights up briefly

NHTSA ID

11498401

Incident

Oct 18, 2022

About a year ago the Vehicle Stability Control warning light along with an audible alarm started coming on intermittently while turning on highways going uphill or downhill in dry weather and with no risk of any tire slipping. At first this only happened at higher speeds 65+mph. Over time, it has occurred more and more frequently and can occur at speeds down to 25 mph. At times, the Anti-lock Braking System is also activated resulting in jerky braking and loss of throttle. When people have been following me too closely, this has almost caused accidents. When these symptoms occur, it is always on a curve (of any degree, even slight curves) and while driving at least 25 mph, and even happens on flat turns now. The weather has always been dry with no risk of tire slippage.

NHTSA ID

11479980

Incident

Aug 18, 2022

Sometimes when I take turns in my Sienna, the VSC starts going off and braking individual wheels without my control. This happens unexpectedly on highway bends at speeds of 60+ mph and it is difficult to control the car and keep from swerving into another lane. If the roads were icy when this happens, it would probably cause a dangerous accident. Toyota has a technical service bulletin for this, but not a recall - which it should since this is a significant safety issue. The TSB is BR008-04. There are many others experiencing this same issue: https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/13855/toyota/sienna/vsc-sudden-activation-2004-toyota-sienna

NHTSA ID

11450254

Incident

Dec 18, 2021

While driving on dry freeway or other stable road conditions, the Electronic Stability Control kicks in, braked hard, causing the van to swerve, and the lights on the dash started flashing, accompanied by a loud beeping. This has happened multiple times now. There is no reason for this to be occurring. It is involuntary, sudden, and random. If someone were close behind me, they could rear-end the vehicle. It also sometimes pulls the steering so hard that it swerves into the other lane. This is a serious safety issue that Toyota needs to deal with.

NHTSA ID

11441132

Incident

Oct 20, 2021

Unknown

NHTSA ID

11424276

Incident

Jun 22, 2021

Numerous times (too many to say), the traction control indicator sensor comes on & I am unable to control the car. Typically it lasts for 2-3 minutes and turns off. It does not depend on road conditions, weather, and or speed. I have taken the car to the repair shop and they have not been able to capture anything on the engine diagnostic system. No codes were found for them to troubleshoot this issue. I've seen this problem being reported on several posts. Yet the NHSTA has done NOTHING!! TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE HELD LIABLE FOR THIS ISSUE. WAKE UP NHSTA. MAKE OUR TAX DOLLARS WORK!!! This poses a huge risk to my family and other drivers, not to mention impact on budget.

NHTSA ID

11419540

Incident

May 4, 2021

ABS SOME TIMES ACTIVATES WHEN DRIVING A LIGHT CURVE ROAD AT SPEED AROUND 30-40 MPH. USUALLY A STEERING WHEEL IS ABOUT 2 OR 10 O'CLOCK POSITIONS. AT THE TIME VSC INDICATOR FLASHES AND WARNING ALARM GOES OFF. THIS CAUSES A SUDDEN BREAKING AND IT BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE CAR.

NHTSA ID

11386208

Incident

Nov 20, 2020

Mileage

165,000 mi

THE VSC SYSTEM IS ENABLING WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A TURN ON AN OTHERWISE NORMAL ROAD. WHEN IT ENABLES, IT APPLIES THE BRAKE AND SOUNDS A REPEATING ALARM. THE SYSTEM APPLIES THE BRAKE WHILE I AM ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A TURN, AND THIS MAKES ME FEEL UNSAFE, AS IF I HAVE TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE MAKING AN OTHERWISE BENIGN MANEUVER. THE REPEATING ALARM DOES NOT TURN OFF UNTIL I HAVE TURNED THE WHEEL TO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM THE INITIAL TURN ANGLE. THIS MEANS IF THE TURN IS SLOW, THE ALARM WILL SOUND FOR THE ENTIRE DISTANCE OF THE TURN.

