2003 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD from North America - Comments

Poor performance of run-flat tires.

The run-flat tires are hard to find and very, very expensive to replace. The tires on my 2004 Sienna needed to be replaced after just 10 months and 15,000 miles due to uneven wear. The new tires cost $250 each, with a total cost of $1,200 to have all 4 tires replaced on the vehicle. Dunlap, the tire manufacturer, does not offer any mileage warranty on the tires. Toyota disclaims any responsibility for tire-related issues. This means that tire maintenance will cost $100/month for this vehicle. Moreover, it will take a couple of weeks for the new tires to arrive because they are on back order. Since there is no spare tire for this vehicle, the long wait for replacement tires is a serious issue in an emergency replacement situation. The problem with uneven wear on all 4 tires leads me to wonder whether the all-wheel drive system on the vehicle is properly mated with the run-flat tires.

No word about how often you rotated the tires. We suggest every 5000 miles. We also ask people to keep an eye on their tire pressures, they change a pound a month so that can change the wear dramatically. What kind of usage did you do to the car? Was it lightly loaded or heavily loaded most of the time. About 65% of the stopping force is on those front tires so rotation is crucial.

Tires get a lot of heat period. Sometimes the composition of the rubber may not agree with the temperature of the pavement or the road surface itself. The Dunlops represent state-of-the-art technology. In the real world with all the variables available one user can level the best technology while others have no trouble. I have sold 8-9 of these AWD vans and my buddies have sold many more. We would be hearing about it if others were having your experience. Sorry for your experience anyway. Toyota put the tire under the side to make the room in the back that everybody wanted. Then they couldn't use the mini spare with the AWD setup and people really wanted the AWD. So compromises were the solution.

We have experienced similar issues. We purchased our Sienna AWD in July of 2003. We had to replace 1st set of tires at 1 year and 18K miles. Second set is now showing "choppy" wear at 10K. We have rotated every 5K and had several alignments done. Help, we can't afford this. Anyone have any suggestions.

We hit a pothole with our 2004 Toyota Sienna AWD and blew out the sidewall of the Bridgestone run-flat tire. No sidewall means no running flat. No spare tire and no replacement tire readily available means you are renting a car until you can have a replacement shipped in, 3 days in our case. Then you also have to come up with the $296 for the replacement tire. Ridiculous! It gets even better... When my local tire dealer saw the tire, he pointed out the almost exposed steel belts and recommended replacement of all 4 tires even though they only had 15,000 miles on them. He also gave us another option, replace the stock 17" wheels with 16" wheels. This would give us a much larger choice of better and less expensive tires. The only problem with this option he claimed was that the tire low air pressure sensor would have to be re-calibrated. Does anyone know of any other problems with switching to 16" wheels and normal tires?

I have a 2004 Sienna AWD that is four months old and with 3500 miles. I have had the misfortune of having two seperate flat tire issues with the "run flat tires" from Dunlap. The first flat took until the sixth day to get a replacement tire from the dealer. The second and current incident has taken seven days so far and still no tire. It's absurd for Toyota to "compromise" and put a product on the road with no spare tire and no replacement tires available. I called Toyota in California at their customer service Dept. and their solution was for me to "purchase a run flat tire to keep handy in the garage"!? There should be some type of class action against either Toyota and/or Dunlap for this debacle.

I purchased a 2004 Toyota AWD Sienna about 7 months ago. Nice 5 speed automatic transmission. I also like the shifter which makes it easy to downshift when driving in the mountains.

The dealer did not inform me that the car was not equipped with a spare tire. I found out when I got home. I pursued the issue and the dealer installed a spare tire kit free of charge. The spare tire kit goes in the back of the car where the larger portion of the rear seat folds down. It looks just like the larger section is folded in to the rear, except the seat is actually still upright. This means I cannot fold down the larger half of the rear seat with the spare tire kit installed.

Like others that have posted, buyers should be aware that run-flat tires are hard to come by. Where I live (rural Colorado), most folk put on winter tires for the season. After some searching I found a run flat Bridgestone - Blizzack. Not great, but pretty good. No problems with tread wear.

My suggestion to anyone who wants the AWD model is to forget the run-flats, get the spare tire kit, 16 inch rims and normal tires. You will lose the ability to fold down half of the rear seat, but the reality is that Toyota is the only care dealer making an AWD model anymore (to my knowledge).

Thank you for the comments. We just had the misfortune of the transmission in our (6yr old, 100K miles) AWD Grand Caravan needing to be replaced, and found out that the repair was more than half the value of the vehicle. Thus, we're shopping for a new one. The Sienna LE AWD was immediately our first choice.

However, when I noticed the run flat tires and lack of spare in the glossy, I got worried. The 2005 comes with Bridgestone B380 RFTs. I checked at my dealership, and they list the B380s for $280 each, with a $60 mounting fee. Tirerack has them for $209, but there will still be a higher than normal mounting fee. Several comments at Tirerack claim only a 15000 mile treadlife for the B380 on the Sienna. For us, that would be new set of tires in 11 months. The comments above just confirm my opinion.

