Toyota Sienna Recall Issued After Reports Minivans May Roll Away

Following reports of Toyota minivans rolling away, a recall has been issued for roughly 614,722 Sienna vehicles due to concerns that they may shift out of park without having the brake pedal applied, increasing the risk of an accident or injury for drivers, passengers, and bystanders.  

The Toyota Sienna recall (PDF) was announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on September 26, after the manufacturer investigated a number of incidents involving the vehicles coming out of gear without the brake being applied. Reports indicate that the problem has led to 21 incidents, including at least two injuries.

The investigation found that the vehicles may experience a problem in the shift lock solenoid that causes the shift lever to move out of the park position without depressing the brake pedal. The defect may be caused by either a manufacturing variation in the dimensions of the stopper or the existence of a burr on the slider.

If the shift lever moves out of park, it will either engage the drive or neutral gear, allowing the Toyota Sienna minivan to unintentionally move freely, posing a crash hazard.

The recall includes 2004 through 2005 Toyota Sienna vehicles manufactured between January 10, 2003 and August 10, 2005, and all 2007 through 2009 Toyota Sienna models manufactured between February 20, 2007 and December 12, 2008.

The affected vehicles were manufactured by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, Inc., of Princeton, Indiana and were supplied with the defective shift lever assembly by TRAM, Inc., of Plymouth, Michigan.

Owners and dealers will be notified by letter in the mail of the recall in late October and will be notified again when the parts to repair the problem become available. Toyota announced it will replace the shift lock solenoid free of charge. Owners with questions may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

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