NHTSA Complaint #10618322 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

WHEN OPEN OR CLOSE THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT DOOR, THERE IS A LOUD POPPING SOUND. THE WELD-ON HINGE BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE BODY IS BROKEN. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP INFORMED US THAT THE PROBLEM WILL DETERIORATE IN THE COMING DAYS. THE DOOR WILL SWING FREELY WHEN OPEN, POTENTIALLY HIT PEOPLE AND OTHER CARS NEAR BY. THE WINDOW ON THE DOOR MAY GET STUCK AND NOT ABLE TO BE OPENED OR CLOSED. TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AS EARLY AS 2007. IT ISSUED TWO WARRANTY EXTENSIONS BUT TOLD THE OWNERS TO KEEP THE WARRANTY LETTER IN FILE IF THE PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR. I FOLLOWED TOYOTA'S INSTRUCTION AND KEPT MY WARRANTY EXTENSION IN FILE SINCE THE SYMPTOM IN MY CAR DID NOT OCCUR AT THE TIME. HOWEVER, WHEN THE PROBLEM DID OCCUR LAST MONTH, TOYOTA REFUSED TO HONOR IT, CLAIMING THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED AND I AM NO LONGER COVERED. THEY DID OFFER $350 TOWARDS THE REPAIR BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GET YOUR HELP TO COVER THE FULL REPAIR COST. THIS IS A CRYSTAL CLEAR CASE OF A PROBLEM CAUSED BY AN INHERIT MANUFACTURE DEFECT. TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE ISSUED AN UNCONDITIONAL RECALL AND FIXED IT FOR ALL IMPACTED CUSTOMERS BECAUSE OF ITS SAFETY CONSEQUENCES. INSTEAD, THEY KEPT EXTENDING THE WARRANTY, HOPING OLDER CARS EXPIRES BEFORE THIS PROBLEM WAS UNCOVERED. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM AND OTHER SIENNA CUSTOMERS HAVE DESCRIBED THE SAME PROBLEM AND SYMPTOMS THAT MY DEALERSHIP DESCRIBED (SEE HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PAGES/TOYOTA-SIENNA-VAN-DOOR-WELD-ISSUE-CREATING-POPPING-NOISE/101820339938012)