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Toyota Sienna Sliding Door Problems

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Comments

  • jjllcaljjllcal Member Posts: 31
    I saw my mechanic fix it by loosing up the door from the body without disconnecting all the wire. Make sure the automatic closing mechanism switch is turned off. After loosing it from the body, you can take out the hinge and put a new one. It will require 2 people to fix this problem. My cost is $250.00 including parts. It took him 3 hours. Good luck....
  • jjllcaljjllcal Member Posts: 31
    Also, You can buy a remanufactured hinge instead of a brand new one. This might save you some bucks.....
  • bike_1986bike_1986 Member Posts: 1
    Hello,
    Opening our passenger side sliding door has been a worsening problem for years. It's gotten to the point where it is impossible to open from the outside, the door handle just doesn't respond. There's rust along the siding track that the other side doesn't have. Opening from the inside has gotten more difficult as well. Now my lovely wife has engaged the child safety lock switch and we cannot open the door from the outside OR the inside. Is there a way to disengage the switch? Other than Toyota, where should I take it for repair? A body shop or a regular car repair shop? Thanks.
  • formertfanformertfan Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 Sienna XLE and the weirdest thing started to happen with my driver side sliding door.
    Here are the symptoms:
    It operates when I shift into parking. When I say operates I mean if it is closed it will open when I shift into park or when it is open it will close when I shift into park.
    It will always operate when I use the remote or the door lever but does not work with any of the inside buttons.
    Does anyone has any idea of what is going on?
  • adurilinadurilin Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 Sienna -- I love the car exept for those darn doors.
    They offered pay half for the part, so instead of $1600, it will cost $1200 to fix. Well, thanks very much for your generosity! We have to do something. It's ridiculous.
  • gouabgouab Member Posts: 1
    I have a Sienna XLE 2005. My passenger side automatic sliding doors cable drive snapped, the motor is good. The dealer says the cost is $1,150 to fix. What are the alternatives? Any suggestions? Called some places no one knows where to get the cable. The MSRP on the cable is $588!!! This stuff is too expensive. What is Toyota doing about this? They should take some responsibility. The discussion forum on this is growing everyday. My son almost got caught in the cable when it snapped and the door slid without control. Any help, suggestions?
  • badtoyota3badtoyota3 Member Posts: 1
    My 2006 sienna automatic doors are stuck and won't open. IT's a safety hazard and when you do try to open them manually you need to be a body builder with lots of muscle. The sound of grinding is horrific and I can't imagine that this is what toyota had in mind when they charged an enormous amount of money to have automatic doors.

    Has this happened to anyone?? Can the auto doors be converted safely to manual doors that run smoothly?

