Friday, December 19, 2008

Toyota Sienna Frozen Doors

Frozen Doors on Sienna XLE Limited 2004, but other models too.








Dear Toyota Sienna Owners,



We purchased our lovely, Toyota Sienna, at the end of May of '08. We have been having none stop problems, since the weather turned cold, with our van doors freezing shut on us. As you can imagine, this has caused issues with lights not shutting off because the doors won't shut all the way which causes the battery to run down and a host of other frustrations.

We are scheduled, in the next couple of weeks, to take the van in again, and have new seals put on. We will obviously be putting them to the test.

We are dealing with a great dealer, but the service manager told us there just aren't enough Canadians complaining to get the attention of Toyota Canada.

On Jan. 8 of '09, there will be a meeting in Calgary, to discuss the issues, of cold weather related problems with Toyota vehicles. We have asked to have this issue brought forward. We will be contacted, after the meeting.

I have set up this blog to ask that any Canadians that are experiencing this problem, to please do two things.

First, I would like for you to phone Toyota Canada and file a complaint, to which they should issue you a file number, please keep that number. 1-888-TOYOTA-8 or 1-888-869-6828

Secondly, I would appreciate you making a comment in this post, regarding the year of your Sienna, and what's been happening to your doors, with as much details as you can. I will be forwarding all this information on to the Service manager who will be bringing this issue forward. If we get enough Canadian Sienna owners speaking up, perhaps we can get this problem resolved.

This is not just an annoyance issue, this is an issue of safety. Not being able to get children in and out of a vehicle in a safe manner is wrong.

Thank you to all who are taking the time to help make a difference.


Sincerely,


Carol





84 comments:

Andrea said...

Hi Carol,

I'm also the owner of a 2004 Sienna XLE AWD and yes, the side doors are often stuck in winter. Even a slight frost can sometimes do it.

I have complained to the dealer who lubricates the seals which only temporarily stops the problem.

Recently they recommended that I replace the seals, at my expense of $120. I declined.

I agree with you that this problem is a safety hazard - during winter I often cannot properly either open or close the side doors.

I'll follow up & call the Toyota number with a complaint as I haven't done this yet.

Regards,
Andrea

Carol said...

Thank you for your reply, Andrea. Our best, temporary solution, at this point in time is to turn off the power to the sliding doors. This has helped out a great deal. We are using our doors manually, BUT the power door lock still is operational. That means you have to make sure the door is fully shut, or it can drain your battery.

I'll continue to post here as we get more information.

Carol

Anonymous said...

We have a power sliding door problem on our 04 Sienna too - first it was just in freezing weather, but now the door will not close at all. Will contact Toyota Canada.
By the way, on the dash there is a manual switch for the dome lights if they are on due to a frozen door.

Anonymous said...

I have the famous door problem on my 2004 Sienna. Not the freezing weather related one, but the electronic buttons do not work and i have to go around and manually start my door to then have the automatic kick in. Have read hundreds of threads about this costing over $1500 US. Everyone needs to file complaints with their respective agencies (DOT in US)
Tom

What LinkMosaic..? said...

I have a sienna ce 05, and have this issue all the time.. not a good feeling specially with 2 kids..

any one has a fix let me know.

lcoation is Maryland USA

Thank you

Anonymous said...

We're up here in oakville canada and we have the freezing door problem with our 2004 .

How are you supposed to get kids in the car if the side doors freeze shut all the time ? Im tired of them having to crawl over the seats!

This will be the last toyota we ever buy. I'll make sure to tell anyone who asks. Why pay a premium for less quality !

