1999 Toyota Sienna

THE REAR DOOR OF OUR 1999 SIENNA VAN HAS ALREADY BROKEN TWICE SINCE WE PURCHASED IT 5 YEARS AGO. I REPLACED IT ONCE, BUT CANNOT AFFORD TO AGAIN. AS A RESULT, I CANNOT GET TO THE BACK WHICH ALSO PREVENTS ME FROM GETTING TO MY SPARE TIRE SHOULD I NEED IT. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE BACK HANDLE BROKE A YEAR AGO A WEEK LATER A SLIDING DOOR HANDLE. NOW, THREE DAYS AGO, ANOTHER SLIDING DOOR HAS BROKEN. I HAVE NO MONEY TO REPLACE THIS HANDLES AND IT WILL RUN ABOUT 1,000 TO FIX ALL THREE. FURTHER, THE SLIDING DOOR PANELS KEEP LIFTING AND I HAVE TRIED REPLACING THE PEGS WITH NO LUCK. I HAVE NEVER OWNED A CAR THAT HAS HAD NO MANY ISSUE WITH DOOR HANDLES. THEY SHOULD LAST THE LIFE TIME OF THE CAR. I SEE THROUGHOUT THE WEB OTHERS WHO HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. WHEN I CALL FOR USED PARTS, THEY ARE BACKED ORDERED BECAUSE THERE ARE NO MANY REQUEST FOR THEM. ESPECIALLY THE BACK DOOR ONE. I REALLY BELIEVE THEY ARE DEFECTIVE AND WERE NOT MADE TO WITH STAND OPEN AND CLOSING ON A DAILY BASES. I THINK THEY MADE THEM THINKING THEY WOULD BE ON DOORS THAT AUTOMATICALLY RELEASED AND OPENED VERSUS MANUAL DOORS. *TR

I AM WRITING IN REGARDS TO MY 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE. WE HAVE HAD (AND LOVED) THIS CAR FOR ALL OF IT 134,000 MILES, BUT RECENTLY THE POWER SLIDING DOOR (ON THE PASSENGER SIDE) STOPPED WORKING. USING BRUTE FORCE, AN ADULT CAN MANUALLY PULL THE DOOR OPEN AND SHUT, BUT A CHILD CANNOT. MY LOCAL TOYOTA ADMITS THAT THIS IS A "DESIGN ISSUE" AND THAT HE'S SEEN "DOZENS" OF SUCH CASES, BUT THAT HAS NO BEARING ON THE FACT THAT IT COSTS UPWARDS OF $1600 TO MAKE THE FIX. THIS HARDLY SEEMS FAIR, REASONABLE OR SAFE. I'M SURE TOYOTA WILL SPRING INTO ACTION ONCE A VAN WITH A SLIDING DOOR IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE A CHILD IS TRAPPED AND HURT, BUT IT'S TOO BAD THAT IT WILL HAVE TO COME TO THAT FOR THEM TO DO WHAT'S CLEARLY RIGHT. THE NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE FURTHER -- A RECALL OF SOME KIND IS CLEARLY WARRANTED. *TR

SINCE I HAVE OWNED MY 1999, THE REAR HATCH HANDLE IS BROKEN TWICE AND THE SLIDING DOOR HANDLE ON THE DRIVER SIDE HAS ALSO BROKEN. WE I CALL FOR PARTS I FIND OUT THAT THE REAR IS ON BACK ORDER DUE TO IT BEING SUCH IN DEMAND FOR REPLACEMENT. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT ANOTHER SIENNA OWNER WAS CALLING FOR THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE SLIDING DOOR HANDLE. ITS SEEMS THESE HANDLES ARE MADE VERY POOR AND DO NOT WITHSTAND THE PULL ACTION REQUIRED TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR. ON THE REAR, THERE IS A TINY PIECE THAT CONSTANTLY BREAKS OFF CAUSING THE HANDLE TO BE REPLACED. *TR

I TRIED TO OPEN THE REAR EXTERIOR DOOR IN THE BACK AND THE HANDLE MADE A SNAPPING SOUND AND IS NOW STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION AND NOW THE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN ON THE OUTSIDE AND I DON'T SEE A WAY TO OPEN IT ON THE INSIDE. I PURCHASED THE VAN TO TRANSPORT MY GRANDKIDS. NOW I'M FEARFUL TO TAKE THEM ANYWHERE IN IT NOW FOR THEIR SAFETY REASONS. JUST IN CASE I HAVE TO GET IN THAT WAY FOR AN EMERGENCY. *TR

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

THIS COMPLIANT IS REGARDING TWO SPECIFIC SAFETY ISSUES WITH A 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA VEHICLE. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE REAR HATCH HANDLE HAS BROKEN. (3 HANDLES SO FAR) THERE IS NO RELEASE MECHANISM FROM THE INSIDE, SO THERE IS NO WAY TO GET OUT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IN CASE OF FIRE OR ACCIDENT DISABLING THE SIDE DOORS. THE PART IN QUESTION IS POORLY DESIGNED AND IS MADE OF PLASTIC. THE PLASTIC HANDLE IS UNDER SPRING TENSION AND ACCUATES A METAL PART TO RELEASE THE DOOR LATCH. THE PLASTIC IS TOO WEAK TO PUSH AGAINST THE METAL PART IN NORMAL USE. THE HANDLE SHOULD ALSO BE MADE OF METAL TO CURE THIS DEFECT. THE LATEST AND SECOND SAFETY DEFECT INVOLVES THE REAR REMOVABLE POD SEATS. THE SEAT TODAY WILL NOT LOCK IN THE NORMAL SEATED POSITION. AN OCCUPANT CAN PULL THE SEAT UP AND OUT OF THE TRACK IF THEY LEAN FORWARD ENOUGH. I WOULD ASSUME IN AN ACCIDENT THE ENTIRE SEAT WOULD FLY FORWARD AND CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. *NM

PASSENGER SIDE POWER DOOR STARTED OPENING AND SHUTTING BY ITSELF AFTER OPENING TO ALLOW CHILDREN TO ENTER VEHICLE. THE DOOR ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE AND DID NOT STOP, EVEN WHEN ENCOUNTERING THE BODY OF MY CHILD. FORTUNATELY HE WAS OUR OLDEST CHILD AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE QUICKLY ENOUGH TO ONLY BE BRUISED ON HIS SIDES. TURNED POWER OFF TO DOOR AND TRIED TO DETERMINE CAUSE. OPENED DOOR MANUALLY AND CLOSED AGAIN - DOOR WOULD NOT REOPEN MANUALLY, EVEN WITH SUBSTANTIAL FORCE. DEALERSHIP CLAIMS "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR" AND WANTS $1200 TO REPAIR DAMAGE TO DOOR HINGE AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY.