NHTSA Complaint #11120963 — 2014 SCION TC

AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS, FIRST, THE PASSENGER DOOR BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY RESPOND TO LOCKING/UNLOCKING COMMANDS. NEITHER THE KEY FOB NOR THE SWITCH IN THE VEHICLE WOULD WORK, AND EVENTUALLY THE DOOR LOCK HAD TO BE MANUALLY OPERATED. A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR BEGAN HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY CRASHES ACCORDING TO ONLINE DATABASES. NO DAMAGE TO EITHER DOOR HAS OCCURRED THAT COULD COMPROMISE ANY ELECTRICAL MECHANISM WITH EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS. A FRIEND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH HIS 2007 TOYOTA 4RUNNER AND WAS TOLD THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS ARE KNOWN TO FAIL IN CERTAIN YEAR VEHICLES MADE BY TOYOTA. I AM PRETTY SURE THIS IS THE ISSUE WITH MY 2014 SCION TC NOW. I CAN UNDERSTAND THE PART FAILING ON HIS VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS ABOUT TEN YEARS OLD AT THE TIME, HOWEVER MY CAR IS ONLY 4-5 YEARS OLD. THE KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEM ON MY SCION CURRENTLY ONLY OPERATES THE REAR HATCH, FOR NOW. I AM ONLY ABLE TO SECURE MY VEHICLE IF I MANUALLY LOCK BOTH DOORS, AND THEN PRESS LOCK ON THE KEY FOB TO ARM THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM. I CANNOT ACCESS THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WITH THE KEY AS THERE IS NO KEY HOLE PROVIDED ON THAT SIDE. IF SO MANY OF TOYOTA'S DOOR ACTUATORS ARE FAILING LIKE THIS, THEY SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THE POORLY MANUFACTURED VERSIONS THEY INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLES SINCE THE PARTS ARE SO EXPENSIVE NOT TO MENTION LABOR. MY FRIEND ENDED UP TRADING HIS 4RUNNER AND LEFT THE TOYOTA BRAND ALTOGETHER. I HAVE ALWAYS PREFERRED TOYOTA AND ACTUALLY ENCOURAGED HIM TO BUY ONE AS WELL. HOWEVER, I AM HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME CONVINCING MYSELF FROM TAKING THE SAME ROUTE AS HIM.