NHTSA Complaint #10130633 — 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA

WE OWN A 2001 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN, WE PURCHASED IT IN 2001 BUT IT WAS USED WITH 18,000 MILES ON IT. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, SEVERAL THINGS HAVE GONE WRONG. #1- PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW HAD A DEFECTIVE MOTOR AND WOULD NOT GO BACK UP. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, SO WE HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THAT REPAIR. #2- DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH SHUT. THE BUTTON GOT STUCK FROM THE INSIDE WHICH PREVENTED THE DOOR FROM LATCHING SHUT. THIS HAD HAPPENED MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE BUTTON POPPED OUT AND THE DOOR WOULD SHUT. BUT ON ONE OCCASION THE BUTTON POPPED OUT AND THE DOOR STILL WOULD NOT SHUT. WE HAD TO DRIVE HOME HOLDING THE DOOR SHUT THE ENTIRE WAY! OF COURSE, THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE WITH OUR 2 YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AT THE DEALER (AGAIN NOT UNDER WARRANTY), BUT THE DOOR STILL CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE, OR THE BUTTON GETS STUCK IN. #3- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A DIAGNOSTIC TEST REVEALED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS- IDLE AIR CONTROL, BANK 1 SENSOR (MOST LIKELY OXYGEN SENSOR), LEAKY CHARCOAL CANISTER. WE FIXED THE IDLE AIR CONTROL SINCE THAT WAS CAUSING THE VAN TO NOT START AND STALL. THIS REPAIR WAS ALMOST $700, AND NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE WE HAD GONE OVER 36,000 MILES. WE DID NOT FIX THE OTHER TWO PROBLEMS LAST MONTH DUE TO COST. THE VAN OVERHEATS AND CAN NOT BE DRIVEN. WE WROTE A LETTER TO TOYOTA AND TALKED TO THEM VIA PHONE. THEY TOLD US THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BECAUSE OUR VAN IS NOT A LEGAL US VAN- IT IS WAS BUILT IN CANADA. WE BOUGHT IT AT A TOYOTA DEALER IN ROCHESTER, NY AND WERE NEVER TOLD IT WAS CANADIAN. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT NO WARRANTY WOULD EVER BE COVERED IN THE US BECAUSE IT IS CANADIAN. CARFAX.COM SAYS IT WAS BUILT IN THE UNITED STATES HOWEVER. WE TRIED TO GO THE ROUTE OF THE LEMON LAW, BUT COULD NOT. *NM