2005 Toyota Sienna STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA LE WITHOUT AUTOMATIC DOORS. 1. IN THE WINTER THE DOORS FREEZE SHUT AND WILL OPEN ON THEIR OWN WHILE DRIVING ONCE THE TEMPERATURE WARMS UP. ANYTHING UNDER 38 DEGREES THIS HAPPENS. 2. THE SLIDING REAR DOORS DO NOT OPEN ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME, ONCE THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR DID NOT OPEN FOR 4 MONTHS AND THEN STARTED WORKING AGAIN OUT OF THE BLUE. I FIND THESE GLITCHES DANGEROUS TO MY FAMILY. ESPECIALLY, WHEN THE FROZEN DOORS OPEN WHILE DRIVING OR WHEN THE SLIDING DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. WHAT IF THE CAR WAS ON FIRE OR SUBMERGED IN WATER? WE WOULD DIE. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR WILL NO LONGER OPEN OR OPERATE AND IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

2005 TOYOTA SIENNA SIDE DOORS (SLIDING) CONSTANTLY LOCK UP IN COLD WEATHER (LESS THAN 40 DEGREES) PROHIBITING ME FROM USING EITHER DOOR TO GET MY CHILDREN INTO MY CAR. THERE IS NO WAY TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE. TURNING ON YOUR CAR AND WARMING IT UP FOR EVEN AS LONG AS ONE HALF HOUR HAS NO EFFECT. TO COMPOUND MATTERS, ONCE SOMEONE HAS ATTEMPTED TO OPEN EITHER OF THE DOORS, THE CAR ALARM CONTINUES TO BEEP (WARNING THAT A DOOR IS AJAR). ALSO, I AM UNABLE TO FULLY RE-CLOSE THE DOORS WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THUS, I AM FORCED TO DRIVE WITH MY DOORS NOT FULLY CLOSED (AS THEY SHOULD BE). THIS IS MORE THAN AN INCONVENIENCE. MY SAFETY AND THAT OF MY CHILDREN IS BEING COMPROMISED, DRIVING WITH THE DOORS STUCK IN A SLIGHTLY AJAR POSITION. ALSO, IT IS DANGEROUS FOR MY CHILDREN TO BE CLIMBING IN AND OUT OF THE CAR THROUGH THE REAR HATCHBACK BECAUSE THE SLIDING DOORS WILL NOT OPEN. I CANNOT SOLVE NOR PREVENT THIS PROBLEM. PLACING THE CAR IN THE GARAGE HAS NO EFFECT. SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE COMPLAINED NUMEROUS TIMES TO MY CAR DEALERSHIP TO NO AVAIL. THEY SIMPLY TELL ME TO GRAPHITE THE DOOR SEALS. THIS DOES NOT HELP. THE DOOR SEALS ARE INADEQUATE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE SLIDING DOORS WOULD NOT OPEN. REPORT # 0910101597 WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND A REPRESENTATIVE ADVISED HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER ALSO STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR OR THE FEE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 57,000. UPDATED 10/27/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED ONE DOOR IS MANUAL AND THE OTHER IS POWER UPDATED 10/29/09.*JB

ON BOTH OCCASIONS PRECEDING THESE EVENTS THE WEATHER WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. WHETHER CONDITIONS WERE RAIN/ICE/SNOW AND FREEZING TEMPS. ON 2 SEPARATE INCIDENTS BOTH SLIDING DOORS HAVE BECOME FROZEN SHUT. I WAS UNABLE TO OPEN EITHER DOOR . ON ONE OCCASION I HAD TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 45 MIN WITH THE HEAT ON HIGH BEFORE I COULD OPEN THE DOORS. ALSO THE DOORS WERE NOT COMPLETELY CLOSED CAUSING THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TO GO ON AND OFF AND THE WARNING CHIME TO SOUND CONTINUALLY. WE HAVE FOUR YOUNG CHILDREN AND WILL NOT PUT THEM IN VEHICLE THROUGH THE REAR HATCH. NOT BEING ABLE TO OPEN THE DOORS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