Although the glossy says there is a dealer-installed aftermarket spare tire, the dealership says they don't have that to install. I suspected it would go in the 60% side of the rear well, and I'm glad to see that confirmed. However, that now removes a large amount of storage.

At this point, my wife is against getting the AWD, and even if I get replacement tires and a spare/hub, I'm going to spend $600 above the cost of the vehicle just to make it 'safe'. We've had flat tires on long trips before, so I couldn't imagine getting stuck with a large tire bill just for a nail in the road. One nice thing about the (old) Grand Caravan is that we had a full-sized spare.

So, we're now only considering the Odyssey EX and the Sienna LE (with option #5 or 6), which are nearly equivalent in feature and price.

I have a 2005 Sienna AWD. I just got a flat tire.

The dealer does not have the equipment to remove

the tire nor do they carry the tire in stock.

So it will be 2-3 days to change a flat tire.

This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard

of. What happens if you're on a road trip, which

was the whole reason we bought this Toyota in the

first place?

My husband and I have the 2004 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD and are having the same issue with our run flat tires. We were surprised when our front tires wore-out so quickly. Because of the strange wear pattern (the edges wear out before the center), we thought that the tires were under-inflated, but our dealer checked them and they were right on target.

We were given the standard Toyota explanation that "you did not rotate your tires at the proper time" (5,000 miles). Toyota had recently replaced the transmission due to a defect that was original to the car, so we accepted that this early wear was a combination of the two issues and we searched the entire Los Angeles area to find two (2) tires to replace the front ones and determined to be more maintenance conscience.

Now (Feb. 2005), after 5,000 miles it's time to do the rotation, however the brand new tires we bought last July (2004) are already worn out on the edges. We love our car and its many great features, but can't handle the insecurity of wondering if our family is safe with these tires. We also don't feel its right that Toyota makes a profit on tire replacement, when it's quite clear that something is wrong. At the very least, they should work with their customers to get the tires replaced at cost and should keep enough of these tires in inventory to make them accessible according to demand.

Sure sounds like a vehicle problem that Toyota should solve. With my 2004 Sienna XLE Limited, I am having exactly the problems described above - rapid wearing on the side of the tire despite accurate inflation and regular rotation. It is hard to find replacement tires and they are extra expensive both to buy and to install.

Sure means that I won't be getting a Toyota next time if this is how they treat their customers. I heard Lexus - another division of Toyota - just replaced all the tires on new LS430's AND gave the owners a few hundred dollars to help compensate them for all their troubles. Now THAT is the way to handle this kind of problem!

I also have a 2004 Toyota Sienna where my front tires were absolutely shot at 22,000 miles. My dealer stepped up and lined me up with a Good year dealer that agree to put on new tires at reduced cost. I put on the top of the line Good Year tires with 80,000 mile tread guarantee. After 10,000 miles, my new, very expensive Good Year tires are wearing on the sides, just like the last ones. Toyota has a serious problem that I fear might cause safety issues. I'm going back to the dealer, and I'm going to explore my legal options.

We have a 2004 AWD XLE Sienna and all 4 of the run flat tires had to be replaced at about 36,000 km. When I complained, I was told by Toyota Canada that they do not warranty the tires, but when I purchased the car, no one advised me that with this vehicle I would be facing an additional expense almost yearly to replace these pricey tires. In fact, the run flat option was stressed by the salesman as a great feature to give us extra room (no spare to carry). We have 3 small kids and no room for a spare when we travel. I do not feel I was sold the car I thought I was buying. A class action may result, in my opinion.

I also have a Sienna with runflat tires that didn't run flat. Same lack of responsibility from Toyota, both local dealer and corporate. Has anyone had any luck exploring legal options? How can we try together to make our voice heard. Poor tire wear, lack of tire availability, no spare

= not safe.

My email is rgrillo@nyc.rr.com. I would love to try and approach this in numbers, then maybe they will listen. Too expensive a vehicle to have to deal with this.

I bought my brand new Sienna XLE Limited last August. I wanted a safe, smooth ride for my family. I chose the Sienna and spent the first winter very happy - we live in WY Jan, Feb and Mar. April we returned to CA, and by the end of April had our first FLAT. I was alone with my daughter, 12:30 AM, on a Saturday night, when my ride felt rough and after about 5 miles the tire indicator came on. I pulled off the freeway, I80 in Sacramento, CA, to the nearest gas station and called Triple A. While waiting I began to look for my spare tire - EVERYWHERE. Pulled out the manual, read about my run flats and realized I did not have a spare. This was news to me as when purchasing the vehicle nothing was said to me. Triple A came and to make a long story short I decided to risk the 80 miles home. We made it - scary going 40miles an hour on I80 - by 3:30 AM.

