NHTSA Complaint #10141342 — 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA

WHEN I TRIED TO START MY 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN LAST WEEK, IT DID NOT START NORMALLY AND IT MADE A STRANGE NOISE. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, AND THE NOISE CONTINUED. I REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO MAKE NOISE. IT APPEARED THAT THE CAR WAS STILL TRYING TO START, EVEN THOUGH THE KEY WAS NO LONGER IN THE IGNITION. THE CAR WAS MAKING A CHUGGING NOISE - THAT MIGHT HAVE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS RUNNING TO SOMEONE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE CAR. I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. I CALLED FOR A FRIEND TO COME AND HELP. HE ARRIVED APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER - THE CAR WAS CHUGGING CONTINUOUSLY ALL THIS TIME AND MY GARAGE (WHERE THE VAN WAS PARKED) WAS STARTING TO SMELL. MY FRIEND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE VAN ON AND OFF AGAIN - THIS HAD NO EFFECT. HE OPENED THE HOOD, (THERE WAS SOME SMOKE) AND EVENTUALLY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY USING A WRENCH - THIS FINALLY STOPPED THE VAN. HE BELIEVES THAT A FIRE WOULD HAVE STARTED HAD HE NOT DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THE VAN WAS TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY REPLACED THE STARTER. THEY SAID THAT THE STARTER MUST HAVE SHORTED OUT AND THAT IT WAS A GOOD THING THAT WE DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. THIS HAPPENED IN MY GARAGE IN MY HOME AS I WAS ABOUT TO TAKE MY CHILDREN TO SCHOOL. I AFRAID THAT THIS DEFECT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS FIRE, DAMAGE TO MY HOME AND POSSIBLY SERIOUS INJURY TO MY CHILDREN AND MYSELF. *NM