NHTSA Complaint #10470318 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

OUR 2004 SIENNA VAN WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR A REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT. IN THE PAST, THE DOOR HAD CLOSED ON MY CHILD NUMEROUS TIMES DUE TO A DEFECT. AFTER THAT THE DOOR DID NOT CLOSE AT ALL UNLESS WE WENT OUT OF OUR VAN AND PUSHED UP ON IT AS IT WAS CLOSING. A MECHANIC AT TOYOTA POINTED OUT TO ME CHIPPED PAINT ABOVE THE DOOR WHICH WE WERE TOLD INDICATED THAT THE DOOR WAS SAGGING DUE TO THE HINGE NOT BEING STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE DOOR PROPERLY & THAT THE HINGE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHEN OUR VAN WAS IN FOR THE RECENT ENHANCED WARRANTY REPAIR, WE WERE TOLD THAT ALL OF THE REPAIR WAS COVERED EXCEPT THE HINGE, WHICH COSTS US $224.05. WE WERE TOLD THE HINGE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED OR WE WOULD CONTINUE TO HAVE THE DOOR GO OUT ON US.!THIS IS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM ACCORDING TO SEVERAL TOYOTA MAINTENANCE TECHS, BUT THEY ARE CHARGING CUSTOMERS TO PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE WARRANTY. IN ADDITION, ON OUR INVOICE IT STATED THAT OUR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR THE CABLES ARE ALSO FRAID AND THE HINGE HAS PLAY. WHEN ASKING WHY THEY DID NOT DO THE WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT ON THIS DOOR, WE WERE TOLD THAT BECAUSE THE DOOR IS NOT TOTALLY NON-FUNCTIONING, THEY WILL NOT REPAIR IT EVEN THOUGHT THEY STATED THE PARTS ARE BAD! WE QUESTIONED BOTH TOYOTA WALNUT CREEK AND TOYOTA CORPORATE (CASE # [XXX] AND SEVERAL OTHER CASE #'S) SEVERAL TIMES EACH AND GOT NO HELP FROM EITHER! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR