NHTSA Complaint #10344634 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

AT 66,000 MILES, MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR BEGAN MAKING A POPPING SOUND. IT IS BROADLY KNOWN BY TOYOTA THAT THIS IS A DEFECT IN CONSTRUCTION AND WHILE THERE IS NOT A RECALL, THEY HAVE EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM TO 6 YEARS OR 1000,000 MILES. THIS PROBLEM MANIFESTED ITSELF ONE WEEK AFTER THE CAR'S 6 YEAR PURCHASE DATE. TOYOTA CORPORATION REFUSED TO REPLACE THE DOOR. I WENT TO SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS AND FOUND ONE THAT SAID THAT TOYOTA AGREED THAT THE DOOR WOULD BE REPLACED ( WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED DOOR ) AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY HALF OF THE PRICE: $1,700.00 . ISUBSEQUENTLY CANVASSED BODY SHOPS AND MECHANICS IN THE LOCATION OF THE DEALER IN QUESTION AND FOUND OUT THAT THEY KNEW OF MANY VEHICLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THAT THEY KNEW THAT DEALERSHIPS IN THE AREA WERE FIXING THE PROBLEM WITHOUT CHARGE FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME WHOSE WARRANTIES HAD EXPIRED. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF RENEGOTIATION WITH THE DEALER REGARDING THE REPAIR. IN ANY CASE, THIS IS MY LAST TOYOTA. *TR