NHTSA Complaint #10810622 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

DUE TO WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IS AMONG NEARLY ALL 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA OWNERS, THE SLIDING CAN DOORS FREEZE SHUT AND CAN'T BE OPENED. ON CHRISTMAS DAY 2012, MY VAN WAS PARKED ON THE STREET, AND AT ABOUT 1AM I WENT OUT TO START THE VAN AND WARM IT UP FOR MY FAMILY, ABOUT 15 MINUTE LATER I CAME OUT WITH THE KIDS TO LEAVE. I THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE DOORS WERE FROZEN SHUT. I TRIED PULLING MANY TIMES AND THEN TRIED HAVING SOMEONE GO INSIDE THE VAN AND PUSH WHILE I PULLED, IT DIDN'T WORK. THEN I HAD MY WIFE TAKE THE KIDS BACK IN THE HOUSE WHILE I WORKED ON IT, I GOT THE DOOR TO OPEN ABOUT AN INCH AND I STUCK MY FINGERS IN AND GRIPPED THE EDGE OF THE DOOR FOR BETTER LEVERAGE AND TO AVOID DAMAGING THE HANDLE. I THEN PULLED REALLY HARD AND IT CAME A LITTLE FURTHER OPEN. IT THEN ENGAGED THE AUTOMATIC CLOSE AND SHUT MY 4 FINGERS INTO THE DOOR. I WAS THEN ALONE OUTSIDE WITH ONE HAND STUCK IN THE DOOR, I SCREAMED FOR HELP AND FINALLY SOME PEOPLE CAME OUTSIDE AND RAN INSIDE THE VAN FROM THE DRIVERS DOOR AND TWO PEOPLE KICKED ON THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE WHILE ONE PULLED FROM THE OUTSIDE UNTIL THEY BROKE THE FROZEN SEAL. MY FINGERS WERE IN EXTREME PAIN AND I COULDN'T BEND ANY OF THEM FOR SEVERAL HOURS. I HAD DEEP GROOVES ON EITHER SIDE OF MY FINGERS AND TO THIS DAY I HAVE SCAR TISSUE BUILD UP ON THE BACKSIDE OF MY FINGERS FROM HE COMPRESSION DAMAGE. THIS AGAIN HAPPENED TO MY 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER A YEAR LATER WHEN SHE RAN AND TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR. FORTUNATELY HER FINGERS WERE SMALLER SO THERE WAS LESS DAMAGE TO HER FINGERS THAN MINE. BUT IN EITHER CASE, HAD THERE NOT BEEN OTHER PEOPLE THERE TO HELP. THERE WOULD BE NO HOPE OF SAVING YOURSELF. I SHOULD NOTE THAT I AM A 6' 28 YEAR OLD MALE WHO WORKS IN CONSTRUCTION AND IS IN GOOD SHAPE. WITH ALL OF MY EFFORT, INCLUDING PUTTING MY FEET ON THE PASSENGER DOOR AND PULLING I COULDN'T OPEN THE DOOR. THIS HAS BROKEN BOTH OF OUR AUTOMATIC DOORS.