    Does anyone want to start a class action law suit? It appears that a ton of toyota owners are having the same issues....maybe they will listen to that instead of charging $1800 per door to fix.
  • pmartino99pmartino99 Member Posts: 4
    Cables on both sides snapped within a week of each other... has anybody had this fixed for a reasonable price? Cable is pretty standard, nothing special, maybe I can have something made on the cheap?
  • nana1427nana1427 Member Posts: 18
    Call Toyota, tell them about the problem, I called and told them about my problem with the door and they said if they get enough calls, there will be a recall and that will mean we all get the problem fixed without cost. There are alot of Sienna owners with these door problems and Toyota needs to correct their problem. Hope this helps!
  • nora7nora7 Member Posts: 2
    I spent 5 hours.... today at the Toyota Dealer with my 2005 Sienna... the driver side, slider door would not shut... told the latch had caused the door to push out of alignment. Only fix they offered was a new door at 1,800.00 not happy.... We bought a Toyota because it was supposed to last, and not cause us $$$$$ for repairs. They repaired the spare tire recall, and... just left the spare tire in my trunk... Next time, my husband goes...
    :mad:
  • drasbachdrasbach Member Posts: 2
    Don't think they are from the same batch. I live in Pennsylvania and my door motor went in my power door after 2 years but thankfully was still under warranty. Now, my sliding door on the drivers side is broken, they said it was the latch and motor assembly and, of course, it is now out of warranty. Also, I am having trouble opening my power door now which is the one that was fixed but it now seems to be a door handle issue. My van is only a 2007. The passenger sliding door will cost $1,100 dollars to fix. I am going to look into having this door turned into a totally manual door as another person in a previous post did.
  • nana1427nana1427 Member Posts: 18
    I called Toyota about my door not opening, they told me if enough people call them, there will be a recall. Please call Toyota and complain and ask them to recall, this way you can save your $1,100, I have seen over 1,000 Sienna owners with the same problem, Toyota needs to fix the problem. Hope this helps you.
  • nora7nora7 Member Posts: 2
    I spoke with a body repair shop, and he looked at my nonoperating van door.l said he can fix it simply and will do so in less than a l/2 hour... to make it operational.... not a perfect fix, but a fix... thanks.. I will also call toyota, they should be addressing this problem!!!!
  • drasbachdrasbach Member Posts: 2
    Thank you for responding. I just called Toyota because my dealership told me since Toyota is aware of the problem they would pick up the cost of the part and we would only have to pay labor. Well, just as I thought, they would do nothing because the van is out of warranty. But it did serve the purpose of logging my complaint. I leave for vacation in a week and I have to drive 600 miles with a door that is not closed all the way. We stop at hotel and I may have to unload all my belongings because the door does not lock because it is not latched all the way. Needless to say I am not happy. Will have to pay the $1,100 so we can be safe on vacation.
  • carol87carol87 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 Toyota Sienna with the same problem. Toyota service is charging $1100 to repair the cable that is broken. I called toyota and they recommended for customers to call and file a complain.
  • kline4kline4 Member Posts: 1
    I'm glad I checked this site. We have a 2008 XLE with 50,000 miles and the passenger sliding door cable snapped ($529 for the cable plus the same amount in labor charges). When I questioned the fabulous quality of Toyotas (this is my first one) the dealership assured me this is a rare problem and they have only seen this happen one other time in all the time he has worked there. I guess it must by his second day on the job ;)
  • nana1427nana1427 Member Posts: 18
    Get on the phone and call Toyota about this problem, there have been thousands of people with same problem and it is not rare!!! We need to make Toyota accountable for this problem. This is such a concern, not only because of the expense we have with it, but, also due the the safety factor, it just needs to be addressed and recalled to be fixed by Toyota!!! When I called Toyota, they told me "if enough people call about the problem, there will be a recall". I plan to tell everyone who has this problem to CALL TOYOTA!!! Hope this helps!
  • moe1971moe1971 Member Posts: 1
  • nana1427nana1427 Member Posts: 18
    I have a sliding door problem too, I called Toyota, they told me if enough people call about the problem, there will be a recall. Call Toyota PLEASE!!! I wish you the best.
  • vmorvillovmorvillo Member Posts: 2
    I thought the problem I experienced today was uncommon, but after seeing so many similar problems, I am joining the community....I created an incident report with Toyota and am awaiting their response. I know there is no recall on this problem, but with the door unable to be opened or closed because of the snapped cable, I believe this is a dangerous situation, especially if one needs to quickly open the back door to remove a young child.

    The convenience of having a power sliding door is not worth it.
  • sopmansopman Member Posts: 46
    I have a 2006 Sienna and there are two 12v adapters below the radio and one 12v adapter in the back. One of the adapters in the front and the back adapter doesn't work. Does anyone know where the fuse is for the 12v adapters?
  • escondidofamescondidofam Member Posts: 1
    I had a sliding door problem with my 2008 Sienna. After reading about everyone's problems, I was nervous to take it in. They told me the frame was bent and since I was out of warranty in years but within the warranty in miles, it would be my responsibility to pay for the cost of repairs. The service advisor at the dealership suggested that I call Toyota Corp and state my case. I did just that. I then had to take it back to the dealership so they could inspect the car to make sure the problem wasn't related to an accident. After inspecting the paint and I don't know what else, they accepted responsibility for a fault part and agreed to fix the problem at no charge to us and even provided a rental car. All of this did take some time. But it was well worth it. I just wanted to advise everyone who has an issue to contact Corp and push your case. It worked for me! Thank you Toyota!
  • nana1427nana1427 Member Posts: 18
    Thanks for sharing your positive experience with Toyota!!! I hope everyone with this problem calls Toyota making them call a recall. Thanks again, I am happy for you.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Finally fixed the problem with my door. took the advice in post 321 and that did the trick. cost was about $110 for the part and about two hours of my time. If I had to do it again I could easily cut the time in half.

    Not happy that it broke in the first place, but at least the problem is solved.

