2002 Toyota Sienna

EVER SINCE NOVMBER, 2008, MY 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA PASSENGER SIDE POWER DOOR, HAS INTERMITTENTLY FAILED TO OPEN EITHER BY ACTIVATING THE BUTTON ON THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR COLUMN, BY PULLING THE DOOR HANDLE OUTSIDE, OR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOOR BUTTON, OR WORSE, AFTER OPENING, WILL NOT CLOSE. THE DEALER HAD TO REINITIALIZE THE ECU IN NOVEMBER, 2008, AND HAVE HAD INTERMITTENT PROBLEMS SINCE. NOW, SINCE AT LEAST DECEMBER, 2012, THE SLIDING DOOR WILL NOT OPEN AT ALL BY ANY OF THE 3 METHODS AND CANNOT BE REINITIALIZED. ALSO, AT TIMES THE MANUAL DRIVERS SIDE PASSENGER DOOR, IN THE PAST ~ 1 1/2 YEARS WILL NOT OPEN EITHER FROM INSIDE DOOR BUTTON RELEASE OR OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE AND PASSENGERS HAVE TO CLIMB OVER FROM THE FRONT SEATS TO ENTER OR CLIMB OVER THE FRONT SEAT & CONSOLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER THAT I NEED TO "START WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ECU," A PART COSTING $730.00 AND ABOUT $1000 WITH INSTILLATION. I HAVE READ OTHER HORROR STORIES THAT REPLACING THE ECU ISN'T NECESSARILY THE ANSWER AND MANY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY AUTO RECALLS ON THESE POWER DOOR MECHANISMS YET? I SEE A LARGE VOLUME OF THE EXACT SAME COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FOR THESE SIENNA AS WELL AS WITHIN THE NHTSA DATABASE. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF THE VEHICLES' PASSENGERS, AS IT STANDS, A CATASTROPHE IS WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR

EVERY DOOR HANDLE ON THE VEHICLE HAS BROKEN FROM THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. ALMOST EVERY TOYOTA SIENNA I SEE ON THE ROAD HAD ATLEAST ONE OF THERE HANDLES BROKEN OFF. I REALLY THINK TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ON THIS. THE DOOR HAS ACTUALLY SWUNG OPEN WHILE I WAS DRIVING BECAUSE I COULD NOT TELL IF IT WAS CLOSED PROPER. IT DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT OR MORE DAMAGE BUT COULD VERY EASILY HAVE. *TR

ELECTRONIC AUTOMATIC SLIDING DOOR FAILURES. JULY 2011, PASSENGER SIDE (SLIDING DOOR) ELECTRONIC OUTER DOOR HANDLE STOPPED WORKING. THE ONLY WAY TO ENTER OR EXIT THE VEHICLE IS BY PUSHING THE BUTTON ON THE DOOR JAM OR OVERHEAD CONSOLE. THEN THE DOOR STOPPED OPENING COMPLETELY. THE MOTOR TRIES TO OPEN THE DOOR BUT SEEMS LIKE THE DOOR DOES NOT RELEASE. IT WILL NOT OPEN. APRIL 2012, DRIVERS SIDE (SLIDING DOOR) ELECTRONIC OUTER DOOR HANDLE HAS STOPPED WORKING. THE ONLY WAY TO ENTER OR EXIT THE VEHICLE IS BY PUSHING THE BUTTON ON THE DOOR JAM OR OVERHEAD CONSOLE. THE DOOR OPENS 80% OF THE TIME. WHEN IT DOES NOT WORK THE MOTOR TRIES TO OPEN THE DOOR BUT SEEMS LIKE THE DOOR DOES NOT RELEASE. WHEN THE DRIVERS SIDE PASSENGER DOOR DOES NOT OPEN THE FAMILY HAS TO ENTER OR EXIT THROUGH ONE OF THE FRONT DOORS AND CLIMB THROUGH TO THE BACK SEATS. THERE IS NO INTERNAL MANUAL OVERRIDE OF THESE DOORS. THIS IS NOT SAFE. IN AN EMERGENCY MY FAMILY WILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE FRONT DOORS OR BREAK AND GO THROUGH THE WINDOWS. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES AND SLIDING DOOR MECHANISMS SHOULD BE REPAIRED AT NO CHARGE BY TOYOTA. *JS

WHEN THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM ERUPTED I REMEMBER SEEING AN INTERNAL DOCUMENT WHICH RELATED TO THE REAR DOOR LATCH FOR SIENNAS. I OWN A SIENNA AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR LATCH TWICE SO FAR. IT JUST BRAKES APART AND IT BECOMES A REAL HUZZLE SINCE THE REAR DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED. TOYOTA MUST REPLACE THIS LATCHES WITH A GOOD WELL MANUFACTURED MATERIAL. *TR