NHTSA Complaint #10351502 — 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA

AT ABOUT 107,000 MILES, OUR 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR BEGAN MAKING A LOUD POPPING. NO INCIDENT LED TO THE INITIATION OF THIS NOISE. INVESTIGATION REVEALED BROKEN WELDS AT THE DOOR STOP CONNECTION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF OTHER COMPLAINTS INCLUDING A SERVICE BULLETIN (NV003-07). TOYOTA WAS CONTACTED AND AFTER ABOUT 2 WEEKS OF FOLLOW-UP, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST US IN ANY WAY CITING A LACK OF "SERVICE HISTORY" WITH THE DEALERSHIP. WE WERE OVER OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY MILEAGE BY ABOUT 7000 MILES AND THE TIME BY ABOUT 3.5 MONTHS. WE ARE THE SECOND OWNERS OF THE VAN, BUT THE ORIGINAL OWNERS WERE MY WIFE'S PARENTS. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR TO REPAIR THE DOOR. A PROPER FIX WOULD INCLUDE INSTALLING A NEW DOOR. WE ARE A MIDDLE CLASS FAMILY WORKING ON A BUDGET THOUGH SO THAT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. WE WILL HAVE TO FIND AN ALTERNATIVE. OPTIONS INCLUDE 1)REMOVING THE DOOR STOP ALLOWING THE DOOR TO FREELY SWING...DEFINITE SAFETY CONCERN. 2)DRILLING OUT THE SPOT WELDS AND MIG WELDING THEM BACK...NOBODY IS HAVING ANY LUCK WITH THIS FROM WHAT I AM READING. 3) DRILLING OUT THE SPOT WELDS AND ATTACHING WITH A BOLT...ONLY TEMPORARY FROM WHAT I AM READING...CRACKS FORM IN THE WELDED MATERIALS. THE TEMPTATION IS TO TEMPORARILY FIX THE PROBLEM AND THEN SELL THE VEHICLE. WE ARE HONEST FAITHFUL PEOPLE SO I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STICK ANOTHER FAMILY WITH THIS ISSUE. SOME MIGHT ARGUE THAT THIS IS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM. SINCE THE STOP IS STILL PARTIALLY ATTACHED, MY WIFE HAS BEEN ENTERING AND EXITING THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER DAMAGE. COMPLETE FAILURE WOULD RESULT IN EXTREME DIFFICULTY FIXING IT AND POSE A SERIOUS THREAT TO ONE OF MY THREE UNSUSPECTING CHILDREN WHEN THEY OPEN IT UP. I HAVE ALREADY READ OF CHILDREN BEING HURT BY A FREE SWINGING SIENNA DOOR. THIS IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. WELDS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BREAK. THE MATERIALS BETWEEN THE WELD SHOULD BREAK FIRST. IT WAS A BAD WELD FROM DAY 1. *TR