Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Toyota Sienna submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
WHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT, AT IT'S LOWER ANCHOR POINT IN THE B PILLAR, BECAME UNBOLTED AND CAUSED THE BELT TO BECOME PERMANENTLY DETACHED FROM THE CAR.
THE SEAT BELT ON THE REAR LEFT OF THE CAR(THIRD ROW), MALFUNCTIONED. THE SEAT BELT WAS UNBUCKLED, BUT THE WINDING MECHANISM ONLY WINDED, NOT DID NOT ALLOW UNWINDING RESULTING IN A CHILD BEING ALMOST BEING STRANGLED BY THE BELT. THE CAR WAS MOVING WHEN THE MALFUNCTION STARTED. I PULLED OVER TO SERVICE AREA AND ATTEMPTED TO LOOSEN IT, BUT THE SEAT BELT COULD NOT BE LOOSENED WITH NORMAL MECHANISM. CHILD WAS IN PAIN AND HAD NO ROOM TO MANUEVER. OBTAINED SCISSORS FROM DUNKIN DONUTS TO CUT THE SEATBELT.
THE STEERING COLUMN CLUNKS AND STICKS SINCE ABOUT 55,000 MILES . IT FEELS LIKE IT MAY EVENTUALLY LOCK UP AND I WON'T BE ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE . IT DOES THIS WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION . I DEFINITELY FEEL IT IN THE STEERING COLUMN. IT HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE WITH TIME .SEEMS DANGEROUS ! ALSO MY PASSENGER SEAT BELT BEHIND THE DRIVERS SEAT IS NOT FUNCTIONING AT ALL . LOOKS LIKE A PART MAY HAVE FALLEN OFF AND IS INSIDE THE PLASTIC TRIM.
THE DRIVERS SIDE 1ST REAR SEAT BELT WON'T LATCH WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. STAYS LOOSE. THE BACK REAR SEAT BELT RETRACTED BUT WILL NOT RELEASE TO USE. VEHICLE HAD 75,000 MI. WHEN NOTICWED. HAS NO ACCIDENTS
MY CHILDREN WERE GETTING INTO THE VEHICLE ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. I AM A FORMER CPST. MY SON'S CAR SEAT WAS LOOSE, SO I CHECKED TO SEE WHY. I CHECKED THE BELT AND THE ENTIRE BUCKLE STALK CAME LOOSE IN MY HAND. THE BOLT THAT ATTACHED IT TO THE CAPTAIN'S CHAIR FELL OUT OF THE SOCKET. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. IF WE HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, MY SON COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. A SEAT BELT SHOULD NOT JUST FALL OFF OF THE SEAT. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE PART REATTACHED AND WAS ASKED WHY I COULD NOT JUST ATTACH IT BACK MYSELF. THIS IS ALSO NOT ACCEPTABLE. THEY DID END UP SCHEDULING ME FOR THE REATTACHMENT, BUT IT WILL COST ME A SUM THAT THEY HAVE YET TO DETERMINE. IN THE MEANTIME, I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TRANSPORT MY SON SAFELY SINCE HE IS OVER THE WEIGHT LIMIT FOR LATCH FOR HIS CAR SEAT AND NO LONGER HAS A USABLE SEAT BELT IN THAT SPOT IN THE VEHICLE. *TR
MY 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WAS PLAYING IN MY MINIVAN AS I STOOD RIGHT OUTSIDE. AS I LOOKED IN THE WINDOW TO CHECK ON HER I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. SHE WAS STANDING IN THE THIRD ROW OF SEATS FACING THE BACK WINDOW. SHE WASN'T MOVING AND FOR ONE AWFUL MOMENT I THOUGHT SHE WAS DEAD. I OPENED THE BACK HATCH TO FIND HER SUSPENDED BETWEEN TWO SEAT BELTS WRAPPED AROUND HER NECK. LUCKILY, HER FEET WERE STILL TOUCHING THE SEAT, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO KEEP THE BELTS FROM COMPLETELY CUTTING OFF HER BREATHING. AS MY FRIEND AND I DESPERATELY TRIED TO UNTANGLE THE BELTS FROM AROUND HER NECK THEY GOT TIGHTER AND TIGHTER. I TRIED TO FIND A KEY OR ANYTHING SHARP TO UNHOOK THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT FROM ITS LATCH SO WE COULD UNWIND IT FROM AROUND HER NECK (I HAD DROPPED MY KEYS DURING THE INITIAL FRANTIC MOMENTS WHEN I CLIMBED IN THE HATCH TO TRY AND GET HER OUT). AS WE WORKED TO FREE HER, THE BELTS CONTINUED TO GET TIGHTER. MY FRIEND RAN TO A NEARBY SCHOOL TO GET SCISSORS. THE NEXT FEW MOMENTS WERE HORRIBLE. I WAS WATCHING MY DAUGHTER STRANGLE TO DEATH. I FRANTICALLY TRIED TO FIND MY KEYS OR ANY SHARP OBJECT TO RELEASE THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT FROM ITS ANCHOR. MY DAUGHTER WAS TURNING PURPLE AND IT WAS CLEAR THE SITUATION WAS DETERIORATING QUICKLY. I FINALLY GRABBED THE KEYS FROM MY FRIEND?S IGNITION AND REACHED OVER THE BACK SEAT TO UNHOOK THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT. I FELT A BRIEF MOMENT OF RELIEF AS I EXPECTED THAT TO RELEASE THE PRESSURE AROUND HER NECK, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE SEAT BELTS WERE SO TIGHT AT THAT POINT I COULDN?T UNTHREAD THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT FROM AROUND HER NECK. MY FRIEND ARRIVED WITH SCISSORS AND I CUT THE BELT. THE SEAT BELT STILL DIDN?T RELEASE AT THAT POINT, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO UNTANGLE AND LOOSEN THE BELTS AND PULL MY DAUGHTER FROM THE CAR. SHE WAS LIMP AND BRIGHT RED, BUT SHE WAS ALSO BREATHING AND LOOKING AT ME. SEAT BELTS SHOULD BE SAFE ... *TR
MY 12 YEAR OLD SON REACHED BACK FOR THE SEAT BELT FOR THE MIDDLE ROW SEAT BEHIND THE PASSENGER WHILE THE AUTOMATIC DOOR WAS CLOSING. HIS HAND BECAME TRAPPED BETWEEN THE DOOR AND FRAME AS THE AUTOMATIC DOOR SHUT. THE DOOR DID NOT RELEASE AUTOMATICALLY AND ONLY RELEASED WHEN HE USED HIS OTHER HAND TO PUSH THE "DOOR OPEN" BUTTON. UNFORTUNATELY HE SUFFERED A FRACTURE OF HIS 4TH RIGHT METACARPAL. WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE DOOR MECHANISM AND THE SEAT BELT, AND ALSO ABOUT THE LACK OF A SAFETY MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC SENSING/RELEASE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE THIRD ROW MIDDLE BEAT THAT RETRACTED FROM THE CEILING WAS TANGLED AROUND A CHILD'S WAIST WHILE SLEEPING. THE FAILURE ALMOST CAUSED THE SEAT BELT TO STRAGGLE THE CHILD. THE CHILD BEGUN TO TURN BLUE SO THE CONTACT HAD TO CUT THE SEAT BELT TO RELEASE THE CHILD. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED TO SECURE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE SEAT BELT REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.
ON SEPT 14, 2011 WHILE MY SON WAS IN THE SECOND ROW BUCKET SEAT ON THE PASSENGERS SIDE HIS SEAT BELT FAILED. THE FEMALE END OF THE SEAT BELT WHICH IS ANCHORED TO THE FLOOR, SEPARATED FROM THE FLOOR WHILE STILL BUCKLED. *KB
TOYOTA SIENNA 2011 TOP TETHER ANCHOR BRACKET ON THE DRIVER SIDE 2ND ROW CAPTAIN CHAIR IS TOO LOW FOR A TOP TETHER STRAP TO HOOK ON. THE DESIGN OF THE 2ND ROW SEATS RESULTS IN A LOWER ANCHOR BRACKET ON THE DRIVER SIDE 2ND ROW SEAT AS OPPOSED TO THE PASSENGER SIDE 2ND ROW. COULD RESULT IN PARENTS DISREGARDING WARNINGS AGAINST NOT USING A TOP TETHER IF THE CAR SEAT IS EQUIPPED WITH ONE AND CREATING AN UNSAFE CONDITION FOR THE CHILD. VAN WAS PURCHASED ON 5/31; ISSUE FOUND THE NEXT DAY AND REPORTED TO TOYOTA CORPORATION ON 6/2/2010. TOLD THAT NO ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN BASED ON MY CALL AS IT WAS THE FIRST REPORT OF THE PROBLEM. *TR
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .