Problems with 2004 Toyota Sienna STRUCTURE

Power sliding door cable broke. *kb

Passenger side automatic sliding door cable frayed and rubbing. we discontinued use to prevent breakage, leaving us with only one door for the rear passengers. toyota dealer claims this is a $1600-$1800 fix. *tr

Total failure of rear liftgate struts (manual liftgate). cannot support weight of liftgate; liftgate drops immediately when released. similar to problem in recall 08v244000 for sienna power rear liftgate struts. *tr

The passenger side sliding door has a middle hinge that now sags and prevents the door from closing or opening properly. often, the passenger side is the safest side to exit the van, and without this door opening or closing properly, the more dangerous driver's side door must be used. *tr

The cable on the power sliding door snapped. now the door is non-functioning and can not be opened. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that while parked on an incline, the cable fractured and the passenger side sliding door slammed shut. the dealer diagnosed that the motor and cable needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified, but denied assisting the contact with the failure. the failure was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 90,000.

The front driver side door weld of door check mounting panel has failed. the door can swing open dangerously if not repaired. *tr

Power sliding door on the passenger side stopped working, so we started using it manually. now the door is locked shut and won't open from the inside or the outside (the child safety lock is disengaged). i would attempt to fix it myself, but screws are located in an area you can only get to with the door open. i can partially pry the interior panel, but only gives me very limited access. very frustrating! *tr

Toyota sienna automatic sliding door failed. the door is unable to be opened even in manual mode. 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. when that cable mechanism breaks, they will have no way to exit the vehicle in an emergency. *tr

The passenger power sliding door cable has broken. i have seen this complaint numerous times on the internet. the repair is costly since the design has the cable as part of the motor assembly. bad enough that the doors stick off and on all winter anytime the vehicle is left outdoors (or just being driven), but to not make the cable a serviceable and repairable part seems an engineering mistake. exposed seals and cables are not a well thought design. *tt

Sliding doors (both drivers and passenger sides) the cable assembly has snapped on each of the sliding doors of the vehicle nearly whipping my sons leg as he entered. the door then could not be closed, forcing us to drive to the dealership with the sliding door wide open. i have heard of other instances where people have been stuck in the door as the assembly broke upon either opening or closing. *tt

6/13/2011 i brought my 2004 toyota sienna to the cedar rapids toyota to check the electrical right sliding door as it was hard to open using the electrical system and manually. toyota applied white grease and the door was less hard to open. no electrical check was performed. 7/9/2011 that same door would not open electrically and, while opening it manually, the door made a strange noise; then, the rear quarter glass of the wing window shattered. the electrical sliding door stayed stuck in a semi-open position. being late saturday, it could not be repaired and had to drive home with that door open, shattered glass all over the floor and seats and the deafening beeping automatic sound/signal that indicating a door is open. 7/11/2011 the car is taken to toyota of fort worth. a supervisor was called in and, despite no investigation whatsoever, the conclusion was that nothing could be done and that i should bring the car to a body shop because it didn''t look like a mechanical/electrical failure. i took the car to the body shop (sterling fort worth.) once the door was stripped of its components, the body shop found that the door''s power slide control motor was noticeably chafed with cables linking the motor to the door all twisted. the motor was replaced but the issue recurred and also the second motor showed chafing and twisting, not allowing the door to work. the body shop concluded that the cause of the problem is the sliding door control module which controls the motor. for safety reasons i agreed with the body shop to disconnect the motor to allow the manual use of the door. both body shop and toyota conclude that the issue cannot be resolved because of a design flaw which does not allow for the installation holes of the module to line-up with the door. toyota specified it does not have a manual or a design to share with anyone to fix the issue. *tr

Cable failure on both power sliding doors of my 2004 toyota sienna. doors now not operating properly if opening at all. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated the passengers automatic sliding door required extensive force when it was opened manually. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated the failure was related to the power sliding door motor. the service warranty expired and the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect and were unable to provide further assistance. the failure mileage was 120,000.

My 2004 toyota sienna xle driver door weld is broken. the passenger door window only opens half way and sometimes the door does not open all the way because of the broken weld. at first it was only a popping sound coming from the weld and then the piece broke. now the door gets jammed occasionally. *tr

The drivers side passenger sliding door will not open. this is a non-automatic sliding door. there is no way to open the door from the inside or the outside. this has happened with our automatic door as well. we had to pay over 1800 to have that door fixed. this is a safety issue when the doors will not open! if there was to be an accident and the children could not get out of that door because there is a fault with the latches, that would be tragic. this is not the first time a complaint has been filed about the sliding doors in a toyota van.

