2012 Toyota Sienna Structure

THE SENSOR IN THE POWER SLIDING DOOR OF MY 2012 TOYOTA SIENNA, WOULD NOT STOP BEEPING EVEN THOUGH THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. THE LATCH WAS RUSTING AWAY, AND TOYOTA WANTED $1,400 TO REPLACE IT. THE DRIVER'S DOOR LATCH IS MADE OF STAINLESS STEEL, SO WHY IS THE SLIDING DOOR LATCH RUSTING? AND WHY CAN'T WE DISABLE THE SENSOR?

IT RAINED AND FROZE, SNOWED AND THAWED, AND THE LATCH ON THE SLIDING DOOR OF MY 2012 TOYOTA SIENNA BROKE. THE DOOR WOULD SLIDE OPEN AND CLOSED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AND WOULD NOT STAY CLOSED. FORTUNATELY NONE OF MY CHILDREN WERE IN THE BACK SEAT WHEN THIS HAPPENED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH, THE SLIDING DOORS ON THE DRIVER SIDE OPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000.

I HAVE BROUGHT THE SIENNA INTO TOYOTA ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AS IT WAS CLUNKING WHEN IT CLOSED. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT EACH TIME, BUT THE LIFTGATE WAS CLEARLY NOT ALIGNED. WATER IS NOW COMING THROUGH THE TOP OF THE LIFT GATE. I DID BACK UP INTO A TREE, AND HAD DAMAGE TO THE BACK QUARTER PANEL AND IT WAS REPAIRED BY A BODY SHOP. TOYOTA IS STATING THAT THIS CAUSED THE LIFTGATE TO BE MISALIGNED AND THAT IS CAUSING THE WATER TO COME THROUGH THE LIFTGATE. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT UNTIL I RAN THE MINIVAN THROUGH A TOUCH FREE CARWASH AND WATER WAS APPLIED UNDER PRESSURE THAT I NOTICED THE WATER COMING IN. MY COMPLAINT IS I BELIEVE THAT IF THE LIFTGATE COULD BE MISALIGNED BY QUARTER PANEL DAMAGE, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN UNDER EXTREME STRESS OF A CAR ACCIDENT. I DO BELIEVE THE DEALERSHIP IS AVOIDING REALIGNING THE LIFT GATE, BUT I AM ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE OVERALL SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. ALSO, THE ORIGINAL TIRES THAT CAME ON THE VEHICLE WORE VERY EARLY. I REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES AT TOYOTA BECAUSE WE WERE TAKING THE VEHICLE ON A FAMILY TRIP. I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE OWNERS MANUAL AND NOTICED THAT THE ORIGINAL TIRES WERE TO HAVE A 6 YEAR WARRANTY.

I HAVE BROUGHT THE SIENNA INTO TOYOTA ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AS THERE WAS CLUNKING WHEN THE LIFT GATE CLOSED. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT EACH TIME, BUT THE LIFTGATE WAS AND IS CLEARLY NOT ALIGNED. WATER IS NOW COMING THROUGH THE TOP OF THE LIFT GATE. I DID BACK UP INTO A TREE, AND HAD DAMAGE TO THE BACK QUARTER PANEL AND IT WAS REPAIRED BY A BODY SHOP. TOYOTA IS STATING THAT THIS CAUSED THE LIFTGATE TO BE MISALIGNED AND THAT IS CAUSING THE WATER TO COME THROUGH THE LIFTGATE. MY COMPLAINT IS I BELIEVE THAT DEALERSHIP IS AVOIDING REALIGNING THE LIFT GATE. I ORIGINALLY BROUGHT THIS IN UNDER THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY AND I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THERE WAS NO VEHICLE DAMAGE TO THE VAN UPON INITIAL VISIT. AT THIS POINT, IF THE LIFTGATE IS NOT REALIGNED AND FIXED PROPERLY AND WATER CONTINUES TO COME IN, IT WILL EVENTUALLY DESTROY THE MECHANISM THAT IS USED FOR THE AUTO OPEN AND CLOSE. IN ADDITION, I AM ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE OVERALL SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, IF WHAT TOYOTA STATES IS TRUE (THE LIFTGATE CAN BE MISALIGNED BY QUARTER PANEL DAMAGE).

TODAY WHILE CLEANING THE VAN, I NOTICED THE LEVER AND/OR LATCH THAT HOLDS THE BACK SLIDING DOORS AND MOVES THEM OPEN AND SHUT, KEEPS THE BACK SLIDING DOORS ON, IS STARTING TO RUST WHERE THE DOOR IS CONNECTED NEAR THE CABLES THAT OPEN AND SHUT THE DOOR. *TR

(REAR POWER SLIDING DOORS: NO SAFETY SENSORS TO STOP THE DOOR ) I PULLED THE HANDLE OF THE REAR POWER SLIDING DOOR TO OPEN TO LET MY DOG OUT. SHE PUT HER HEAD INTO THE OPENING BETWEEN THE TRACTOR CABLE THAT GLIDES THE DOOR BACK AND THE REAR PORTION OF THE DOOR. THE POWER DOOR CONTINUED TO SLIDE BACK AND INWARD. MY REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO STOP THE DOOR INCLUDED ME PULLING AGAINST IT WITH ALL MY STRENGTH THE DOOR JUST KEPT SLIDING EITHER BACK OR FORWARD. MY DOG TRIED TO SQUEEZE HERSELF OUT AND ONLY MANAGED TO GET HALF HER BODY OUT. SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS CUT IN HALF. MY NEIGHBORS CAME OVER AND HELD THE DOOR TO STOP IT FROM MOVING. THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BODY OF THE VAN AND THE SLIDING DOOR WAS SO TIGHT (3 TO 4 INCHES), I COULD NOT PUSH OR PULL MY DOG OUT. I THOUGHT SHE WAS BEING CRUSHED TO DEATH. I WENT TO DISENGAGE THE BATTERY TO MAKE SURE THE DOOR WOULD NOT MOVE AND MY DOG WAS ABLE TO WRIGGLE HER ENTIRE BODY OUT OF THAT TINY OPENING. THIS LASTED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND WAS TERRIFYING. MY DOG SUFFERED ONLY BRUISED RIBS. I HAD A CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY BEFORE THIS AND THE DOOR SENSORS STOPPED AT THE SLIGHTEST INTERFERENCE. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

THE ENGINE WAS OFF. I OPENED THE REAR HATCH, WHILE I WAS UNDER THE HATCH PLACING ITEMS IN THE BACK OF THE CAR MY HUSBAND NOT REALIZING I HAD ALREADY OPENED IT AND WAS UNDER IT PUSHED THE BUTTON TO OPEN THE HATCH BUT SINCE IT WAS ALREADY OPEN IT STARTED TO CLOSE ON ME. UPON MEETING RESISTANCE FROM ME (SUBSTANTIAL I MIGHT ADD) IT DID NOT STOP CLOSING AND I HAD TO JUMP INTO THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE TO PREVENT BEING SERIOUSLY INJURED. EITHER THERE IS NO SENSOR TO SENSE AN OBSTRUCTION IN THE DOOR OR THE SENSOR IS FAULTY. WE WILL NOTIFY THE DEALER OF THIS BUT THIS IS A SENSOR THAT SHOULD NOT FAIL, THIS DOOR IS BIG ENOUGH TO SERIOUSLY INJURE SOMEONE OR KILL A CHILD. I WAS NOT INJURED SERIOUSLY BUT MY NECK AND SHOULDER ARE SORE AT THIS POINT FROM PUSHING BACK ON THE DOOR AND TIME WILL TELL IF IT IS MORE THAN A MINOR STRAIN. *TR

I WANT TO CORRECT THAT ON OUR 2012 SIENNA IT IS THE BACK SLIDING DOOR THAT IT IS THE "HINGE" THAT OPENS AND SHUTS THE DOOR, LOCKS IT, ATTACHES IT TO THE VAN THAT IS STARTING TO RUST. TOYOTA REPLY IS TILL IT FALLS OFF, OR STARTS TO "BE MORE RUSTED, BUT NOT IN OUR LIFETIME" IT IS COSMETIC, YET IT IS DANGEROUS AND WILL AFFECT THE RESALE VALUE AND IT IS NEAR THE WIRES THAT OPEN AND SHUT IT, WHICH I HAVE READ PROBLEMS ABOUT. TOYOTA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE HINGES RUSTING AND REPLACE THEM BEFORE SOMEONE DOES GET HURT, YOU JUST DON'T WAIT FOR THE ACCIDENT TO HAPPEN OR TILL SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A CHILD PASSENGER WAS INJURED FROM THE AUTOMATIC REAR SLIDING DOOR. THE SLIDING DOOR INDEPENDENTLY CLOSED ON THE CHILD'S ARM.. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS HOWEVER, BECAUSE AN INJURY OCCURRED THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD CONTACT HER ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,535.

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE POWER SLIDING DOOR OCCASIONALLY (I.E. NOT ALL THE TIME) MAKES AN ABNORMAL POP NOISE WHEN INITIALLY OPENING WITH THE OUTSIDE HANDLE OR WITH THE INSIDE HANDLE ON THE SLIDING DOOR. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN THE DOOR IS OPENED WITH OTHER METHOD (E.G. REMOTE, OVER-HEAD MOUNT CONTROL, BUTTON ON B-PILLAR). IT SEEMS AS IF THE DOOR DOESN'T UNLATCH BEFORE THE MOTOR START PULLING THE DOOR. THE SYMPTOM IS VERY SIMILAR TO THIS TSB FOR CERTAIN 2011 SIENNA: T-SB-0044-11. *TR