Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The passenger-side sliding door (manual) on our 2001 Sienna began having problems approx. 6 mo. Ago, with the inside button to open the door intermittently sticking - happened both in open & closed positions. Obviously a safety concern, both for being able to close the door in order to drive, and for opening the door particularly in case of an emergency. At the beginning, a good "whack" on the door would usually release the button, and the door would function. Now, the door is not working at all - thankfully, it is in the closed position, but it is totally non-functional as we cannot open it at all. Had one or two episodes of the driver-side door getting stuck open - the latch had a problem that prevented closure (seemed that the latch got into the "locked" position somehow when door was open, and then wouldn't release in order to close it). …
2001 Toyota Sienna le, manufactured in October 2000, both back sliding door handle buttons stick during hot weather preventing opening or closing of the door. If the door is open when the button sticks then you cannot shut the door. If the door is closed when the button sticks then you cannot open the door from the inside or the outside using the outside handle. The doors stay stuck until the button pops back out usually when the inside of the car temperature cools down. My children have been able to get out by going through the front doors of the van but an elderly person might not be able to do this and would be trapped in the back with both doors stuck shut. There is a service advisory for this problem dated oct. 27, 2000 for years 1998-2000 but there is nothing for 2001. …
I own a 2001 Toyota Sienna van ce. In the past 1.5 years all door handles have separated from the car. This includes the driver, passenger, rear driver, rear passenger and tailgate doors handles. These handles are made from plastic and crack and break off at the hinge point. I don't believe the number of breakages of these handles can be caused by normal wear and tear and certainly with two small children and two adults making use of the vehicle would constitute normal wear and tear. This problem is a defect of design or workmanship of the handle and the cost to repair is approximately $350 per handle. It is a serious threat should they break at the improper time or for emergency access to the automobile. I have addressed my concerns with Toyota and they don't believe there is a need to correct. Please investigate and respond. [redacted]
I purchased a brand new 2001 Toyota Sienna xle in 2001. The passenger side power sliding door and the drivers side power sliding door has given us problems since we purchased the car. We had it back to the dealer for the same power door issue at least 11 times. They now want to charge me. The ntsb should force a recall to fix this issue. The door will not open or close and now it will not move at all either by remote or manually. We purchased the dual power sliders as a convenience and now we have inconvenience. We have not been able to use the door properly for years, we have never had the benefit of the power sliding doors that we paid for. I would request that the government investigate the numerous complaints on the various blogs for the same issue described here. We have had this problem for over ten years without a resolution provided by Toyota. The doors still do not function. …
I have a 2001 Toyota Sienna and the both the rear sliding doors have had intermittent issues with either opening or closing since around 2003 (although more often seen with driver side). When the issues is present the doors work fine when the automatic open/close is turned off. The issue May occur more often when raining then when dry. One observance of issue is that when auto open is engaged the door makes a clicking sound but doesn't open. The other observance of issue is when the door is open and the auto close is engaged the door starts to close (maybe an inch) and then re-opens...the only way to get the door closed is to turn off the auto open/close. While under warranty I took the van to be serviced twice, but was not able to re-produce the issue at the dealership...as such they would not even look at it.
I was locked inside my 2001 Toyota Sienna ce van and couldn't get out for 3-4 minutes. I had been driving for 6-8 minutes and parked in a parking lot to go into a store. I turned the engine off and tried all the following: 1. All door handles 2. The "keyless" key fob 3. The button on the driver's side arm rest in the door which enables/disables the door locks at each door 4. The power window on the driver's side only after pressing all these buttons numerous times did the doors finally "wake up" and unlock. I suspect the problem has something to do with the electrical system, specifically the 50-month old battery. But even if the battery is low on power, why should the door locks be inoperable? Should the locks automatically revert to the open position if there is insufficient electrical power?
2001 Toyota Sienna... The plastic door handles are breaking off... The right, rear slider handle broke off in 2007. .next the left, rear slider handle broke off... This was dangerous since the child lock was on preventing opening the door from either inside or outside the vehicle with the children trapped inside...now the front passenger door handle has broken.....Toyota dealership charges $89.73 for each handle not including installation....it is obvious to me plastic fatigue is the problem...3 of 4 handles have failed in past 3 years...I contend these handles as well as the fourth remaining were and are defective.
Repeated failure of power sliding door on 2001 Sienna van. Dealer has attempted to fix on several occasions since time of purchase but failed. Vehicle is now out of warranty and will cost over $500.00 to repair. This is a safety issue since the drivers side door does not always fully close. According to NHTSA odi technical bulletins this has been an ongoing problem since 2001. Toyota should be required to recall the vehicles and pay for the repairs since this is a common problem with the 2001 model and a potential safety issue for children and adults.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Toyota Sienna. While changing the rear light bulb, the contact noticed that there was no safety latch to release an occupant if they became trapped in the rear of the vehicle. The contact feels that this is a safety issue in the event of an emergency. She is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for further inspection. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not designed with that feature; therefore, no compensation would be provided. The failure mileage was 110,000 and current mileage was 111,000.
Tl* the contact owns 2001 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that both rear sliding doors handles failed. The exterior handle on the rear lift gate also failed. As a result, the power motor on both sliding doors was removed. Due to the removal of the power motors, the contact stated that the door handles were too thin to successfully open and close the doors. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures, but offered no assistance and advised the contact to replace the door handles. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 57,000.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2001 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2001 Toyota Sienna, 19% of the model year's 180 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Toyota Sienna door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2001 Toyota Sienna, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2001 Toyota Sienna door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 32% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.