Question on TSB: Toyota Sienna Door Welds Causing Clicking

04exaccord

Hello,

I own a 2005 Toyota Sienna XLE Limited. Awhile back, I received an TSB announcement for possible clicking noises due to some of the door welds breaking off.

Well, I am getting very loud clicking noises and I'm afraid I'm affected by the TSB.

Has anyone had repairs done due to the TSB? If so, can someone tell me what it all entailed?

I called one dealer around me and he said it will take the 3 days because they have to send it to a body shop to have them take the doors apart, weld around the doors, then possibly repaint the door due to the paint being affected by the heat from welding.

Just want to get some confirmation from others. I have to be honest, I want to get the problem fixed, but I'm not looking for to getting new paint on the Sienna. After market paint jobs are never as good as the factory paint jobs in my opinion.

Thanks,

Tae

zeebo1

I ahve a 2004 over 100K miles....Toyota won't repair this defect. I finally got annoyed enough to fix it myself..It's not too difficult with the right tools..When the door is fully open it aligns the door check carrier perfectly. With pressure on the open door you drill two 3/16 holes top and bottom directly on the spot welds. You'll need an angle drill to do this. Install two Steel (not aluminum) pop rivits top and bottom....Done!
'Hope this helps,
Steve Zeman

ateixeira

If it ain't broke...

The latch mechanism makes noise, so make sure your noise isn't "normal".

Go to a dealership and ask to see a brand new Sienna, then play close attention to the noises it makes to open a power sliding door in perfect condition, and compare to yours.

If yours is working fine, it may just be unnecessary.

zeebo1

This has nothing to do with the sliding door! It's a design defect with the Driver's side door That Toyota is well aware of. They voluntarily fix the problem if your car is under 100k miles..
z

ateixeira

The OP didn't specify what door it was...

adiehl13

Leave it to "the Forum" to validate my complaints!! I mentioned this to my husband last week- all of a sudden, it sounded like the driver side door was 100 yr old, rusted out old vehicle. It "clicks" and sounds like it is going to break. I'm assuming that the door weld is the issue. Thanks for identifying this. Now, the car is still under 100K, but it's 4 yrs old (2005 model) so I'm hoping it will be fixed free of charge. On another note....

I thought I'd just take a moment this morning to register some dissatisfaction with my 2005 Toyota Sienna. Now- for most of my life, I have been a Toyota loyalist.
HOWEVER- I have not been too pleased with the Sienna. First- we had issues with the cooling system. We've had various mechanical issues (tailgate; back up sensors, you name it). Now, this door weld problem. Mechanically- it just doesn't live up to our Toyota expectations. And my chief annoyance complaint- the LOCKOUT on the Navigation and DVD. Yes- I eventually figured out how to override the lockout on the Navi, but what a hassle.

I think Toyota needs to start paying attention to these quality issues and consumer complaints. I love it when it's working well- and yet, I'm not sure I'd buy another.

ateixeira

See if this helps with the lockout issue:

http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0e6c06/178#MSG178

adiehl13

Actually- I did figure out how to override the Navi lock out. It's the fix where you go to the Volume screen, and you touch the upper left corner, lower left corner, upper left corner and then you get the hidden menu. It really does work. But not for the DVD; and you have to do it every time you start the car. It was great, because of course I found how to do it on YouTube. I also found a great video on YouTube confirming the door weld issue.

love the social media. No better way to confirm a car problem then to watch and hear someone else's.....LOL

ateixeira

you touch the upper left corner, lower left corner, upper left corner and then you get the hidden menu

You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around...



Cracks me up. The routine to completely disable stability control (say, for an emissions test on a dyno) is similarly crazy.

These are supposed to remain secrets, only for mechanics to troubleshoot, but inevitably the power of the internet takes over, and people find out.

rcali

Where did you hear that they would fix the car if it was under 100K Ours is 9 months out of warranty and has 65K on it and they would not fix it and they said it would be $900 to spot weld it back and the spot welds could fail again and in this case you would have to buy a new door with the part already bolted on.

adiehl13

Our Toyota dealer DID fix the door. I went in with the problem "diagnosed" from the internet and they did not charge me. Ours is a '95 Sienna XLE with less than 100K and out of warranty. I would tell your local dealer that this is being fixed (can you find an official recall anywhere?) and let them know that if they charge you for this obvious Toyota issue, you will contact Toyota corporate...consumer affairs etc. I would think that with all the bad press lately that they would do this. Make it a "Safety" issue!!

milcar1

My Sienna is a 2005 with 68,000 miles. I have the door clicking problem. but it is more than a click. Toyota had extended the original warranty to 5 years and / or 100,000 miles instead of doing a recall. They call it a "Warranty Enhancement" My vehicle is over the five year period, although the milage is OK so they will not fix it. The problem is a manufacturing defect that Toyota is unwilling to address. It is an engineering flaw with the design of the plate welded to the door that causes the door strap spot welds to break loose. Typically just outside of the warranty for many owners. Toyota has issued a Technical Service Bulletin, (TSBNV003-7.pdf) but refuses to issue a recall to fix the issue most likely due to the number of units and dollars involved. Rewelding the failure points is not recommended as they are prone to fail again sooner than replacing the door. My estimate from Power Toyota of Cerritos, CA is $2418.49 to replace the door. It is not a matter if you will experience this door failure, but WHEN. For a $26,000 to nearly $40,000 per vehicle it is unacceptable for a company that markets itself as a manufacturer of reliable and quality products. This is a situation of a company that is having tremendous growth and will not take care of the customers who have helped propel that growth. I am on my forth Toyota. I have a beautiful Toyota Avalon XLS WITH 80,000 miles on it. I am a Toyota backer, but after this I am not so sure. To the person who riveted his plate, I sencerly wish him luck. Consider getting a different vehicle before it occurs again or you lose significant re-sale value. You can call Toyota Consumer Affairs at 800-331-4331 about your issue, though few if any have been successful doing this. Let others know about your experiance with Toyota's defective door welds. Good Luck

tfaw_big

My 2004 (now since traded in) had the driver door weld issue back in 2006 or 2007. The dealer first tried to claim there was no issue. This was Longo Toyota, The a few weeks later, the door would not open at all. They then said the cost to fix would be about 1,800. I then said, great because my Platinum warranty (7 years/100000) would cover that issue. That was checkmate, and they fixed the situation and I paid nothing. That issue was the first sense I got from Toyota that they were getting cocky or greedy (e.g., denial of the issue, jacking up the cost, etc etc). Prior thereto, I was a satisfied Toyota customer (i.e., 1996 Camry, 1998 Avalon and then the 2004 Sienna and also a 2005 Camry).

I just bought a 2011 Sienna, and as noted from another post, I now regret that decision. That will be the last Toyota I ever purchase for at least 10 years.

milcar1

milcar1

I really do not have fault with the Totota. I had the Sienna up to Alaska and back. It performed beautifuly. I have fault with the Toyota Corporation by the way they treat there long time customers. I could easy drill a couple holes in the bracket and put a couple rivets in it and sell it. Then go buy a Honda mini-van. But I will not do that temporary repair. I would be screwing the next person who buys it. I am not like Toyota. I have to sleep at night. To bad, because I really like Toyota's.

rlmarkow

Ours is a 2004 Sienna XLE w/ 89,900 miles. Went to the dealer yesterday, complained about the door....the service dept told us they had fixed alot of those but ours was out of warranty. Called corporate headquarters.....basically told us we were SOL. So sorry I purchased a Rav4 last year. Guess we all need to start making alot of noise including going to consumer affairs. Post your issue wherever we can. Let's chalk up another issue for Toyota.

adiehl13

Oops- I forgot. We have the platinum warranty as well, so earlier when I stated, "they fixed it out of warranty" that was misinformation... SORRY. The only way I would buy another Toyota would be if they made the Sienna a hybrid. That's what I've been waiting for. a more fuel efficient/more environmentally friendly minivan with all the bells and whistles.

