NHTSA Complaint #10668919 — 2007 HYUNDAI ENTOURAGE

DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR OPENED SPONTANEOUSLY AND WOULD NOT STAY CLOSED. IT DIDN'T MATTER WHICH BUTTON I TRIED (DRIVER CONTROL, DOOR JAM, OR KEY FOB), DOOR WOULD NOT STAY CLOSED. I POWERED IT CLOSED TO DRIVE TO DEALER - STOPPING SEVERAL MORE TIMES TO RE-POWER IT CLOSED ON THE WAY. PART HAD TO BE ORDERED, SO I REPEATED THE ABOVE TO RETURN HOME. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY LIGHTING ON THE DOORS DRAINING THE BATTERY WHILE UNLATCHED DOOR SAT IN GARAGE. BY THE TIME THE PART ARRIVED (AFTER CHRISTMAS), CAR BATTERY WAS AT '0' CHARGE (BATTERY IS ONLY SIX MONTHS OLD). I HAD TO CONTACT AAA TO GET THE CAR STARTED TO DRIVE IT TO THE DEALER. MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE IS NO MANUAL OVERRIDE FOR THE AUTOMATIC DOORS, AND NO OFF SWITCH FOR THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LIGHTING THAT DRAINED MY BATTERY. I COULD HAVE BEEN ON A FREEWAY, I COULD HAVE HAD PASSENGERS OR GOODS IN MY BACK SEAT - SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES! OF COURSE I NEED TO HAVE THE PROBLEM REPAIRED, BUT FOR SAFETY'S SAKE, I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE OPTION TO SWITCH OFF THE AUTOMATIC DOOR AND MANUALLY CLOSE IT. IF I HAD NOT BEEN IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE SERIOUS. THE NEXT SAFETY ISSUE IS THE FACT THAT THE BROKEN DOOR DRAINED MY BATTERY TO ZERO! AGAIN, WHAT IF I HAD NOT BEEN HOME? MY 2007 HYUNDAI ENTOURAGE HAS ONLY 53500 MILES ON IT, I HAVE NO SMALL CHILDREN WHO ABUSE THE DOORS, AND I RESPONSIBLY MAINTAIN MY VEHICLE. THE DOORS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SERVICED ON TWO PREVIOUS OCCASIONS. PLEASE CREATE A MANUAL OVERRIDE FOR THE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOORS. *TR