The cable on the power sliding door snapped and the door is now completely inoperable. the door cannot be opened manually or electronically. this is a very serious malfunction as it could pose a threat to exit in an emergency. toyota wants $2,200 per door to fix this problem. quite clearly, this is a safety issue.

2004 toyota sienna. left side, driver side power sliding door will not close-motor failure. *tr

Toyota sienna 2004 le - rear door struts (manual) failed causing the door to drop (free fall). very lucky that my kids were not around at that time. *tr

Both sliding door motor cables have broken on my 2004 toyota sienna. one door was stuck in an open position, and the other one could only be opened six inches. i have now paid toyota dealerships over $4,000 to fix the motor cables for both doors. with one stuck open, i couldn't transport my children. i live over 30 minutes to the nearest mechanic, so it was very fun driving the car to a dealership. i think that it is a safety issue especially if the doors stick open. the dealership stated that they have never seen this before, but i am now seeing several complaints about this, and that toyota has a tsb on this problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. while parked, the contact noticed a fracture on the driver's side of the dashboard. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a complaint was filed. additionally, the contact heard a grinding noise coming from the air conditioning unit. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician advised the contact that the air conditioning compressor would have to be replaced. also, the contact stated there was rust on the rear driver and passenger side sliding doors. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the hinge was replaced. the sliding door failure recurred. the vehicle was not further repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. ...updated 10/17/12 *bf updated 10/23/2012 *js

Drivers door popping sound. bracket lever for door stop mounting plate broken loose. dealer referred me to auto body shop. advised need for new door: welding the plate back on has not proven successful. it just breaks off again. cost over $3000. dealer said toyota extended warranty to 5 years or 100,000 miles. i was not advised and am now outside those limits. another toyota boondoggle/cover-up along with their surging acceleration; and more.. *tr

My 2004 sienna toyota door fell right off of the car. first the power opening stopped working then some wire snapped and the door fell right off the car. this is usually a spot most people put their children. this is a door that teachers open to get my child out for school. if this happened moments before it would of fell on a teacher in front of the entire school and my child. *tr

Manual sliding door (drivers side) doesn't latch completely and comes open when turning right. *tr

Description: front door check popping noise cause: spot weld in door check failed controls door when opening and closing safely. toyota has tsb nv003-07, but has limited warranty. expired for me. *tr

The right side automatic door will not engage when button is pushed. it only engages when handled are used both inside and outside. *tr

Rear sliding door power cable on 2004 toyota sienna broke. causing door to be stuck in open position. toyota has known of defect and issued a tsb (el004-04) in april of 2004, but did not repair previously manufactured minivans. *tr

Door check had been clicking - lubed it with lithium grease. then window wouldn't go all the way down. brought vehicle to dealer to be told the door check failed, bent the window track and needs to be repaired by re-welding another piece of metal to the door and door check to the tune of $500. when we inquired about the past safety issue of the door investigation and voluntary warranty extension of the door check, we were told the vehicle age and mileage passed the bulletin campaign that was in effect for 2004-2006 model years. i guess we were unaware that a safety issue such as sagging doors and doors falling off a vehicle would have limited time to fail. we have four children in the "family friendly van" on a regular basis. how long should one expect a door to provide safe containment of the occupants of a motor vehicle ?? laws protect us by having auto makers provide replacement parts for so many years after production ends, but we set up a solution for a proven safety problem with a limited responsibilty time frame. i hate to think how many drivers or occupants will die if their vehichle door falls off while they are driving. especially if they knew there had been a prior solution for those that had parts sooner rather than later.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that the dashboard was cracked and she was concerned that the air bag would deploy inadvertently. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, who informed her that the entire dashboard would need to be replaced. failure mileage was 71,000 and the current mileage was 91,000. updated 06/17/13 *bf

Sliding doors typically freeze shut in winter, even when water is not present (i.e. garaged). renders ingress and egress impossibly through these doors. also, motors and door bearings wear to the point of power doors becoming inoperable or place them in contact with the body of he vehicle. multiple owners report these and related/similar issues.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that while traveling 50-55 mph, the passenger side rear door opened independently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 96,000 and the current mileage was 117,000.