First thing Monday morning I called my

Toyota dealer and expressed my dissatisfaction with this tire design. They were unsympathetic and sent me to Bridgestone as they do not warranty my tires. Bridgestone of San Francisco, did not have a tire. The closest one was in Chicago they said and soonest I could get it would be Friday. Fri AM I called to be sure the tire had arrived and it had not. Tracking it showed it would be there by Monday. I called Toyota again, expressing my disbelief that they could sell such a "new" product without making sure it was in stock. They put me on hold, had me talk to supervisors, managers, all who said they could do nothing - the tires were under Bridgestone warranty.

Monday I get my new tire and have it put on at the mere price of $345.

I am not happy, but think for that price these must be very good tires.

Three weeks later I get my second flat. This time I am in Monterey for my goddaughter's college graduation, when indicator light goes on I have great disbelief that this could really be happening again. Soon I determined it was indeed happening again. I call my Toyota dealer and tell them I can't believe this, but I have another flat. He says go to the nearest Monterey Tire Store, I found Sullivan's Tires, and let them know to patch my Run Flat as I am only traveling 10 miles this time and it is reparable, but make sure not to plug it, but to patch it, and it can be repaired. Again to make a long story short, Sullivan's tells me they do not carry run flats, they cannot repair a run flat, and there is no other tire made the same size as my runflat to put on. The closest run flat is in San Jose CA and I will have to wait a day to get it. I needed to return that night as my children were with a sitter and I had an early morning appointment. Again to make the story short about the hours of research, phone calling, arguing, and thinking - I ended up going to the Monterey Toyota Dealer, talking them into selling me a regular Bridgestone tire that is the right size for my car for $135 and taking it to Sullivan's who agreed to put in on for me. Toyota would not as they would not be liable for my driving a car with a regular tire on it without a spare.

Sullivan's said if they were me they would get rid of this car as they see on average one a week in there with a flat - one week a lady came in three times.

I decide Toyota will now surely help me out. I go back to them. It soon became clear they were not going to help me. Meanwhile it is time for my 20,000 mile maintenance. I bring my car into a Toyota repair garage as I am too angry with my Toyota Dealer to continue using them for my servicing. When I pick up my car they show me my tires. My RunFlats need to be replaced as they have worn unevenly and where they have worn they are bald! I cannot believe as this shows even the tires that did not go flat now need to be replaced at $345 each. NO THANK YOU! and they will last no longer than 20,000 miles. Why pay so much for such a lousy product?

It is suggested I have not kept the air pressure or alignment. Upon inspection it is agreed my alignment is fine, my tires have been properly, and on time, rotated.

I have been speaking with the Toyota 1 800 customer service line and Bridgestone 1800 and to date have received no sympathy or help. Toyota each is trying to find blame with me and my maintenance of the tire. How can a tire which costs over $300, no matter how poorly maintained need to be replaced at 20,000 miles.

I have put three more of the Bridgstone Teranza's tires on my Sienna. I am trying to purchase a spare tire as the jack etc. are already on board, but have not found a Toyota dealer who has one. I am disappointed in Toyota and Bridgestone and open to advise as to what to do next. After reading all the online complaints I think a recall or some assistance from Toyota is in order. They have always promoted themselves as a company who cares about their product.

Hello to all - I am yet another victim of the 2004 Sienna AWD run flat tire (RFT) trap. I was not informed upon purchase that the run flats had a terrible wear record, nor was I informed that very few tire companies carry RFTs, nor was I informed that they are 2x - 3x more costly than normal tires, etc etc.

I made it 24,000 miles before being told I needed 4 new tires yesterday, and researching RFTs and finding this post site has helped me greatly. But has anyone done anything about a class action suit?? I would sign!! I am getting regular tires. My dealer doesn't even stock the RFTs and it would take several days to get them. Of course it's taking several days just to get the RFTs taken OFF my van! Read on:

Humorous highlight in this cesspool: my Toyota dealership where I bought the van did not realize they had to send my van to another tire dealer to have the RFTs removed - apparently Toyota refuses to allow the dealers to touch them! My dealer had already quoted me the price of the new Bridgestones and now they have to eat the additional cost of sending my car out to have the RFTs removed and 2 more days of rental car fees. Small revenge, but maybe the Toyota dealerships will get fed up with the RFT issue and put pressure on Toyota.

The dealer asked if I wanted the spare tire & kit because, after all, I would have no spare. I nearly exploded - I pointed out NO ONE HAS A SPARE fresh from the Toyota factory with 4 RFTs and no place to get them.

This is a safety issue!!! - A Grumpy 2004 Sienna AWD XLE Limited Edition ($41,000 #$%*$*#) owner in PA.

I have a 2004 Sienna with Run Flat tires. It is bald with 19000 miles!!! Toyota dealer and Dunlop deals gave the usual tire rotation, alignment as the reason. I have my fair shares of tire experience over the years. This is purely horrendous considering a tire cost $275. And it will never pass 20,000 miles.

I am contacting Class Action Law Suite lawyer and see what can be done about this. Outrageous!