NHTSA Complaint #10426285 — 2006 TOYOTA SIENNA

AIR BAG LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING IN MY VAN. CHECKED MANUAL AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE IMMEDIATELY TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. DEALERSHIP PULLED A B0111 CODE FROM THE VAN. WE WERE ADVISED IT WOULD BE APPROX $4700 FOR REPLACING THE SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AIR BAG AND WIRING HARNESS. NEITHER ITEM IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND I WAS RECOMMENDED BY THE DEALERSHIP TO CONTACT MY PRIVATE INSURANCE COMPANY TO COVER THE ITEM. PRIVATE INSURANCE WILL NOT COVER THE ISSUE DUE TO NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. OUR VAN HAS 56000 MILES AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT (THANK GOODNESS) OR BEEN DAMAGED DUE TO FLOOD, FIRE, OR ANYTHING ELSE. MY WIFE WAS ALSO TOLD OF A TSB BY THE DEALER OUT ON AIR BAGS FOR TOYOTA, BUT OUR SIENNA DID NOT MEET THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE TSB. AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM WE WERE TOLD THE HIGH COSTS WERE DUE TO EXTENSIVE LABOR FOR REMOVING THE FRONT END OF THE CAR IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE HARNESS. OBVIOUSLY DUE TO NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS HARNESS. THE HARNESS SEEMS TO BE FAILING AT AN ALARMING RATE AND ALL SHORTLY AFTER 50000 MILES. AFTER ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS TOYOTA HAD WITH SAFETY ISSUES IT WOULD SEEM THAT THIS WOULD BE AN ISSUE THEY WOULD ADDRESS, BUT NO ONE AT TOYOTA IS GIVING IT MUCH ATTENTION. *KB