10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
14 / 0
Average Mileage:
75,029 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Toyota Sienna body / paint problems

body / paint problem

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2004 Toyota Sienna Owner Comments (Page 3 of 18)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #314

Sep 302010

Sienna

  • 82,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Rear passenger side power sliding door stops working once in a while. It won't open or close when the power door button is pressed.

- Lake Zurich, IL, USA

problem #313

Sep 052010

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 105,000 miles
Side door stop functioning.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #312

Sep 032012

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 97,124 miles
I am having trouble with the side power sliding door.

- Revere, MA, USA

problem #311

May 152011

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 60,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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 updated 10/23/2012

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #310

Sep 032012

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
The electric sliding door cable is fraying and the door does not open or close properly.

- Silver Spring, MD, USA

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problem #309

Aug 232012

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 150,000 miles
The automatic sliding passenger doors on both sides of my Toyota Sienna xle have stopped working. I first reported a problem to Toyota in 2011 when the sliding door behind the driver seat stopped working. Toyota refused to cover the repair (my van had 129,000 miles on it). Due to the $1,500 cost to replace the whole motor assembly, I had the cable cut by a repair specialist so the door could be operated manually. Last week, the other passenger door stopped working and will not open at all. Toyota informed me today that, although they recently extended the warranty to 120,000 / 9 years; my vehicle was outside that warranty as well. The fact that the doors become inoperable (once the cable stops working one cannot open or close the door without great effort - and even then it may not work) is an unacceptable defect and a safety hazard. The one door that is now on manual mode (since the cable was disconnected) is still cumbersome to open and close. If my children were younger, it would definitely be a safety hazard because they would not be able to do it independently (too heavy). Toyota needs to acknowledge and recall the vehicles with this safety hazard. Based on the reported number of complaints, it appears the issue is caused or exacerbated by poor design of the mechanism.

- Hilliard, OH, USA

problem #308

Aug 162012

Sienna

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driver's side door with loud popping noise with every opening and closing and jar of the door with these noises.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #307

Jun 052012

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 62,960 miles
Our 2004 Sienna van was at the dealership for a repair under warranty enhancement. In the past, the door had closed on my child numerous times due to a defect. After that the door did not close at all unless we went out of our van and pushed up on it as it was closing. A mechanic at Toyota pointed out to me chipped paint above the door which we were told indicated that the door was sagging due to the hinge not being strong enough to hold the door properly & that the hinge needed to be replaced. When our van was in for the recent enhanced warranty repair, we were told that all of the repair was covered except the hinge, which costs us $224.05. We were told the hinge needed to be replaced or we would continue to have the door go out on us.!this is the cause of the problem according to several Toyota maintenance techs, but they are charging customers to pay for something that should be part of the warranty. In addition, on our invoice it stated that our passenger sliding door the cables are also fraid and the hinge has play. When asking why they did not do the warranty enhancement on this door, we were told that because the door is not totally non-functioning, they will not repair it even thought they stated the parts are bad! we questioned both Toyota walnut creek and Toyota corporate (case # [xxx] and several other case #'s) several times each and got no help from either! information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Danville, CA, USA

problem #306

Jun 252012

Sienna

  • 62,960 miles
The problem is with our front drivers door. It started out closing on my leg and squeaking. Since my driveway is on a slight hill, I attributed it to this. I never received the warranty enhancement" regarding this or I would have known these were due to a defect with the car door hinge welding and we would have brought it in for repairs. Since then, the door started to make a very loud clicking and squeaking noise. Toyota??S repair, as I have read, was to replace the door completely. It said that re-welding would not hold. When asking about repairing it at the walnut creek dealership, I was told to bring it to a welding place. I called Toyota corporate several times. Case #[xxx]-I spoke with [xxx] when asking her why we never received this notice, she stated that ??she could not guarantee that one was mailed to us. I asked her how we were supposed to know that this was a problem and her response was that if I always brought my car to the Toyota dealership that I could rely on them to diagnose the problem. First, Toyota should fix it under the warranty since they never notified me and second, shouldn't a door be on properly for safety" information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Danville, CA, USA

problem #305

Feb 162010

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 105,000 miles
The van's passenger rear door cable frayed causing the door to be inoperable and unable to open. This is a definite safety hazard since my 4 year child rides in the back of the vehicle. Evidently there was an "extended warranty" issued just last month but conveniently enough my van falls within the year range but just outside of the mileage threshold for coverage.

