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Toyota Sienna Power Rear Hatch

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Comments

  • eddieraseddieras Member Posts: 49
    we just had our struts replaced last month on our 2009 sienna - same stuff. coming down on us. VERY dangerous! I had to bring the car back a second time and threw a fit before they changed them. haven't happened since. happened first on extremely cold day, then more moderate weather too.
  • max101max101 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the info we'll take it back in and demand that they change the struts. Thanks again!
  • ericfp1076ericfp1076 Member Posts: 1
    Did you resolve your issue? I have a 2006 sienna that will power open the rear hatch, but not power close it. The battery was disconnected by the dealership due to a previous visit, and now the left sensor thinks the door is always open. They are quoting $409 to replace the sensor.
  • raj41raj41 Member Posts: 4
    Yes, it has been working for more than a year. We keep our fingers crossed.
  • agape1231agape1231 Member Posts: 1
    My 2005 Sienna does not have the power lift option, but the struts have completely gone out. Did receive a recall notice from Toyota a long while back, but disregarded it because it did not apply to me at the time. Well, now it does apply to me. Took my van into local dealership and was informed that recall does not apply to my van - service manager stated that my van has upgraded struts. I do not see how that is possible... I have a base model (with exception of tv). Quoted me price of $900 to have it repaired. Tried to call Toyota HQ, but kept being transferred to financh department (after a minimum of 6 calls). UGH! I am soooo disappointed in the lack of customer service. I have to manually open the hatch and hold it open to use it.
  • hondaoddityhondaoddity Member Posts: 25
    edited May 2010
    Go to the www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm website and file a complaint about your vehicle.

    If you have an extended warranty, it should be covered. If you don't you might be stuck. In my mind, parts like this should fail only after many, many years of service, and $900 to replace the struts is a total rip off. Find out what the parts cost at the service counter at your Toyota dealership, then visit another dealership and see what their parts cost. At most, with a novice mechanic, it should take no longer than an hour of billable time to replace the struts.

    Filing the report with nhtsa is the first step. Just because the campaign was only for the power hatch does not mean the struts in your vehicle can't have the same defect. This would be a latent defect, BTW, and ultimately should be covered free of charge. Because Toyota had the problem with power hatch cars, they should anticipate the problem with all vehicles using the same pressure cartridge.

    Good luck.
  • eddieraseddieras Member Posts: 49
    not sure if this will help our not - google 'toyota' TSB and struts - or hatch,etc. you may be able to find the original recall notice - TSB = Toyota Service Bulletin. Perhaps this will give you some ammunition. Also, i wonder if there's a way to get your own bulletin again? perhaps in an online account if you're registered at toyota.com?
    you can also go to different toyota dealers - if there are more in your area.
    good luck!
  • cjsmomcjsmom Member Posts: 12
    You don't have a power hatchback; but the door doesn't hold open by itself? That is odd; but I do believe the recall was for power hatchbacks. If they sent you the recall, I would think it would include manual struts.
    Try another dealer?
  • champion555champion555 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem with you. I have 07 Sienna XLE.I'm in Seattle too. My power rear door can not close by using the remote and the switch on overhead console. I have to close it manually.I read many complains about the rear power back door. Anyway,I will have my rear door fix next week.
  • deipertdeipert Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2004 Sienna that is still under the extended warranty. The power rear hatch does not always down automatically. It starts to come down half way and then it goes back up again as if something is interfering with the door. The struts were replaced as part of the recall. The problem shows up more after the van is sitting outside in the sun. A Goodyear technician determined that the motors were weak and needed to be replaced. The Toyota Extended Warranty would not authorize Goodyear to fix this and said I had to go to Toyota. I went to Toyota and they were able to duplicate the problem after I had to show them the problem by going into the shop myself as they requested. After two days I got the car back with a note that Toyota could not diagnose the problem. They want me to come back when the condition worsens. They didn't want to commit themselves to saying the motors were weak as determined by Goodyear.

    The warranty is good for another year but it seems to be a delay for getting an expensive repair done. What could this problem be? Should I go to another Toyota dealer? Anyone else have a problem like this?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They seem to be stalling.

    I would at least save the documentation that says you reported the problem while still under warranty.
  • hondaoddityhondaoddity Member Posts: 25
    I've had the problem since I had the struts replaced under the "campaign". Only a problem on really hot days. Not a problem the majority of the year here in NJ. I would rather have this problem than have the hatch drop on my head like it did before they were replaced.

    I suspect the new struts have an "extra" oomph to keep them from failing as soon as the earlier ones. When the weather gets hot, the cartridges get hot and the fluid inside expands causing them to put out more force than normal. Whether the motor is too weak, or the new cartridges are too strong is a matter of semantics because depending on how you look at it, both statements are true.

    Best thing you can do is contact the NHTSA site and file a complaint. The more inquiries they get, the more likely Toyota will fix it under a recall. This is what happened with the struts in the first place.

    Good luck.
  • deipertdeipert Member Posts: 3
    Thanks.

    I have documentation that I reported the hatch problem.

    I am going to try another dealer.

    I will certainly complain to NHTSA and the Toyota zone people.

    I live in Florida and by mid day the hatch not closing properly is very consistant. When they pull the van into an air conditioned shop the problem goes away but when they see the problem outside they tell me they have to take it inside to diagnose the problem and then they can not do so.

    Will report back on this later. Thanks for the replies.
  • filnterrausafilnterrausa Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Sienna that also does not have the automatic hatch, and the strut supports recently decided to fail, falling on my wife's head and making her dizzy and disoriented for a good 10 minutes.

    I remember receiving the recall notice or safety advisory (or something similar) two years ago and unfortunately cannot find it now...I also ignored it because we weren't experiencing a problem.

    I called the Toyota recall number and they did confirm there was a recall on the hatch rear strut supports but said it didn't apply to my VIN and wouldn't give me any additional info about the recall. They recommended calling a dealer to see if it was still under warranty. My nearest dealer said the part was no longer covered because my extended warranty applies to power train only. Another service station will fix it for $350 parts/labor, Toyota wanted just over $400.

    Go to the NHTSA website and look up action number EA06020, related to the investigation they did on the automatic hatches. They closed the investigation because Toyota did the recall. I will be filing a complaint with the NHTSA...it is ridiculous that the recall only affected the auto-hatches, as it is the same part that is going out on the Sienna's without the auto-hatch.
  • deipertdeipert Member Posts: 3
    I did a bit of complaining and finally got a call from the service manager of another Toyota dealer. He said to bring it in. They got authozized from the extended warranty to replace the 2 sensors for $635 parts and labor. They discovered that this fix did not help at all. The dealer then got authorized to replace the motor assembly which is exactly what the Goodyear guy wanted to do in the first place. I had got the van back unrepaired while the motor assembly was on back order for about a week. A week later and another $750 later charged to the extended warranty, everything works just fine now.

    Catch 22 here. When it was cold the struts would not hold up the rear door. Replace that and then the motors were too weak to overcome the gas struts but only above 80 - 85. Worked fine in the 70's or below. I would have lived with the problem instead of even paying even for the correct fix for the $750. But with the extended warranty I had to stand up for my rights and I got them eventually.
  • kungfuzhunkungfuzhun Member Posts: 2
    My 3 day old Sienna suddenly had a problem opening it's rear hatch. I opened only 5 or 6 times before I started hearing a thunk when it opened. I thought the remote opening motor/arm got misaligned somehow. Thinking that I was only looking for the problem from the back of the van. After opening and closing it a couple more times to check it out, it stopped opening to it's full height altogether, even manually. Finally I noticed that the spoiler was catching the rear roof edge, bending it down and away from the hatch. The roof was scratched and dented. This problem also broke the spoiler and bent it's bracket among other things. Now it's in Toyota's body shop getting repair work and waiting on a new spoiler, backordered for over a week. The shop manager and corporate took a look at it before work started. Toyota is covering the cost. That's all I'll comment on until I get my van back.
  • kungfuzhunkungfuzhun Member Posts: 2
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Good luck and keep us posted...
  • pushanpushan Member Posts: 15
    I just got my rear hatch struts replaced for 2004 Sienna as part of the recall.
    The rear hatch now opens uncontrolled. It opens all the way relatively faster now and stops with couple of thuds. I believe this is not normal stopping but the service person is insists that this is normal with the new strut.

