NHTSA Complaint #10303118 — 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA

ON JAN. 25,2010, MY SON OPENED THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR OF MY 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA AS USUAL. HOWEVER, WHEN HE WENT TO PRESS THE BUTTON TO CLOSE IT. IT WOULD NOT CLOSE. UPON OBSERVATION, I NOTICED THE CABLES WHICH OPERATED THE DOOR WERE HANGING OUT. WHEN I TRIED TO CLOSE THE DOOR USING ANOTHER DOOR CONTROL, IT DID NOT WORK EITHER. I ALSO TRIED TO MANUALLY CLOSE THE DOOR AND THIS WOULD NOT WORK EITHER. IT APPEARED THAT THE BACK CABLE WOULD NOT RETRACT, SO THE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE. I CONTACTED THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY COULDN'T PROVIDE ME ANY DIRECTIONS UNTIL I BROUGHT THE CAR IN. AFTER SEEING THE PROBLEM, I WAS GIVEN AN ESTIMATED RANGE OF $1300-$2000. UPON DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A PROBLEM AS FAR BACK AS 1999 AND YET IS STILL AN ONGOING PROBLEM TODAY. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THAT WHEN ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE FROM TOYOTA TO MAKE A REPAIR THAT WILL INEVITABLY HAPPEN, THEY HAVE REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE FROM 50% TO 15%. IT IS DISAPPOINTING AND EXPENSIVE TO HAVE A FAILURE OCCUR, EVEN WHEN YOU FOLLOW PROPER OPERATING PROCEDURE, I.E. PRESSING THE BUTTON TO OPEN THE DOOR. *TR