    I am sure if I had taken it to the dealer they would have gouged me.
  • rhkirchrhkirch Member Posts: 1
    My 2005 Sienna has a power sliding door on passenger side. Recently we discovered that if the door is in the process of closing or opening (via motor), and the vehicle's ignition is engaged prior to the door fully closing or opening, the motor immediately stops. At this point, the only recourse is to manually close the door, as none of the power switches/handles respond again until the door has been manually closed.

    I've attempted limited trouble-shooting: I disconnected/reconnected the battery in hopes that any disruption in the circuitry would be cleared, but no change to the situation.

    In summary: The door motor stops functioning if interrupted by the ignition place in "start" prior to the door fully opening or closing. Once we manually close the door, the system resets and works normally. As long as we avoiding operating the door at the same time as we are starting the van, there is no problem, but I'd like to find a solution before it stops working all together. Ideas?
  • kristygkristyg Member Posts: 6
    Shortly after we bought my 2005 Sienna XLE Limited the driver side power door failed, but only when using any of the remote buttons. The inside and outside handles worked fine and the motor seemed fine. After following post 583 to post 321, we were able to fix the door this weekend for only $100 and a couple hours time!!! I couldn't be happier, and DH is pretty happy for the savings. Toyota said they would need to replace the entire motor for over $1000. A repair shop seemed to think they could do it for around $500. Additionally, I searched on the part number 85620-08061 and found step by step instructions in a pdf file. Unbelievable. It's a link under a forum called Tundra Solutions. Unfortunately, I can't insert a link, but if you search 85620-08061 tundra solutions - it will be the first one. Thank you all for posting your problems AND solutions to these Sienna doors.
  • kristygkristyg Member Posts: 6
    Just wanted to say thanks for posting - this information saved us a ton of money and the door works again. Also, there is a link to step by step instructions if you search 85620-08061 tundra solutions - it's the first choice, a pdf. Walked my husband thru it and had no trouble at all. Wish there was a way to find out who created and posted that document so I could thank him, too.
  • sdr2sdr2 Member Posts: 2
    edited August 2011
    Your problem, unfortunately is not uncommon. What's even more disconcerting is it won't be over until you hit the trifecta -- both sliding door mechanisms fail because of cable failure, and the driver's door starts to click because the spot welds holding the door check mounting cup in place fail. I've experienced all three, and learned that telling its customers to log a complaint appears simply to be a mechanism Toyota uses to get unhappy owners off the phone. It doesn't appear to offer any benefit to the owner. I also made a post on the blog concerning the driver's door check -- there's a lot more unhappy owners posting there.

    Also, don't forget that your vehicle uses the same type of carbon steel airline cable to hang the spare tire under the car. That, however, is subject to a recall. Toyota is exposed to legal liability if the spare falls off on the highway and becomes a projectile other startled drivers have to try to avoid hitting.
  • nana1427nana1427 Member Posts: 18
    Toyota needs to be responsible for these doors, I still remain firm on asking people that have the problem to make the call to Toyota, let`s not give up. If for safety alone, Toyota needs a recall on the doors.

    I did get a recall on my spare tire and it has been corrected.

    Thank you for your input.
  • nana1427nana1427 Member Posts: 18
    Thanks!!! Your message is encouraging, I looked up the info and it sounds great!! I appreciate your information.

    Please be sure to call Toyota, let them know you want a recall.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Complain here, make it official:

    https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

    NHTSA looks for patterns of problems, if everyone complains, and there are enough people who do, Toyota will be forced to do something about it.
  • runnermom1runnermom1 Member Posts: 3
    i have a 2005 sienna xle awd and the right slider broke and cost me 1,000 to get fixed and now the left side is beginning to do the same. called toyota to report issue and YES, the more calls they receive, the more likely it will become a recall and they will reimburse if you've already paid for the repair. http://touch.toyota.com/help/contact.html
    call, call, call!!
  • pmartino99pmartino99 Member Posts: 4
    Is there any way you can post or send me a copy of your invoice? I want to know what's involved part-wise and what the likelihood is that I can do the work myself.

    In the meantime I am putting in my complaint with Toyota!
  • toysie2004toysie2004 Member Posts: 2
    My driver's side manual sliding door will not shut completely. I looked at the door open and the screws are not attached to the sheet metal and the mechanism is loose inside and I have to push it back in with my fingers in order for it to close at all. My light stays on indicating the door is open all the time. I am suppose to be getting a call back from Toyota it has been three days since they said they would call me.

