NHTSA Complaint #10712927 — 2009 TOYOTA SIENNA

UPON OPENING THE DRIVER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR, THE CABLE SNAPPED, AND THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. WE DISENGAGED THE POWER AND FIGURED WE WOULD CONTINUE TO USE THE DOOR IN A MANUAL SETTING. HOWEVER, ONCE THE DOOR WAS CLOSED, WE DISCOVERED THAT YOU CANNOT OPEN IT IF THE CABLE IS SNAPPED. IT OPENED UP ABOUT 8-12 INCHES, BUT WOULD GO NO FURTHER. ALTHOUGH OUT OF WARRANTY, TOYOTA AGREED TO FIX THE ASSEMBLY DUE TO AN ENHANCED SERVICE AGREEMENT. IN JAN. 2015, THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND WE COULD AGAIN NOT USE THE DOOR. AFTER TAKING IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER AGAIN, WE WERE TOLD THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT UNDER THE ENHANCED SERVICE BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN COVERED IN ERROR THE FIRST TIME. WE ASKED THEM TO JUST GET IT TO A POINT WHERE WE COULD OPEN THE DOOR MANUALLY, BUT THEY SAID THE FULL REPAIR ($1600) HAD TO BE DONE TO DO THAT. UPON DOING RESEARCH, WE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG MANY TOYOTA SIENNA OWNERS OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. WE ARE FILING THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD TO NOT BE ABLE TO EVEN MANUALLY OPEN THE SLIDING DOORS WHEN THE POWER ASSEMBLY FAILS. IF THERE IS A SWITCH FOR MANUAL OPERATION, IT SHOULD ALWAYS FUNCTION IN MANUAL MODE. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF BOTH DOORS WERE BROKEN AND THERE WAS AN EMERGENCY? CHILDREN (OR ANYONE FOR THAT MATTER) WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO QUICKLY EXIT THE VEHICLE, NOR WOULD EMERGENCY WORKERS BE ABLE TO GET THEM OUT QUICKLY. THESE REPAIRS ARE AROUND $1600 PER DOOR. MANY FAMILIES CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SPEND THIS KIND OF MONEY TO MERELY GET A DOOR TO FUNCTION IN A MANUAL SETTING. *TR