NHTSA Complaint #10506078 — 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA

MY 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WAS PLAYING IN MY MINIVAN AS I STOOD RIGHT OUTSIDE. AS I LOOKED IN THE WINDOW TO CHECK ON HER I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. SHE WAS STANDING IN THE THIRD ROW OF SEATS FACING THE BACK WINDOW. SHE WASN'T MOVING AND FOR ONE AWFUL MOMENT I THOUGHT SHE WAS DEAD. I OPENED THE BACK HATCH TO FIND HER SUSPENDED BETWEEN TWO SEAT BELTS WRAPPED AROUND HER NECK. LUCKILY, HER FEET WERE STILL TOUCHING THE SEAT, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN ENOUGH TO KEEP THE BELTS FROM COMPLETELY CUTTING OFF HER BREATHING. AS MY FRIEND AND I DESPERATELY TRIED TO UNTANGLE THE BELTS FROM AROUND HER NECK THEY GOT TIGHTER AND TIGHTER. I TRIED TO FIND A KEY OR ANYTHING SHARP TO UNHOOK THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT FROM ITS LATCH SO WE COULD UNWIND IT FROM AROUND HER NECK (I HAD DROPPED MY KEYS DURING THE INITIAL FRANTIC MOMENTS WHEN I CLIMBED IN THE HATCH TO TRY AND GET HER OUT). AS WE WORKED TO FREE HER, THE BELTS CONTINUED TO GET TIGHTER. MY FRIEND RAN TO A NEARBY SCHOOL TO GET SCISSORS. THE NEXT FEW MOMENTS WERE HORRIBLE. I WAS WATCHING MY DAUGHTER STRANGLE TO DEATH. I FRANTICALLY TRIED TO FIND MY KEYS OR ANY SHARP OBJECT TO RELEASE THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT FROM ITS ANCHOR. MY DAUGHTER WAS TURNING PURPLE AND IT WAS CLEAR THE SITUATION WAS DETERIORATING QUICKLY. I FINALLY GRABBED THE KEYS FROM MY FRIEND?S IGNITION AND REACHED OVER THE BACK SEAT TO UNHOOK THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT. I FELT A BRIEF MOMENT OF RELIEF AS I EXPECTED THAT TO RELEASE THE PRESSURE AROUND HER NECK, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE SEAT BELTS WERE SO TIGHT AT THAT POINT I COULDN?T UNTHREAD THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT FROM AROUND HER NECK. MY FRIEND ARRIVED WITH SCISSORS AND I CUT THE BELT. THE SEAT BELT STILL DIDN?T RELEASE AT THAT POINT, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO UNTANGLE AND LOOSEN THE BELTS AND PULL MY DAUGHTER FROM THE CAR. SHE WAS LIMP AND BRIGHT RED, BUT SHE WAS ALSO BREATHING AND LOOKING AT ME. SEAT BELTS SHOULD BE SAFE ... *TR