| Issue ID | 775606 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10318564 |
| Manufacurer | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION |
| Brand | TOYOTA |
| Model | SIENNA |
| Model Year | 2007 |
| File date | 19/01/09 |
| Component | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | On january 19, 2009 my 2007 toyota sienna front rotors & brake pads failed round- trip from san francisco to orange county. Mileage read: 20,939; & again on 01-12-2010 when mileage was 30,128. There were no warning lights, or notification by mechanic or service providers at regular maintenance checkups about wear or compromised rotors & pads. In advance of each incident. Maintenance had been regularly scheduled. On january 19, 2009 , brake rotors failed showing deeply scratches and were fused with the pads. On january 12, 2010 rotors required resurfacing but pads were ok. I contacted power toyota dealership in irvine,ca. About these concerns; their response indicated a design flaw as the pads are of made pf harder material than rotors thus wearing rotors before pads and fusing the two metals together. I had several return calls from their specialist ,a mechanical engineer formerly with gm. No solutions were offered and no followup received after i inquired if the dealer would replace the manufacturer's pads with softer ones(aftermarket) as a test. It was made clear even if after-market pads were installed, they might not last more than 5-6 thousand miles. I have concerns that the brakes will fail again and cause potential injury and damage to me or passengers or to others; certainly damage also means replacement of the rotors even if the pads do not show wear. I am reporting this as a flaw in mechanical/product design and manufacture of the 2007 sienna; intentional oversight or not,it is a lack of mitigation for the brake system that poses a potentially hazard. I believe the sienna van, intended for family and light loads, poses a brake risk while driving and additional expense and worry about rotor/brake failure . It is contrary to the experience i had with my earlier 300k toyota van (1985); my satisfaction with it led me to purchase the 2007 sienna which i now regret. I am asking toyota to replace the brake system or provide a new model van. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 2093 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | LAGUNA BEACH, CA |
| VIN pattern | 5TDZK23C27SXXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | |
| No. of fatalities | |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
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| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 55 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
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| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |