2004 certified used Toyota Sienna has a driver's door check issue in which either the weld breaks or in more severe situations, the weld actually pulls off the door requiring complete replacement of the door to fix it. The solution was to issue a service bulletin extending the warranty to 5 yrs, 100,000 mi. My car was purchased the day after the 5 yrs was up and is well within the 100,000 mi. When addressed a few months after purchase as the sound became noticeable enough to take it in for checking out, the welded bracket was tearing a hole in the body of the car not just a broken weld. The dealer refuses to take care of it only agreeing to pay 1/2 the replacement cost of $1800. I understand this is a danger because if it fails completely, this door can both come off the frame as well as swing uncontrolled and slam body parts in the door.

- Glen Rock, PA, USA

Toyota 2004 Sienna - power sliding door failures. Driver side sliding door failed to open as cable snapped. Door was jammed shut so we took the car to the dealership and were told we would have to replace the whole motor unit at a cost of $1,700. Service dept disconnected motor unit so that door would open and close (but with no power option). Two days later the cable snapped on the passenger side sliding door with the door open. It would not close. Returned to the dealership and same action was taken as driver side door. Will now cost $3,400 to fix. With 3 children the safety aspect of a door cable snapping with either the door jammed open or closed is obviously a major concern. Having researched this issue over the past few days I can see that many Sienna owners have had the same problem. This is a major safety and cost issue that should be investigated.

- Marshfield, MA, USA

I have a 2004 Toyota Sienna le. I am unable to open my right rear power sliding door with the key fob, button on the B-pillar, or button on the driver overhead console. This problem occurs at all temperatures. For now, I can open the door manually. I have no confidence the problem will not get worse. The dealer diagnosis is a deforming rear roller door hinge. A door hinge bending during under normal use should not lead to a failure at any time. After some research on the internet, I have discovered many people are having the same problem and other problems. I am fortunate my sliding door power cable has not broken and I have a garage so my doors do not freeze shut in cold weather (have experienced on ski trips). These are separate problems but indicative of quality problems at Toyota on the Sienna doors. In the event of a crash, I have no confidence I will be able to open the door and get the children out. The sliding doors in the 2004 Toyota Sienna appear to be poorly designed and the hinge deforming under normal use. The vehicle should be recalled to fix these issues.

- Glden, CO, USA

Rear passenger sliding door will not open.

- Hamburg, PA, USA

Both passenger and driver 's side sliding doors cables have snapped and I can not open the passenger side door at all! the driver side door opens manually.

- Miami, FL, USA

2004 Toyota Sienna within one year, both automatic sliding doors have become inoperable first (passenger side) locking sensor failed, resulting in inability to use automatic (motorized) closing system second (driver's side) failed on 2/11/10. Door cable got jammed in center hinge, resulting in inability to close door. Had to drive to dealership with door fully open. Both cases were estimated to cost almost $4000 total. First issue was resolved by just using door manually. Second issue was resolved by cutting cable and using door manually. Can not afford to fix both issues at $4000. Many web searches have found same/similar issues on this van.

- San Jose, CA, USA

The weld that secures the door check mounting panel to the driver door is failing on my 2004 Sienna le. I get the dreaded popping noises when the door is opened and closed. The door check is the device that holds the door open halfway or fully open. This device provides resistance so the door does not swing freely. Toyota is aware of the issue (Toyota service bulletin NV003-07) and extended the regular warranty to 5 years and 1000,000 miles for this situation (Toyota motor sales usa letter to me in ~ 2008). Stevinson Toyota (lakewood co) told me the repair would be at my expense. My car is only 6 years old and has 111,000 miles. If Toyota was concerned enough to extend the warranty and cover the repair, why not issue a recall for all vehicles that experience the problem? just because my car is 6 years old doesn't mean the safety issue due to a failed door check went away. When the retaining mechanism weld fails completely, the door will swing freely and could close suddenly without any resistance. Any person in the way could be hit and any limbs/fingers could be trapped between the door and frame. This vehicle provides the family transportation so there are kids involved here.

- Golden, CO, USA

Multiple problems with minivan doors since purchase in 2004. Sliding doors freeze shut every winter, only opening after car warms up for 20-30 minutes. Driver side door weld broke after 3 years and needed repair. Front passenger door latch broke requiring use of bungee cords to keep door closed until repair part could be obtained. Power sliding door and manual sliding door also do not stay open at times creating dangerous situation for people entering and exiting the vehicle. Now, warning light comes on showing door open, driver side manual sliding door does not seem to close completely. While driving, door open light and interior lights are constantly activated. I have turned off interior lights to prevent battery drain from door staying slightly open when parked. Dealership will perform diagnostic and repair work but advised since there is no recall issued that cost will be mine. The sheer number of reports of sliding door issues should be enough to warrant a response from Toyota.

- Holden, MA, USA

While driving my 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan, the cable which held the spare tire under the car snapped and the spare tire fell off the vehicle.

- Birmingham, MI, USA

The drivers side sliding door on my 2004 Sienna xle would not operate.the opening cable had frayed. The Toyota dealer wanted $1,700. To repair this which is way too much for a problem I didn't cause. The dealer cut the cable and it now works manually but I can't open the door from the inside. This is a serious defect. I can't use the door in an accident. Toyota should fix this.

- Indpendence, MO, USA

Passenger side, automatic door stopped working. Can not close the door completely causing a safety hazard. Went to dealer... dealer mentioned there is a known issue but they will fix it only if the vehicle has less than 36K miles... problem was caused due to the sliding door motor, cable assembly and hitch which holds the door. Dealer's estimate to fix the problem $2000.

- Norwood, MA, USA

Defective sliding door and cable on 2004 Toyota Sienna: Recently, a cable that allows the side door(s) of the vehicle to open and close automatically, snapped in half. This very well could have snapped in half while a person was standing near the vehicle, creating a serious injury. With the cable now broken in half, the door(s) now will not latch properly when either the vehicle remote or the side door control(s) in the vehicle are depressed. This now creates a very hazardous situation. The side door(s) are also prone to freezing shut in the winter. Until adequate thawing is completed, door(s) will remain frozen shut, allowing for limited access in and out of vehicle. Upon noticing these problems, I took to the internet to find a resolution and found that is more that just a rare occurrence, but a legitimate problem. If you could please visit townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.F0eb3fd you will find recent blogging of these issues. A tsb number of, 0085-09, was also noted on the blog indicating this problem. Any help that you can give to help resolve these matters would greatly be appreciated.

- Carbondale, PA, USA

The passenger side automatic sliding door has been touchy with its ability to open and close and to indicate to the car whether it is opened or closed. Yesterday, the door ceased to operate. Upon further investigation, it appears that a cable has snapped in the door and will need to be replaced. I feel that this is ridiculous for a 5 year old car. It is also very expensive, from $700 to $1800, with Toyota dealers being the most expensive.

- Brambleton, VA, USA

The power sliding doors on the 2004 Sienna fail early, causing safety and usability issues. The power door cable wears out early due to faulty coating on he cable, faulty hinges and door freezing. Once the cable snaps, the door can slide open upon acceleration. Disabling the power feature allows the door to be used, but falsely causes the vehicle to register the door as closed when it is open, allowing the car to be put in gear and driven without the door properly latched closed. Loose parts from the snapped cable and torn cable jacket easily lodge in the working mechanism, making the door behave inconsistently - sometimes latching, sometimes not. When not latched, the door easily slides forward or back if the vehicle is parked on a hill, potentially causing injury. In addition, the doors freeze closed in moderately cold (25 F) temperatures, causing them to open partially (a few millimeters). This causes extra strain and wear on the power door cables and can cause the vehicle to register an open door. If the door is left in this condition, it can mask other doors actually being opened while the vehicle is moving. The partial opening also causes a misalignment of the locking mechanism, making it very difficult to open the door to correct the partial opening. The door repair was quoted by multiple dealers at more than $3000. A tsb (0085-09) in early 2009 offered an alternate method of repair, but the cost is still more than $1700 per door. Dealerships have been unwilling to provide the part to non-dealer mechanic's shop.

- Norwood, MA, USA

We have a 2004 Sienna ce that we bought new. Since owning the car (it has 125,000 miles on it) the sliding doors have frozen shut whenever the weather is cold. Living in Vermont, I thought that this issue was isolated. However, when my son tried to open the door and the handle snapped off because the door was frozen shut once again, I decided to check to see if there were other complaints. Yes there were...many. I had to pay to have the handle replaced but was told that the door freezing shut was a typical complaint.

- Waitsfield, VT, USA

During normal operations of this 2004 Toyota Sienna xle van. Right side powered door seized. Door failed to open completely, and then it was difficult to shut and lock. I took the Sienna to the local Toyota dealership (heartland Toyota, bremerton, Washington) on 13jan10, and they diagnosed the problem as a failed motor, control cable, and computer (ECU). They also informed me it would cost $3,050 to repair. I was in shock. I checked online and there seems to be a chronic failure with the 'automatic' doors of Toyota vans. Toyota corporate instructed me to work with the local Toyota dealer to arbitrate repairs since the door is not covered under warranty, or recall. I urge the NHTSA to investigate these doors. They should not fail and seize after 5 years of normal wear. Updated 03/10/10 updated 10/05/10

- Seabeck, WA, USA

1. no events lead to the failure. 2. the driver's side rear sliding door cable and motor of a 2004 Toyota Sienna xle limited quit working, broken cable. Now we are unable to open / close sliding door on driver's side. 3. having cable/motor replaced est cost $1000.

- Santa Barbara, CA, USA

I purchased a 2004 Toyota Sienna le in 2003. The date that I was to pick up the brand new van I was informed of a recall. When I pick up the van I was told that the recall concerning the gas tank was made. Now, the gas tank is linking, what should I do now.

- Houston, TX, USA

2004 Toyota Sienna automatic passenger side sliding door stopped working and wouldn't shut. This door also came open without warning, presenting a safety hazard to children riding in car.

- Gainesville, VA, USA

My 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan sliding door freeze shut or partially open. Sometimes I can not get the doors open to get my kids in or out in freezing weather. Also, they freeze partially open and won't safely lock!!

- Woodway, TX, USA