1999 Toyota Sienna

DRIVER-SIDE SLIDING DOOR AND THE REAR DOOR ON 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE BOTH WENT OUT OF CONTROL AT THE SAME TIME. BOTH DOORS ARE LOCKED AND DO NOT RESPOND TO REPEATED EFFORTS TO OPEN THEM, BY KEY OR MANUALLY. THE LOCK HANDLE ON THE REAR DOOR IS PERMANENTLY DEPRESSED, I.E., NO LONGER PRESSABLE, NO LONGER ACTING LIKE A MOVABLE PART. *TR

THE REAR HATCH HANDLE JUST SNAPPED IN MY HAND AS I TRIED TO OPEN THE HATCH. DEALER INITIALLY ESTIMATED REPAIR COSTS AT $350-$600 BECAUSE THEY HAD TO "BREAK INTO THE CAR." ACTUAL REPAIR COST WAS $250 FOR A POORLY DESIGNED PART. MECHANIC TOLD ME THE DESIGN AND PLACEMENT OF THE HATCH HANDLE IS SUBJECT TO CONSTANT EXHAUST FUMES FROM THE REAR OF THE CAR, WEAKENING THE PLASTIC HANDLE. NO INSIDE HATCH RELEASE IS AVAILABLE MAKING THIS A SAFETY ISSUE IN THE EVENT THE SIDE DOORS ARE DAMAGED IN AN ACCIDENT. POOR ENGINEERING. *TR

POWER DOOR LOCKS HAVE STARTED TO FAIL ON MY 1999 SIENNA LE. THE DRIVER'S DOOR SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEMATIC PART OF THE SYSTEM. THE OTHER DOORS SEEM TO WANT TO RESPOND BUT DRIVER DOOR MAKES A 'CLICK, CLICK, CLICK' SOUND AND DOESN'T RESPOND. KEY USUALLY WORKS TO LOCK AND UNLOCK BUT NOT CONSISTENTLY. DANGEROUS SINCE PEOPLE COULD BE TRAPPED IN VEHICLE DURING AN ACCIDENT, ETC AND OTHER POSSIBLY DANGEROUS SCENARIOS COULD OCCUR. REPORTING THIS SINCE IT MOST LIKELY HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS AND WANTED IT ON RECORD. DRIVER AND OTHERS COULD BE TRAPPED INSIDE WHICH IS DANGEROUS. *JB

LATCH ON VAN'S BACK HATCH DOOR BROKE DURING OPENING, CAUSING INABILITY TO OPEN BACK HATCH DOOR. NO EXCESSIVE PRESSURE WAS USED DURING OPENING, ONLY THE NORMAL GRIPPING MOTION TO OPEN THE LATCH. WHEN BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP WE PURCHASED VAN FROM, WE WERE QUOTED $350, AS THEY NEEDED TO "TAKE THE WHOLE DOOR APART." WE TOOK THE VAN TO TWO OTHER PLACES FOR AN ESTIMATE, BOTH WHICH THOUGHT THIS WAS A RECALL ISSUE (THOUGH ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS WAS NOT A RECALL ISSUE). FINALLY WE BROUGHT THE VAN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO ORDERED THE $45 TOYOTA PART, AND HE WAS ABLE TO PLACE IT IN LESS THAN 30 MINUTES WITHOUT TAKING THE DOOR APART. *NM

WHILE TRYING TO OPEN THE TAILGATE/TRUNK ON MY VAN THE PLASTIC PIECE THAT I WOULD USE TO OPEN THE TRUNK SNAPPED AND BROKE. NOW I CAN NOT OPEN THE LATCH, CHANGE THE LIGHTS THAT ARE A SAFETY CONCERN. THIS PART WAS VERY FLIMSY AND PLASTIC IN NATURE AND WE DID NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY THAN WE USUALLY WOULD DO BUT NOW WE CAN NOT USE THE TRUNK AT ALL. *JB

ON BACK DOOR OF MINIVAN, THE OUTSIDE HANDLE BROKE WHEN WE SQUEEZED IT TO OPEN. THE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED. WHY IS THERE NO RELEASE FROM THE INSIDE? THE QUOTE TO FIX IS $275-300. ALSO, ON THE REAR SLIDING DOOR (DRIVER SIDE, NOT AN AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR), THE PUSH-BUTTON LATCH "STICKS" SO THE DOOR WILL NOT LATCH WHEN CLOSING; WE HAVE TO PRY THE PUSH-BUTTON OUT WITH A KEY OR SCREW DRIVER SO THE DOOR WILL LATCH. *JB

I BOUGHT A BRAND NEW TOYOTA SIENNA CE IN APRIL, 1999. FROM THE DAY 1, THE PASSENGER SIDE SLIDING DOOR IS SO TIGHT THAT MY TEENAGE KID COULDN'T OPEN. IT IS NOT SAFE IN THIS WAY. IT FINALLY BROKE. I CALLED TOYOTA USA AND TOYOTA CANADA (TOYOTA USA SAID THIS VEHICLE IS IN TOYOTA CANADA'S DATABASE, BUT I BOUGHT IT AT CHICAGO'S TOYOTA DEALER). BOTH TOYOTA CUSTOMER SUPPORT REFUSED TO CHECK AND REPAIR IT! I BELIEVE IT IS DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE PROBLEM. *JB