2002 Toyota Sienna latches/locks/linkages problems

“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”

“WITHIN A YEAR AFTER BUYING THE 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA THE RIGHT SIDE SLIDING DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE. THE LEFT SIDE DOOR HAS THE SAME PROBLEM INTERMITTANTLY. NEITHER ONE HAS BEEN REPAIRED BUT ARE SEEN AS A SAFETY CONCERN IN THE WORST CASE AND A CONSTANT NUISANCE OTHERWISE. THE ISSUE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND SO REMAIN. THE REAR DOOR PLASTIC LATCH BROKE AFTER ABOUT FOUR YEARS, REQUIRING A $200 REPAIR. IT BROKE AGAIN AFTER ABOUT THREE MORE YEARS BUT THIS TIME I REPAIRED IT WITH A METAL SCREW, BUT A YEAR LATER IT BROKE IN ANOTHER PLACE AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED. THE PART IS MADE OF SLIGHTLY SOFT BRITTLE PLASTIC, POORLY DESIGNED. INTERESTINGLY, I RECENTLY BOUGHT A NEW TOYOTA PRIUS AND PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. READING THE FINE PRINT I FIND IN THE RATHER LONG LIST OF EXCLUSIONS FROM THE "BUMPER TO BUMPER" WARRANTY ARE INCLUDED DOOR LATCHES AS WELL AS, IRONICALLY, THE BUMPERS. *TT”

“TL- THE CONTACT OWNS 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR LIFT GATE ON THE VEHICLE WILL NOT OPEN BECAUSE THE LATCH IS BROKEN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE IS A PLASTIC LINK TO THE LATCH THAT HAD BROKEN AND PREVENTS THE REAR LIFT GATE FROM OPENING FROM THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE. THE FAILURE WAS 175,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 183,000.RL”

“2002 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN. WHEN I TRY TO OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE SLIDING DOOR, I CAN HEAR IT UNLATCH BUT REMAINS SHUT. YOU HAVE TO PUSH THE REAR PART OF THE DOOR BACK IN UNTIL YOU HEAR A CLICK, THEN YOU HAVE TO VIOLENTLY PULL THE HANDLE AND THE DOOR WILL OPEN. *TR”

“MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED A CERTIFIED USED 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA IN 2005. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE WE HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH OPENING AND CLOSING THE SLIDING DOORS AND ISSUE WITH THE TRUNK. IT FIRST STARTED WHEN THE TRUNK WOULD NOT OPEN ANY MORE. THE LITTLE PIECE TO CLICK IT OPEN BROKE OFF. NEXT, THE RIGHT PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE, BUT COULD BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE. EVENTUALLY, THE OUTSIDE HANDLE BROKE OFF (PROBABLY DUE THE INABILITY TO OPEN IT FROM THE INSIDE). NEXT THE LEFT PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR STARTED TO SHOW SIMILARITIES TO THE RIGHT SLIDING PASSENGER DOOR. EVENTUALLY, THIS HANDLE BROKE OFF AS WELL AND WOULD NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. TO DATE, THE SLIDING DOOR ON THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT CAN NOT BE OPENED INSIDE OR OUT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR US AND OUR FOUR KIDS. THE KIDS HAVE TO COME THROUGH THE FRONT TO GET OUT OF THE VAN. IT BECAME SOMEWHAT STRANGE TO ME WHEN I NOTICED THAT OTHER TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVANS HAD HANDLES MISSING OFF THE BACK PASSENGER SLIDING DOORS. I THOUGHT, WHAT IS UP WITH THE QUALITY OF THE VANS? MOST INDIVIDUALS DRIVING MINIVANS ARE TRANSPORTING CHILDREN, SO I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE VANS WERE CONSTRUCTED…”

“ON AUGUST 15, 2010 WITH THE 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA IN PARK AND WITH NO KEY IN THE STEERING WHEEL A TWO YEAR OLD WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE GEAR SHIFT FROM PARK ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO BEGIN TO MOVE BACKWARDS. SEVERAL PEOPLE WERE CLOSE BY AND WERE ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS BACKING UP. ADULTS THEN CHECKED THE VEHICLE AND IN FACT WERE ABLE TO MOVE THE SHIFTER FROM PARK INTO GEAR (WITHOUT THE KEY IN ITS IGNITION). ON AUGUST 16 THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO CONFIRMED -"CUSTOMER STATES THE SHIFTER COMES OUT OF PARK WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. CONFIRMED CUSTOMER CONCERN. FOUND SHIFTER CABLE WORN AND IN NEED OF ADJUSTMENT." *TR”