NHTSA Complaint #11402601 — 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA

FROM THE TIME I PURCHASED MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA, THE DRIVER-SIDE SEAT BELT HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. MOST OF THE TIME IT WOULD NOT RETRACT, BUT WAS SOMETIMES FIXABLE BY MOVING THE HEIGHT ADJUSTER UP AND DOWN. SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE OVER-EXTENDED FOR DAYS, THEN RETRACT ON ITS OWN. IT IS NOW FULLY EXTENDED AND UNABLE TO RETRACT. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE WITH A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (80 MILES AWAY) TO FIX IT BUT, BECAUSE OF A MISCOMMUNICATION, THEY WERE PREOCCUPIED WITH REPAIRING FOUR RECALL ISSUES AND NEGLECTED TO ADDRESS THE SEAT BELT PROBLEM. INSTEAD, THEY GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF $335 TO REPLACE IT. THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT, DATED JAN 7, 2016, WAS SENT TO OWNERS OF 2004-2006 TOYOTA SIENNAS. APPARENTLY THE FORMER VEHICLE OWNER DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM A MAUI DEALERSHIP IN OCTOBER OF 2018. "WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM ' ZF2 2004 ' 2006 MODEL YEAR SIENNA VEHICLES EXTENSION OF WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR FRONT SEATBELT ASSEMBLIES TOYOTA HAS RECEIVED A NUMBER OF REPORTS REGARDING FRONT SEATBELTS IN CERTAIN 2004 ' 2006 MODEL YEAR SIENNA VEHICLES. IN THESE REPORTS, CUSTOMERS HAVE INDICATED THAT THE FRONT SEATBELTS (RIGHT AND/OR LEFT) MAY SLOWLY OR NON-SMOOTHLY RETRACT. ALTHOUGH THE FRONT SEATBELT ASSEMBLY IS COVERED BY TOYOTA'S NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY FOR 5 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES (WHICHEVER COMES FIRST), WE AT TOYOTA CARE ABOUT THE CUSTOMERS' OWNERSHIP EXPERIENCE. TOYOTA IS NOW EXTENDING THE WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR REPAIRS RELATED TO SLOW OR NON-SMOOTH RETRACTION OF FRONT SEATBELTS." SINCE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A COMMON AND HAZARDOUS PROBLEM WITH 2004-2006 SIENNAS, IT SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD BE WARRANTIED UNDER A RECALL PROGRAM.