2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

THE PASSENGER POWER SLIDING DOOR ON MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE HAS FAILED RESULTING IN THE DOOR BEING INOPERABLE. NO EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS LEAD UP TO THE FAILURE, JUST NORMAL USE. THE FAILURE, IN THIS CASE THE MOTOR FAILED, RENDERS THE DOOR COMPLETELY INOPERABLE, MEANING IT CANNOT BE OPENED OR CLOSED. IN ORDER TO OPERATE IT MANUALLY, THE CABLE CONNECTED TO THE MOTOR MUST BE CUT, AND IN ORDER TO OPERATE THE DOOR AUTOMATICALLY, THE MOTOR MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2,019 FOR PARTS AND LABOR. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHO ALSO CHECKED THE DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR AND NOTED THIS DOOR, IN ADDITION TO THE PASSENGER DOOR, WAS GETTING READY TO FAIL TOO. I FOUND ONLINE A TOYOTA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN EL004-04, NOT A RECALL, BUT CLEARLY STATES THE FAILURE PROBLEM AND THE ENSUING PRODUCTION DESIGN CHANGE. *TR

CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA LE WITH MANUAL LIFTGATE. THE LIFTGATE USED TO WORK PROPERLY - SUDDENLY ON A COLD WINTER DAY IT STOPS WORKING ANYMORE, CONTACT CAN HEAR A HISS AND THE DOOR FALLS DOWN. CONTACT CAN SEE VISIBLE OIL LEAK AROUND THE GAS STRUT. AFTER THAT, IT'S HEAVY TO OPEN THE DOOR. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ACCUMULATES MOISTURE INSIDE DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE HEADLIGHT. THE HEADLIGHT WILL SUDDENLY GO OUT WHILE DRIVING. TOYOTA CLAIMS IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS AN ESTIMATED REPAIR CHARGE OF $1200 TO REPLACE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. MANY TOYOTA OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE HID BULBS THAT ARE BEING USED AND THE DEFECTIVE NATURE OF THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. ONCE REPAIRED, IT REPORTEDLY KEEPS OCCURRING. MINE WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING IN THE DARK IN THE MOUNTAINS- COULD NOT CONTINUE ON TRIP DUE TO THE HAZARD OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE ON THE WINDY DARK ROADS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH INTO THE RESIDENCE GARAGE. THE DRIVER APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, FOLLOWED BY AN INTENDED ACCELERATION. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE WALL. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. THE LICENSE PLATE WAS DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. SHE STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH WHEN SHE MADE RIGHT TURNS, THE OPEN DOOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED FOR THE LEFT REAR SLIDING DOOR. THE WEEK AFTER THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED SHE WAS UNABLE TO LATCH THE DOOR SHUT. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER DIAGNOSIS LOCATED THE FAILURE AS THE BOLTS AND FOUND THAT TWO OF THEM WERE PULLED THROUGH THE METAL SHEET AND THE THIRD BOLT WAS LOOSE. THE DEALER STATED THAT SHE NEEDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A BODY SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST HER. REPORT 1001129940 WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 75,319. UPDATED 02/01/10 *BF UPDATED 02/02/10.*JB