NHTSA ID

11374664

Incident

Nov 8, 2020

Mileage

300,000 mi

IN MOTION, ON DRY, OFF-CAMBER HIGHWAY CURVES, WITH SLIGHT ACCELERATION, THE ABS/VSC /TRAK ENGAGES, BRIEFLY JERKING THE STEERING TO ONE SIDE. DASH WARNINGS: "VSC" "TRAK OFF" + "CHECK ENGINE". REDUCING MECHANICAL "SLOP" (WHEEL BEARINGS, STEERING RACK & PINION, ETC.) TENDS TO REDUCE FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE. TOYOTA DEALER DIAGNOSIS: "STEERING CONTROL SYSTEM FAULT". >"TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT -- BUT, DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM."< DEALER-SUGGESTED WORKAROUND: "PULL FUZES TO DISABLE VSC AND ABS SYSTEMS..." DEALER REPAIR DOCUMENTS ARE WITH PREVIOUS OWNER...

NHTSA ID

11363702

Incident

Oct 8, 2020

Mileage

260,000 mi

WE BOUGHT THIS CAR ABOUT 1 1/2 YEARS AGO. AFTER HAVING IT FOR A BIT WE LEARNED OF THE PROBLEM. YOU WILL BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD (DRY, SUNNY DAY) AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WILL START BEEPING, THE TRACTION CONTROL WILL KICK IN AND START PRESSURE BRAKING THE CAR. THE CAR THINKS IT PULLING YOU OUT OF A SKID, SO YOU HAVE TO STRONGLY HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL. IT'S TERRIFYING! I FEEL LIKE THE CAR IS GOING TO PULL ME OFF THE ROAD. I WON'T DRIVE THE CAR IN RAIN BECAUSE OF THIS AND HONESTLY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE EVEN DRIVING IT MOST THE TIME. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND IT TYPICALLY HAPPENS WHILE YOU ARE DRIVING HIGH SPEEDS ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA - THEY HAVE A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN BR008-04 (ABS& TRACTION CONTROL INTERMEDIATE VSC SYSTEM), WHICH SHOWS THEY HAVE REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE PART. HOWEVER SINCE THE CAR IS OLD, THEY WON'T REPLACE IT ANYMORE. IT IS THE COMPANIES DEFECT PART! HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN INTO ACCIDENTS AND/ OR DIED FROM THIS? AND JUST TO SAY IT - THE 2004 VERSION DOESN'T HAVE A WAY TO MANUALLY JUST TURN OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL. WE HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING! I TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY AGREED THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR, BUT SAID THEY WON'T FIX IT FOR FREE - THEY WANTED $800. I CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER AND THEY BASICALLY TOLD ME THEY DON'T CARE IF PEOPLE DIE FROM THIS, BECAUSE THE CAR IS OLD AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY RESPONSIBILITY AFTER A CERTAIN AGE OF THE CAR. WE HAVE 3 KIDS AND THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER! MY WHOLE FAMILY HAS TOYOTA VEHICLES AND IF THEY DON'T MAKE THINGS LIKE THIS RIGHT, WE WILL NOT BE ANYMORE! THE CAR IS NEW TO US AND IS FRANKLY UNSAFE. THIS IS TOYOTA'S FAULTY PART. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL MESSAGE BOARDS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. HOW CAN A DEADLY ISSUE EXPIRE?

NHTSA ID

11354460

Incident

Aug 16, 2020

Mileage

139,000 mi

DRIVING AT 50 MPH ON A TWO LANE HIGHWAY THE CAR SUDDENLY VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND DECELERATED/BRAKED HARD, UNDER IT'S OWN CONTROL, NOT MINE.