Our Dodge Caravan was much more reliable then this car and cost a lot less

Signed Very Frustrated Toyota Buyer

Anonymous said...

i also have a 2004 XLE Limited and really do love the car itself but we also deal with the all of the problems. The frozen door problem is not only annoying, but just plain unsafe. with 2 children in the back seat that u can't get out - this can be a problem. They freeze even on days that I wouldn't think they should have. Also a terrible problem on the sliding door mechanism cable snapping. This is a costly $1600 repair and we are now on our second side. It has not yet been deemed a recall, but from what I understand, if enough people put in complaints at www.nhtsa.dot.com it may become a recall. Go on and register the frozen door problem also - maybe we could get all of our problems taken care of. We feel as if we paid good money for a "high-end" car and did not receive the quality or customer service that we expected. We are now at the point that we want to trade in to get some other make of car (not a Toyota for sure) but een feel a little bad that the car might make it onto another unsuspecting family. Good luck to all of you and Happy New Year.

Anonymous said...

I also have a 2004 Sienna. Last winter was horrible I was pregnant and having to climb over the seats to get into the back of the vehicle to push on the doors from the inside to get them to open while my kids were waiting outside in the cold weather. It seems like it is an ongoing problem almost every time it is below freezing, and to make it worse I have to deal with it after driving small distances and warming up the car doesn't even help. To make matters worse I went to open the car the other day when it was below zero and sharp wind chill and heard the door actually pop so I pulled on the handle to open it from outside and the handle broke off completely, I took it into Toyota and am going to have to pay over $200 for a handle after calling them on this problem numerous times. It frustrates me the most knowing that this is probably going to happen more often since the doors freezing shut is not going away.

Anonymous said...

I just picked up my 2004 Sienna LE from the dealer after having them replace the sliding door outside door handle which broke off when I tried to open the frozen door. Almost $400 to repair. The cable snapped on the power sliding passenger door this past spring. Even though I was within the 160,000 km limit of my extended warranty, it was not covered. I declined the offer to cost share this repair and now have to use the door manually (when it is not frozen).

Anonymous said...

i have a 2006 sienna LE and the doors freeze each time the temp goes below -8C or so. this is canada ! if this is a consistent issue then its a toyota design problem. i'll be complaining.

Anonymous said...

I bought a used 2005 LE in Dec. 08with power doors and almost immediately discovered the frozen door issue. I'm in St. Johns, Nfld. and we get frequent winter rain followed by freezing temps. The doors have been switched to manual mode until spring. My neighbour who endured this problem with a Caravan suggested I smear vaseline on the seals. That was two weeks ago and no frozen doors since then!

Laura said...

I am in the United States and my 05 Sienna's sliding doors are freezing shut! We only have manual doors, no power doors. We had this problem 2 years ago and ended up having one entire door under warranty replaced. It started happening again this winter and it makes me crazy! How am I supposed to car pool 6 kids to school in the winter with them climbing out the driver door? I'm going to try the vaseline on the seals, but please let me know if you come across any other tips. Thank you.
Laura: whipple_l at hotmail

Sally said...

I have a 2005 Toyota Sienna, no problem with the sliding doors until this winter. We live in Ontario, the weather has been colder than usual, but doors have been freezing a lot, even on the relatively mild days. I park my van in a garage and still the doors are freezing and not unfreezing until the vehicle has been running for at least 30 minutes. I have owned other vans before the Toyota and never had a freezing problem.

Anonymous said...

Hello, I was wondering if there was any progress on this issue with Toyota Canada. I bought a 2005 Sienna with power sliding doors, they were frozen shut this morning, my daughter had to get in by the back door!

Thanks,

Don

Anonymous said...

Hello, I bought a mazda MPV 2006 in August and on this 1st cold day of the winter, one of the sliding door didn't close. From your comments it seems that Vaseline would help, but where do I put it ? On the rubber edges ? Thank you.

fotomatt said...

Hello - I purchased a 2005 Sienna in Feb. '05. I live at 9,000 feet in Colorado. I immediately began having problems with frozen doors. There is an obvious design flaw. It presents a dangerous situation. The door will not latch again. In the case of the automatic sliding door feature, when the door thaws, it will suddenly begin to open. This has happened multiple times. Early on, I filed a report with Toyota and was issued a case number. When I contacted Toyota again about the situation, the case number no longer existed.

Here's the end result. Last night, the door handle ripped off in my hands. I will now be contacting Toyota again and demanding action. Please know that at some point, your vehicle will suffer this fate. You may contact me at litfotomatt at gmail.com

Anonymous said...

We too live in Canada and have persistent problems with the doors freezing. I pour warm water over the seals to unfreeze them but by the time we arrive at our destination, they've usually refrozen. Also, our sliding door driver's side no longer opens automatically. The dealer quoted twelve hundred to replace the motor. We said no thanks. I will be contacting Toyota about this.

Anonymous said...

Use Pam or a Silicon base lubricant, it should work.
Tundra

Anonymous said...

I forgot to add, use it on the weather stripping.
Tundra

Unknown said...

We have a '05 AWD XLE Sienna and this winter has been a hassle!! I made a call to customer service and made the complaint. Sounds like bad engineering. Excellent vehicle otherwise.

Anonymous said...

Hi Carol,

Yes, we have an '05 Sienna CE (manual) and the sliding doors consistently freeze shut in the cold weather. We also wish Toyota would do something about this issue which seems to have gone on for quite some time.

Unknown said...

I am having the same problem with my 2005 Toyota Sienna. I purchased it in the summer of 2009 and during this winter season of 2009/2010 my sliding doors keep freezing shut. This is not just happening to one sliding door. Both sliding doors will not open until I force it open which usually takes about 3-5 mins. We should really get Toyota to solve this problem as soon as possible.

Anonymous said...

Hello,

I have the same problems and found a root cause for it. For me it is the seal at top of the car.

All you need to do is to push small piece of plastic or car keys (be careful not to scratch the paint) between the top sealing and the door. Then pull all the through the top sealing. After that my door opens very easily.

Anonymous said...

Hi!
Another 2005 XLE owner here.
I live in Northern Canada (road to Alaska) - so you can imagine how the frozen door issue is VERY dangerous with wind chills colder than -40'. We put on the silicon...blah blah blah - we have tried it ALL! The only thing that works is sliding a VERY thin piece of plasti/metal between the door and the TOP door seal (carefully-I haven't caused any damage to the seal or door)- for us this is what is stopping the door from opening. (also - Don't use Vaseline - it will destroy the rubber)

Anonymous said...

I have a 2004 XLE LTD AWD, Pittsburgh, PA. Both of my doors freeze shut. After 4 years of dealing with the problem I figured out that I need to get in the van start pushing on the door in the upper front corner and push the open door button at the same time. It works most of the time. It is a pain in the rear but it works. Be warned if you use petroleum based products on your rubber door gaskets in time it will start to "breakdown" the rubber compound and you will need to replace the seals completely. A frozen door is better then a leaky door so if you use petroleum jelly, Pam, Crisco, WD-40 or any other lubricant use is sparingly.

Unknown said...

Hi,

I'm from Montreal, Canada and I have a 2004 Toyota Sienna. Ever since I had the car, I lost count on the number of times my wife or the kids had to jump in the back to get the sliding doors open. This typically happened as soon as it got a little colder. This week, we had to go through the same exercise, but this time, in addition to having to perform the acrobatic acts, the door won't close at all. After having read this, I too will be doing a formal complaint to Toyota.

Disappointed,

Dany

Spokane Realtor said...

Yes I have had this issue when it isn't even cold and now I can't open one door and the other doesn't fully shut, Toyota needs to pay up or fix this problem. I called the company today and we will see what they say after this. If not I will research whoever I need to to get this taken care of. keep checking back and I am going to forward the links to others experiencing the same issues.

Anonymous said...

I have 2005 Sienna, manual sliding doors, both freeze shut in the winter. Additionally, the doors only work on good days all year long anyways. SERIOUS safety issue if you were in a front end crash and couldn't get out. Despite the thousands of people complaining to their dealerships, Toyota has done nothing. Typical.

boggart said...

i have 2005 sienna,right at this time my automatic sliding door jammed,especially when the weather gets cold,the door were frozen shut,talk to toyota dealership about it,they told me to grease it up,they don't even know what type of grease to use.

Dawn Caldwell said...

Hello,

I'm not in Canada (Colorado instead) but have the same issue. We have a 2008 XLE AWD and the rear automatic door actually closes itself when it gets too cold - without warning. As a mom with a disabled child, reaching into the rear to get his walker/wheelchair and having a massive door come down on me without notice was a bit disconcerting to say the least. Our dealer said the juice that keeps the doors automatic can't work at certain temps. You'd think that, if they knew this, they'd either find a solution or put warning sounds in place.

I'll call Canada as well as our own US center.

Dawn

Shauna said...

I'd forgotten that my Sienna doors (2006 model) tend to freeze... until tonight... not even winter (maybe -2) and they're frozen shut! So annoying. A fix by Toyota would be great.

Dave said...

We have a 2005 Limited XLE AWD. Same freezing problem. We also have three kids so climbing in from the back is not an option. I will be contacting our Toyota dealer too.

Unknown said...

We have a 2004 Sienna and live in Ottawa Ontario and almost every winter morning when we're trying to get the kids to school and us to work on-time, we have to deal with the frozen door issue ! It's annoying and unacceptable and you'd think that Toyota would be interested in coming up with a solution in order to satisfy a large number of customers who have a common and legitimate complaint about an obvious design flaw.
I bought a Toyota because of their reputation for reliability, but I will certainly not buy another one if they fail to rectify this situation and the spare tire situation as well. Their fix right now for the spare is that they will apparently take it off for you and put it in the back of your van. Gee, thanks Toyota !

VERY disappointed in Ottawa...

Sean said...

We are also in Ottawa and have been dealing with at least 6 winters of frozen sliding doors. It's when you are in the biggest hurry that it strikes!
We have had to replace a broken cable on one side and too, refused the $2000 cost to get the automatic door function back. Incredibly frustrating. I would caution anyone who is considering a Toyota Sienna purchase.
Thanks for the tip to use a plastic "bondbreaker" at the top of the door. I hope it works before we rip the handle right off the door.

Jeanne said...

I too have a 2005 Sienna LE and the doors have frozen every year (this is the worst). I carry 3 dogs in my car and agility equipment for classes I teach. when the door freezes I can't get my dogs out, nor can I teach my classes....which affects my income! My next vehicle will be a Honda Element (even though I have been a loyal toyota customer for years). This should be a problem THEY deal with since it is OBVIOUSLY a safety hazard and design flaw.
Jeanne, near Nelson BC

Sandeep said...

I have 04 sienna, and both the doors (manual and automatic) freeze many times in New England winter.
I will try WD-40 today and if it doesn't solve the issue I will replaces the seals from a local mechanic.
I had to jump start the card twice because the frozen doors cause the car to not lock and drain the battery overnight.
Toyota should make a recall and fix this know common issue for all owners.

Anonymous said...

We live in Montreal, quebec and are having the same problems with the sliding doors on our 2005 Sienna!
I am pregnant and its been a nightmare to get my daughter in and out of the van!
I called a toyota dealier and he told me to buy a lubricant grease to put around the door and hinges and that still didnt work!
Its been very frustrating, had I known this problem, we would have never bought a Toyota!

Anonymous said...

Montreal, Quebec, Toyota Sienna LE AWD 2004, problems all the time with both sliding doors freezing and stuck when trying to open it

Handong said...

Aurora,Ontario. I have a Sienna XLE AWD2005. had problems with both sliding doors freezing since winter time. It is even worse because I can not close the door completely and the battery drains constantly! I had to cancel activities quiet often for my two kids in winter time. It is definitely a design defect and Toyota should come up with solution for us! Is there a more effective way to get Toyota to do something other than file complaints to Toyota Canada?

Unknown said...

Yes, I sent a message to Toyota Canada stating that if I do not receive an solution within one week, I would post a video on Youtube of our families little morning routine with the doors.

Dany

Joseph Perella said...

I purchased a 2005 Sienna about 2 years ago and the frozen door syndrome is horrible.

Living in Connecticut, the Winters are cold and this is a major issue getting kids out the door in the morning.

With kids I am very concerned from a safety perspective as well.

I think I'll take the youtube video route on my next cold day.

Unknown said...

We have a 2005 Sienna CE with manual doors. Freezing doors doors have been a problem for us for several years now. Last night was one such occurrence where it both sliding doors froze enroute to our movie. I figured parking underground would unfreeze them while we saw the show. It worked for one door but then after a coffee stop they were frozen again. I'm glad to hear it's not just us but also concerned that Toyota has taken no corrective action for a potentially dangerous condition. Perhaps we should all try contacting Phil Edmonston author of Lemonaid (http://www.lemonaidcars.com/about.html), Transport Canada (http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/tp-tp2822-page4_e-276.htm) or in the case of USA residents - http://www.safercar.gov. More publicity is obviously needed to get action from Toyota.

Anonymous said...

I'm the unfortunate owner of a 2004 Sienna XLE AWD and the frozen doors have been a consistent problem for us for years. Just last week we brought it in to the dealer because now the doors need to be "recalibrated" to prevent them from automatically popping open after being closed or crushing an incoming passenger. When we picked the car up at the dealer the sliding doors were frozen in the parking lot.

What is the solution here? Has anybody found replacing the seals to be effective? I mean, I know Toyota is busy rebuilding their image with the runaway killer cars they refused to repair but why are they ignoring this issue? This is a major safety issue for small children getting in and out of these cars. I'm ready to just buy a new car and let everybody I know not to waste their money on this awful car company that refuses to take safety seriously. If anybody has any advice please let me know!

Anonymous said...

My 04 Sienna has the same problem door freeze in every winter and its difficult for me to get kids in and our of vehicle. Is some one in Toyota listening. or they might lose lot of other customers

Anonymous said...

On very cold mornings, we just fill a large cup of hot water from the tap and pour along the top of the door (up by the seal), it provides just enough heat to break the frozen bond. Works every time and doesn't require lubing or replacing seals which never works.

Anonymous said...

We as well have a 05 ce awd with the same problems.I am a certified mechanic and have lubed the seals, adjusted the strikers, cable adj. etc and they still stick. It is a problem with the rear striker mechanism and when it gets cold the rubber around the striker causes it to bind and not release when you pull the handle. Also water pools on the top seal which doesnt help. Toyota told us to GFY as well. Never buy another one.

curtisp777 said...

I have a 2004 Sienna XLE and the sliding doors froze today. I used a thin piece of cardboard to open the seal at the top of the door. I slid the cardboard on the top of both sliding doors and they opened.

Anonymous said...

xle awd 2005, Montreal. Same here, all winter it freezes shut on both sides. The power feature broke on the driver side earlier this year, leaving my wife stranded with a door that would not shut. My 2 cents: engine and driving performance is great, but the rest, spotty -- and the sliding doors -- downright dangerous, class action material. But it's the only awd minivan on the market...

M. Holownia said...

I have had the frozen door problem since i bought this vehicle in 2003. pain in the ass. asked my dealer about it (Belair toyota in Ottawa) and along with the rear fan that goes on and off as it pleases, they said they couldn't find anything wrong and basically made me feel if i was crazy. will never buy from them again.

Anonymous said...

I have the same problem with freezing doors, making winter extremely frustrating. Driving a mini-van shouldn't require my children to have to go in the front door and climb through to the back. Also, causes battery issues when the doors cannot completely close and I seem to always be driving while the vehicle beeps as it is trying to tell me that the doors are not shut. Paying all that money, no one should have to pour warm water to release the seals or alternatively be late for something, because not everyone can even get in the car. If Toyota is the company they say are, this should be resolved for in warranty or out of warranty minivans - without question.

Anonymous said...