milcar1

madandpissed

The door started clicking a couple of months ago and now it closes by it self. My son was standing near the door when it clicked shut by itself. My husband pulled my son before it hit him!! If my husband was not standing close to him he wold have been seriously hurt. Beware!! I have a 2006 Sienna and I will never buy another Toyota. My door is broke and clicking and toyota corp will not fix it. They cliam that it is not a recall but an extended warranty. A notice that as an orignal owner I never got. I called Toyota Corp and they basically dont give a ****. They are waiting for a recall. I am 3000 over the warranty and they won"t fix it. I have never posted anything in life. I am doing it because TOYOTA just really dont give a ****!! I will not support a company that thinks so little of its customers. I am so disappointed. My family has never bought anything but Toyotas and as a total have purchased over 50 vehicles from Toyota. We will never buy another car fom them!

tinarvaughn

I am very disappointed in Toyota. I did not receive a letter in '07 about the door. Two weeks ago my door broke. I looked it up on line and found that it was a problem with a lot of vans. I took it in to the local dealer and they said my warranty ran out in April. My mileage is under 100,000 and they contacted the SE Regional rep and they would only pay for half the door which is over $1,000. I took it back to the Toyota dealership where I bought it and they just gave me the run around. I called the Toyota care line and they said sorry they would only honor the SE Regional agreement. I am so disappointed. I can't afford to get a new door so I have this $30,000 van that I am not wanting to drive because of the door. The frame has cracked and I am afraid of it. I am telling everyone about my bad experience. I thought I was buying a great van that would last me a long time. I have learned that name means nothing. I will not buy another Toyota.

yatesjo

The VW van is just a rebadged Crysler with a nicer interior. VW isn't exactly renown for reliability on their own and is only a half step up from Chrysler. Like the most of the European brands reliability is sub-par and even worse than Ford and GM.

tarinj

Totally agree with your statement. We have a 2005 Sienna and our dealer indicated their hands are tied as well. They indicate it would cost between $2K and $4K to repair.

alexlesch

I had the pleasure of getting my Sienna before the miles. So what a year later it started doing the same thing. Called Toyota and No Can Do Anything For You mister. It was repaired at Toyota of Valdosta. They don't know how to repair it or they just mend it till you get rid of it. No more Toyota Mister.

alexlesch

Hey Steve how long did this repair last? I am about to perform the same thing.

kerit

I'm absolutely sick to my stomach right now after reading everyone's disappointing outcome with this driver door problem. I too have had problems with the driver door (not the sliding door but the driver door!). 2004 Sienna bought new, summer 2010 the door started squeaking when opened, then clicking, and apparently as it got worse...loud popping sound when opening and closing the door like the door was going to fall off. My mechanic was kind enough to go online and find a cheap 'fix' for this and welded the hinge for about $100. I have been SUPER careful with the door ever since obviously because he told me it could definitely break again and probably would. So, now 6 months later, my husband just got home after driving the van and the hinge must have broke again...THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN MORE THAN A 1/2 INCH!!! So he was therefore force to use the passenger door and crawl over the console. We have owned several Toyotas in the past. When we sold our 1994 Corolla, it was such a reliable quality auto my husband said he'd "sell that car to Jesus himself". If I have to replace the door on this van for $1800, you can bet I WILL NEVER EVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA!!!. Yes, the weld is a temporary fix....only temporary.

adiehl13

Kerit- I could have written the first part of your email (I posted a while ago and still follow this thread). we also bought a new 2005 Sienna XLE fully loaded etc. I have to say, after researching this on-line, I printed out the discussion, and went right to my local Toyota dealer (Carousel Toyota in Glen Mills, PA), and they fixed it free of charge. Believe you me- I was geared up for a fight- ready to march into the showroom and start saying loudly that no one should buy a Toyota if they won't fix known problems. But- I actually had not one single issue with the dealership fixing it. It could also be I had signed up for some "gold" service thing, whatever that means. But I hadn't bought it from that dealership, so at the very least I expected the, "well, you'll have to take it up with the dealer you bought it from."

I would go to your local Toyota dealership with a print out of this issue. I would simply say this is a Known Defect, and if they won't fix it, you'll go to your local news station etc. If they don't know how to fix it, HAVE THEM CALL MY DEALERSHIP. I haven't had a problem since they fixed it. Also, any Toyota dealership can look up this problem in their systen. Good Luck.

wynona

A fellow posted earlier that he had fixed his with new steel rivets.

I performed the same procedure on my 2004 (130,000 miles) using extra hard bolts after drilling out the spot welds. Use only high quality drill bits. Access is not easy with wrenches and drill but certainly do-able.

My rider side front door had the same problem when the car was 2 yrs old, repaired by Toyota with new welds ( my money later refunded by Toyota). So far, 80,000 miles later, their repair is still holding OK.

steph19

My Sienna is having the same door clicking problem. Took it in to the dealer i bought it from and they say its some warranty enhancement issue that only last 5 years. My Sienna is a 2005 also. I have 72000 miles on my van and never recieved a notice on this.

rlmarkow

I bet there is alot more of us out there......welcome to the wonderful world of getting screwed by toyota. I have a 2009 RAV 4 limited edition with 15,000 miles on it.....I seriously am looking into trading it in for a KIA while it still has some value.

mgullon

Our 2004 Toyota Sienna's driver door started to have the popping noise a couple month ago. I finally decided to bring to dealer only to find out it was a known defect. The first guy in Toyota dealer in Redlands, CA, told me on the phone that he is pretty sure it is under 8 year warranty. But when I got to the dealer, a different guy told me it was 5-year and showed me the doc. So we are out of luck. To fix it cost $497 - not sure how long it will last, to replace the door, about $2000.

For such a obvious defect, Toyota is not taking the responsibility. NO MORE Toyota cars in my family!

mark_phx

I too have recently experienced the front driver's side door problem. Of course - the 5 year "warranty enhancement" has expired. The dealer offered to pick up 1/2 the cost for the repair which was $452.00. I declined and instead filed a complaint with the NHTSA and BBB. Neither complaint got me anywhere but I still refuse to pay over $200 for a design flaw that Toyota knows about and does not do anything about. Well - that's the last Toyota for me. :lemon:

sdr2

I, too, have purchased my first and last Toyota. It's a 2004 Sienna XLE. The driver's door check mount is only the latest failure. I thought it was simply the plastic part, but it turned out that the spot weld fastening the door check mounting cup to the door frame had failed. I also found out that it's obscenely expensive to repair.

Before that, however, both power sliding door mechanisms failed. In each case, the carbon steel airline cable -- which the operating mechanism uses to pull the door open and closed -- came flying out of the side of the vehicle when it failed while the door was operating. It turned out the plastic sheath surrounding the carbon steel cable had cracked, allowing moisture and salt to enter, leading to rust and ultimately cable failure. In each case the cost would have been about $2,000 per door to repair. Thus, failures of door components on 3 doors leave me with a total bill of at least $4,500 to repair. Toyota offered no help.

It is interesting, however, that failure of the same carbon steel airline cable -- when supporting the spare tire rather than operating the sliding door -- has led to a manufacturer recall. It's a safety issue, and potential liability exposure for Toyota when those spares fall off on the road and cause accidents.

