NHTSA Complaint #10052736 — 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA

HILD SAFETY LOCKS ON REAR SLIDING DOORS ARE BYPASSED AND RENDERED USELESS BY REAR POWER DOOR BUTTONS. WITH THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS ENGAGED THE SLIDING DOORS CAN NOT BE OPENED MANUALLY FROM THE INSIDE. HOWEVER THE REAR POWER DOOR BUTTONS LOCATED ON THE REAR DOORS, ON THE FRONT CONSOLE, AND ON THE REMOTE ALL FUNCTION NORMALLY. THERE IS A SEPARATE BUTTON ON THE FRONT CONSOLE THAT DEACTIVATES THE POWER DOOR FUNCTION, BUT IT DEACTIVATES IT FROM ALL 3 POINTS (BUTTONS ON THE REAR DOORS, ON THE FRONT CONSOLE, AND ON THE REMOTE) RENDERING THE EXPENSIVE POWER DOOR FEATURE USELESS. TO COMPLY WITH THE CHILD SAFETY LOCK REQUIREMENT, WHEN THE CHILD SAFETY LOCK IS ENGAGED IT SHOULD DISABLE MANUAL OPENING OF THE DOOR BY BACKSEAT OCCUPANTS AND SHOULD DISABLE THE POWER DOOR BUTTONS LOCATED ON THE BACK DOORS WITHIN EASY REACH OF BACKSEAT OCCUPANTS. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT HAS FAILED TO FOLLOWUP OR OFFER ANY SOLUTION (TOYOTA CASE # 2003 1204 0595). POWER DOORS CLOSE TOO HARD AND POSE SERIOUS INJURY RISK TO CHILDREN. POWER DOORS CLOSE HARD ENOUGH TO EASILY HURT AN ADULT. MY TWO YEAR OLD SON WAS INJURED WHEN HE ACTIVATED THE POWER DOOR BUTTON LOCATED IN THE BACK SEAT AND MANAGED TO CLOSE THE DOOR ON HIS ARM. MULTIPLE DEALERS HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THE POWER DOORS ARE NOT ADJUSTABLE AND THEREFORE CANNOT BE CHANGED. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, BUT HAS FAILED TO FOLLOWUP OR OFFER ANY SOLUTION (TOYOTA CASE # 2003 1204 0595). TIRE PRESSUE MONITORING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. IT FAILS TO WARN OF LOW PRESSURE IN TIRES (TESTED TO 15 LBS BELOW APPROPRIATE TIRE PRESSURE ON EACH TIRE INDIVIDUALLY AND THEN ON ALL 4 TIRES SIMULTANEOUSLY). HOWEVER, THE WARNING LIGHT DOES COME ON WHEN DESCENDING FROM HIGH ALTITUDES IN SPITE OF ALL TIRES BEING INFLATED PROPERLY. MULTIPLE DEALERS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND FIX THE PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED (TOYOTA CASE #2004 0109 0681).*AK