2011 Toyota Sienna Exterior lighting Problems

This vehicle has the dash cluster light up as soon as the key is turned on. It does not have automatic headlights which turn on when it is dark outside. Due to the nature of the dash cluster lighting up and the daytime driving lights being automatic to turn on, it is very easy to drive off down streets with street lights completely unaware that there are no taillights or clearance lights on. The dash is lit up, so that is not an indication. The driving lights are on, so you can see enough to drive. I am aware of this now, but in the last week I have observed 3 vehicles driving around with no lights on in the dark because of the same reason. These modern cars with the automatically lighted dash clusters are causing people to lose all ability to assess whether the vehicles lights are on. It is not a question of automatic headlights/taillights, its a question of designing the interior of the vehicle to give the operator a hint that he hasn't turned on a specific safety feature. This agency has implemented so many other mandatory things related to safety (automatic tire pressure monitoring, automatic braking, backup cameras, etc.) and you forget the most basic things. You burden the cost of the cars with automatic systems to protect the people on the road but you forget how they can breed complacency in the drivers of the vehicles. You don't want distracted driving, but it is fine to have to search a touch screen on the vehicle to find the most basic controls for HVAC? If you are going to mandate safety, it should be safety that not only keeps the occupants safe but also doesn't lead them to do even more unsafe things, whether directly or indirectly. Dash clusters should ONLY light up when the headlights/taillights are on as this gives you the necessary indication that the vehicle's lights are actually on. Its called FUNCTIONAL SAFETY!

NHTSA ID

11771295

Incident

Oct 15, 2026

TAILGATE SENSOR AND LOCKING MECHANISM ALARM AND LIGHTING GOES ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY INDICATING TAILGATE LATCH INSECURE WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION DISTRACTING DRIVER. TAILGATE DOOR LATCH INSECURE PLACING DRIVER, PASSENGERS AND CONTENTS AT RISK IN THE EVENT OF MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE AS WELL AS TO OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION.

NHTSA ID

11025347

Incident

Jul 15, 2017

Mileage

53,000 mi

THE VEHICLE ENGINE STALLS. THIS OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY ESPECIALLY WHEN MAKING TURNS. I HAD TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT COME OFF FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES WHEN THE ENGINE AND LIGHTS HAVE BEEN SWITCHED OFF. IT IS POSSIBLE TO START THE CAR WITH THE PUSH BUTTON WITHOUT PRESSING DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL SOMETIMES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10443902

Incident

Apr 1, 2011

Mileage

24,000 mi

MY CONCERN IS THE DEAD ZONE CREATED BY THE HEAD LIGHTS ON MY CAR. THE PROJECTION OF THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY CAR ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DUE TO THE DEAD ZONE IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE DEALER RESPONSE IS" THAT IS JUST THE WAY THESE NEW HEADLIGHTS ARE". ON DARK ROADS IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT AN ACCIDENT MAY OCCUR BECAUSE YOU CANNOT SEE WHERE YOU ARE GOING AND IF THERE IS A SLIGHT CURVE TO THE ROAD IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL WHICH WAY THE ROAD IS GOING. ON MY LAST TRIP AT NIGHT WE HAD 3 OCCASIONS THAT IF WE HAD NOT FLASHED THE HIGH BEAMS WE MOST CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE A WRECK. *TR

NHTSA ID

10434034

Incident

Oct 21, 2011

Mileage

9,800 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VISIBILITY OF THE HEADLIGHTS WAS NOT PROJECTING FAR ENOUGH. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE HEADLIGHTS BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

NHTSA ID

10425024

Incident

Mar 15, 2011

Mileage

8,000 mi

FAILURE OF DRIVER'S CABIN LAMP OVERRIDE SWITCH TO EXTINGUISH CABIN READING LIGHTS OBSCURED DRIVER'S VISION AT NIGHT DURING HIGH-SPEED MERGE MANEUVER: I WAS ATTEMPTING A HIGH-SPEED HIGHWAY MERGE, AT NIGHT, ENTERING ROUTE 29 FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, WHEN MY THREE-YEAR-OLD SON DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS NOW TALL ENOUGH TO OPERATE HIS OVERHEAD PERSONAL READING LIGHT. MY VISION OF MERGING TRAFFIC TO THE RIGHT WAS SUDDENLY OBSCURED BY THE UNEXPECTED OPERATION OF THE CABIN READING LAMP, AND THE SITUATION WAS COMPOUNDED BY MY INABILITY TO QUICKLY OVERRIDE THE LAMP FROM THE DRIVER'S POSITION, IN THE MANNER AS DIRECTED ON PAGE 526 OF THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE READING LIGHT ABOVE MY SON'S HEAD STAYED ON. ACCORDING TO THE SIENNA 2011 OWNER'S MANUAL ON PAGE 526, THE DOOR LIGHT BUTTON, ABOVE THE DRIVER'S HEAD, ALSO SERVES AS AN OVERRIDE FOR ALL THE PERSONAL CABIN READING LIGHTS WHEN THE "DOOR" FUNCTION IS DISABLED: PAGE 526: "REAR ON/OFF: REAR PERSONAL/INTERIOR LIGHTS TURN ON [UPON ACTIVATION OF THE ILLUSTRATED INDIVIDUAL READING LAMP BUTTONS AT EACH SEATING POSITION] WHEN THE PERSONAL/INTERIOR MAIN SWITCH IS IN DOOR POSITION." THE DUAL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE DOOR LIGHT BUTTON IS CONFIRMED; ON PAGE 525 OF THE MANUAL, THE OTHER WELL-KNOWN PURPOSE OF THE DOOR BUTTON IS SEPARATELY AND INDEPENDENTLY DESCRIBED TO ACTIVATE AUTOMATIC CABIN ILLUMINATION WHEN ENTERING/EXITING THE VEHICLE: PAGE 525: "DOOR POSITION: THE PERSONAL/INTERIOR LIGHTS AND REAR INTERIOR LIGHT COME ON WHEN A DOOR IS OPENED. THEY TURN OFF WHEN THE DOORS ARE CLOSED." THEREFORE, THE REFERENCE TO THE DOOR BUTTON ON PAGE 526 IS FOR THE SEPARATE OVERRIDE FEATURE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. I RECOMMEND TOYOTA RECALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, TO CORRECT THE FUNCTIONING OF THE CABIN LAMP OVERRIDE SWITCH AS THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL SAFETY FEATURE OF THE VEHICLE FOR NIGHTTIME DRIVING WITH PASSENGERS.