    Does anyone have any diagrams of the door. I think it can be fixed with larger screws and washers. I am thinking of offering the job to someone off CL as I am a single mom that uses her van for driving kids home from school and I NEED both doors to work!
  • toysie2004toysie2004 Member Posts: 2
    I think this is my exact problem. I am going to try and fix it myself as well.
    I am a lady, so bear with my questions...

    1) I remove the old screws with the star screw driver.
    2) take them to the hardware store and get three that are longer - How much longer?
    3)cone shaped washers vs flat washers. why wouldn't I use a flat washer?

    I am hoping for the best!
  • nana1427nana1427 Member Posts: 18
    Hello, Even if you do fix this yourself, keep after Toyota, let them know you have kids and the door is not safe for the kids. Toyota needs to recall this problem, there are too many of them!!! Hope this helps.
  • lookat1lookat1 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I have been trying to find this part for my 2004 XLE Sienna. Left passenger power door stop sliding and got stuck. I ended up cutting the wire as we were in mall and cant return home with open door. Anyway, I have called toyota and they have given me a case #, but I dont think they intend to fix it. I was trying to find the part before I can try to fix it myself. Can anyone tell me if following part is what we need?
    http://www.partsgeek.com/mmparts/door_lock_actuator/toyota/sienna.html
  • nana1427nana1427 Member Posts: 18
    Hi, I am glad you got in touch with Toyota, hopefully they will have a recall soon, this problem has shown up in thousands of Siennas, Toyota needs to correct it.

    The part is 85620-08061, according to a another person who had this problem, he said he said he fixed it himself for $103.00. He said to go to Tundra Solutions and follow the instructions. I went to the website and read about it, if I were a mechanic, I guess I could fix it, but I am not.

    Hope this helps. The best to you.
  • jjllcaljjllcal Member Posts: 31
    I am 90% sure you have to replace the entire assembly including the motors when the cable is cut. Toyota has made it so that you can not replace the cable by itself. My cable is fraying also. I think the cost of the automatic door assembly is more than 1000.00.

    I really hate toyota... used to be a toyota fan... not anymore.
    This van has so many little problem that will cost you $$$$ to fix.
    I just took mine to the dealer for oil change, they said the transmission oil is leaking, break fluid is leaking, gasket is leaking, power steering is leaking etc.
    It will cost me 6000 to fix this 2004 van. However, when i took it to an independent mechanic, he said it is just moistures, no big deal. Go figure out, i think they are just trying to scam the consumer.
    Oh, i have called the toyota customer service, NHTSA etc since 2007 when problems ( TOO MANY PROBLEM TO LIST) start surfacing ....

    None of them will help you.

    GOOD LUCK
  • kc5573kc5573 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2005 sienna, and recently the passenger sliding door stopped working. Whether manually or with the button, it won't open. It sounds as though it wants to open, I was thinking a lock issue or part not grabbing...anyone??
  • fix_it_againfix_it_again Member Posts: 9
    Here is a reprint of what I did. It was originally post #269 from just over 2 years ago and sounds like the same problem. Sure beats buying a $2,000 door! The fix is still holding up just fine and probably much stronger than a new door. If you can't do it, hand it over to one of your kids. My 13 year old daughter could do it with ease but my sister in law wouldn't stand a chance.

    ====>This sounds like the problem I had. Two of the three bolts on the rear latch of the sliding door had pulled through the sheet metal, preventing the rear part of the door from latching. I used two washers and slightly longer bolts. I left the piece of sheet metal that had pulled through in place to position the bolts. The order on the new bolts is, new washer (slightly bigger than the hole, small cone shaped washer that is actully the sheet metal that pulled through, and insert into hole. The threads start so deep inside the door that you will need longer bolts than what came with the car to accomodate the new washers. Even though I used hex head bolts (easier to get in), and the bolts stick out more than the original, there is room and they do not hit anything when the door closes. I did not weld anything and it just took a few minutes. The door works as well as new. Tools required: star screw driver to remove the orignal bolts and hex wrench set to install new bolts. Tools and part are available at most hardware stores. Since I had both tools, it was less than a $5 repair and stronger than the original.
  • fix_it_againfix_it_again Member Posts: 9
    1) Yes. The star screwdriver was a little awkward to maneuver. I recommended that the new bolts (screws) be hex head because a wrench is easier to fit into the space and because hex head are more readily available.

