1992 Toyota Previa

TOYOTA PREVIA. MANUFACTURE DATES BETWEEN 1989 TILL 1993? BUT MY 1992 TOYOTA PREVIA HAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK KEEPS ON MALFUNCTIONING (WILL NOT OPEN OR OPERATE PROPERLY) UNTIL LATELY (NOW/TODAY), IT WILL NEITHER OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE OR FROM THE INSIDE. ALL BECAUSE OF A BAD SPRING THAT IS ATTACHED (NO LONGER) TO THE LOCKING ACTUATOR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN PART OF WHEN THE VEHICLE GETS INTO AN ACCIDENT, EMERGENCY CREW OR THE DRIVERS CANNOT EXIT THE VEHICLE. DRIVERS HAD TO USE THE PASSENGERS DOOR. THIS IS UNSATISFACTORY. IF THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE DUE IN PART TO THE NEGLIGENCE AND KNOWLEDGE OF THE TOYOTA CORP. THEN WE ARE REALLY IN DIRE STRAITS FOR THIS COUNTRY THAT I LOVE. THANK YOU. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW WAS ACCIDENTALLY POWERED UP AND THE PASSENGERS HAND WAS PINNED TO THE TOP OF THE WINDOW. THE POWER WINDOW WOULD NOT RELEASE NOR WOULD IT POWER DOWN. THE WINDOW WAS PHYSICALLY PULLED DOWN ENOUGH TO RELEASE THE HAND. MINOR INJURIES TO THE HAND WERE SUSTAINED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 12/12/2006 - LATER THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THAT SHE HAD ACCIDENTALLY LOCKED THE WINDOWS. APPARENTLY THE CONSUMER HAD PRESSED THE WINDOW LOCK BUTTON WHEN SHE ORIGINALLY CLOSE THE WINDOW. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THERE SHOULD BE SOME TYPE OF SENSOR TO PREVENT THE WINDOWS FROM BEING LOCKED SHUT. *NM

FOR THE LAST 10 MONTHS THE ELECTRIC DRIVER'S SIDE LOCK ON MY 1992 TOYOTA PREVIA HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING SPORADICALLY. SOMETIMES IT WOULD WORK FINE, OTHERS IT WOULD WORK MANUALLY. RECENTLY, THE ELECTRONIC LOCK HAS FAILED TO FUNCTION BY ANY MEANS, ELECTRONICALLY OR MANUALLY. I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR VEHICLE FIRE WHEREIN I WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO EXIT THE PASSENGER SIDE ASSUMING I CAN MOVE OVER AND DO SO. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS EXTENSIVELY ON THE INTERNET AND APPARENTLY THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE AND YET THERE WAS NEVER EITHER A RECALL OR A WARNING/REPAIR NOTICE ISSUED. *JB

ON 7/15/2001 I DROVE MY WIFE'S PREVIA AND NOTICED THAT IT SEEMED TO HAVE AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF DRAG WHILE GLIDING WHILE IN "DRIVE" AS IF THE BRAKES WERE SOMEHOW ON, ALTHOUGH NEITHER THE MAIN BRAKES NOR THE PARKING BRAKE WERE ON. ONE DAY LATER, MY TOYOTA DEALER TELLS ME THAT IT WAS A "STICKING PARKING BRAKE" AND THAT IT WOULD COST $490 (!!) TO FIX. A FEW CALLS TO OTHER MI TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS CONFIRMED THAT IT'S NOT AN UNUSUAL PROBLEM AT ALL. SINCE THE PARKING BRAKE DRUM AND SHOE UNIT IS SEPARATE FROM THE REAR DISC BRAKE ROTORS, BUT STILL ENCLOSED FROM THE WEATHER, I HAVE NO IDEA AS TO WHY THIS WOULD BE SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM. THE COST OF $490 IS ABOUT WHAT A FULL DEALER DONE BRAKE JOB WOULD COST IF NONE OF THE ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. IT SEEMS TO ME, AND MANY OTHER CAR OWNERS WERE THEY ASKED, THAT BRAKES CAN WEAR OUT BUT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TO CAUSE TERMINAL DETERIORATION IN SUCH AN IMPORTANT SYSTEM IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION. A HIGH VOLUME DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY DON'T EVER ALLOW THEIR MECHANICS TO TOUCH THE PARKING BRAKES BECAUSE "OF THE COMMON OCCURRENCE OF HAVING THOSE BRAKES SEIZE UP." HOW'S THAT FOR RELIABILITY? (OR IS IT PLAIN LIABILITY?) PLAESE NOTIFY ME IF ANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM OR IF THEY HAVE MERELY PASSIVELY COUGHED UO THE $500 BUCKS AND 'GOTTEN ON WITH IT.*AK