NHTSA Complaint #10166084 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

THE LIFTGATE ON MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN, WHICH IS EQUIPPED WITH A AUTOMATIC OPENING AND CLOSING FEATURE, WILL SOMETIMES START TO CLOSE WHEN IT IS IN THE OPEN POSITION. ALTHOUGH I REPORTED IT AS ONE INCIDENT DATE PER YOUR FORM BELOW, THE PROBLEM REALLY OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY THROUGHOUT THE WINTER SEASON. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO ALWAYS OCCUR ONLY WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW FREEZING. BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAVE HIT OUR HEAD ON NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN WE ARE UNPACKING THE CAR FROM THE REAR AND THE LIFTGATE STARTS TO CLOSE WITHOUT ANY PROMPTING FROM US. I REPORTED THE CAR TO THE DEALER ONCE AND THEY TOOK A LOOK AT IT AND COULD FIND NO PROBLEMS. ONCE AGAIN, THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE TRIGGERED BY THE COLD WEATHER. TOYOTA NEEDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE LOOSES AND EYE OR POTENTIALLY GETS KILLED BY WALKING FULL SPEED INTO THE CLOSING LIFTGATE. *JB