1998 Toyota Sienna

THE PUSH-BUTTON ON THE INSIDE OF THE SLIDING SIDE-DOORS FAILS TO RELEASE. IN THE CASE THE DOOR IS UNLOCKED, THIS PREVENTS TO DOOR FROM CLOSING. IF THE DOOR IS LOCKED, THE BUTTON DOES NOT RELEASE, KEEPING THE DOOR FROM BEING UNLOCKED AND THUS THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED. THIS CAN BE REMEDIED BY SLIDING A FLAT BLADE UNDER THE BUTTON TO RELEASE IT. THIS AFFECTS THE 1998 TOYOTA SIENNA. *TR

MY 98 SIENNA XLE HAS HAD INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS WITH THE (MANUAL) SLIDING DOORS NOT OPENING WITHOUT AND ADULT PULLING OUTSIDE. THEN MYSTERIOUSLY THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY. TODAY MY WIFE AND KIDS WERE ABOUT TOWN AND COULDN'T GET THE DRIVER'S SIDE SLIDING DOOR TO CLOSE. THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS LOCKED IN THE CLOSED POSITION. SHE HAD TO DRIVE HOME IN TRAFFIC HOLDING A BUNGEE CORD TO KEEP THE DOOR MOSTLY CLOSED WHILE THE KIDS WERE IN THE VERY BACK SEAT. I WORKED ON IT FOR A WHILE WHEN I GOT HOME BUT THERE ISN'T A WAY TO GET THE MECHANISM TO OPEN. IT WILL ROTATE FURTHER BACK (DOWNWARD, AWAY FROM THE LATCH LOOP), BUT NOTHING MORE. *TR

1998 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN - REAR PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR HANDLE BROKE OFF WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE DOOR (THE DOOR STUCK). THIS IS THE SECOND HANDLE THAT HAS BROKEN ON THIS VAN. THE REAR DOOR HATCH HANDLE BROKE ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. THIS APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW AND IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS POSTED ON BULLETIN BOARDS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. TOYOTA HAS NOT ADDRESSED THIS CONCERN THROUGH A GENERAL RECALL AND APPEARS TO BE BLAMING THE OWNERS. I HAVE HAD MY VAN SERVICED BY A TOYOTA DEALER ON A REGULAR BASIS, SO THIS PROBLEM IS NOT A MAINTENANCE ISSUE. *TR

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE (AND MOST RECENTLY, TODAY), THE SLIDING DOOR HANDLE/LATCH/LOCK HAS FAILED. USUALLY, THE FAILURE IS SUCH THAT THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. SOMETIMES, THE DOOR CAN ONLY BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE AND SOMETIMES THE DOOR CAN ONLY BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE. ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION, AN INOPERABLE DOOR SPONTANEOUSLY OPENED ITSELF WHEN NOBODY WAS NEAR IT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS LOOKED AT THIS PROBLEM NUMEROUS TIMES, TO NO AVAIL, AND SIGNIFICANT PIECES OF THE MECHANISM HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT THE COST OF SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. A DIFFERENT, BUT POSSIBLY RELATED, PROBLEM IS THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LOCK (THE ELECTRONIC LOCK) HAS ALSO FAILED REPEATEDLY OVER THE LIFE OF THE CAR. *JB

SIENNA VAN BACK DOOR LATCH FAILURE TO OPEN. LATCH COMPONENTS INCLUDE A PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT CAN APPARENTLY BREAK RENDERING THE BACK DOOR LATCH UNUSABLE. OCCUPANTS OF VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE BACK TO ESCAPE IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT OR ALLOW EMERGENCY CREWS ACCESS. CONSIDERING A DOOR HANDLE (LATCH) TO BE A CRITICAL COMPONENT FOR SAFETY REASONS, I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THIS PART MADE OUT OF PLASTIC. IN CALLING TOYOTA SERVICE I WAS TOLD THAT ITS NOT UNCOMMON FOR THIS PIECE OF PLASTIC TO BREAK ON THE VEHICLES AFTER ~7 YEARS. THIS IS WHEN THEY EXPECT THE FAILURES TO OCCUR AND THE SERVICE PERSONAL INDICATED THEY HAD JUST REPAIRED ONE LAST WEEK TOO. AT A COST OF OVER $300 TO REPAIR THIS PIECE OF PLASTIC AND ALLOW THE TRUNK TO OPEN AND CLOSE AGAIN, I PERSONALLY CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY DEFECT. THE TRUNK LATCH IS NOT USED ON A DAILY BASIS AS THE DOORS ARE BUT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE VEHICLE ACCESS AND FAILURE TO DESIGN AND USE PARTS THAT CAN STAND UP FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE FAILURE CAME WITH NO PRIOR INDICATION. WENT TO OPEN TRUNK AND PIECE OF PLASTIC UNDER LATCH HANDLE BROKE RENDERING IT USELESS. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER FAILURES RELATED TO THE PASSENGER OR DRIVER DOORS WITH THE LATCHES OR IF THEY ARE MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL. SOMETHING FOR NHTSA TO REVIEW. *JB