After picking up our vehicle from naperville Toyota service on June 20th, 2006, where it was brought in for an oil change and check-up, it was discovered the rear hatch struts had failed overnight, simultaneously, and without warning. This failure caused the rear door to open as usual but subsequently slam down on the vehicle owner with full force onto their head. Although the injury sustained was minor, the rear door was unable to operated automatically and had to be physically held open to load or unload any cargo in the back. Both the dealership and the national Toyota consumer service hotline were informed of the safety issue. The repairs to the vehicle were quoted at $430 because the warranty was over by only 431 miles. ( case # 200607080129). There was an offer of a 50 dollar labor discount upon complaint.

- Naperville, IL, USA

The rear deck lid on my 2004 Sienna xle limited van has a remote automatic open & close feature. I used the auto open and while placing items in the rear storage area, the deck lid closed (under power) without command, striking me and my son. The auto-stop feature didn't engage until I pushed very hard against the lid. As soon as I let go, it came down again. There were no prior incidents or any unusual behavior to indicate a problem with the operation of the deck lid. The lid hasn't worked since and it won't stay open without someone holding it. A week after the incident I found a Toyota technical service bulletin BO0003-04 that states "back door stays for 2004 model year Sienna vehicles have been redesigned in order to provide improved resistance to seal damage and prevent leakage." I checked my back door stays (gas or hydraulic filled struts) and they were both leaking. I checked the internet user forum "siennaclub.org" and found several similar complaints from Sienna owners in the U.S. and Canada. In my opinion, the uncommanded closing of a rear deck lid in a mini-van constitutes a serious safety hazard. Just a guess, most mini-van owners have or Transport children. There is no way a child could have stopped and reversed the lid that closed on me and my son. This should be a recall issue, not a service bulletin that Toyota is not required to disclose and in fact, can charge to repair.

- Compton, CA, USA

: the contact stated the automatic rear hatch comes down without pressing the remote. The hatch hit the contact multiple times, but caused no injury. The dealership determined this is normal when the temperature is between 15-25 degrees, although this occurred at 30 degrees. The manufacturer determined this was within manufacturer specifications and no repair or action could be taken. The dealership suggested the contact try to manually hold the rear hatch open.

- Melrose Park, IL, USA

The rear hatch is reversing and coming back down on its own without pressing on the remote. The consumer anticipates that an injury can occur because it comes down with great force.

- Bellville, OH, USA