About this problem
Power sliding doors use a motor, a cable or belt, rollers, latches and sensors to open and close. When any of those parts wear, the door can refuse to open, stop halfway, reopen after closing or fail to latch. Pinched wiring in the hinge area is a common cause, and some failures were recalled because the door could open while driving.
Across all owner complaints filed about the Toyota Sienna since 2012, 213 (14.9%) describe sliding door problems, making it the most reported problem we track on the Sienna. The reports cluster on the 2012, 2013 and 2015 model years, and the 2015 drew the most, with 53. It tends to show up in the middle years of ownership: half of the owners who gave a mileage were between 29,000 and 73,000 miles. 4 reports describe a crash or fire linked to it. One recall is related to it, and recall repairs are free at any dealer.
What owners report
Sienna owners report the power sliding doors not opening or closing with the button, stopping halfway, or opening while driving. The 2012 to 2015 vans drew the most reports, and Toyota recalled some for door problems.
How it gets fixed
Fixes include a new door motor, cable or latch, some under recall.
Typical cost: A door motor or cable costs about $400 to $900.
Complaints by model year
In owners' words
"We experienced a very cold arctic blase in early january 2018. The van was in our garage. When I tried to oped the left hand rear sliding door, it would not open. After a second attempt, it did open but then reversed."
2013 Toyota Sienna, 106,000 miles
"Fuel tank access door hinge is broken. Can't fill gas tank up. If fuel door is removed sliding door won't open. Fuel door hinge broke because the fuel door pin has so much tension that it broke the hinge."
2015 Toyota Sienna, 55,600 miles
"We first encountered a problem in which the automatic sliding door would not function to open or close automatically but it still worked manually."
2012 Toyota Sienna, 70,000 miles
Excerpts from public owner complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lightly trimmed.
Related recalls
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Toyota Sienna minivans manufactured January 4, 2010, to August 12, 2016.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check a specific car by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Service bulletins and warranty extensions
Toyota has sent dealers 47 bulletins that mention this problem on the Sienna. A bulletin tells technicians how to fix a known fault. It is not a recall, so the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty or covered by an extension.
Dealer Daily Message: Sienna Sliding Door Certain 2011 ?
Dealer Package: June 19, 2019 Information about a proposed class action settlement has been added.
Dealer Package: Toyota has received a number of reports regarding the power sliding door rear lock assemblies on certain 2011 ?
Dealer Daily Message: Extension of Warranty Coverage for the Sliding Door Front Lock Assemblies.
Warranty Policy Bulletin POL17-01: Toyota has received reports of customer concerns in which the power moon roof, power sliding doors or power hatch are inoperative from the overhead console switches or require excessive pressu...
Warranty Policy Bulletin: Toyota has received reports of customer concerns in which the power moon roof, power sliding doors or power hatch are inoperative from the overhead console switches or require excessive pressure on the...
Before you buy a Sienna
- Open and close each sliding door several times with the button, the handle and the key fob.
- Listen for grinding, and watch that the door latches fully without bouncing back.
- Lock and unlock the van and check both sliding doors respond.
Questions
Which Toyota Sienna years have sliding door problems?
Complaints are highest for the 2012, 2013, 2015 model years. The 2015 drew the most, with 53 reports.
At what mileage does it usually start?
Among owners who gave a mileage, the middle figure was about 49,000 miles, and half reported it between 29,000 and 73,000 miles.
How much does it cost to fix?
A door motor or cable costs about $400 to $900.