NHTSA Complaint #10232401 — 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA

1) WE HAD BEEN ON VACATION FOR A WEEK AND A HALF, DURING WHICH TIME OUR MINIVAN SAT IN OUR GARAGE. THE FIRST DAY AFTER RETURNING, I TOOK THE KIDS TO A GROCERY STORE AND USED THE POWER SLIDING DOOR BUTTON TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOORS. WHEN TRYING TO LOCK THE DOORS, I NOTICED THAT ONE POWER SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK - IT SLID BACK BUT WOULD NOT LATCH. I TRIED PUSHING IT IN BUT IT WAS NOT WORKING. NOTHING WAS JAMMED IN IT EITHER. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. 2) SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE POWER SLIDING DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WAS NOT LATCHING. I HAD TO GET MYSELF AND THE KIDS HOME FROM THE GROCERY STORE, BUT THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY SHOWED ME THAT A DOOR WAS UNLOCKED AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO LOCK IT. I STARTED DRIVING SLOWLY BUT UPON THE SLOWEST OF TURNS IN THE PARKING LOT, THE DOOR WOULD START SLIDING OPEN. MY 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS TRYING TO REACH OVER TO KEEP IT SHUT! IN ORDER TO DRIVE TO GET IT REPAIRED, I HAD TO TIE THE DOOR TO AN INSIDE HANDLE AND DRIVE SLOWLY IN ORDER TO KEEP THE DOOR FROM OPENING. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE: SAFETY ISSUE!!! THIS FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THIS IS ON A MINIVAN, WHERE CHILDREN ARE SITTING. EVEN THOUGH MY CHILDREN ALWAYS HAVE THEIR SEAT BELTS ON, IT WAS STILL SCARY FOR THEM AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR, WHICH DID NOT FAIL AND THUS WAS NOT REPAIRED. HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART, ON A RELATIVELY NEW CAR? 3) I CALLED OUR TOYOTA DEALER TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPT. THE CAUSE WAS FOUND TO BE "ACTUATORS BINDING INTERNALLY" IN THE DOOR. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SLIDING DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY. THIS IS A 2005 MODEL YEAR CAR WITH 39K MILES ON IT, THEREFORE JUST PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I SEE THIS AS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE - WHAT IF THIS LOCK FAILED WITHOUT WARNING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE DOOR FLEW OPEN? *TR