2005 Toyota Sienna Latches/Locks

ABOUT A WEEK AGO, THE REAR LIFT-GATE ON MY 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN (XLE) STARTED TO DROP DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER BEING OPENED. IF PUSHED, THE LIFT-GATE WOULD GO UP, ONLY TO DROP DOWN AGAIN. A FEW DAYS LATER, WHILE I WAS UNLOADING ITEMS FROM THE BACK, THE LIFT-GATE STARTED TO CLOSE AUTOMATICALLY AND WOULD NOT GO UP WHEN I PUSHED IT. I HAD TO ESCAPE UNDER THE LIFT-GATE OR ELSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED BETWEEN THE LIFT-GATE AND THE CAR. NOW, THE LIFT-GATE OPENS AND THEN AUTOMATICALLY CLOSES; IT DOESN'T STAY OPEN. I CANNOT USE IT - IT IS TOO DANGEROUS.

2005 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE 42000 MILE, WHEN TRYING TO CLOSE THE DRIVER SIDE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR, IT BOUNCED BACK BEFORE COMPLETELY CLOSE. AN OBVIOUS HINCH WORN OUT AT THE DOORWAY MADE THE SLIDING DOOR VERY LOOSING. IT IS DANGEROUS WHEN THE DOOR CAN'T SHUT. *TR

I OPENED THE MANUAL LIFTGATE ON THE 2005 SIENNA AND IT IMMEDIATELY CAME BACK DOWN ON MY HEAD, STRIKING ME ON THE FOREHEAD. ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THE CYLINDERS WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THEY STATED THEY HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND TO DATE THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL.*AK

LEFT FRONT DOOR,WELD BROKER, CHECK STRAP MOUNT BASE. I WOULD LIKE THIS SAFETY DEFECT REPAIRED TO AVOID A COMPLETE FAILURE WHICH WOULD PERMIT THE UNCHECKED DOOR TO SWING INTO AN ADJACENT CAR OR INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, (IF PARKED ON A STREET). REPORTED THIS SAFETY DEFECT TO TOYOTA ON 6/20/07 @ 44,082 MILES, ASSIGNED FILE NUMBER 200707020143. TOYOTA HAS DECLINED TO REPAIR THIS SAFETY DEFECT. NHTSA SERVICE BULLETIN NUM 00307, ITEM NUMBER 10021711, AND TWO REPORTS ON YOUR SITE, ODI 10184002 & ODI 10191764, OUTLINE SIMILAR DEFECTS. *TR

THE LIFTGATE ON A POWER LIFTGATE 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA WILL NOT STAY OPEN. IT HAS COME DOWN AND WACKED MY WIFE AND I ON THE HEAD MANY TIMES. I FOUND OUT THE REPLACEMENT IS $450. *JB

I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE AUTOMATIC BACK HATCH/TAILGATE BEGAN TO NOT WORK. WHEN IT OPENS IT IMMEDIATELY FALLS DOWN AND EVEN THOUGH THERE IS SOME SUPPOSED SAFETY FEATURE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE IT POP UP WHEN IT MEETS AN OBSTRUCTION,ONE MUST PUSH WITH ALL THEIR MIGHT TO GET IT TO STOP CLOSING. ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN NO SERIOUS INJURIES I HAVE BEEN HIT IN THE HEAD AND HAVE STRAINED MYSELF TO KEEP IT CLOSED. IF A CHILD EVER WERE CAUGHT IN IT,MY FEAR IS IT COULD BE DEADLY. MY MECHANIC CALLED THE DEALER FOR PARTS AND NOT ONLY WERE THEY RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE,BUT THEY ARE HARD TO GET. I CALLED THE TOYOTA CONSUMER LINE AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE UNAWARE OF ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE BACK HATCH OR ANY ON GOING INVESTIGATIONS. BECAUSE OF HIGH MILEAGE ON MY VEHICLE,THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY ANY LONGER. I BELIEVE THIS IS A POTENTIAL FATAL ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN TO SOMEBODY AND TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FIXING THE PROBLEM. *JB UPDATED 3/4/08 *CN

2005 TOYOTA SIENNA LE'S DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR DOES NOT LOCK INTO OPEN POSITION WHEN WINDOWS ARE DOWN LEAVING OPPORTUNITY FOR INJURY TO LIMBS, HEAD, BODY, ETC. *JB

