1999 Sienna rear hatch broken! Can't open!

[rvdzaag]

Originally Posted by tfret

Well I fixed the latch last night and it went just as easy as everyone said. It took me 5 minutes tops to have the hatch open, and maybe an hour to get it all fixed and back together. I drilled straight through the flat handle and straight through the lever (which had separated from the handle). Then I put the two back together with two part expoxy and ran a sheet metal screw all the way through both peices. I think it is stronger now than ever before, and it didn't cost me a penny! Thanks for all the good info.

Hello, all. I just had my '98 Sienna at the dealer today to have the rear latch fixed, and decided to do a quick web-search to see if I could find similar problems. Clearly this is a design flaw/weakness, as there are lots of posts on this problem.
Just a word for those not inclined to do the fix themselves. The dealer service rep first quoted 2.5 hours of labour to fix it. But even without any protestations on my part, during a mid-morning call to report on what exactly it was going to cost me (and say my front brake pads needed replacing), they volunteered to reduce the labour rate to a flat $99.50. The part was around $90 (all figures $CDN.) Their mechanics are probably getting fast at making this repair!!
So the moral is, make sure to let the dealer know that you know this is a common problem, and dicker on the price.

[gorawe]

I have to thank all you guys in this forum for your information.
I was able to fix the the broken latch based on the information in this forum. I bought metric nut driver, #4 screw and 5 minutes epoxy. That is it. I saved hundreds of dollars. I would suggest to drill and drive a #4 screw between the two broken pieces in addition to gluing the two pieces. This solution will provide a stronger part than buying a new replacement. I think the original design is flawed strengthwise, and stiffening the broken pieces would be a better alternative rather than replacing the same part that will break apart any time.

Thanks for your help.

[jellyman2006]

Follow this link:

http://www.findonefindall.com/toyota%2Dsienna/

It explains how to replace the handle

[toyomom]

For anyone strapped for cash but not for time, you could do as I did and go to your local junk yard or in my case it's a "pick-your-own farmer's market for auto parts" establishment and get a handle off of another Sienna. It's an opportunity to practice what you will be doing to your vehicle, so you reduce the risk of damaging your car, and it's an opportunity to stick it to the dealer for gouging our pockets for a piece of plastic ineptly designed for the job it needs to do!

[JPandLee]

Thanks all for the post above. I got the back door apart as advertised above but I was unable to drill the correct hole at the correct angle. I also tried to counter sink for the screw head but the hard plastic pulled the drill into the part thus increasing the diameter size. No matter I recovered from this only to find that the nut backing the bolt would catch on the inside of the lever when working the pull.

Here’s to all the machinist out there, looks like I’m out $90 bucks for the handle but net ahead $300 for service.

[siennasc98]

Originally Posted by JPandLee

Thanks all for the post above. I got the back door apart as advertised above but I was unable to drill the correct hole at the correct angle. I also tried to counter sink for the screw head but the hard plastic pulled the drill into the part thus increasing the diameter size. No matter I recovered from this only to find that the nut backing the bolt would catch on the inside of the lever when working the pull.

Here’s to all the machinist out there, looks like I’m out $90 bucks for the handle but net ahead $300 for service.

Sorry to hear your troubles. I did not use the bolt & nut technique. I put just the handle on a vise, I drilled the hole using 9/64 bit and counter sunk it. Then fasten it with an 8x1-1/4" metal screw.

[gmsander]

Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread. I followed the directions give and it took me about 45 minutes to install a new latch. The new latch appears to be much stronger than the original from my 1998 Sienna. I think Toyota understands they have a problem. The hatch item is in stock and my wife met two people at the dealer getting the service done while she picked up he part. I am going to follow up with the service manager as they are quoting 2 hours labor to fix the hatch. This is ridiculous!!! A complete novice like myself can complete the fix in 45 minutes, their certified technicians should be able to do it in less time than I did! It makes me wonder about the labor charges for other items.

[Gdurham]

Mine broke yesterday while we are on vaction so it is a real problem not having quick access to the rear hatch. I am going to get the part tomorrow from the dealership and will follow the direction above to try and fix this problem.

[Gdurham]

Originally Posted by Gdurham

Mine broke yesterday while we are on vaction so it is a real problem not having quick access to the rear hatch. I am going to get the part tomorrow from the dealership and will follow the direction above to try and fix this problem.

I got the part this morning $67 and in about 35 mins everything was back in working condition. Thanks so much for the directions on how to fix this problem.

[KBPdC]

Happened to me in November 2004 on a long distance family trip; Arizona to Pennsylvania. I fix most things and envisioned much of what people have done here. The wife was not willing to wait, so I simply went into a dealer and told them the price of the part was excessive considering Toyota's use of plastic in this precise location for this precise mechanical task, I also said that it was certainly a planned design "flaw" aimed at generating repair and part revenue.

Of course they service manager told me take it or leave it, and I said I'll take it installed for no more than one-hour of labor, and will only pay a pro rated cost based on actual minutes used. He replied that the repair could take up to two or three hours.