avprincess

I have had problems with my driver's side door for several years now. In the beginning it just did not open smoothly. It has become progressively worse to the point that the door felt like it would fall off. I took it in today to get the oil changed and specifically to look at the door. I have serviced my Van at the dealership I purchased it from in 2005 brand new -Appleway Toyota in Spokane, WA. When I spoke to the tech over the phone he stated I may need a new hinge and that he had not heard of many problems like I was describing. At the service center the tech found the problem and showed me wear the metal was almost completely separated in the hinge area! I could not believe my eyes! I would never have expected any vehicle let alone one that had been purchased new and cared for like a baby would have such a major flaw! HE stated he would get back to me with an estimate to fix. A few hours later I get a call and am told I must have slammed it too hard and that it would cost $500 to weld it back together. To add punishment he stated that the welding would be NOT be guaranteed and likely would fail. So I asked for the cost of a permanent fix that was guaranteed and was told that I would have to get a new door shell for $1600-$1800!!! Being internet savvy I went to the web to see if this was a known issue. As I do not slam my doors and I do not hang off the doors as I was accused! I found numerous forums and posts stating the same problem I am having! SO I called and asked to speak to the service manager. I explained the situation and that I found this was a known DEFECT. He tells me yes they do know of the problem and that Toyota provided an enhanced warranty of 100K miles or 5 years from date of purchase. OF course I just passed the 100K mile mark and I am at 5and half years. This made me upset to say the least. I explained to him that he could see our records and that we have had every service performed by their service center. I asked why this was not taken care of within the warranty time period especially given that I had brought it up in the past when the tech would get my miles. He stated he had no record of me bringing up the issue. I then asked why I never received notification of the issue. To which he replied it was not a recall and thus no notification was sent. I went on to state that my loyalty to their dealership was evidently not worth anything since they had not taken note of my concern over the door, they had not checked the door knowing there was an issue and furthermore their techs had checked my mileage on numerous occasions and so they knew there was a problem with the driver’s door not opening properly!! He gave me a song and dance that he only got paid if he performed service so there was no motivation for him not to fix a known problem. He told me he would check with his regional service manager to see if he could get them to pay for the door to be welded and he would get back to me. There are several key points I am very upset and disturbed about 1. The defect occurring in the first place: I have owned many Toyotas and to this point would only have purchased a Toyota or Lexus 2. The poor manner in which Toyota handled the defect: It is one thing to have a failure, it is another to then FAIL to communicate the issue and make sure to resolve the problem. 3. The lack of care and service performed by a Toyota dealership service department. 4. The service centers attitude towards a loyal customer ( Purchased new $43K van in 2005, purchased Lexus less than 6 months ago, all service performed by their service centers, AND even have used only their body shop!!!)
Now the BIG question does anyone know of a class action law suit?? Seems this issue would be appropriate for such action.

broken_car

My 2006 Sienna with 65k miles, driver side door just start making a loud popping/ cracking noise also. So will Toyota fix this even if I do not have an extended warranty since it is a common known defect? Is there a toyota reference number ... we can refer the dealer to?

avprincess

IF you are going to an actual Toyota service center they WILL no about it:) It is a warranty enhancement which covers either 100K miles or 5 years from date of purchase. HOwever, if you did not purchase the vehcile new from a Toyota dealer they may not cover it.

orinion

I have a toyota sienna 2006, have the same problems as stated here: driver side door welds failure, making a loud popping noise when open and close; auto sliding door is also jamming. I took it to the dealer where I bought only to find out the warranty has expired and presented with about 2K to fix the problem. There's got to be a way to address this issue--a recall maybe--and not pay that outrageous amount! I'm done with Toyota.

blah7

I had the same issue a year ago. I ended up talking to Toyota who told me about the $500 price to fix which I declined but they said they would look into covering the cost since it was a know defect.

In the mean time I fixed the issue by inserting a bolt with a beefy washer through a hole next to the failed weld spot and tightening it. The hole was previously used by one of the plastic clips holding in the rubber weather strip. The bolt/washer acted like a clamp and held the door arm in place. To do this you have to remove the driver door panel and stick your hand inside the door. It is tricky but it seemed to work.

