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 2002 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The button on the sliding doors sticks when I try to open it from the inside, and it causes the door to be either unopenable or uncloseable, depending on what position it was in when the button got stuck. I had it repaired once , but it stuck again. The dealer is claiming they can't fix it because it did not happen when they had the car there at the dealership. This is a very serious safety concern - we had to crawl out the back because we could not open the door! It took a long time to try to get the button out by giggling the door and prying the button back out. This has happened numerous times. I hate to think what would happen if there was a fire or other emergency! I also have a problem with the driver side front door lock mechanism. It will not always unlock the other doors, as it is supposed to. …
I have a Sienna xle 2002 with the electronic sliding doors. From the inside of the van, there are three buttons to open the doors; one on the console, one on the columns between front and back seats and one button in the handle. Periodically the sliding doors will not shut or they will not open. The last time this happened was July 16, 2008 when the kids in the back driver's side tried to open the sliding door and could not. We tried everything and it was jammed shut. It seems like the button in the handle was stuck (which has happened before). This is a very dangerous situation if there was an accident or roll over and my passengers could not get out. I believe this is a defect as I have read many complaints about this problem. …
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. …
Our 2002 Toyota Sienna automatic lock system started spontaneously locking and unlocking itself. It will do this while it is parked or while driving on the highway. It May do it once or twice, or repeatedly lock and unlock 15 times or more, even during a short commute. It occurs randomly, sometimes multiple times a day, and sometimes not for several days. Rarely will the van stay locked when parked. It is very distracting and a big safety issue. I have tried to have it repaired twice, at 2 different Toyota dealerships. I was told they could not find the source of the problem, as it did not lock and unlock while it was in their care. Of course, it recurred before I returned home.
Automatic door locks suddenly and without cause lock and unlock. Sometimes it's while we're driving, sometimes while parked. Sometimes it's front doors only, sometimes back only, sometimes all of them. It seems to happen when it's wet (so far, snowing), though not always. One can be locked inside the vehicle or leave it locked and return to find it unlocked. Dealers along colorado front range haven't heard of this problem. An internet site suggested a shielded security system harness has fixed the problem for some others. Vehicle is nearly 6 years old with 80K miles. It's never happened before 2/14/08, and it's happened 6-8 times since - though very intermittently.
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."
1) hot summer temperatures seemed to be connected with the failure of the locking mechanism on the passenger side sliding door of the Toyota 2002 Sienna minivan. 2)when the locking mechanism gets stuck, the inside button also is stuck inwards, the door is not able to be closed as a result. The latching mechanism will not engage with the strike bar. 3)to correct the problem we had to wiggle and toggle around with the combination of outside door handle, inside button, and childlock located in the door jam until by luck, it released. It took an hour. To date, an "inspection" by the dealer is scheduled.
In 2003, ECU unit was replaced on passenger side rear power sliding door as door would intermittently not open or close. Has continued with intermittent problem since replacement until it finally would open by not close. Given the very high volume of complaints about this problem on all years of the Toyota Sienna, I would like for the odi to open an investigation. All you have to do is google "Toyota Sienna power sliding door problems" and you end up with multiple thousands of hits, with most being chat sites with multiple complaint threads.
Right side sliding door locked and could not be opened from inside or outside. Approximately. 4 weeks later driver side sliding also locked with adult passenger in 2nd seat and vehicle had to be driven to Toyota dealership where mechanic took approximately. 6 minutes to get door open.owner was advised that both door locks will have to be replaced under warranty and they scheduled an appointment to replace them. When first door locked dealership told owner to make an appointment and would not inspect vehicle.
Bought a certified used 2002 Toyota Sienna xle from a Toyota dealership in July 2007. While inspecting it, the driver's side sliding door was acting up. They tried to fix it a couple of times then verbally asked me to bring it back when they had the right parts. 2 weeks later, I brought it in at their request and they 'fixed' it. After I left the shop I noticed it was acting up. I was made to pay for the repairs by the Toyota dealership. This door is acting up right now.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2002 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2002 Toyota Sienna, 15% of the model year's 181 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Toyota Sienna door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2002 Toyota Sienna, though it has 1 recall 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 2002 Toyota Sienna door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 29% 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.