    I looked at the new Sienna at the dealers lot. In the new van, the hatch initially opens rather quickly but it slows down towards the end.

    Can someone guide me if the service guy is right or wrong?
  • mr10keymr10key Member Posts: 1
    I see that this thread is focused primarily on the mechanical functioning of the rear hatch door on the Sienna but my problem lies with the "rubber-like" switch or handle as some refer to it that is used to manually open the hatch.

    We purchased our 2008 Sienna LE in November when temperatures were between mid 70's to low 80's in the Houston area. As temperatures warmed up in the following months to mid/upper 90's we noted that every time we touched this "rubber-like" handle our fingers came back with a black and sticky residue that could only be removed with soap and water.

    It would seem- just like asphalt on a road in the heat of the summer- this handle is simply becoming a gel during the hot summer months. Wonder if this design was considered only in northern portions of the country.

    Just found the time to visit with a local Toyota parts department about the issue and surprisingly, while they have had customers come in with similar complaints, they truly do not have a remedy or alternative available. While in the showroom, I decided to inspect the handle on a 2011 Sienna, and low and behold, it is the same material.

    Am I to presume that all Sienna owners out there (primarily those with manually opened hatch doors) simply accept this and go about the rest of their day with black and sticky fingers?

    Just wondering how many of you in this forum have experienced this and what remedies you may have come across if any. I'm thinking about installing a strip of cloth or something similar that can withstand the outdoor environment but think this remedy is a bit overboard given the value of this vehicle.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I've never stained my fingers, nor does ours feel sticky. That would bug the crap out of me, so I'd know if it did.

    I have an 07 LE, for reference.
  • scuddebackscuddeback Member Posts: 1
    edited June 2011
    I have the same problem with my 2007 LE model. It started last year during the winter. Could not open the latch with the remote. Extreme cold kept it locked. Very frustrating. Now it is hot, above 90 degrees and the rubber is melting and sticking to my fingers. The dealer has told me of others in my small town have had to install new assemblies for the latch at a cost of over $220.00. I find that outrageous for a problem which I believe Toyota must have been aware of for some time. There must be a cheaper fix!!!! Wish someone would advise. Even the dealer agrees.

    I am putting Velcro over the rubber strip in hopes it will stick and keep my fingers clean for a while. This is a much cheaper alternative to a replacement of the entire latch mechanism. Hope it works. Have lots of Velcro.
  • csienna2004csienna2004 Member Posts: 1
    Filnterrausa,

    I have a 2004 Sienna and has the same hatch rear strut supports problem as your (without auto-hatch) . How did you get it resolve?
  • pushanpushan Member Posts: 15
    Here is the update:

    I went to another dealer, almost 30 miles away. The service guy took the part number of the strut installed in my Sienna and then compared the part with the parts department. He told me that the Strut installed in my sienna is wrong one, the first dealer has installed the strut for 2009+ sienna.

    He asked me to go back to the first dealer to get the correct part installed. I will provide update next week.

    I
  • cleanfingerscleanfingers Member Posts: 1
    I solved the problem for about $5. I have a 2007 Sienna and called in to Toyota about the problem. They said the part is about $60 and then you pay the labor. Of course, this would only solve the problem temporarily. Same thing will eventually happen again because of the design flaw. Solution...... by a pack of velcro. Cut a strip to match the size of the latch. Peel back the tape for the sticky side of the velcro and match it to the latch. Cut another piece of velcro and attach it to that. I left the fuzzy side down for my fingers. The velcro is flexible so the sensor can still be engaged to open the door. Works great! Has been through rain, the leakage has stopped and it is dry to the touch. And....because the velcro is black, you don't notice it at all. Earned a lot of brownie points with my wife...
  • melodimelodi Member Posts: 1
    Not only is my 2007 LE that I bought in September have a sticky latch, it will only open 1 in 5 times. It is not a remote opener and I would like to know if it can be converted. All in all, I'm ready to trade the car if this can't be fixed.
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