I am having the same most popular freezing doors problem with my 2004 sienna too. We live in Ontario Canada and winter just started now. I was thinking till the time I searched on the net that I am the only one but there are too many people suffering from the same problem. This is my first winter and the van is driven by my wife who is pregnant with our third child and that's the only reason to buy VAN. I will call toyota to file a complaint too.I did not tried this tip on the van till now but will do to get rid of the problem. I am pasting a tip which I found on the net to resolve this issue. Let's see how it works "A--Ice commonly forms on the rubber gaskets between the door and the body. After making sure they are dry, coat the gaskets with silicone lube — either the gel or spray. If the ice is forming a bridge between the door edge and body edge, a good coat of wax might help."

Anonymous said...

I have yet to record a video showing how we get into the van on a typical winter morning and posting it on YouTube. Definitely not ever buying another Toyota!

Anonymous said...

I have big family, and this is my second seinna and never had issue with one before, but this xle 2004 is giving me this headache, everty morning same damn issue of frozen doors,,,will call dealor tomrrow

Anonymous said...

I also own a 2005 Sienna LE and have this problem of freezing rear doors. This becomes a problem in winter and coz i have 3 kids, mornings are devastating and they have to enter the van through the back door. Is toyota going to do anything regarding this ever?????

Danielle said...

I hear your guys pain my mom got this Toyota 04 sienna in July and this winter the doors on both sides of the van are freezing shut. We are trying to oil that rubber outside the striker mechanism that one person had blogged about. Maybe that will help and hopefully we all can rise up and bring this hazard to Toyota's attention because it is putting many peoples lives in danger!

Unknown said...

We too have had frozen doors on our '05 Sienna. I have tried silicon grease, Armour All & a few other things all to no avail.
While I agree it is a design flaw, the only thing I have found to work is a thin piece of cardboard that I keep in the glove box. When the doors freeze shut, I take the cardboard and run it along the top of the door - between the rubber seal and the door. That breaks the ice seal. I know we shouldn't have to do that but at least I don't have to shoulder check the door from the inside anymore. Hope that helps a few of you.

Anonymous said...

I too have owned my XLE FWD since May of 2003. Have been very pleased with the van except for the doors. A year or two ago I had the automatic door break. Called around and found out the repair was $1500+, so I said I can live with manual door, as driver side was so no biggie. Now it is coming back to me that I have always had to use extra pull to get doors open in mild to severe winter conditions. Severe I expect, mild I do not not accept other than manufacturers screw up. Just before Christmas I pulled hard on the drivers side read door and handle snapped off. I glued the handle back where the door is supposed to be, and put child lock on. So now I accept that I have a 3 door van, but am pissed that the other door still freezes up. No more money from me to Toyota unless they are the only source for the parts I need. Like the rear wiper. I might even go back to Chrysler for the next van, all over web folk are saying that they did not have problems with their doors. And come to think of it, neither did I.

scott in utica said...

Yuppie, we're not the only one with these stupid doors. Both our automatic doors are now manual. What engineer thought a tiny guage metal cable was going to last? As for the frozen door: both of our freeze up every year and I hope to get online and finally get a solution only to find more like me just trying do the same things hoping for a different result (definition of insantity). Sorry I don't have a thing to offer.

Anonymous said...

I live in Ontario, Canada and this is my first winter with Sienna 04 having manual doors. Normally I park in the garage where temperature is typically around 10 C. Today I had parked it outside in minus 4 C and both the sliding door were frozen. I couldn't open them. It was really painful and frustrating for the kids as they had to enter from the rear door. I am never going to buy Sienna again.

What LinkMosaic..? said...

I want to thank you guys, I had this problem when it rains and then freezes in the morning. This year we are talking kids to school early and it was such a problem. I finally used the recommendations to slide a card board card through the top between the rubber seal and the door metal frame. And it worked perfectly. Now if someone has a good material to put on the rubber and keep it from freezing that would be nice.


05 Sienna manual.

Anonymous said...

We live in Southern Onatario and have an 04 Sienna LE. We have constant problems with the sliding doors freezing shut. The handle broke off the slider on the driver side. I called and complained to my local dealer. They would do nothing so we were out $200 for that, and I asked if they had any other complaints and they said not that they were aware of. They told me that unfortunatley that is something that you have to expect from that type of door. I can tell you with four young kids in tow, what a pain in the butt this vehicle is from the about the months of November to April.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like we are not alone with freezing sliding door problems. We live in Southern Ontario and both sliding doors are consistently frozen in our 2004 XLE. Have tried silicone with varied results.

Sounds like Toyata's is NOT committed to resolving the probem, which is more than just an inconvenience issue. It could be a major safet issue - if after an accident/fire that occupants cannot safely exit the van in a timely fashion.

It is also embarassing when driving other people. The doors are frozen again and this weekend we're driving 6 adults for a ski/snow shoeing getaway & 4 of them will have to climb in through the back door.

Erin said...

Yes... we are in the states. we bought a 2004 sienna AWD used last year and they told us that the power doors stopped working for them. no problem, i can open a door manually, right? wrong. if it is at or below freezing the doors lock shut and will not open. we've tried warming up the car, lubricating the tracks and talking to the local dealer (who has never heard of the issue and cannot replicate the "intermittent problem"). the doors eventually "unlock" while i'm driving around... sometimes an hour later.

we have a newborn (fun times getting that carrier into the back through the drivers side door), toddler (ditto on getting the toddler back there) and two school kids and carpool with 2 more. it is inconvenient, unsafe, and embarrassing.

i understand that parts wear out and need replacing eventually, but i expect to be able to open my car doors...

i reported the problem at www.safecars.gov and urge you all to do the same.

Anonymous said...

I have 2005 van. Its sliding door get stuck in winter.
I have a family of two kids. It is really funny when they go in the van from driver seat side or from the trunk...

Toyota what a crap you made....

vivahenterprise.com said...

I have 2005 Sienna CE, (manual sliding door, no power) I live in Brampton, Ont, Yes Yes both sliding doors get stuck in winter, I am trying motomaster silicone lube from Ca Tire, its ok for few days, then again stucks, not effective, next i am going to try strong grease, going to apply all over the rubber seals, grease usually withstand cold temp, and does not freeze the rubber , so lets see..
Toyota won't do anything, there are waste when it comes supporting their vehicles, thanks, vivah

Shawn Freeman said...

I have a simple solution that came out of all the frustration with sliding doors freezing and handles being pulled off etc.

I keep a round steel disk (the type used to cover electrical boxes) costs about 1 dollar, in the front driver door pocket. This door never gets frozen shut.
I use this disk to seperate the rubber seal from the steel frame. Simply insert it at the front end of the top door seal and roll it along with a little pressure till you reach the rear end of the top door seal. This has worked every time this winter. Silicone sprays and grease are not required. I am going to try using an old cd the benefit would be that it is plastic and will not scratch the paint.
Toyota should solve this problem but in the mean time this simple solution should end the frustration of breaking handles off and doors partly opened and beeping etc.

Good Luck
let me know if it works for you.
Shawn.freeman@sympatico.ca

vivahenterprise.com said...

2014 winter, again both doors freezing, could not open, went for car wash and it opened, sprayed some greese bought from ca.tire, again after 2 days, freezing. so annoying, is there a permanent fix for this ??? I don't have a garage btw. VJ

Anonymous said...

I used the old cd disc
worked, eventually you will damage the rubber Im sure
Toyota has a TSB for changing seal due to freezing, not yet a recall.
$68 plus $35 labour here in Oshawa area

Anonymous said...

We bought a 2005 Sienna LE. The 2 side doors have systematically stuck every cold day of every winter since then. We have 4 kids. When I drop them to school in the morning, they get out from the trunk. Nice publicity for Toyota. I tried Gigaloo grease but results are not reliable. Will try the disk recipe next time. I called Toyota Canada today and left a complaint + request for a solution (getting out from the truck is just not as fun as 9 years ago). Of course, we had to replace both electric door motors, one at our cost. 1830$ after we had lost the push button function.

Denis in Montreal

Anonymous said...

I have an 04 LE and the rear doors are so sticky, my wife can't open them. The power door froze a couple of years ago and the cable snapped when I opened it manually. I refused to pay the $2000 repair. Nothing I do prevents winter freeze up. This is a ridiculous design flaw.
I am currently looking for a new vehicle and would love another Sienna but refuse to face another 10 years of Toyota denials and lack of responsibility for this issue. Getting a chuckle and "Yeah, they do that" from my dealer just doesn't cut it.
Bryan in Ontario

shinedesigns said...

I have a Toyota Sienna 05 with power sliding door that have really not functioned properly since purchased new. My mom originally had this car and gave it to me as she thought it would be a better, safer family car. BUT this is a very UNSAFE vehicle due the defects in the back sliding doors. (1) This vehicle should never have been sold in Canada due to our cold temperatures, as the sliding door ALWAYS freeze (2) The electronics for these doors are a faulty design. I know this because I've research the Internet on this topic for years. The mechanics of these doors are better suited for a Barbie car! Also, I had Amherst Toyota dealer fix them and the repair took 2 weeks! One month later and the doors weren't working again. (3) Was driving home on the highway at 110 Kim's in December when the frozen door next to my child became unfrozen and slid open!!,,

Anonymous said...

I agree. I have struggled with this door for years now. I'm disappointed that Tiyota hasn't done anything to fix it. This door is the reason I will never buy another Toyota and I make sure that I tell this to everyone.

Unknown said...

My doors freeze! Trying to get baby in car seat over centre console a nightmare. Then driving around with beeping ugh!!! Did this ever get recalled?

Unknown said...

We have a 2004 sienna and the doors freeze in winter every year. Toyota needs to fix this issue.

Unknown said...

We have a 2004 sienna and the doors freeze in winter every year. Toyota needs to fix this issue.

Unknown said...

We have this same problem with our 2005 sienna. Toyota need to fix this.

Unknown said...

We have this same problem with our 2005 sienna. Toyota need to fix this.

Unknown said...

Hi,

I have Toyota Sienna CE AWD and have this sliding door jamming problem every winter morning.

Japok said...

The sliding doors in my 2004 LE freeze during the winter and even during hot summer months. Spraying silicone on the seals is a temporary fix. Toyota needs to solve this

Anonymous said...

My 2004 Toyota Sienna doors freeze as soon as the temperature drops. It is SO infuriating and I can't believe there are so many people complaining and nothing being done. It is very dangerous too. Other than that I love my van and have had it since May 2003.

shinedesigns said...

Hi All -READ THIS: There has just been a recent (Nov 2016) RECALL issued for SOME Toyota Sienna Vans. BUT, only for years 2011 to 2016!!!! That is ridiculous. I have been complaining to Toyota about ALL the sliding door issues I've had with my 2005 Toyota Sienna van for YEARS!!!! I guess the safety of families with their incredibly UNSAFE sliding doors are not as important as their recent customers. My son was choking in the back seat I could not get it to open and had to haul him through the front and out my door to the ground!!! Another time I was driving down the highway and his door opened!!! Possibly, the fact that many of us driving these cars are moms with kids and not enough spare time & money to take them to court is the reason they have omitted our vans from their recall???? Hmmm, but they will gladly replace their trucks with a new one when there is an issue. Obviously, their lawyers are assessing gender & income to see what they can get away with.

mykemurfy said...

Same here - the best is when they won't open, but the car thinks they're open so you have to drive with that beeping for the entire trip and risk the doors opening midway, with kids in the car. Great stuff.

Anonymous said...

I purchased a 2000 sienna last year and as soon as the weather went below freezing my 2 sliding doors would not open until the van has been running for around 20 minutes and there have been several times that the rear door would not open either. It doesn't get very cold in Vancouver negative 5 tops. This van does not have keyless entry and the locks will not open with the key most of the time when it's gets cold.I can usually unlock the van using the key in the back door. For some strange reason that lock doesn't get effected.

Anonymous said...

I had an ‘05 Sienna and now a 2017 Sienna. Sliding doors freeze up in cold weather all the time with both models. And sometimes the hatch. Incredibly frustrating. I’ve tried silicone spray with not great results.