- Lexington, KY, USA

problem #304

Oct 012010

Sienna 6-cyl

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In fall 2010 the passenger side rear sliding door in my 2004 Toyota Sienna, which is automatic, began not opening and not closing when the "automatic" button was pushed or when the handle was pulled which automatically triggers the motor to start. I figured it was the motor going bad so I turned it off and began using it manually. I took it into a Toyota dealership in January 2011. I was told it would cost $80 for a diagnostic test which I couldn't afford at the time. He said depending on what they found a new motor and cable could run anywhere between $500 and $1800. He then told me that sometimes dirt gets built up in the track of the door which can make it hard for the motor to open/close and he showed me how to wash it out. I did but it didn't help. I continued to use it manually. In the spring of 2011 the door got jammed part way open. I could not get it to open or close. After looking at the door myself I noticed a bolt on the back of the door where the cable runs looked loose and when I finally got the door to shut, I watched the cable and saw that it was not working as it should. I took it to a mechanic who replaced the bolt, this mechanic said that the motor was working fine. It was a cable issue. I decided to stop using the door completely because I was worried the cable would break or it would ruin the motor. On March 13, 2012 while we were in another city a friend unknowingly opened the door and it got stuck open again. It was stuck open about 6 inches. We were stuck in another city with no way to get home. I have since found countless reports online about this issue in 2004-2007 Toyota Siennas. Why isn't there a recall? clearly this is a safety issue. What if there was a car accident/fire and we could not escape because that door would not open -- I have 3 kids in carseats still. Or a child accidentally opens the door while its moving and it gets stuck.

- Layton, UT, USA

problem #303

Jun 152012

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 99,000 miles
Passenger door makes noise (hinges) and Toyota don't cover it. I did received a notice from Toyota that they cover 120K mileage / 9 years for sliding door problem not for driver door. The dealer is asking me about $2,500 to change the door. It's not fair. Toyota need to fix their problem!!!

- Saugus, CA, USA

problem #302

Jul 022012

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 29,168 miles
Driver side door started making load popping and creaking noises when opening and closing. Brought the van to the dealer for service and was told that the welds inside the door were broken. Service manager informed me that it was a manufacturing defect and recommended I call Toyota customer service. Toyota admitted it was due to a defect but since I was out of warranty they would do nothing to fix it. Doors should last for the lifetime of a car and don't break from normal wear and tear. Toyota had extended the warranty for the doors but my car is still past that period. By extending the warranty Toyota has already admitted that the doors are defective. Just because it took mine 8 years to break, they are telling me that I need to spend over $2000 to replace the door. Toyota should be forced to repair these doors. No reasonable consumer would buy a vehicle with the knowledge that a basic, yet hugely expensive part, such as a door could likely break irreparably in the normal lifetime of a car. This is not one of the expensive automatic sliding doors (although those also seem to break). This is the basic driver side door like the ones that have been put in cars for the last hundred years. Toyota needs to address this problem for their customers.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #301

Jul 052012

Sienna

  • 125,000 miles
Toyota Sienna automatic sliding door failed. The door is unable to be opened even in manual mode. Used the key fob and the cable just snapped. 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 as my babies car seat was in that spot. In an emergency this is a serious hazard and is just waiting for disaster to happen.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #300

