2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

2004 TOYOTA SIENNA - PASSENGER-SIDE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR CABLE SNAPPED. DOOR WILL NOT OPEN OR CLOSE. REPAIR SHOP REMOVED DOOR, FOUND MOTOR AND CABLE ASSEMBLY BROKEN AND LATCHES AND CABLES SPRUNG. SERVICE ADVISOR SAID WE HAD TO REPLACE MOTOR AND CABLE ASSEMBLY AND BOTH FRONT AND REAR LATCH AND CABLE ASSEMBLIES. PARTS ARE $2671, LABOR ESTIMATE $446. PARTS WERE PREPAID. REPAIR IS SCHEDULE FOR 8/28/08. *TR

THE REAR PASSANGER POWER DOOR STOPPED OPENING AND CLOSING UNDER POWER. WILL ONLY WORK NOW IF WE MANUALLY OPEN AND CLOSE IT. *TR

RIGHT SIDE PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. IT IS AN AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR, BUT THE DOOR FAILED TO OPEN 6 MONTHS AGO AND WILL NOT OPEN MANUALLY. THIS IS AN EXTREME DANGER AND HAVE BEEN TOLD IT WILL COST 1800 DOLLARS TO FIX. IT SHOULD AT LEAST OPEN MANUALLY, BUT WILL NOT. NOW I WOULD HAVE TO SPEND 1,800 DOLLARS I DO NOT HAVE. *TR

MY 2004 SIENNA SLIDING DOORS HAVE FAILED NUMEROUS TIMES BY NOT OPENING. THIS HAPPENED OFF AND ON FOR A YEAR. IN SPRING OF 2008 THE DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR OPENED AND WOULD NOT SLIDE BACK. THE CABLE WAS BROKEN AND IT COST US OVER $1100 TO HAVE IT FIXED AND THAT WAS WITH A $500 GOODWILL CREDIT FROM THE DEALERSHIP. NOW THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. AFTER READING SOME OTHER COMPLAINTS AND LOOKING IT UP ON THE INTERNET I HAVE TO ASK HOW TOYOTA CAN IGNORE SUCH A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS ISSUE WITH A CAR THAT IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. I HAVE A TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN FROM APRIL 19, 2004 THAT STATES THERE WAS A PRODUCTION CHANGE MADE ON THE DOORS, BUT MY CAR WAS PRODUCED BEFORE THIS. WHY WOULDN'T TOYOTA BE RESPONSIBLE ENOUGH TO FIX THE CARS PRIOR TO THE CHANGE? *TR

I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE LIMITED. MY PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR FAILED. YOU COULDN'T OPEN IT FROM THE OUTSIDE AND IF YOU OPENED IT FROM THE INSIDE THE DOOR WOULD NOT STAY CLOSED. IT COST ME $1800 TO FIX THE SENSOR AND THE MOTOR THAT HOLDS THE DOOR CLOSED. I CALLED TOYOTA TO COMPLAIN AND OUT OF GOOD WILL, THEY OFFERED TO PAY HALF OF THE BILL. THE DAY AFTER I GOT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FIXED, THE OTHER SLIDING DOOR HAS NOW FAILED - THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR. IT WILL NOT STAY CLOSED. I HAVE A CALL IN TO THE DEALER TO DISCUSS THIS. ALSO, MY REAR HATCH WOULD NOT STAY UP AND ALMOST TOOK OFF MY 6 YEAR OLD SON'S HEAD WHEN IT CAME FLYING DOWN ON HIM. TOYOTA FINALLY ISSUED A RECALL ON THE PISTONS, SO THEY WERE REPLACED FOR FREE. SO, ALL THREE OF MY MECHANICAL DOORS HAVE FAILED. *TR

AS I PULLED UP TO THE AIRPORT TO TAKE A FLIGHT, WE NOTED THAT THE RIGHT SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE. AFTER MUCH STRUGGLE AND EFFORT, WE WERE ABLE TO CLOSE THE DOOR; HOWEVER, THE CABLE FOR THE DOOR WAS RUSTED AND SNAPPED. WE ARE UNABLE TO USE THE DOOR FOR FEAR THAT THE DOOR MAY FALL OFF OR CAUSE BODY DAMAGE. WHEN I DID A SEARCH ON THIS WEBSITE, I NOTED MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FILED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. AS AN ATTORNEY IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK, I CAN ONLY CONCLUDE THERE IS A MANUFACTURING DESIGN OR DEFECT IN THE SLIDING DOOR AND THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED BODILY INJURY. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THIS AGENCY LOOK DEEPLY INTO ALL COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE SLIDING DOOR AND ISSUE A RECALL. MY VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 61,000 MILES ON IT. IN ADDITION, THE FACT THAT MANY CONSUMERS ARE DESCRIBING SIMILAR CONDITIONS, NAMELY THAT THE CABLE SNAPPED AND APPEARED TO BE RUSTED, IS FURTHER INDICATION THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED POORLY. I APPRECIATE THE NHTSA'S ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. CATERINA RANIERI GRASSO *TR

