NHTSA Complaint #11061030 — 2009 TOYOTA SIENNA

DURING COLD WEATHER THE LIFT GATE WILL ENGAGE THE POWER CLOSE FEATURE AUTOMATICALLY BEFORE USER REQUESTS IT. NORMALLY THE POWER CLOSE IS INITIATED BY THE USER PULLING THE LIFT GATE DOWN. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS IT TAKES A GOOD AMOUNT OF FORCE TO STOP THE POWER CLOSE FEATURE. ONCE YOU HAVE STOPPED IT, THE DOOR WILL RAISE, AND THAN IT WILL JUST BEGIN THE POWER CLOSE AGAIN. SOMETIMES THE DOOR WILL IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO CLOSE ONCE IT HAS BEEN RAISED, OTHER TIMES IT WILL WAIT FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE DOING SO. ONCE IT STARTS CLOSING YOU HAVE TO MOVE VERY QUICKLY TO AVOID BEING TRAPPED BY THE DOOR. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED. IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IF THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING OR NOT, NOR IF THE VEHICLE IS PARKED ON A SLOPE OR FLAT SURFACE.