Jul 022012

Sienna

  • 130,000 miles
The cable on my passenger side sliding door broke, rendering my door inoperable. It will open 8 inches at most, which prevented me access to my child's car seat. I inquired with Toyota after learning online that there has been a warranty extension for this problem, since it seems that it has been a pervasive issue with the Siennas. The dealership informed me that the limit for the warranty extension is 9 years or 120,000 miles. Since my car has 130,000 miles (I bought it used in 2011 with 123,000 miles), I do not qualify for the warranty extension. The estimate provided to me was $1500 to repair it. If the other door's cable snaps, which seems likely given the plethora of personal accounts of this problem you'll find with a google search, it will cost another $1500. I cannot afford $1500 to fix one door, much less a double when the other door cable goes. This is a safety issue. Although it will not open, my door closed just fine. I understand there are many others who are not as lucky and get stuck away from home with a sliding door that will not close. Toyota has acknowledged that there is a big problem with these vans, as evidenced by the warranty extension for this issue. Why are they being allowed to limit the fixing of this safety issue to only vehicles under a certain mileage?

- Asheville, NC, USA

problem #299

Mar 132012

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 103,000 miles
On March 13, 2012, the driver's side sliding door was seriously stuck in the open position. It would start to close, but then pop back. It would not close in manual mode either. Since then, it's happened one additional time. Eventually, we were able to forcefully shut the door. Today, May 17, 2012, the dealer (tansky Toyota in columbus, Ohio) inspected the door but didn't do anything because it wasn't symptomatic at the time of my appointment. I'm left hoping that the door will get stuck again (and when I'm near the dealer) before the new limited warranty extension (a Toyota customer support program) expires for my vehicle. Given the safety issues, I suggest a forced recall to best protect the owners for the life of the car.

- Upper Arlington, OH, USA

problem #298

Sep 092011

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 98,000 miles
Passenger side sliding power door became difficult to pull closed. Occasionally stuck in closed position such that someone outside has to let passenger out. Power sliding not working, must be pulled manually. Taken initially to my regular mechanic at 99598 miles, have documentation. Told to go to Toyota. I waited until I needed oil change and another recall done to go last week at 109639 miles, van age = 9 years and 13 days. I am told the actuator, cable, and latch need replacing and that there is a known defect, with Toyota extending warranty to 120,000 miles or 9 years. Toyota will not cover my car under this warranty because it is 13 days past, though under the mileage limit, even though I have documentation of the problem from 7 months ago. Cost of parts $1167, labor $1069. Unaffordable. Corporate office said they would cover parts as a "goodwill gesture" but do not care that my door has been malfunctioning for a long time and I have documentation to this effect, and this warranty extension wasn't even available until this month, to my knowledge. The danger from this problem is that the door can become stuck in the closed position. If this happened after a bad car accident or fire, young occupants could become trapped. However Toyota is not willing to address this known defect and prefers to accept this risk. There are countless complaints of Sienna sliding doors becoming stuck at all ages of vehicle. The 2004 Sienna was the first model year of a new design and has suffered a much higher than usual number of recalls. Toyota should simply recall and repair their sliding doors rather than risk their customer's lives.

- Rolling Hills Estates, CA, USA

problem #297

Jan 122012

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 94,800 miles
The right sliding door became stuck about half open. It took about 30 minutes to get door to move while standing outside in the cold and my three small children inside asking that I close the door. Took vehicle to local mechanic and they contacted Toyota dealer who advised that the door motor/cable assembly would need to be replaced. After doing some research it appears that this is a known safety problem that is not being addressed either with a recall or voluntary safety "recall" by Toyota.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #296

Mar 222011

Sienna

  • 130,000 miles
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!

- Oakland, CA, USA

problem #295

Mar 302012

Sienna 6-cyl

  • 103,700 miles
Recently purchased a used 04 Toyota Sienna and the passenger power sliding door does not work and sticks when using the exterior handle. This should be considered a safety issue as in an emergency its a gamble whether or not the door could open. We currently just use the manual driver side door as the fix fir this from the dealership is between $1000 - $2000...

- Fleetwood, PA, USA

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