THE POWER SLIDING DOORS ON THE 2004 SIENNA FAIL EARLY, CAUSING SAFETY AND USABILITY ISSUES. THE POWER DOOR CABLE WEARS OUT EARLY DUE TO FAULTY COATING ON HE CABLE, FAULTY HINGES AND DOOR FREEZING. ONCE THE CABLE SNAPS, THE DOOR CAN SLIDE OPEN UPON ACCELERATION. DISABLING THE POWER FEATURE ALLOWS THE DOOR TO BE USED, BUT FALSELY CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO REGISTER THE DOOR AS CLOSED WHEN IT IS OPEN, ALLOWING THE CAR TO BE PUT IN GEAR AND DRIVEN WITHOUT THE DOOR PROPERLY LATCHED CLOSED. LOOSE PARTS FROM THE SNAPPED CABLE AND TORN CABLE JACKET EASILY LODGE IN THE WORKING MECHANISM, MAKING THE DOOR BEHAVE INCONSISTENTLY - SOMETIMES LATCHING, SOMETIMES NOT. WHEN NOT LATCHED, THE DOOR EASILY SLIDES FORWARD OR BACK IF THE VEHICLE IS PARKED ON A HILL, POTENTIALLY CAUSING INJURY. IN ADDITION, THE DOORS FREEZE CLOSED IN MODERATELY COLD (25 F) TEMPERATURES, CAUSING THEM TO OPEN PARTIALLY (A FEW MILLIMETERS). THIS CAUSES EXTRA STRAIN AND WEAR ON THE POWER DOOR CABLES AND CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO REGISTER AN OPEN DOOR. IF THE DOOR IS LEFT IN THIS CONDITION, IT CAN MASK OTHER DOORS ACTUALLY BEING OPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. THE PARTIAL OPENING ALSO CAUSES A MISALIGNMENT OF THE LOCKING MECHANISM, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO OPEN THE DOOR TO CORRECT THE PARTIAL OPENING. THE DOOR REPAIR WAS QUOTED BY MULTIPLE DEALERS AT MORE THAN $3000. A TSB (0085-09) IN EARLY 2009 OFFERED AN ALTERNATE METHOD OF REPAIR, BUT THE COST IS STILL MORE THAN $1700 PER DOOR. DEALERSHIPS HAVE BEEN UNWILLING TO PROVIDE THE PART TO NON-DEALER MECHANIC'S SHOP. *TR

SLIDING SIDE DOORS FREEZE SHUT AND CAN NOT BE OPENED WHEN TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW FREEZING. *TR

DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR CABLE BROKE. THE DOOR HAS TO BE OPENED AND CLOSED MANUALLY. SIENNA IS NO LONGER UNDER THE SECRET WARRANTY AND TOYOTA WANTS TO CHARGE ME $3000 FOR THE REPAIR. ALSO DOOR WOULD FREEZE EASILY DURING WINTER TIME AND BECOMES VERY HARD TO OPEN. *TR

WE HAVE A 2004 SIENNA CE THAT WE BOUGHT NEW. SINCE OWNING THE CAR (IT HAS 125,000 MILES ON IT) THE SLIDING DOORS HAVE FROZEN SHUT WHENEVER THE WEATHER IS COLD. LIVING IN VERMONT, I THOUGHT THAT THIS ISSUE WAS ISOLATED. HOWEVER, WHEN MY SON TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR AND THE HANDLE SNAPPED OFF BECAUSE THE DOOR WAS FROZEN SHUT ONCE AGAIN, I DECIDED TO CHECK TO SEE IF THERE WERE OTHER COMPLAINTS. YES THERE WERE...MANY. I HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THE HANDLE REPLACED BUT WAS TOLD THAT THE DOOR FREEZING SHUT WAS A TYPICAL COMPLAINT. *TR

DURING NORMAL OPERATIONS OF THIS 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE VAN. RIGHT SIDE POWERED DOOR SEIZED. DOOR FAILED TO OPEN COMPLETELY, AND THEN IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SHUT AND LOCK. I TOOK THE SIENNA TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (HEARTLAND TOYOTA, BREMERTON, WASHINGTON) ON 13JAN10, AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAILED MOTOR, CONTROL CABLE, AND COMPUTER (ECU). THEY ALSO INFORMED ME IT WOULD COST $3,050 TO REPAIR. I WAS IN SHOCK. I CHECKED ONLINE AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A CHRONIC FAILURE WITH THE 'AUTOMATIC' DOORS OF TOYOTA VANS. TOYOTA CORPORATE INSTRUCTED ME TO WORK WITH THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER TO ARBITRATE REPAIRS SINCE THE DOOR IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, OR RECALL. I URGE THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THESE DOORS. THEY SHOULD NOT FAIL AND SEIZE AFTER 5 YEARS OF NORMAL WEAR. *TR UPDATED 03/10/10 *BF UPDATED 10/05/10