Sienna sliding door won't "catch" sometimes

[wayway]

I have a 2004 Sienna LE that I bought about 7 months ago. The driver side sliding door is not automatic. When we open it all the way it should "catch" and stay open. Sometimes it does and sometimes it does not. We took it to the dealer and they just put grease on it. The problem still exists. It is a real safety concern for me as I have small children that the door could close on, especially when on a hill (facing down). Has anyone else had this problem? Don't you think it would be covered under warranty and should be corrected?

Thanks!
Wayway

[chowmein]

the locking mechanism is faulty. if its 04, then the factory should repair it for you.

[janx]

I have a Sienna that we purchased in Feb 04 with exactly the same problem. If we are on a SLIGHT incline, it will open then close on us again. Previously we also had a problem with the door handle sticking, which would make the door open & close back and forth forever. We got that problem fixed, but the dealer tried to tell me that it's normal for the power door to close unexpectedly, which is BS. Toyota Customer Service (1-800-331-4331) told me that only if the dealer finds "something of concern" - which he couldn't describe, would they cover it under warranty. I plan to go to another dealer, but this doesn't make any sense at all. Why would it be so difficult to fix? Did you get your door fixed? What did they do?

[kjohnsonusa]

We have experienced the same problem with our non-power sliding door. We have also found that the ONLY time this happens, it when the window is rolled down. For some reason, if you open the door when the window is rolled down it will not catch. I've talked to my local Toyota dealership about this and they say there is nothing they can do about it, it's just the way it is. I agree that this is a BIG problem especially when your dealing with small children getting in and out. TOYOTA NEEDS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM as it can be a safety issue!

[wayway]

I am very late to relpy to these posts from November, the holidays got in the way.
I really have not had the problem with the door lately (Winter time- wonder if that matters with the metal latch) or it may be that I have not had it at just the right incline not to work. I will try it with the window down and see if that makes a difference as someone suggested. A faulty latch does sound like the problem and I bet a lot of people, if not all, actually have this problem with the 04 Sienna LE. Even the guy working at the dealership said that his Sienna does the same thing. It certainly seems like a recall possibility. That door is very heavy and it would would hurt a child or anyone if it were to close on them. Minivans are for kids, I certainly would not be driving one if I did not have any kids. Safety should be of utmost importance!
I think I will also call Toyota, thanks to the thread with the phone number.

Oh, as for a power sliding door closing unexpectedly - scarey malfunction. Not the kind of "normal" activity Toyota would want in one of its family friendly Sienna commercials.

Other than the door problem, I have really enjoyed the van. I bought the 8 passenger. I use every seat for carpooling to school. Even though I think that 20+ mpg (city) is high for a van (higher than my 96 Quest which gets 7 miles more per gallon). It still beats driving a gas guzzling SUV, which would kill me $$. However, Toyota would not let me have my cake and eat it too. I wanted it loaded, but I could not get a loaded 8 passenger, not an option and I don't know why. I had to choose the 8 passenger for practical reasons, but I would love to have all power doors! (Ironically, the power doors are especially nice for the car pool line at school!) Too Bad.

Thanks for the replies,
~Wayway

[jzchen]

Sienna owners should receive the "2004 Through Early 2005 Model Year Sienna/Limited Service Campaign Notice for the Owner's Manual Update," which explains this phenomenon, but just in case:

"If your Sienna is equipped with a manual sliding door(s), the sliding doors will not lock in the open position if the window is open more than 6 inches."

"If your Sienna is equipped with power sliding door(s) and the "SLIDE DOOR OFF" switch is in the "OFF" position, the sliding doors will not lock in the open position if the window is open more than 6 inches."

It makes sense if you imagine your child getting his/her arm caught in the open window while it is opening and worse off getting it locked into that position!

You will also get a sticker to place in the manual.

[wayway]

Thanks jzchen for the information re: the sliding door. I did notice the door not catching the other day when the window was open. I guess I have not had it happen in a while because it is winter and the windows are always closed. Mystery solved. The man working in the repair depatment at the Toyota dealership last summer did not even know why it was happening. Will look for the info in the mail.

Thanks!