Nov. 22 – Torrance, California – Toyota recently announced a recall of Sienna minivans in response to electrical problems that may affect the operation of power sliding doors.
The Defect
According to documents compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem appears to have affected Sienna vehicles from the 2011-2016 model years – specifically, those manufactured between Jan. 4, 2010 and Aug. 12, 2016. The issue can arise when something impedes the normal operation of the power sliding doors, such as ice in the winter. When this happens, the motor stalls, generating current and operating the fuse for the door motor. There is a chance that this can cause the door to open unexpectedly while the vehicle is moving.
Timeline
January 2014 – April 2015 – Toyota first received reports of a malfunctioning door from a dealer. While an initial inspection found that the door cable was not attached to the latch mechanism, the parts still functioned normally when reattached and no abnormalities in the cable installment process were found. At the time, Toyota concluded that this was an isolated incident.
November 2015 – April 2016 – Toyota received more reports of similar issues. In some vehicles, the sliding doors refused to latch. Two reports indicated that doors opened while the vehicles were moving. Further investigation determined that these problems tended to emanate from cold climates.
May 2016 – November 2016 – Toyota determined that freezing could cause the sliding door motor to stall, leading to further malfunctions down the road. The company then announced its voluntary safety recall campaign.
Solution
Toyota will mail notices to affected vehicle owners by Jan. 21, 2017. This letter will include instructions for those owners who have already paid for repairs and wish to apply for reimbursement from the automaker.
