Problems with 2006 Toyota Sienna ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

1) august 2013 during an oil change the dealer technician notified me the steering rack needed replacing due to oil leaks from the rack and pinion ($1000 repairs). 2) september 2014 asked dealer to check air conditioning ac right center console blower. after recharging the system with dye, found the ac lines to the rear cabin corroded under the wheel wells -- recommended $1500 to replace entire lines (i declined pending further inspection summer 2015). 3) february 2015 noticed right side power sliding door stopped working electronically, with key fob, interior switches, etc., and would only work when pulling open/closing manually by hand. actuators still worked to "lock" the door during the last inch closing/opening. noticed black cable sheathing frayed and bare in spots, showing steel cable inside, but cable still intact. found online forums stating many having similar issues. located my extension to warranty enhancement notice from toyota mailing stating "certain 2004-2007 model year sienna rear sliding door latch assemblies and power sliding door cable assemblies" may be covered (up to 120k or 9 years from original date of purchase, whichever came first), via the toyota customer support program. however, this "enhancement" does not cover door motor assembly failures, which my dealer technician identified as the probable main cause of the door not working properly (after having removed part of the door for inspection). i declined the $1000 labor + $1200 parts ($2200 total) motor, but accepted the free cable assembly warranty coverage. am now using the door in manual mode only. my concerns: these parts are wearing out prematurely under normal use/wear and tear. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota sienna. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the technician diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the ecm needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 118,000 and the current mileage was 119,000. updated 06/10/14*lj

Driving my 2006 toyota sienna on a busy freeway with three children ages 1, 7, & 10 when the air condition compressor decided to seize up causing the belt to burn and eventually snap. the burning belt resulted in a little smoke and a fearful smell filling the cabin. fearing a fire, i was forced to pull off the road putting myself and my three children in harms way. after determining there was not a fire, we climbed back in the van and continued on our way. after a little research, i've learned the compressor problems are not uncommon in toyota sienna. in my case our vehicle had less than 45k miles. seems there are many unsatisfied sienna owners who have experienced a similar problem, and toyota should consider recalling all vehicles with this air conditioning system. i feel this is a major safety concern since the mini-van is considered a family vehicle. *tr

Issue: my 2006 toyota sienna's ventilation system heats up even if setting at cold level. it caused the interior of the van to heat up uncontrollably and could cause heat exhaustion during hot summer days. the unwanted heat was traced from heat at the engine compartment enter the passenger cabin through the ventilation system. due to insufficient insulated area at the engine compartment to the passenger compartment. it is extremely dangerous for young children in the vehicle during hot summer time. we noticed the issue during one of our summer vacation in 2007. we were stuck in heavy traffic for more than 15 minutes. outside temperature was at a comfortable 75 degree, but the interior of vehicle feels like 90 degree. the air coming from the air vent is hot. i did some research on this issue, it turns out that toyota fixed this issue on 2008 and later vehicles by adding insulation pad between the engine compartment and ventilation system. however, the toyota dealership refuse to provide the fix to my van. *tr