NHTSA Complaint #10331825 — 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA

2000 TOYOTA SIENNA -- PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR FAILED. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT WHEN THE CAR WAS NEW AND THE DOOR FINALLY STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY 5 YEARS AGO. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS APPROX. 60,000 MILES. THE DEALER THINKS THAT ALL COMPONENTS (MOTOR, CONTROLLER, ETC) NEED TO BE REPLACED AND WOULD COST OVER $2,200. AFTER READING ONLINE FORUMS AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SLIDING DOOR PROBLEMS AND THE FACT THAT IT WAS STILL NOT WORKING AFTER SPENDING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, I DECIDED AGAINST SPENDING THE MONEY. I BELIEVE THIS SLIDING DOOR PROBLEM HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DEFECT WITH THIS MODEL. AT FIRST DOOR WOULD AUTOMATICALLY OPEN AS ONE WAS DRIVING, A DANGEROUS SITUATION. MY WIFE DISABLED THE DOOR FROM THE CONSOLE SWITCH. ONLINE FORUMS HAVE LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING OF THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE AT LEAST TWO OTHER FRIENDS. WE BOUGHT THE MINIVAN AT THE SAME TIME AND WE ALL HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS (SLIDING DOOR AND THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS). TOYOTA HAS AGAIN TRIED TO AVOID ANY RECALLS AND FIXED THE PROBLEMS ONLY WHEN PEOPLE COMPLAINED A LOT. UNFORTUNATELY THE MANUAL OVERRIDE AND RESETTING THE OPERATION DOES NOT WORK EITHER. *TR