NHTSA Complaint #10260281 — 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA

MY 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA LIFTGATE STRUTS FAILED ON 2-27-2009 WHEN THE OPEN DOOR COLLAPSED WITHOUT BEING SUPPORTED AS IT NORMALLY WOULD BY THE STRUTS. MY WIFE STILL HAD HER HANDS UNDER THE DOOR AND WAS ABLE TO CATCH IT TO PREVENT IT FROM FALLING ONTO MY SON WHO WAS UNDER THE DOOR. THIS IS A MANUALLY OPERATED DOOR, NOT A POWER OPERATED DOOR, AND THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT IS NOT COVERED BY THE PREVIOUS RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A FOUR YEAR OLD CAR, AND IS STILL A SAFETY ISSUE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD REPAIR. WHY IS THIS FAILURE COVERED UNDER A RECALL FOR A POWERED DOOR BUT NOT FOR A MANUALLY OPERATED ONE? THIS DOOR CAN FREEFALL ALL THE WAY DOWN, SO IS POTENTIALLY MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE POWERED ONE DUE TO THE SPEED WITH WHICH IT CAN FALL, IN MY OPINION. AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE TO INCLUDE ALL STRUTS IN THS RECALL, I WILL NOW BE FORCED TO CARRY A 2X4 TO PROP OPEN THE LIFTGATE WHILE WAITING FOR A NEW RECALL TO BE ISSUED BEFORE I CAN GET IT FIXED. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED ALONG WITH THE OTHER FAULTY DOORS, AND IT APPEARS THAT SOMEONE OR SOME ORGANIZATION(S) DECIDED THAT ECONOMICS WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAT CONSUMER SAFETY. YOU NEED TO CORRECT THIS MISTAKE. *TR