NHTSA ID

11327648

Incident

Jun 7, 2020

Mileage

188,146 mi

WHEN DRIVING IN DRY CONDITIONS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS OVER 25 MPH, THE VSC WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, AN ALARM SOUNDS AND THE ANTILOCK BRAKES ENGAGE FOR NO REASON. THIS IS A TERRIFYING AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ISSUE THAT IS WELL DOCUMENTED BY SO MANY TOYOTA SIENNA OWNERS BUT TO DATE HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED OR ACKNOWLEDGED BY TOYOTA. WHEN TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP, THEY CLAIM (AS OTHER OWNERS HAVE ALSO STATED) THAT THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND IT DOES NOT REGISTER THROUGH THE OBD2 SENSOR SO THERE IS NO RECORD OF IT HAPPENING. WITH AS MANY PEOPLE AS THIS IS HAPPENING WITH, IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF WHETHER THERE WILL BE ACCIDENTS, INJURIES AND ULTIMATELY DEATHS CAUSED BY THIS ISSUE. THE ONLY QUESTION IS WHEN AND HOW MANY HAVE TO OCCUR BEFORE TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGES THIS IS A PROBLEM. DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, IN TRAFFIC AT 65 MILES AN HOUR WHEN FOR NO REASON, THE CAR SLAMS ON THE BRAKES WITHOUT WARNING. IT IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME AT THIS POINT MAKING THE CAR COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE FOR THE OWNER, THE VEHICLE'S OCCUPANTS AND ANY UNSUSPECTING VEHICLE IN THE VICINITY. I AM BEGGING YOU. PLEASE GET TOYOTA TO ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE TRAGEDY STRIKES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. I AM SUBMITTING THE DATE BELOW AS TODAY'S DATE AS THE CAR IS NOW SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY UNTIL I CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. IT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT AND THE $750 STEERING POSITION SENSOR THAT TOYOTA REPLACED DID NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA ID

11240388

Incident

Jul 29, 2019

Mileage

170,000 mi

WHILE MY VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 35 AND 55 MPH, ON A STRAIGHTAWAY AND CURVE, THE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT/AND ALARM COMES ON RANDOMLY. SOMETIMES IT'S JUST THE ALARM THAT SOUNDS, AND SOMETIMES THE ALARM SOUNDS AND THE BRAKES ACTIVATE AND THE MINIVAN SWERVES. WAS THE MOST FRIGHTENING AND DANGEROUS EXPERIENCE EVER WITH MY YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN RIDING WITH ME. I ACTUALLY HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO CALM MYSELF. THIS HAS NOW HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH TODAY (7-24-19) BEING THE LATEST EXPERIENCE.

NHTSA ID

11234689

Incident

Jul 24, 2019

Mileage

177,000 mi

STEERING PROBLEM SOMETIME IT'S HARD TO STEER IT'S DRAGGING IT'S TOO DANGEROUS.I ALMOST GOT AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE STEERING DIDN'T REACT WHEN I'M CHANGING LANES

NHTSA ID

11180078

Incident

Feb 14, 2019

Mileage

14,900 mi

WHEN ON A CURVE THE TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGES AFFECTING THE BRAKES AND STEERING OF THE VEHICLE. SPEED DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER, IT HAS ENGAGED AT 10MPH AND AT 65 MPH. LAST STRAW WAS WHEN IT ENGAGED ON THE STRAIGHT AWAY ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65MPH IN THE HIGH SPEED LANE DROPPING THE SPEED DOWN TO 35MPH ALMOST CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS WERE NOT ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM EVEN AFTER RUNNING A MOVING VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC. IT WENT OFF A TOTAL OF 18 TIMES IN A APROXIMATE 15 MINUTE, THREE MILE DRIVE WITH THE MECHANIC. AFTER WATCHING MANY VIDEOS, AND COMPLAINTS ONLINE, WHY HASN'T SOMETHING BEEN DONE ON THIS ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS NOW? I'M AFRAID TO TAKE THIS VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY ANYMORE!!!

