NHTSA Complaint #10279720 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

INITIAL NOTE: THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT. TOYOTA SHOULD BE ORDERED TO RECALL THIS VEHICLE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. WE HAVE A 2004 SIENNA LE, WITH ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON IT. A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE NOTICED SOME DIFFICULTY WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER DOOR. THE PROBLEMS BEGAN WITH THE DOOR NOT OPENING WHEN WE USED THE REMOTE CONTROL OR THE BUTTON IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THE DOOR SEEMED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY WHEN PULLING THE HANDLE, SO WE THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS LIMITED TO THE REMOTE CONTROLS. WHEN WE WERE AWAY AT A CAMPING TRIP FROM JULY 24 - 26, I NOTICED THE PROBLEM HAD STARTED TO AFFECT THE HANDLE AS WELL. THE DOOR WOULD HESITATE, BUT WOULD OPEN NORMALLY IF I PULLED IT A SECOND TIME. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME, AFTER MY FAMILY EXITED THE VEHICLE, I TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR TO UNLOAD THE CAR. IT DID NOT OPEN, SO I PULLED THE HANDLE A SECOND TIME. THE DOOR BEGAN TO OPEN. I THEN HEARD A "POP" AS THE REAR SIDE WINDOW, NEXT TO THE THIRD ROW OF SEATS, SHATTERED. THERE WAS A PLASTIC STRIP LYING ON THE DRIVEWAY ALONG WITH SHATTERED GLASS. SHATTERED GLASS COVERED THE INTERIOR AS WELL. THE DOOR WAS HANGING DOWN SLIGHTLY. THE INTERNAL "WHEELS" FOR THE DOOR HAD COME OFF THEIR TRACK; THE INTERNAL CABLES WERE FRAYED. I COULD NOT CLOSE THE DOOR COMPLETELY. WE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS DOOR MALFUNCTIONING ON 2004 SIENNAS. WE REPORTED OUR PROBLEM TO TOYOTA, REFERRING TO THE OTHER COMPLAINTS, BUT TOYOTA HAS DONE NOTHING. WE ARE THANKFUL THAT OUR CHILDREN WERE NOT IN THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED, AS THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED! WE ARE ALSO THANKFUL THAT THIS DID NOT HAPPEN WHILE WE WERE AWAY ON OUR CAMPING TRIP, AS WE WERE AT A REMOTE LOCATION WITH NO MECHANICS FOR MANY, MANY MILES! *TR