    2) long enough to accommodate the new flat washers. This will be less than 1/4" but as I recall, there is enough space inside the door that 1/2" longer than original will not hit anything and should work just fine. Remember I did this over 2 years ago but that is what I remember.

    3) The cone washer is the piece of metal that broke out of the sheet metal and is still on the bolt when you pull the bolt out. You don't need to buy this as you will already have it when you undo the bolt. This is used to center the bolt as it is the exact diameter as the hole it came out of. You will need to buy the flat washer to go under the bolt head and it must be slightly larger than the hole in the door.

    This repair has held up just fine for over 2 years and is stronger than the original connection. Good luck!
  • missmy68goatmissmy68goat Member Posts: 1
    New to the forum and am too lazy to go thru 31 pages so here goes:
    2004 Sienna, passenger slider won`t unlock......can`t do it with the key, can`t do it manually from interior. The interior lock/unlock mechanism is loose and appears to be pushed out from the inner door. Is there any way to open this door or fix this from the inside? Looking at the other door, it appears to have access by backing out the interior jam screws....but I cant open door to access those. Any ideas other than paying big bucks at a dealer or body shop? Thanks all, JW
  • skygreencastleskygreencastle Member Posts: 4
    I know that I've seen this posted a few times, but I can't ever find a problem that is resolved. My passenger sliding door opens and closes (electrically) w/ the handle on the outside or inside of the door. It will not respond if using any buttons. (roof, panel by door on inside or key fob) When you pull the handle and the door is moving, it WILL respond to a button pushed. I can open/close the door all day until it is fully open or closed. While it's moving along the track, it goes back and forth. When it locks in place and a button is pushed, it tries to close, but acts like it's locked somehow or some latch isn't releasing. I called service at toyota today and they told me that it sounded like the motor was bad (actuator motor or something?). Told me it's a $1000 part and $400 in labor. W.T.F?! I'm so upset. Did anyone ever actually get this issue resolved that was dealing w/ it? We are going to pay off our van in the next few months and I really want this issue fixed. :( Help!
  • nana1427nana1427 Member Posts: 18
    Believe me, you are not alone, I have the problem too. I tell everyone that emails me with the problem to complain to Toyota, hopefully, they will recall and relieve all of us of this terrible problem. It isn`t fair that we whould suffer for their problem, plus there is the safety problem. I hope you will contact Toyota. I didn`t get my door fixed, I am waiting on Toyota. to do it. Best of luck.
  • kristygkristyg Member Posts: 6
    See post 585 and 586. Same problem FIXED! $100.
    Good luck.
  • hainesmamahainesmama Member Posts: 3
    We've replaced the driver side door on our 2004 Sienna and both power doors have failed. We've already paid $1000+ to fix one of the doors a couple years ago- we're not doing that again. What did you do when your sliding doors failed? I'm trying to figure out how to disengage the power door mechanism and make the doors truly manual. Right now it's so difficult to open and close the doors my kids get in through the passenger side front door.
  • arnaqbbarnaqbb Member Posts: 2
    my sliding door cannot open or close and kills my battery...the replacement part will cost me $500 and with the labor $600 is there any where i can get a cheaper part? or any suggestions? im not happy with my van it's costing me alot to get it fixed! im never going to get another toyota again.
  • arnaqbbarnaqbb Member Posts: 2
    not all vehicles, i owned a chrysler town and country and the sliding doors never froze on me and i live in ak, my toyota doors freeze and its a hassle!
  • scottm23scottm23 Member Posts: 4
    When my door broke on my 2004 I opted to turn it into a manual door and it works just fine. you need to do two things to do that:

    1. Hit the manual/auto switch inside the van to disengage the open/shut buttons for the door.

    2. There is a cable that runs from the front of the middle track through the door motor assembly and then to the back of the middle track. This is what the motor pulls on to open and close. You need to cut this cable to release the door from the motor. It will now work like a non-motorized door and will open and close easily. There is a bracket at each end of the cable. You can remove the bracket or leave them there. Whatever is easier. You would also have to cut the cable where it goes into and out of the door so there is nothing hanging when you are done.
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