POWER SLIDING DOOR FAILED TO RETRACT. ONCE WHEN MY WIFE WAS LEANING IN THE VAN TO GET SOMETHING, I ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED THE BUTTON ON MY KEY CHAIN THAT CLOSES THE DOOR. IT JAMMED HER LEG. THE DOOR DIDN'T REOPEN UNTIL I PUSHED THE BUTTON. THIS HAPPENED A SECOND TIME WHEN MY WIFE WAS AGAIN GETTING SOMETHING OUT OF THE BACK SEAT WHEN MY GRANDDAUGHTER PUSHED THE BUTTON ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR TO CLOSE IT. MY WIFE SAID SHE EVEN TRIED TO USE HER BODY WEIGHT TO STOP THE DOOR OR TO MAKE IT OPEN BACK UP, BUT IT DIDN'T. FORTUNATELY SHE WAS ABLE TO REACH THE BUTTON. THE THIRD TIME THIS HAPPENED, MY GRANDSON WAS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VAN AND PUT HIS FINGERS IN THE WAY AS THE DOOR WAS CLOSING. IT TOTALLY CLOSED ON HIS FINGERS. THEY WERE SMASHED AND BRUISED. NO SERIOUS INJURIES OCCURRED. *JB

I WAS REACHING INTO THE REAR PART OF MY 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE MINIVAN WHEN THE HATCH STARTED TO CLOSE RIGHT ON ME. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET AWAY QUICK ENOUGH WHERE THERE WAS NO HARM DONE BUT IT WAS A CLOSE CALL. *NM

MY VAN HAS ELECTRIC SLIDING SIDE DOORS THAT CAN BE ACTUATED BY SEVERAL MEANS. THE FORWARD MOTION HAS A SAFETY SENSOR THAT WILL STOP AND REVERSE THE CLOSING OF THE DOOR IF A PERSON SHOULD BE IN THE WAY AND THAT WORKS WELL. HOWEVER, THERE IS NOT ANY WAY TO SENSE A DANGEROUS CONDITION WHEN THE DOOR IS OPENING. UPON OPENING, THE DOOR ROLLS OUT ABOUT 4 INCHES AND THEN SLIDES ON A RAIL SYSTEM TO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN MY MOTHER WHO WAS IN A WHEEL CHAIR JUST TWO INCHES AWAY FROM THE SIDE OF THE REAR CLOSED DOOR. A PASSENGER HIT THE AUTOMATIC DOOR OPEN BUTTON FOR THAT DOOR. THE DOOR TRAVELED OUTWARD 4 INCHES PINNING THE ARM REST AND BEGAN LIFTING THE SIDE OF THE CHAIR AND CARRYING HER TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE VAN. IT APPARENTLY KNOCKED HER ARM OFF THE CHAIR ARM THUS PREVENTING PINNING HER HAND AS SHE AND THE DOOR TRAVELED TO THE REAR OF THE VAN. DURING THIS ACCIDENT THE DOOR RECEIVED A LONGITUDINAL SCRAPING DENT. PHOTOS SHOWING THE DENT WITH REPLICATION OF THE WHEELCHAIR COULD BE PROVIDED, IF REQUESTED BEFORE REPAIRS ARE MADE. UPON FURTHER CHECKING THIS, I CONFIRMED THERE WAS NOT ANY STOP SENSOR OR PHYSICAL WAY TO STOP THE DOOR WHEN IN THE OPENING MODE. I ALSO NOTED THAT THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE DOORS INNER SIDE AND THE BODY PRESENTS A PERFECT PINCH AREA FOR A HAND OR ARM TO WEDGE THAT WOULD BE CAPABLE SQUASHING ONES HAND AND OR ARM. THE OTHER EVENT THAT OCCURRED WAS WHEN A PERSON WAS LEANING ALONG THE SIDE OF THE VAN WHEN THE RETRACTING DOOR STRUCK THEM AND KNOCKED THEM ASIDE, FORTUNATELY WITHOUT INJURY. *JB

AUTOMATIC PASSENGER DOOR DOES NOT SENSE ANY PERSON, CHILD OR OBJECT AND WILL TRY TO SHUT UNTIL ENOUGH FORCE IS EXERTED BACK. CLOSED COMPLETELY ON MY CHILD'S HAND. AUTOMATIC DOOR FEATURE IS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO LACK OF SAFETY FEATURE TO PREVENT CLOSING ON CHILDREN, PETS ETC. WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THIS CAR FOR THAT REASON ALONE. PLEASE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THE '04 TOYOTA SIENNA PASSENGER DOORS MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC. *JB

PURCHASED A NEW TOYOTA SIENNA LE MINIVAN. NOTICED WITHIN THE FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP THAT THE SLIDING DOORS WERE NOT OPENING AND LATCHING OPEN. THE DOORS WOULD OPEN, BUT WOULD NOT LATCH IN THE OPEN POSITION CAUSING THE POTENTIAL FOR THE DOORS TO CLOSE BY THEMSELVES. *JB