Toyota has voluntary recalled 838,000 Sienna vehicles

Toyota is the latest automaker to recall some of their vehicles for a problem with their sliding doors. The recall is thought to be for 838,000 Sienna minivans worldwide, with affected models ranging between the years 2011 and 2016.

The issue is believed to relate to the electrical system for the sliding doors. The problem and danger with the sliding door is that, if it’s obstructed on opening, it could overload the door’s motor circuit and open a fuse. If this happens when the door is closed, there is the risk that the door may slide open while on the road.

Huge safety risk

There are huge consumer safety concerns with the door being able to reportedly slide open without warning. This can put everyone in the vehicle in danger, which could of course include young children.

Unknown as to whether it has caused injuries or death

The actual risk is there, although it’s not yet known whether the risk has actually caused any injuries or fatalities so far.

A Toyota spokesman, Victor Vanov, said that:

“Toyota would like to refrain from commenting whether there were any injuries or crashes as a result of the safety flaw.”

The spokesman was very careful with the wording of the statement, it seems. It doesn’t indicate whether there has been any injuries or deaths at all. However, if there were no injuries as a result of the door malfunction, wouldn’t Toyota just go ahead and confirm that?

Some suspect that there may have been injuries…

Recall and fix dates

So far, there are no dates set in stone for the actual repair. It seems that Toyota are trying to come up with an effective plan to remedy the disastrous safety flaw.

In the meantime, Toyota are sending out recall letters to all affected vehicle owners, and it’s believed that all recall letters should be in the hands of the affected owners by mid-January, saying that they’re “currently developing the remedy for this condition”.

Toyota are also offering a ‘Recall Checker’ on their website (https://www.toyota.co.uk/caring-for-your-toyota/owners/recall-checker.json) to allow any owner to check if their vehicle is affected by the sliding door safety fault. The online tool can also allow vehicle owners to check other safety recalls, and all that’s required is their Vehicle Identification Number (VINs).

All recalls of this nature are reportedly to be undertaken for free.

Potential claims

There should be a sense of urgency in this recall, as it’s unknown as to whether the sliding door malfunction has already caused injuries or crashes. If there has been injuries as a result of the safety flaw, Toyota may well to prepare for justifiable legal action against them.

Sources:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-toyota-recall-idUSKBN13H28M

http://autoweek.com/article/recalls/toyota-recalls-744000-sienna-minivans

http://toyotanews.pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota-sienna-recall-nov22.htm