ON MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA LE, THE AUTOMATIC REAR HATCH DOOR CONSISTENTLY FAILS TO STAY OPEN AFTER OPENING. THERE WAS NO EVENT THAT CAUSED THIS TO START HAPPENING. THE DOOR OPENS WITH NO PROBLEM, USING EITHER THE AUTOMATIC OPEN FEATURE OR BY MANUALLY OPENING. WHAT APPEARS TO HAPPEN IS THE HYDRAULIC STRUTS CANNOT HOLD THE DOOR IN THE FULLY OPEN POSITION. IF THE AUTOMATIC DOOR FEATURE IS ENGAGED, THE DOOR STARTS TO SLOWLY CLOSE UNTIL THE AUTOMATIC CLOSE FEATURE ENGAGES AND CLOSES THE DOOR WITH NORMAL SPEED. IF THE AUTOMATIC DOOR IS DISENGAGED, THE DOOR SLAMS SHUT WITH ALARMING FORCE AND SPEED. THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES ARE FRIGHTENING. IF YOU HAVE THE AUTOMATIC FEATURE ENGAGED AND ARE UNLOADING OR LOADING PACKAGES, YOU CANNOT HEAR THE DOOR SLOWLY CLOSING AND MAY NOT REALIZE THE DOOR IS CLOSING ON YOU, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE BENT OVER. IT TAKES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FORCE TO PUSH BACK ON THE DOOR ENOUGH TO HAVE THE SENSOR ENGAGE AND REVERSE THE DOOR CLOSING. OF COURSE, IF YOU MANAGE TO GET THE DOOR TO REVERSE THE CLOSE, ONCE THE DOOR REACHES THE FULLY OPEN POSITION, THE SAME PROCESS BEGINS WHERE IT SLOWLY CLOSES AND THEN THE AUTO-CLOSE STARTS AGAIN. THE DANGER FOR A WEAKER PERSON OR A CHILD IS HUGE IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE AUTOMATIC DOOR FEATURE ENGAGED, THE DANGER IS FAR GREATER AS THE DOOR SLAMS SHUT WITH FORCE AND SPEED. ANYONE CAUGHT IN ITS PATH COULD BE SEVERELY INJURED, ESPECIALLY A CHILD. I HAVE NOT ATTEMPTED TO SEEK REPAIR OF THE DOOR YET. BUT MY RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SHOWS THAT THERE ARE MANY INSTANCES OF THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. I WILL BE TAKING THIS UP WITH THE TOYOTA CONSUMER AFFAIRS. *TR

THE STEERING BEGAN TO GET HARD TO TURN. THE PROBLEM PROGRESSED TO THE POINT WHERE IT BEGAN TO INTERFERE WITH DRIVING. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS A DUE TO CORROSION ON A STEERING SHAFT AND IF IT FAILED COMPLETELY, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THE REPAIR COST $700 WITH THE PART AND SUBSEQUENT ALIGNMENT. *TR

ON 2/13/2008, I TRIED TO OPEN MY PASSENGER SLIDER DOOR WITH THE AUTO BUTTON. THE DOOR OPENED APPROXIMATELY A FOOT THEN CLOSED ITSELF. I TRIED THIS A SECOND TIME AND AGAIN IT HAPPENED. MY HUSBAND THEN TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR MANUALLY AND THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FURTHER THAN ABOUT A FOOT AGAIN. MY HUSBAND CHECKED THE DOOR AND UPON INSPECTION NOTICED THAT THE CABLE WAS BROKEN. WE CALLED TOYOTA AND FOUND THAT AT THE TIME THERE WERE NO RECALLS RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM. THE REPRESENTATIVE STATED TO GO TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND HAVE THEM DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM THEN CALL TO SEE WHAT TOYOTA COULD DO FOR US. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP, I INFORMED THE SERVICE TECH BEHIND THE COUNTER THAT I WAS BRINGING IN MY 2004 SIENNA TO HAVE THE SLIDING DOOR CHECKED. HIS REPLY WAS "LET ME GUESS, THE CABLE SNAPPED". HE THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL US THAT THEY WERE HAVING ALOT OF ISSUES WITH THIS. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED MY VEHICLE OVER, CONFIRMED THE CABLE HAD SNAPPED AND STATED THAT IT WOULD COST ROUGHLY $1,600.00. I TOLD THEM THAT THEIR CUSTOMER RELATIONS MGR. NEEDED TO CONTACT TOYOTA TO SEE WHAT THEY WOULD DO FOR US, AS MY EVERYDAY MECHANIC HAD STATED TO ME THAT FOR A 4 YEAR OLD VEHICLE THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. THE TECH CONSULTED WITH HIS MANAGER (WHO NEVER EVEN PICKED UP THE PHONE) RETURNED AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD PAY FOR THE PART AND WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ROUGHLY $500-600 FOR LABOR. I AGREED AS I REALLY HAD NO CHOICE. PLEASE HELP NOT ONLY ME, BUT THE OTHER SIENNA OWNERS GET THIS PROBLEM INTO A RECALL STATUS, AS IF THIS EVER SHUTS ON A CHILD SERIOUS INJURY OR A DEATH MAY OCCUR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 35-45 MPH, THE STEERING WOULD TIGHTEN AND HESITATE TO THE POINT WHERE IT FELT LIKE IT WOULD NOT TURN. THE DEALER BELIEVED THAT THE U JOINT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND HAD LOTS OF "PLAY". THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST WAS $523.71. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 84,208.