NHTSA Complaint #10582792 — 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA

WITHIN ONE WEEK OF PURCHASE, THE DRIVER SIDE, POWER ASSIST SLIDING DOOR FAILED TO OPEN COMPLETELY. AFTER INITIALLY OPENING SIX INCHES IT WOULD ONLY MOVE FOUR INCHES IN EITHER DIRECTION BY PULLING THE EXTERIOR HANDLE. ONLY WITH MULTIPLE PULLS/JERKS COULD THE DOOR BE FULLY OPENED OR CLOSED. THIS PROBLEM WOULD MANIFEST UNPREDICTABLY, MOST OFTEN WITH THE DRIVER SIDE POWER DOOR, BUT ONCE WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE. OTHERWISE THE DOORS FUNCTIONED PROPERLY ABOUT EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE TIME. THIS FAILURE APPEARS TO INVOLVE A SAFETY FEATURE WHICH PREVENTS THE DOOR FROM ADVANCING WHEN SUFFICIENT RESISTANCE IS MET. IN ALL CASES OF FAILURE NO MECHANISM FOR RESISTANCE WAS FOUND. MY FEAR IS THAT THE SAFETY FEATURE MAY ALSO FAIL WHEN IT NEEDS TO PERFORM PROPERLY, TO PREVENT AN ARM OR LEG FROM BEING CRUSHED. *TT