NHTSA Complaint #10417775 — 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA

TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL FOR LIFTGATE SUPPORT REPLACEMENT COMPLETED. SINCE THEN, LIFTGATE DOES NOT WORK CONSISTENTLY. WORKS BETTER DURING COOLER WEATHER. TAILGATE WILL START TO CLOSE, GO HALFWAY, THEN REOPEN FULLY. AFTER 2 OR 3 ATTEMPTS TAILGATE FLIES OPEN QUICKLY AND COULD INJURE SOMEONE IF THEY WERE IN THE ARC OF THE TAILGATE SWING. TAKEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES TO REPAIR THIS- LAST TIME, DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE TAILGATE MOTOR, AND TOLD ME IF THIS CONTINUED THE LIFTGATE MOTOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR ABOUT $1000. HAD NO (0) PROBLEMS WITH THE LIFTGATE PRIOR TO THE SAFETY RECALL, AND DEALER IS TRYING TO TELL ME THE LIFTGATE MOTOR IS GOING BAD (AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH REPLACING THE LIFTGATE STRUTS.) I THINK TOYOTA NEEDS TO REPLACE THE LIFTGATE MOTORS, AS THEY ARE UNABLE TO OVERCOME THE LIFTGATE STRUT PRESSURES. *TT