I replied as a Toyota dealer he was obligated to serve a Toyota customer, and that logically the moulding and trip removal / replacement should not take a "certified" Toyota service person more than one hour - and to get on with it because I was watching the repair through the service bay windows.

He did it; I was out for about $145.00 - and I am still complaing to my wife that we wasted that money. But he did it for what was (I consider) a reasonable amount of labor charge.

I have been told to walk before in such situations. But then again too - I do not back down and I'll gladly spend hours and hours of time complaining to corporate customer service reps. It is surprising how often they actually do respond and back you up.

After reading this topic, I suspect the dealer I encountered had gone through this process numerous times on this repair. He tried to gouge me - but backed right down at the first challenge I thew to him.

[smkfam]

YOU guys and girls RULE out here!!!!
Hi Folks!

Steve here and I am so thankful to have found you! The internet is a wonderful thing! \

I have gone for over a year and a half with the hatch broken on my 2000 Sienna van and I had no idea what I did or what I could have ever done to cause it! I have been to every place I can think of from Mom and Pop type repair places to the actual (Grr) dealership itself. THEY wanted to charge me over 600 dollars to replace the ENTIRE door on the hatch, telling me in their "opinion" it was the only way to repair it. I just thought no way. I even waited on some guy that was "highly" recommended by a bunch of folks and he kept putting me off for weeks. Now, I am not mechanically inclined in the slightest, never have been never want to be. In my opinion, God created people who are gifted in this area and that is their talent. It's not mine.

So, how did I find you? Good 'ol Google! I was sitting here and I originally was hoping to find a manual online that I could refer to in an effort to see if there was something updated I missed along the way. Finally, after getting to all the sites who want you to pay for their manual, I said, you know there has to be SOMEone in the nation who has had this problem and I will bet they posted it somewhere on some forum. Sure enough, here you are! To Kahuna and the rest THANK YOU for helping me to see I'm not alone..I thought I was crazy for not wanting to shell out the money to Toyota. Kinda like that smiley banging his head against the wall over there.

I'm so excited..if it wasn't 10:00 at night, I'd be out there right now fixing the darn thing!! Of course, getting the part at this time of night would be tough too!!

Thanks again!

Steve in FL

[Al-Sienna]

I want to thank all of you for helping me out with fixing my 1998 Sienna liftgate lock. I took the inside door cover apart in 5 min, but taking the handle out was a bummer. I thought I could repair it without removing the handle, but that proved impossible. Finally, after getting up the nerve to remove the handle, I used a 1" screw with glue & it is holding. Cost nothing, just my time.

The best part was not paying anything to Toyota Repair Dept. The last time something went bad (under extended warranty) my wife's son determined the solution. She took it in and told them what to do. They said they had to verify it and charged her for confirming that was the problem. The charge equalled the cost of the part. When I complained both the dealer and the company blew me off. Their extended warranty is a useless waste of money.
Thanks again, Al

[donster]

Mine was broken beyond drilling.

Dealer price quote, $82 plus tax. Hell with you.

http://www.toyota-parts.com $42, no tax + normal shipping

Hope this helps.

[pbarnrob]

After finding this thread on 8-30-06, I was able to fix the Boss' handle with a bolt and some RTV to keep weather out. Of course, a couple weeks ago, it broke just past the bolt, and my thanks for the toyota-parts.com link. We'll see what the local dealer says tomorrow during the day, but this really needs a re-design! TNX & 73, Phil

[kkframe]

I found some additional detailed info on the process to fix the handle. I've edited it to reflect what I did with my 2000 Sienna.

You'll need to start by taking off the large piece of plastic moulding on the inside of the rear hatch. There are three bolts holding the plastic molding in place. Two in the handle and one in the strap. Both have plastic pieces covering them. The strap plastic piece pulls off. The handle plastic piece folds down from the top. Then using a 10mm hex wrench, I took the bolts off. (Alternatively you could use a phillips head screwdriver to remove the bolts.) Then I unsnapped the large piece of plastic moulding off. I was then able to get at the cable which connects the handle to the latch. Pulling on the end of the cable opened the rear hatch, which made it much easier to work on. There are three more 10mm nuts holding the handle/light cover which I took off. Be careful taking off the handle/light cover. There's a plastic piece that the handle/light cover snaps into on the driver's side, which I accidentally broke. I think you need to pull out the passenger side first. I don't think it's a big deal--the small plastic piece doesn't seem critical--but the handle/light cover is not as tight a fit as before. Then I was able to get to the handle assembly. I removed the cable that connects the handle to the latch and removed two small phillips head screws, which were holding the latch onto the door. I didn't bother trying to repair the handle, I just bought a new one from the Toyota dealer for $70. Then I put the new handle assembly in, replaced the phillips head screws, and tested it. After surprising myself that it worked the first time doing it, I replaced everything I took apart. Took me less than an hour to make the entire repair (not including travel time to the dealer).