NHTSA Complaint #10174031 — 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

DOOR HANDLE BREAKING: 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA (1) EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE NOTHING ABNORMAL. HOUSEWIFE EXITING VEHICLE AFTER DROPPING KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL. (2) FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES THE DOOR HANDLE SNAPPED IN HALF, RENDERING NO EXIT FROM VEHICLE IMPOSSIBLE, OTHER THAN ROLLING DOWN ELECTRIC WINDOW, AND REACHING OUTSIDE, OPENING WITH EXTERIOR HANDLE. ALTHOUGH THE IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCES IN THIS CASE WERE MINIMAL, IF THE PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE WERE FLAWED ON A LARGE SCALE, IT IS PROBABLE THAT THE DOOR HANDLE WILL BREAK REPEATEDLY, (ALSO CONFIRMED WITH TECHNICIAN, "WE REPLACE THESE ALL THE TIME".) THE DEADLY COMBINATION OF AN ACCIDENT, AND SUBSEQUENT HIGH-STRESS CONDITIONS, POTENTIALLY CREATING A LIFE-THREATENING CIRCUMSTANCE OF AN EMERGENCY EXIT, RESULT IN A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER AMOUNT OF FORCE TO BE USED THAN NORMAL, I.E. YANKING THE HANDLE TO GET OUT. BOTTOM LINE, IF A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER CASUALLY EXITING A VEHICLE WILL SNAP IT IN HALF, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PERSON IS INHALING SMOKE SURROUNDED BY FLAMES, TRYING TO GET THEIR KIDS OUT? THEY WILL EXERT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FORCE ON THE HANDLE TO GET OUT, SNAPPING IT IN HALF, THE WINDOW METHOD WILL NOT WORK, OR NOT COME TO MIND. ISSUE A RECALL, OR AT A MINIMUM, OBTAIN FROM TOYOTA THE NUMBER OF DOOR HANDLES REPLACED IN AFTER-MARKET PARTS. UNFORTUNATELY, TOYOTA POSTURES ITSELF THAT THIS IS A WARRANTY ITEM. IT IS NOT. HUMAN LIFE IS NOT A WARRANTY ITEM. THIS IS A MATTER FOR THE NHTSA TO DECIDE. *NM