2004 TOYOTA SIENNA Complaints

IN FALL 2010 THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR SLIDING DOOR IN MY 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA, WHICH IS AUTOMATIC, BEGAN NOT OPENING AND NOT CLOSING WHEN THE "AUTOMATIC" BUTTON WAS PUSHED OR WHEN THE HANDLE WAS PULLED WHICH AUTOMATICALLY TRIGGERS THE MOTOR TO START. I FIGURED IT WAS THE MOTOR GOING BAD SO I TURNED IT OFF AND BEGAN USING IT MANUALLY. I TOOK IT INTO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN JANUARY 2011. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST $80 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH I COULDN'T AFFORD AT THE TIME. HE SAID DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY FOUND A NEW MOTOR AND CABLE COULD RUN ANYWHERE BETWEEN $500 AND $1800. HE THEN TOLD ME THAT SOMETIMES DIRT GETS BUILT UP IN THE TRACK OF THE DOOR WHICH CAN MAKE IT HARD FOR THE MOTOR TO OPEN/CLOSE AND HE SHOWED ME HOW TO WASH IT OUT. I DID BUT IT DIDN'T HELP. I CONTINUED TO USE IT MANUALLY. IN THE SPRING OF 2011 THE DOOR GOT JAMMED PART WAY OPEN. I COULD NOT GET IT TO OPEN OR CLOSE. AFTER LOOKING AT THE DOOR MYSELF I NOTICED A BOLT ON THE BACK OF THE DOOR WHERE THE CABLE RUNS LOOKED LOOSE AND WHEN I FINALLY GOT THE DOOR TO SHUT, I WATCHED THE CABLE AND SAW THAT IT WAS NOT WORKING AS IT SHOULD. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE BOLT, THIS MECHANIC SAID THAT THE MOTOR WAS WORKING FINE. IT WAS A CABLE ISSUE. I DECIDED TO STOP USING THE DOOR COMPLETELY BECAUSE I WAS WORRIED THE CABLE WOULD BREAK OR IT WOULD RUIN THE MOTOR. ON MARCH 13, 2012 WHILE WE WERE IN ANOTHER CITY A FRIEND UNKNOWINGLY OPENED THE DOOR AND IT GOT STUCK OPEN AGAIN. IT WAS STUCK OPEN ABOUT 6 INCHES. WE WERE STUCK IN ANOTHER CITY WITH NO WAY TO GET HOME. I HAVE SINCE FOUND COUNTLESS REPORTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS ISSUE IN 2004-2007 TOYOTA SIENNAS. WHY ISN'T THERE A RECALL? CLEARLY THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHAT IF THERE WAS A CAR ACCIDENT/FIRE AND WE COULD NOT ESCAPE BECAUSE THAT DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN -- I HAVE 3 KIDS IN CARSEATS STILL. OR A CHILD ACCIDENTALLY OPENS THE DOOR WHILE ITS MOVING AND IT GETS STUCK. *TR

DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR IS BROKEN. DEALER SAYS WELD IS BROKEN REQUIRING COMPLETE DOOR REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF $2000. THE DRIVER DOOR WAS REPLACED YEARS AGO UNDER A RECALL BECAUSE IT TOO HAD A BROKEN WELD. *TR THIS SLIDING DOOR PROBLEM IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE. THE DEALERS ARE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM ON THESE VANS. *TR

LETTER FROM SENATOR SCHUMER ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT RE A REIMBURSEMENT ISSUE WITH 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA (DOT/I# S 2012 187) *TGW ON AUGUST 9, 2009, THE SPARE TIRE CABLE HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. IN THE SPRING OF 2011, TOYOTA ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL. THEIR NOTICE STATED IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY PAID FOR THE REPAIR, SUBMIT THE BILL AND REIMBURSEMENT CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN. ON OCTOBER 19, 2011, TOYOTA REQUESTED FOUR ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS. ON FEB 8, 2012, THE CONSUMER WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT, BECAUSE HE WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE CREDIT CARD STATEMENT THAT WAS USED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. *JB UPDATED 08/28/12. *JB UPDATED 10/25/12.*JB

POWER SLIDING DOOR CABLE BROKE. CONFIRMED WITH TOYOTA DEALER THAT BREAKING CABLE CAUSED POWER DOOR MOTOR TO FAIL. TOYOTA HAS WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT TO COVER CABLE, BUT WILL NOT COVER MOTOR. *TR

PASSENGER DOOR MAKES NOISE (HINGES) AND TOYOTA DON'T COVER IT. I DID RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM TOYOTA THAT THEY COVER 120K MILEAGE / 9 YEARS FOR SLIDING DOOR PROBLEM NOT FOR DRIVER DOOR. THE DEALER IS ASKING ME ABOUT $2,500 TO CHANGE THE DOOR. IT'S NOT FAIR. TOYOTA NEED TO FIX THEIR PROBLEM!!! *TR

PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE CERTIFIED USED IN 2007 WITH APPROX. 6 MONTHS LEFT ON THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY... THIS VEHICLE HAS FOG LIGHTS, DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS, AND XENON HEADLIGHTS/HIGH BEAMS. OF THESE EIGHT SETTINGS (LEFT AND RIGHT) ONLY ONE DOES NOT WORK -- THE RIGHT SIDE REGULAR BEAM HEADLIGHT. THE R/S HIGH BEAM WORKS FINE. R/S HEADLIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT FROM DATE OF PURCHASE. APPEARED TO BE A SIMPLE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION FAILURE AS HEADLIGHT WOULD COME BACK ON AFTER A SLIGHT STRIKE OF THE HEADLIGHT UNIT. ALSO NOTICED UNIT WOULD ACCUMULATE CONDENSATION AFTER RAINS. EVENTUALLY LIGHT STARTED GOING OUT MORE OFTEN AND STAYING ON FOR LESS TIME. BY DECEMBER THE LIGHT WOULD NOT COME ON AT ALL. SCHEDULED A SERVICE VISIT WITH OIL CHANGE BUT COULD NOT STAY LONG ENOUGH TO FULLY SOLVE THE PROBLEM. CAME BACK IN JANUARY FOR FULL EVALUATION. AFTER AN ENTIRE DAY OF TROUBLESHOOTING, THE TECHNICIAN BROUGHT ME BACK TO SHOW ME THAT THE HEADLIGHT BULB WORKED IN THE LEFT SIDE UNIT FINE. ALSO, THE RIGHT SIDE UNIT WORKED ON THE LEFT SIDE WHILE THE LEFT SIDE UNIT SHOWED MALFUNCTION ON THE RIGHT SIDE -- INDICATING BOTH THE UNITS WORKED FINE, BUT PROBLEM WAS ANOTHER SECTION (THE BALLAST?). TOYOTA SUGGESTED REPLACING THE WHOLE UNIT (DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY PROVED TO ME THAT IT WORKED) AT A PRICE OF $1000 PLUS LABOR (SINCE IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY). I DECLINED THE OBVIOUSLY RIDICULOUS SUGGESTION AND TOOK IT HOME TO TRY MY OWN TROUBLESHOOTING. I DISCOVERED I COULD GET THE LIGHT TO COME ON BY PULLING TIGHT THE WIRE DEDICATED TO THE R/S XENON BULB STRAIGHT BACK FROM THE UNIT. THIS CAUSED THE LIGHT TO COME ON AND STAY ON OFTEN, THOUGH NOT ALWAYS, SIMILAR TO THE TIME IT WAS PURCHASED. HOWEVER, AFTER THE VERY FIRST HEAVY RAIN, THE HEADLIGHT UNIT HAD EXTENSIVE CONDENSATION INSIDE THE PLEXIGLASS AND THE LIGHT NEVER WORKED AGAIN. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR OPENING MECHANISM DOES NOT PROPERLY OPEN THE DOOR. PUSHING THE OPEN BUTTON PRODUCES A WHIRRING NOISE OF THE DOOR MOTOR AND A SINGLE JERKY RESPONSE OF THE DOOR, BUT NOT AN ACTUAL OPENING OF THE DOOR. THE HAPPENS IN THE BOTH OPEN AND CLOSE POSITIONS. WITH THE INSIDE HANDLE COVER REMOVED, I COULD SEE THAT PUSHING THE OPEN BUTTON DID NOT ACTUATE THE LATCH FULLY. "MANUALLY ASSISTING" BY PULLING THE HANDLE (BOTH INSIDE AND OUT) DID MANAGE TO ACTUATE THE DOOR OPENING MECHANISM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED DURING THE CRASH. TWO PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE SUFFERED NECK INJURIES AND THE CONTACT SUFFERED AN INJURY TO THE ARM. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED DURING THE CRASH. THE CONTACT DID NOT CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000.

DRIVER SIDE DOOR STARTED MAKING LOAD POPPING AND CREAKING NOISES WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING. BROUGHT THE VAN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WELDS INSIDE THE DOOR WERE BROKEN. SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND RECOMMENDED I CALL TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE. TOYOTA ADMITTED IT WAS DUE TO A DEFECT BUT SINCE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY WOULD DO NOTHING TO FIX IT. DOORS SHOULD LAST FOR THE LIFETIME OF A CAR AND DON'T BREAK FROM NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. TOYOTA HAD EXTENDED THE WARRANTY FOR THE DOORS BUT MY CAR IS STILL PAST THAT PERIOD. BY EXTENDING THE WARRANTY TOYOTA HAS ALREADY ADMITTED THAT THE DOORS ARE DEFECTIVE. JUST BECAUSE IT TOOK MINE 8 YEARS TO BREAK, THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT I NEED TO SPEND OVER $2000 TO REPLACE THE DOOR. TOYOTA SHOULD BE FORCED TO REPAIR THESE DOORS. NO REASONABLE CONSUMER WOULD BUY A VEHICLE WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT A BASIC, YET HUGELY EXPENSIVE PART, SUCH AS A DOOR COULD LIKELY BREAK IRREPARABLY IN THE NORMAL LIFETIME OF A CAR. THIS IS NOT ONE OF THE EXPENSIVE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOORS (ALTHOUGH THOSE ALSO SEEM TO BREAK). THIS IS THE BASIC DRIVER SIDE DOOR LIKE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN CARS FOR THE LAST HUNDRED YEARS. TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. *TR

TOYOTA SIENNA AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR FAILED. THE DOOR IS UNABLE TO BE OPENED EVEN IN MANUAL MODE. USED THE KEY FOB AND THE CABLE JUST SNAPPED. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS MY CHILDREN NEED TO CLIMB OVER SEATS TO EXIT THROUGH THE ONLY DOOR THAT WORKS AS MY BABIES CAR SEAT WAS IN THAT SPOT. IN AN EMERGENCY THIS IS A SERIOUS HAZARD AND IS JUST WAITING FOR DISASTER TO HAPPEN. *TR