NHTSA Complaint #10210865 — 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA

I WAS PROGRAMMING A NEW SIENNA VAN HOMELINK TO MY GARAGE DOOR OPENER. IT STARTED THE SEQUENCE AS ONE WOULD EXPECT.(.SMALL HOUSE ICON BLINKING )BUT NEVER APPARENTLY MOVED ON TO THE STEP OF RETRIEVING THE SIGNAL. AS REQUIRED ONE MUST HOLD THE GARAGE DOOR OPENER REMOTE ON TO TRY TO ACCEPT SIGNAL. AFTER ATTEMPTING THIS SEVERAL TIMES I STOPPED AND WAS JUST IN TIME TO NOTICE THE MOTOR OF GARAGE DOOR OPENER WAS OVERHEATING AND NEAR FIRE! FIRE DEPT WAS CALLED AND IT WAS ALL CHECKED OUT. IN FEAR OF FAULTY EQUIPMENT I TOOK STEPS TO REPLACE BOTH GARAGE DOOR MOTORS. AFTER NEW OPENERS WERE INSTALLED PROFESSIONAL INSTALLERS ATTEMPTED TO PROGRAM THE HOMELINK. IT FAILED ONCE AGAIN. WE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES AND EVEN TRIED TO PROGRAM OTHER BUTTONS. END RESULT WAS BUTTON 1 AND 2 OF HOMELINK ARE FAULTY AND 3 FINALLY PROGRAMMED. SO AFTER REPLACING MY OWN EQUIPMENT WHICH I ASSUMED WAS FAULTY ...WE DETERMINED THE HOMELINK SYSTEM IN THE CAR WAS AT FAULT AND MALFUNCTIONING. THIS WAS DETERMINED AFTER WE TRIED ON NEW MOTORS ...SO IN THE END MY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE BUT MERELY A RESULT OF A FAULTY PROGRAM CHIP IN THE HOMELINK. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT MY HOUSE HAD NOT CAUGHT FIRE AS MY GARAGE IS UNDER THE FAMILY ROOM. I SPOKE WITH MY DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE CENTER AND HOME LINK AND NON OF THE 3 SOURCES WILL ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FAULTY EQUIPMENT. THE CAR WAS ONLY A WEEK OLD BRAND NEW 2008. I FEEL HAD THE HOMELINK WORKED PROPERLY THE 1ST AND 2ND BUTTON WOULD OF PROGRAMMED AS EASILY AS THE 3RD AND MY GARAGE OPENERS WOULD NOT OF OVERHEATED AND NEAR CAUGHT FIRE AND PLACE MY HOME AND PETS IN JEOPARDY. NOT TO MENTION I HAD A COST OF $700.00 TO REPLACE EQUIPMENT THAT WASN'T FAULTY. I WOULD LIKE TOYOTA TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS MAY PERHAPS BE THE FIRST OF SEVERAL HOMELINKS TO HAVE A ISSUE AND TO MAKE CONSUMERS AWARE THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL MALFUNCTION SO THEY TOO DON'T OVERHEAT AND POSSIBLY LEAD TO FIRE IN THE MOTORS IN GARAGE. *TR