NHTSA Complaint #10522415 — 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA

EVER SINCE NOVMBER, 2008, MY 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA PASSENGER SIDE POWER DOOR, HAS INTERMITTENTLY FAILED TO OPEN EITHER BY ACTIVATING THE BUTTON ON THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR COLUMN, BY PULLING THE DOOR HANDLE OUTSIDE, OR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOOR BUTTON, OR WORSE, AFTER OPENING, WILL NOT CLOSE. THE DEALER HAD TO REINITIALIZE THE ECU IN NOVEMBER, 2008, AND HAVE HAD INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS SINCE. NOW, SINCE AT LEAST DECEMBER, 2012, THE SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT OPEN AT ALL BY ANY OF THE 3 METHODS AND CANNOT BE REINITIALIZED. ALSO, AT TIMES THE MANUAL DRIVERS SIDE PASSENGER DOOR, IN THE PAST ~ 1 1/2 YEARS WILL NOT OPEN EITHER FROM INSIDE DOOR BUTTON RELEASE OR OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE AND PASSENGERS HAVE TO CLIMB OVER FROM THE FRONT SEATS TO ENTER OR CLIMB OVER THE FRONT SEAT & CONSOLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER THAT I NEED TO "START WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ECU," A PART COSTING $730.00 AND ABOUT $1000 WITH INSTILLATION. I HAVE READ OTHER HORROR STORIES THAT REPLACING THE ECU ISN'T NECESSARILY THE ANSWER AND MANY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY AUTO RECALLS ON THESE POWER DOOR MECHANISMS YET? I SEE A LARGE VOLUME OF THE EXACT SAME COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FOR THESE SIENNA AS WELL AS WITHIN THE NHTSA DATABASE. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF THE VEHICLES' PASSENGERS, AS IT STANDS, A CATASTROPHE IS WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR