general problems of the 2002 Toyota Sienna

I was pulling forward from a red light, slowly accelerating. Someone cut me off, I swerved, and then accelerated into traffic. The car started accelerating on its own, from about 35 mph (where I pulled my foot off the accelerator pad to "hold" the speed but not continue accelerating) up to 55 mph--this happened very quickly, in a smattering of seconds. I remembered reading that you should just slam on the brake and hold it down hard, which I did. This did stop further acceleration, but it did not immediately slow the car. I was able to slow the car in about 10 seconds, though deceleration was very slow. When I finally returned to 35 mph, I did not attempt to accelerate again for about two miles. I stopped at another traffic light, and when I started forward from the light, I did not depress the accelerator pad with my typical force, accelerating at about half the speed I normally would, as I did not want to be taken by surprise by the unexpected sudden acceleration again. The problem did not further repeat itself this evening, but it was quite scary when it happened. I know it was not the floor mat under the pedal, as the floor mat has been cut away from the pedal area and was pulled very far back into the driver's seat area.

My son was driving the van when an individual cut in front of him prompting my son to put on his brakes to avoid contact which he did (thank god). So he continue to his destination ( our house ) but he started to hear the car was making some strange noise coming from the front end and also when pressing the brake the car started to pull to the right . He got home and told me about the situation and it was when I took car to local mechanic . At that time we discover where the noise was coming from. The rotor broke and it was just hanging there . The mechanic told us that he never seen something like it and to be thankful that no one got hurt. This is a big safety concern and need someone immediate attention .

We have owned this 2002 Toyota Sienna since 2002. The brakes have always squealed when stopping gradually, and the dealer said that Sienna brakes all squeal. There have been only a few instances over the previous 9 years when the abs has activated and I had always felt that the abs on this was much superior to the Mazda protege that we owned. However in the past month or two, the abs activated about 3 or 4 times, on slightly rapid stops, under dry driving conditions. Yesterday evening, under dry driving conditions, when pulling out of a stop light, I noticed the SUV ahead slowing down and began braking, then switched to the accelerator for a fraction of a second when it seemed that they might start accelerating, then when they braked hard, I too slammed on my brakes. The abs kicked in, but the car seemed to keep moving and the crash happened in slow motion - it was just as I felt in the Mazda protege, when the abs kicked in while trying to stop on an icy road - the car kept moving without seeming to slow down. I am not sure, but also have a vague sense that the engine continued to work hard to pull the car forward, possibly like the unintended acceleration reported by others in a recent spate of accidents. I was standing on the brake when my car plowed under the rear fender of the chevy tahoe ahead, causing the radiator, battery, etc. To get smashed. This was when it was clear that the engine was still racing and trying to pull the car forward - I finally cut the ignition to kill the engine. My insurance company called edy's Toyota, with me on the line, to see if they could read the car computer to check the cause of the accident. The service rep showed a lot of reluctance, seeming to indicate that not much would be gained, and finally declined saying "you're putting me in a spot". . .

I drive a 2002 Toyota Sienna xle and have experienced a lurching/accelerating when I am at a full stop. When it happens (which is becoming more frequent) it seems awkward. Now, I wonder is this part of the accelerator problem too?.

: the contact stated while the brake pedal was depressed, the front brakes squeal. The brakes have been properly maintained and the rotors have been replaced, but the noise still occurs. The manufacturer sent a technician, which determined this was normal operating conditions. The contact felt that since the noise came whenever the brakes were applied it was a safety issue. Updated 05/16/2006.

When driving on cruise control and lightly braking the car suddenly alarmingly accelerates. Dealer claims various issues that they tried but non resolved the problem. I am ready to sell and afraid that the buyer might not remember to follow my instruction to turn off the cruise control before braking. I have brought the car to the dealer several times over the years, most recently this year 2014.

The rear brakes squeaked excessively when braking. The dealer advised that the problem was caused by the federal government's change in the way manufacturers make brake shoes and were unable to remedy the problem. The consumer is very concerned about the effectiveness of the brakes.