I have a 2004 toyota sienna. both sliding doors now have broken cables and will not open from the inside. they only open when forced open from the outside. the repair cost from a toyota dealer is $1,600.00 per door. the part itself cost $1,100.00 plus the labor. the doors now are a safety issue since my son can not get out of the back quickly if needed. the cables rusted and severed while opening. the doors do not have a manual override to allow opening properly once the electronic operation is compromised. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that the dashboard was defective. the dashboard was cracked near the air bag area and the contact was concerned that the failure could cause a disruption in air bag deployment in the event of a crash. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 114,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated whenever accessing the front drivers side door there was unusual noise and then the door would open abruptly or close with force. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician stated the check strap plate fractured which would require replacement of the door. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer extended the service warranty; however, the vehicle was ineligible due to the mileage. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. updated 12/12/11*lj the consumer stated without the check strap in place, there is nothing to prevent the door from being forced closed or opening suddenly. without the check strap in place, the driver would have to support the entire weight of the door to hold it open when exiting and entering the vehicle. the consumer stated he installed bolts to replace two of the broken spot welds and the door worked fine until october when the thin metal began to split apart in the check strap pocket from the stress of the door's weight. updated 05/11/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that the driver door was fractured and would not open any more than two inches. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and they advised her that the hinges on the door were not welded properly. the manufacturer was then contacted and they advised her that they were offering an extended warranty for the failure, but she did not fall within the category. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

Loud noise when closing and opening driver side door. *tr

The incident occurred while i was driving from ohio to florida, on spring break. i was the sole adult in the vehicle with my two daughters, who were riding in the middle seats. we had traveled all day and had stopped in lake city, fl to fill up with gas. when we got back on the highway (i-75), my daughter told me she was hot. it was just after 8 pm and the sun had set. not wanting to turn on the air conditioner, i told her i would open the rear vent windows to move air through the car. i pushed the button to open the rear vent windows, and the window on the passenger side flew off the van. i heard the noise, and my daughter yelled that the window was gone. i looked in my rear view mirror to see the window sailing through the air in the draft of the van. then it crashed and shattered all over the highway. we were very lucky that no one was traveling directly behind us. i slowed down and waited for any cars traveling behind me to pass and to see if anyone was going to pull over. no one stopped, and there was no reason for me to go back for the shattered window. i would like to note that i was not traveling at an excessive speed. thankfully my van was the only car involved and no one got hurt. one expectation that i have when i buy a car is that the windows wont fly off when i open them during normal operation, no matter how old the car is. my car has never been in an accident, and further more it had just been in the dealership for the 90k maintenance and body check.

In 2009 one of the automatic door engines of my 2004 sienna le failed and needed to be replaced for approximately $1000. last month, the same door, passenger side, failed to open or close, and is completely inoperable at present. a diagnostic from toyota revealed that the cables need to be replaced but they don't come by themselves and have to be purchased with the bracket and hinges that come with it. it is labor intensive; they would have to keep the van for 1.5 days and the total cost of the repair is $1500. toyota will not offer $ assistance despite the fact that dozens and maybe hundreds of sienna owners have the same problem. i have at least 6 friends with door problems on their siennas. this needs to become a recall; it is a safety issue in that kids can not get out of the car in case of an emergency. if i buy a car with an automatic door it needs to work, and i've already had to repair the door engine once. please assist in making this a recall. thanks! *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that the motor cable for the passenger side sliding door fractured. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the motor assembly unit failed and would need to be replaced. the door was no longer operable because the dealer stated that it was opened, it would cause further damage. the dealer did not give a cause for the failure. the failure and current mileage was 88,000.

2004 driver's side sliding door cable broke, causing the door to be unable to close. due to severely cold weather in iowa, the door was forced shut to allow the vehicle to be operable. door motor replacement cost estimates range from $1300-1500. a few months later the passenger side door started exhibiting problems opening and closing. turned off the motors from the inside compartment. one time when the drivers side door was opened, a piece of the door assembly shattered the rear 3/4 glass panel. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. while the vehicle was parked he noticed that the drivers side door check mount panel was no longer welded in some areas. he stated the door made a lot of noise when opened or closed. the contact noticed the failure a month ago. he called the dealer and was advised that they were aware of the failure and it would be costly to repair to repair the vehicle. he called the manufacturer and filed a complaint. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 106,000 and the current mileage was 107,000.

