NHTSA Complaint #10138567 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

MY 2 YEAR OLD (AT THE TIME) PULLED ON THE SUNSCREEN OF OUR 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN AND BOTH OF THE PLASTIC CLIPS POPPED OFF OF THE WINDOW. THESE CLIPS ARE SMALL ENOUGH FOR THE TODDLER TO SWALLOW AND CHOKE ON. I HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO FIND ONE CLIP TO HAVE THE WINDOW SCREEN REPAIRED (I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO PULL IT OUT OF HER MOUTH). OVER THE PAST MONTHS, I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH MANY TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS TO FIX THIS POTENTIAL HAZARD. THESE DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO HAVE TOYOTA DO SOMETHING, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE HAPPENING. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS FLAW AND EVEN HAS A TECH SERVICE BULLETIN ON IT. IRONICALLY CALLED - "WINDOW SHADE CLIPS FALLING OFF" (BO006-04) I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THE DEALERSHIPS AT ONE TIME WERE ABLE TO ORDER THIS PART FOR ROUGHLY $3.00. NOW IT IS NOT AVAILABLE, BECAUSE OF THE DESIGN FLAW. TOYOTA IS TELLING THE CUSTOMERS WHO COMPLAIN THAT THE ENTIRE BACK VENT WINDOW MUST BE REPLACE. THE COST FOR THAT IS OVER $400.00 PER WINDOW. IN MY CASE THE HAVE AGREED TO SPLIT THE COST WITH ME. I AM AFRAID THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN TO ANOTHER CHILD AND MAY NOT BE A HAPPY ENDING. TOYOTA ADVERTISES THIS VEHICLE AS A SAFE MINIVAN FOR KIDS. IT MAY NOT BE AS SAFE AS THEY WOULD LIKE TO THINK. *NM