NHTSA ID

10397688

Incident

Apr 18, 2011

Mileage

18,200 mi

5 MONTH OLD TOYOTA SIENNA 2011 STALLED AFTER THE LIGHTS INSIDE THE DASHBOARD (CONTROL PANEL) STARTED BLINKING AND THEN WOULD NOT START AGAIN. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER ON 12/22/2010. DEALER INITIALLY (ON 12/27/2010) SAID IT IS DUE TO WATER DAMAGE AND ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF SIENNA BEING SUBMERGED IN WATER (AS IT DID NOT GO INTO ANY BIG PUDDLE OR DEEP WATERS). I OPENED A CASE WITH TOYOTA ON 12/28/2010. I WAS IN TOUCH WITH TOYOTA DEALER BUT CASE MANAGER AT TOYOTA INFORMED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REACH/SPEAK TO THE DEALER FOR 2 DAYS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE BOTH IN CALIFORNIA. SHE INFORMED ME THAT THEIR POLICY IS TO CONCUR WITH DEALER WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT THE REPORT OR TALKING TO THEM AND THEY WOULD NEITHER INVESTIGATE NOR INSPECT. MY INSURANCE COMPANY (AAA) PERFORMED VISUAL INSPECTION AND FOUND TOO MANY METAL PIECES INSIDE THE ENGINE. INSURANCE COMPANY ALSO FOLLOWED UP WITH DEALER AND INFORMED THERE ARE OTHER CASES WHERE THEY HAD SEEN SIMILAR ISSUE WITH TOYOTA SIENNA 2011 AND THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE A WATER DAMAGE. THERE HAS BEEN NEITHER AN EXPLANATION NOR A FOLLOW-UP FROM TOYOTA AS TO WHAT THE CAUSE WAS. DEALER REPORTED BACK ON 01/04/2011 AND INFORMED ME THAT IT MIGHT BE A MECHANICAL FAILURE AND TOYOTA WILL FIX IT. I AM NOW CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY AND ANYONE WHO DRIVES SIENNA. WHAT IF STALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF FREEWAY ? WHAT IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN ? WORRIED AND TENSED OWNER OF TOYOTA SIENNA 2011.

NHTSA ID

10377303

Incident

Dec 22, 2010

Mileage

7,500 mi

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA TURN INDICATOR IS NOT AUDIBLE AND DOES NOT DISENGAGE WHEN CHANGING LANES ON THE INTERSTATE THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS SENT TO TOYOTA: MAY 16, 2010 [XXX] SUBJECT: 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA TURN INDICATOR DESIGN FLAW DEAR SIR: I HAVE BEEN LOOKING INTO BUYING A 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA LIMITED WITH ALL THE OPTIONS. SO I RENTED A NEW 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA LE (ONLY 900+ MILES) FROM AVIS FOR A WEEKLONG TRIP (1500 MILES). THE CAR DRIVES VERY NICELY. HOWEVER, I WAS AMAZED THAT I COULD NOT HEAR THE TURN INDICATOR BEEPER WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE WITH THE RADIO ON AT A MODERATE SOUND LEVEL. IN ADDITION, THE TURN INDICATOR SWITCH IS NOT SENSITIVE ENOUGH TO DISENGAGE AFTER CHANGING LANES. TOYOTA'S DESIGN ENGINEERS SHOULD BE ASHAMED TO HAVE THIS SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW ON A NEWLY INTRODUCED VEHICLE! THERE ARE PLENTY OF AUDIBLE DEVICES ON THE VEHICLE THAT COULD SOUND AFTER THE TURN INDICATOR HAS BE ENGAGED FOR 5, 10, 15 SECONDS WITHOUT BEING DISENGAGED. TOYOTA COULD HAVE PROGRESSIVE AUDIBLE TONES, WITH A LAST RESORT OF SOUNDING THE HORN INTERMITTENTLY. JUST DO SOMETHING, BEFORE YOU HAVE MILLIONS OF THESE VEHICLES IN SERVICE. A CAR GOING DOWN THE ROAD WITH A 'FALSE TURN INDICATION' IS DANGEROUS TO EVERYONE ON THE HIGHWAY! AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPERIENCE I AM NOT GOING TO BUY A 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA LIMITED UNTIL THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED. IN FACT, IT WOULD NOT BE BAD ADVERTISING FOR ALL TOYOTA VEHICLES TO HAVE THIS AS A STANDARD FEATURE. TOYOTA CAN GIVE ME NEW VEHICLES FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE, AS COMPENSATION FOR THE IDEA! IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER FURTHER, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL[XXX] *TR UPDATED 03/29/2017*JS

NHTSA ID

10332046

Incident

May 1, 2010

Mileage

900 mi