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Vans & Minivans Toyota Sienna Toyota Sienna Sliding Door Problems
326 messages, Last post on Nov 26, 2009 at 9:46 AM
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Replying to: mw033410 (Oct 20, 2007 8:39 pm) Consumer Reports rates the Sienna higher overall in reliability. Good luck. |
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| http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=678203 | |
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Replying to: tillsonburg (Oct 21, 2007 6:32 am)
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Replying to: wood1996 (Nov 30, 2007 6:54 am) |
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Replying to: vulcan4 (Aug 31, 2006 7:25 am) This has been a progressive problem since the first year we bought this '04. At first only the non-power door side would freeze shut, but now the power side freezes shut too. It seems to happen more readily as well. I bourght my minivan to the dealer at least twice. They applied generous amount of ? lubricant to the edges where the door slides, but this has not helped. Also, once the door freezes shut and I try to open it , the door must release enough so that the sensor registers it as open. This translates into the open door alarm going off all the tiem as well as the interior lights going on and off depending whether I goup or down slight inclines. Talk about distracting for the driver. Let me know if you know how to fix this problem or I will have to move to Florida.
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Replying to: kinchicagoland (Dec 06, 2007 7:36 pm)
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Replying to: vulcan4 (Dec 07, 2007 5:13 am) Hold on - This is a problem that affects ALL vehicles and is a consequence of leaving a vehicle parked outside during freezing weather. The fact that they are sliding doors exacerbates the problem, because there is more contact area and it is much harder to slide a frozen door than it is to pull one open, as when opening the front doors. That is it! It's not the fault of Toyota, or Honda (yes, the Odyssey's doors will do the same thing - I also own one of those and can speak from first hand experience) or any other manufacturer. It is a very simple thing to understand. Sliding door + freezing wet weather = stuck door. I've owned three different minivans (98 Montana, 04 Odyssey EXL-RES, 07 Sienna XLE Ltd) and ALL OF THEM WOULD DO THE SAME THING. There is a very simple lesson to learn here - if you live in an area where you frequently deal with freezing weather and for whatever reason, find that you must park your van out of doors where it will be subject to liquid H2O and and sub 32 deg F temperatures, maybe you need to consider that this will be a potential problem and go for something different - like a Pilot, or a Highlander. Doors will freeze, and the more contact area, the more ice will form and the harder it will be to get it unstuck. Throw in the fact that the electric motor that opens the door is going to have to work harder in the cold and you have the scenario you are all griping about. The sliding electric door is not a perfect invention. It's a machine we are talking about - keep it in perspective. By the way, of the three vans I've owned, the Sienna's powered doors are BY FAR the best engineered and the only ones to automatically release and go into full manual mode if they lose power like when your kids leave the lights on. And they are the only ones I know of that allow you switch off the power mechanism and open manually with no resistance from the electric motor and cable assembly. |
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Replying to: vulcan4 (Dec 07, 2007 5:13 am) Have you read there was a weather stripping recall? I asked Toyota sevice and they said no. I read that Consumer Reports has downgraded Toyota Sienna to #5 due to poor response to consumer complaints. The Odyssey is now #1.We purchased a Sienna due to their great reliability record, presently I am sadly disappointed. |
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Replying to: gotoyota (Dec 07, 2007 7:59 am) Many people around where I live own minivans, their doors are not freezing. Hmmm. Sounds like this is not as universal a problem as you would like eveyone to believe. Don't you get it. If I knew then what I know now, that my kids would have to climb over the front seats to get to the back and that I would be driving around with my alarm door going on and off as well as the interior lights, yhea, Mr. Brilliant,I wouldn't have bought this minivan. But seeing as it doesn't look like Toyota plans on reimbursing me $30,000, I would like Toyota to fix their problem. Oh, by the way, I just got off the phone with Toyota service and one of the honest service guys told me THIS IS a problem the Siennas are experiencing. It is a problem with the material the weather stripping is made out of. This is not just a problem with the motorized door. It first started with my manual door. Both doors freeze shut now. Also I think VULCAN4 is right; the best thing is to go to the media. I would be happy to add your email. It is nice to know Toyota has ringers monitoring forum emails. Who else would waste their time trying to deny a problem that exists for these minivans. I am not here to bash Toyota. But apparently all the vans do not work alike. Do you think that is possible???
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Make sure you keep the door seals clean and dry. If you don't have lithium grease around (use it sparingly) try talcom powder. My Miata's doors freeze shut all the time, it's a pain. No problems with our Sienna (yet). |
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