Power sliding door of toyota sienna le 2004 fails to open. happened when car battery ran out of power. after battery was charged by an aaa mechanic with jumper cables, power door could open and close again. after driving the van for a few miles, power door started opening and closing by itself. very, very dangerous as van was being driven on a busy highway. after i pulled up on the side road, power door kept opening and closing, but not getting successfully closed by itself. i helped the door close successfully by pushing it fully to closed position. door is stuck in closed position since. electronic controls and manual knobs don't manage to open the door. *tr

2004 toyota sienna xle driver's side power door cable (part of the motor and clutch assembly) frayed and snapped. toyota recommends full replacement of motor and assembly part at $1200 plus labor $660. (wire material cost estimated at $20 or less.) issue: design defect leading to material stress/breakage. *tr

2004 toyota sienna: automatic sliding door fails to open or only opens intermittently. in 2008 i spent over $1000 to have this exact problem fixed and it is happening again. the passenger sliding door will not open, whether in the automatic mode or if changed to manual. this not only shouldn't happen, but is a safety hazard. if i were in an accident and my kids were in the car - they would not be able to get out of the car. toyota has not taken responsibility for this problem. there are over 500 posts on edmunds.com about the exact same problem! it is about time to do something about this!!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. the contact stated that while parked, he noticed that the dashboard was cracked along where the front passenger side air bag was located. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for a diagnostic test and the technician stated that the dashboard would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was concerned that the crack on the dashboard may have a negative affect on the deployment of the air bag if involved in a crash. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000. updated 02/13/12 *bf

We have a 2004 toyota sienna, which we bought new. very often we've had both rear sliding doors frozen shut when it gets cold. if we attempt to open one of the doors, the motor opens it a fraction of an inch and then won't close again completely so that we have to drive with the door not entirely closed. i don't feel that i can have my child in the back safely with this situation, not to mention the inconvenience of having to climb over seats to get in and out. i will not take it on the highway with any passengers for fear the door will suddenly open on the highway without warning. this appears to be a problem with many 2004 sienna vans and it should be a safety recall. *tr

We have a 2004 toyota sienna with a right side power sliding door and the door that pulls the door broke yesterday,i see that the cable got rotten and it did not have a plastic cover on it..i contacted toyota offices yesterday and the say to me that i should bring the car to a dealer and pay for inspection ant then they will inform toyota how and why it got broke...and toyota rep told me after that we will investigate if is an isolated case or many people have this problem..now this whole repair will cost $1800.00 just for a cable that got rotten because no plastic cover..i hope you can take of this ..please we need your help..thanks a lot. *tr

The 2004 toyota sienna xle van that we own has two power sliding doors. the cable to the passenger door snapped preventing the door from functioning as it should. the motor on the door is still in working order, but you cannot replace just the cable, you must replace the entire unit including the motor at $1200. we converted the door to a manual door and that worked for about 2 weeks. the door stopped functioning entirely and we are no longer able to open the passenger sliding door on our vehicle. this is a potential safety risk to us as we haul our 3 children in the back of the van. for example, when fueling the vehicle, the driver side sliding door is inoperable and in the event of a fire, the children would be trapped in the back of the vehicle. we have had very little luck in finding a used part and will hopefully be getting a new part to fix the problem in the near future. *tr

The drivers side passenger door sometimes would close on it's own after opened. i took it to dealership & of course worked as normal. in may 2011 i returned to the dealership, because while i was out shopping the door would not close, i closed as best i could, but would open on it's own going up a hill or on turns. dealership said my warranty expired in april. they could not get the door to fully close, which meant i had to turn off my power doors or the alarm would sound non-stop, the inside & outside lights would not go off. i drive this van at risk of the door opening at any time, but, it's what i own. the dealership and myself has asked toyota to repair, they refuse - cost $3000.00!!! cable, motor, hinge - all rusted out! i have researched this problem on the internet and have found thousands of complaints on 2004 & 2005 - same issue. this should be a recall by toyota, paid by them! when is someone going to listen and make toyota responsible for this matter. i travel with my dogs and young children in my vehicle, it has eliminated one seat in my van, i can't let anyone sit there. nhtsa you need to do something for all of us that are having this issue and don't have $3,000 to pay for repair, a repair that we should not have to pay anyway! wake up toyota, you are gonna be loosing lots of customers over this one, i know it's my last toyota, hello honda or nissan! i will never recommend toyota to anyone. *tr

Power locked up due to metal wire connecting it to the motor is shredded. the metal wire has some black coating that has worn off and the metal exposed looks rusted and caused it to break. the door can only open partially causing ingress issues. *tr