NHTSA ID

11176109

Incident

Feb 10, 2019

Mileage

188,000 mi

THE VSC IS GOING OFF RANDOMLY, IN DRY, SAFE CONDITIONS. ALMOST ALWAYS WHEN I AM TURNING TO THE LEFT IN A LONG TURN. BUT HAS ALSO HAPPENED ON A WINDY ROAD, DRIVING 15MPH OR LESS, ON EVER SINGLE TURN SOMETIMES JUST THE ALARM, LIGHT FLASHING ON DASH & ENGINE DETHROTTLING, OTHER TIMES ADD THE STEERING WHEEL PULLING & BRAKES PUMPING THEMSELVES. WE HAVE HAD IT IN 3 DIFFERENT SHOPS & THE COMPUTER DETECTS NO CODES, ALL PARTS IN QUESTION (SUSPENSION, YAW, ROTATIONAL POSITION SENSOR, ETC) ARE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER, NOTHING LOOSE, WORN OR OTHERWISE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. WE HAVE HAD THE YAW SENSOR REPLACED AFTER READING MANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE, BUT IT DIDN'T HELP. WE LOVE OUR VAN, BUT IT IS NOW A DEATH BOX. WE NEVER KNOW WHEN THE VSC MALFUNCTION WILL ACTIVATE, MAKING THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. WHEN WILL TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGE THIS & HELP OWNERS?

NHTSA ID

11166556

Incident

Jul 15, 2018

Mileage

250,000 mi

TRACTION CONTROL MALFUNCTION. WHILE DRIVING ON CURVY ROADS THERE IS A BEEPING ALARM, STEERING LOCKS UP, BRAKES ENGAGE. THE CAR SEEMS TO THINK THAT THE TRACTION IS OFF. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR OVER A YEAR. NO PROBLEMS DRIVING IN CITY. ONLY HAPPENS ON CURVY ROADS.

NHTSA ID

11164475

Incident

Dec 30, 2018

Mileage

138,000 mi

WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND USUALLY ON A SLIGHT CURVE TO THE RIGHT, THE TRACTION CONTROL ALARM AND BREAKS GO OFF CAUSING THE VAN TO JERK AND SHAKE. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS MIGHT BE LOW TIRE PRESSURE BUT THE TIRES ARE FINE. WE HAVE HAD AN ALIGNMENT, NEW TIRES THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS RANDOMLY AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE IT FOR THE MECHANIC. WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS MAYBE HAPPENING 20 TIMES. I FEEL IT IS JUST NOT SAFE ENOUGH TO DRIVE OR PASS THIS PROBLEM ON TO SOMEONE ELSE. I WOULDN'T WANT THE CAR ON THE ROAD WITH ME EITHER I HAVE READ ONLINE OF OTHER TOYOTA SIENNA'S WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT ISOLATED AND IS A SAFETY CONCERN.

NHTSA ID

11112720

Incident

May 17, 2018

Mileage

150,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND A WARNING CHIME SOUNDED. THE VEHICLE LOST STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITY, AND THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO JERK FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND THE FAILURES WENT AWAY AFTER THIRTY SECONDS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURES RANDOMLY STARTED APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR AGO AND GREW WORSE. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE LOCK ON THE SLIDING DOOR SHOWED THAT IT WAS UNLOCKED; HOWEVER, NO ONE COULD EXIT THE VEHICLE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

NHTSA ID

11099913

Incident

Jun 3, 2018

Mileage

150,000 mi

FOR NO REASON THE VSC AND TRACTION ALARM GOES OFF THE VEHICLE BRAKES ON ITS OWN DANGEROUSLY. IT IS HAPPENING DAILY. USUALLY WHEN GOING HIGH SPEED AND AROUND A LEFT BEND. I WENT AND HAD THE SYSTEM RESET AS IS CALLED FOR AFTER ALIGNMENT. THAT DIDN'T FIX IT. I HAD THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR REPLACED AND THAT DIDN'T FIX IT. THE YAW REPLACED AND THAT DIDN'T FIX IT. SO NOW WHAT? THIS IS DANGEROUS FOR MY FAMILY.

NHTSA ID

11055078

Incident

Oct 1, 2017

Mileage

140,000 mi