After a month the makeshift clamp still worked but then Toyota called us back and decided to cover the cost of fixing the weld joint... no cost to us!

toyzforfun

Well, the door started clicking last week, just looked up the problem, man, I'm not looking forward to dealing with this problem. Reading the tread did help, I want to thank everyone who has posted. I have a call into my dealership and have my fingers crossed, but from what I've read, I'm not holding my breath. I also bought my Sienna XlE Limited brand new from the dealership, and two cars from there since then, and have always taken it back to the dealership to maintain service. Will let you know what happens.

kerit

The dealership might tell you to call Toyota directly, but since you have been having the vehicles serviced at the dealership...you might have better luck. When we called Toyota the reply was "well, had you been having your van serviced at the dealership...we might be more willing to work with you on this" which personally I think is a load of you know what. It's an admission they're doing something wrong in my mind.

curiosity3

I had the same problem, and San Juan Capistrano took care of me... no charge and gave me a rental. Good luck

loracv

Steve are your rivits still holding? Thanks

rlmarkow

Had mine welded a year ago...just started clicking again...
just sold the van....no more toyota...
let someone else deal with it!

zeebo1

"Don't know.. I sold the car in May. I'm now driving a Highlander...

rksteel

Own an 05 Sienna, same problem with the drivers door. Took it to Toyota in June, would not cover it at the time, van only had 30k on it but was over 5yrs old. Dealer told me to call Toyota, otherwise $500 to weld the door hinge.

Took the van to a body shop, welded the door for $200.

katonmaui

I too have a 2004 Sienna van bought brand new form our dealer. This past summer, the driver door started making clunking noises and its getting worse...contacted dealer.. they know nothing about this???? Called Oahu main office to be told that it was documented as a defect in 2007 and an extended warranty was set up for the repair but no notice was sent to those of us that purchased this van....I find this amazing because the failure of this weld can be dangerous as noted in some of the other posts i have read. They did not think it was important enough to notify us of this defect????? or the resultant extended warranty ???? has anyone started a class action suit for this?

broken_car

I called Toyota and they said I was beyond the 5 year warrantly period. I am the 2d owner for my 2006 Sienna, initially purchased Fall 2005. I had it repaired at a body shop for $650. One body shop said they would not know until they took apart the door if they could repair or would need to replace the door.

jim495

I have a 2004 Toyota Siena with busted weld joint on divers door, and local Toyota said they never heard of a recall or defect. I will try to drill a hole and place a sheet metal screw (but I found I needed a angle drill). Apon further examination, I found that the inner cup of the sheet metal that is welded to door has a crack or tear (maybe it can be welded)??

zeebo1

My repair held for about two years.. then the cup you describe basically disintegrated.. I successfully removed the remainder which dropped to the bottom of the door. I disconnected the rest of the door check hardware from the door post and had the car 2more years before I traded it in. The entire mechanism is merely a door check. It stops the door from opening too far and holds it open for entering and exiting. It is not a safety issue! There was however a recall by Toyota, but it was only for cars under 100k miles. Definately a design flaw. There should have been a class action suit.

adiehl13

Even though this an old message, I had to post since I was an earlier poster on the weld issue...... Fast forward to this year- and guess what, we had the same cable thing rust and break just as you described. This too would have been close to a $2000.00 bill if I hadn't gotten the platinum warranty (a complete fluke that I purchased that because we never do).....

Let's see- I got my first Toyota celica in college 1990, and have been a Toyota loyalist since.......well, since the first problems with the Sienna cropped up-

Honda here I come. Oh and I forgot to say- can't wait to have a navigation system that can be used when it's needed- let's see, like when a road is closed and We want to get directions on the fly? Duh.

dimar65

Went to Toyota today with my 05 Sienna, 61 k miles and I am out of luck. I have had it 6 years.
Since the crack is too large to weld, they say my Extended warranty will not cover it. First they said I could have $500 of it covered, but since it can't be welded and the door must be replaced, no help at all. Not a dime. Wow Toyota! This is my third Toyota van and I am sure it will be my last. I really used to LOVE Toyota, but not any more What the heck is this extended warranty anyhow? Why is this not covered for me, but others are getting it covered with theirs? I bought 100 k 7 years.............Hmmmmm

broken_car

That is amazing! You have a 100k mi warranty and they still won't cover it! Is it from a Toyota dealer?