THE POWER REAR DOOR LIFTS NORMALLY AND THEN IMMEDIATELY GOES DOWN SUDDENLY, IF SOME IS PUTTING SOMETHING IN THE CARGO AREA, THE DOOR WILL HIT THE PERSON ON THE BACK OR HEAD. AS RESISTANCE IS APPLIED TO THE DOOR COMING DOWN, IT WILL START LIFTING AGAIN AND CONTINUE THE SAME PATTERN. *TR

SLIDING DOOR, DRIVER SIDE WILL NOT OPEN, SAFETY, FOR EMERGENCY PURPOSES IT SHOULD OPEN. I ASKED THAT DEALER REPAIR AND THEY DID NOT. *TR

I AM HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE SIDE POWER SLIDING DOORS. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TWICE AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. SERVICE BULLETIN WAS PERFORMED ON A RATTLE. DEALER ALWAYS TELLS ME THAT THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM- BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE WHEN I GET HOME! THE SLIDING BACK DOORS OPEN BUT WILL NOT SHUT ONCE PUSHING ANY BUTTON AND I HAVE TO DO IT MANUALLY, MEANING THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HIT THE REMOTE A COUPLE OF TIMES TO GET IT TO OPEN. BOTH SLIDING DOORS STUCK CLOSED. THEY WOULD NOT WORK WITH THE BUTTON ARE MANUALLY. AT TIMES I CAN'T OPEN IT USING EITHER INSIDE OR OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE, NOR HAS JIGGLING THE DOOR LOCK. THERE IS A NOISE THAT THE DOORS NORMALLY MAKE. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY TIME I TRY TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOORS- ONLY SOMETIMES! SO, YES IT IS HARD TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AND ABLE TO SHOW HIM THE BROKEN PART!! I FEAR THAT THE DOORS ARE GOING TO OPEN AND HAVE THE KIDS FALL OUT OR SOMETHING! LIFT GATE UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSED WHILE STANDING AT THE BACK OF THE VAN. AT ONE TIME THE REAR DOOR LIGHT ON THE DASH STAYED ON WHEN THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. I PUSHED THE BUTTON ON THE B-PILLAR AND THE REMOTE INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND THE DOOR DID NOT OPEN. I MANUALLY CLOSED THE REAR DOOR AND THE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. EVENTUALLY THE LIGHT WHEN OFF THE AUTOMATIC CONTROL WORKED. ONE TIME THE DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR STARTS TO OPEN WHEN I TRY TO OPEN IT USING EITHER BUTTON ON B-PILLAR OR REMOTE. IT STARTS MOVING BUT ONLY MOVES MAY BE ABOUT 2-3MM - THAT'S RIGHTS, ABOUT 1/12 OF AN INCH. I CAN HEAR THE MOTOR WORKING FINE, AND NO SOUND IS DIFFERENT FROM THE SOUND THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR MAKES WHEN OPENING OR CLOSING (PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR WORKS FINE). NOW, WHEN I TRY TO OPEN DRIVER SIDE DOOR USING THE DOOR HANDLE, NOTHING HAPPENS NO MOTOR ACTIVATION, NO NOTHING. THE DOOR HAS EVEN CLOSED ON IT OWN WHEN MY WIFE WAS GETTING OUT OF IT AND I CAN OPERATE THE VEHICLE WITH THE SIDE DOOR OPEN. *TR

1) WE HAD BEEN ON VACATION FOR A WEEK AND A HALF, DURING WHICH TIME OUR MINIVAN SAT IN OUR GARAGE. THE FIRST DAY AFTER RETURNING, I TOOK THE KIDS TO A GROCERY STORE AND USED THE POWER SLIDING DOOR BUTTON TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOORS. WHEN TRYING TO LOCK THE DOORS, I NOTICED THAT ONE POWER SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT LOCK - IT SLID BACK BUT WOULD NOT LATCH. I TRIED PUSHING IT IN BUT IT WAS NOT WORKING. NOTHING WAS JAMMED IN IT EITHER. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. 2) SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE POWER SLIDING DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WAS NOT LATCHING. I HAD TO GET MYSELF AND THE KIDS HOME FROM THE GROCERY STORE, BUT THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY SHOWED ME THAT A DOOR WAS UNLOCKED AND THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO LOCK IT. I STARTED DRIVING SLOWLY BUT UPON THE SLOWEST OF TURNS IN THE PARKING LOT, THE DOOR WOULD START SLIDING OPEN. MY 7 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS TRYING TO REACH OVER TO KEEP IT SHUT! IN ORDER TO DRIVE TO GET IT REPAIRED, I HAD TO TIE THE DOOR TO AN INSIDE HANDLE AND DRIVE SLOWLY IN ORDER TO KEEP THE DOOR FROM OPENING. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE: SAFETY ISSUE!!! THIS FAILED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THIS IS ON A MINIVAN, WHERE CHILDREN ARE SITTING. EVEN THOUGH MY CHILDREN ALWAYS HAVE THEIR SEAT BELTS ON, IT WAS STILL SCARY FOR THEM AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR, WHICH DID NOT FAIL AND THUS WAS NOT REPAIRED. HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART, ON A RELATIVELY NEW CAR? 3) I CALLED OUR TOYOTA DEALER TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPT. THE CAUSE WAS FOUND TO BE "ACTUATORS BINDING INTERNALLY" IN THE DOOR. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SLIDING DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY. THIS IS A 2005 MODEL YEAR CAR WITH 39K MILES ON IT, THEREFORE JUST PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I SEE THIS AS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE - WHAT IF THIS LOCK FAILED WITHOUT WARNING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE DOOR FLEW OPEN? *TR

THE POWER SLIDING DOORS ON MY SIENNA VAN "FREEZE UP" UNDER CERTAIN COLD MOIST WINTER CONDITIONS MAKING IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THEM (YOU HAVE TO CLIMB IN FROM THE FRONT DOOR) AND THEN ONCE YOU MANAGE TO GET THEM OPEN, THEY WILL THEN NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. I HAVE HAD TO DRIVE MILES WITH THE DOOR ALARM SOUNDING AND THE HEAT FULL BLAST BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO STOP AND GET THEM TO FINALLY CLOSE. THIS IS DANGEROUS, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH THE DOOR LOOKS "CLOSED" IT IS NOT HOOKED IN AS SIGNALED BY THE ALARM. I DOUBT IF I WAS HIT IF THE AIR BAGS WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY EITHER. THIS OCCURED THE FIRST WINTER I HAD THE CAR AND THEN A FEW TIMES EACH WINTER THEREAFTER, BUT SINCE OUIR WINTERS HAVE BEEN MILD, AND CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE NEEDED FOR IT TO OCCUR PLUS LACK OF TIME, I HAVE NOT PURSUED IT. WHEN I HAPPENED TO MENTION IT TO MY DEALER, THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS PROBLEM COULD OCCUR AND IT WAS THEN DROPPED. OTHER SIENNA OWNERS HOWEVER, HAVE TOLD ME THEY ALSO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM.

(#1) WE PURCHASED A 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE. WITHIN ONE WEEK OF OWNING THE CAR, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR WAS NOT WORKING. AUTOMATIC OPENER DID NOT WORK. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE FIX WAS. ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO THE DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR, AGAIN, STARTED TO SOUND LIKE CRUMPLING ALUMINUM AND WITH A FEW MORE USES WOULD NOT OPEN ANY MORE. MY DAUGHTER AND SON COULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED IF THAT WAS THE ONLY SIDE TO GET OUT. TOYOTA WANTED $1,800 TO REPLACE THE CABLE THAT MOVES THE DOOR AUTOMATICALLY BACK AND FORTH. THIS WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 46,000 MILES. (#2) AFTER A FEW YEARS OF OWNING THE CAR, THE DRIVER'S DOOR STARTED "CLICKING". IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A FAULTY WELD. IT WAS FIXED AND ABOUT A YEAR LATER NOW IT IS "CLICKING" AGAIN. (#3) ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR DOOR LIFTING MECHANISM. IT FAILED AND THE DOOR WAS LIKE A BIG WEIGHT WAITING TO CRASH DOWN. ANOTHER RECALL. HAD I KNOW THAT IN THE 30,000 TO 45,000 MILE RANGE THAT WE WOULD HAVE FOUR TIMES DOOR PROBLEMS, I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THIS CAR. I FEEL THAT IT IS POORLY MADE AND ENGINEERED AND REQUIRES A SERIOUS INVESTIGATION. IS THIS A NHSTA OR DCA ISSUE? *TR