NHTSA Complaint #10472799 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING PASSENGER DOORS ON BOTH SIDES OF MY TOYOTA SIENNA XLE HAVE STOPPED WORKING. I FIRST REPORTED A PROBLEM TO TOYOTA IN 2011 WHEN THE SLIDING DOOR BEHIND THE DRIVER SEAT STOPPED WORKING. TOYOTA REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR (MY VAN HAD 129,000 MILES ON IT). DUE TO THE $1,500 COST TO REPLACE THE WHOLE MOTOR ASSEMBLY, I HAD THE CABLE CUT BY A REPAIR SPECIALIST SO THE DOOR COULD BE OPERATED MANUALLY. LAST WEEK, THE OTHER PASSENGER DOOR STOPPED WORKING AND WILL NOT OPEN AT ALL. TOYOTA INFORMED ME TODAY THAT, ALTHOUGH THEY RECENTLY EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 120,000 / 9 YEARS; MY VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE THAT WARRANTY AS WELL. THE FACT THAT THE DOORS BECOME INOPERABLE (ONCE THE CABLE STOPS WORKING ONE CANNOT OPEN OR CLOSE THE DOOR WITHOUT GREAT EFFORT - AND EVEN THEN IT MAY NOT WORK) IS AN UNACCEPTABLE DEFECT AND A SAFETY HAZARD. THE ONE DOOR THAT IS NOW ON MANUAL MODE (SINCE THE CABLE WAS DISCONNECTED) IS STILL CUMBERSOME TO OPEN AND CLOSE. IF MY CHILDREN WERE YOUNGER, IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT INDEPENDENTLY (TOO HEAVY). TOYOTA NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND RECALL THE VEHICLES WITH THIS SAFETY HAZARD. BASED ON THE REPORTED NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, IT APPEARS THE ISSUE IS CAUSED OR EXACERBATED BY POOR DESIGN OF THE MECHANISM. *TR