When a vehicle is moving at speed, doors are at their most effective when closed. One that inadvertently opens could cause a world of trouble, which is why Toyota recalled more than 700,000 Sienna minivans.
Toyota issued a recall for approximately 744,000 Sienna minivans. All the affected vans are between the 2011 and 2016 model years. Build dates for the vehicles in question have not been supplied.
The issue relates to the electrical system for the Sienna's sliding doors. In certain circumstances, if a sliding door is impeded while opening, it could overload the door's motor circuit and open a fuse. If that happens when the door isn't closed, the door might pop open while driving. Naturally, thais presents a huge safety risk, especially considering children are often in the back of minivans.
There is no official fix on the books yet -- Toyota is still engineering itself a remedy. Regardless, the automaker will still send out recall notices to all affected owners by first-class mail. That campaign should be complete by the middle of January.
Owners can also head to Toyota's website and input their VINs to see if they have any open recalls.