NHTSA Complaint #10845954 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

THE FRONT DOOR CHECK HAS COME LOOSE AND "POPS" WHEN OPENING/CLOSING. THIS RESULTS IN THE DOOR SWINGING SHUT WITHOUT WARNING AND COULD EASILY CAUSE PHYSICAL HARM TO AN ADULT AND SEVERE HARM TO A SMALLER CHILD. TOYOTA ISSUED A SEVERELY LIMITED "TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN" THAT ONLY EXTENDED COVERAGE FOR THIS DEFECT TO 5 YEARS/100,000 (WHICHEVER CAME FIRST). HOWEVER, THE AVERAGE PERSON DOES NOT DRIVE 20,000 MILES PER YEAR SO THE PROBLEM IS NOW SHOWING UP EN MASSE AND TOYOTA IS REFUSING TO FIX THE KNOWN ISSUE. MY 2004 SIENNA STARTED SHOWING SIGNS OF THIS DEFECT BEFORE IT REACHED 100,000 MILES RECENTLY BUT BECAUSE IT WAS BEYOND 5 YEARS THEY HAVE REFUSED TO ADDRESS THIS SAFETY/PERFORMANCE ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY ACKNOWLEDGED BY TOYOTA TO AFFECT AS MANY AS 600,000 VEHICLES. UNLIKE NUMEROUS OTHER TECHNICAL AND SAFETY ISSUES TOYOTA HAS RECALLED ON THIS SAME RANGE OF SIENNAS THIS DEFECT WAS PURPOSEFULLY LISTED AS A "TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN" WITH A SEVERELY LIMITED EXTENSION WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF OWNERS WOULD BE BEYOND THE EXTENSION BEFORE THEY BEGAN EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF DOORS GETTING STUCK, FALLING OPEN, SWINGING SHUT UNEXPECTEDLY AS A RESULT OF THIS ISSUE AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY TOYOTA UNDER A FULL RECALL.