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 2005 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. While driving at 35 MPH, the passenger side sliding door became ajar without warning and would not close. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the latching mechanism failed. The vehicle was repaired on six separate occasions, however the failure recurred. The vehicle was brought to the dealer and the dealer declined to perform the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000.
Passenger power sliding door cable jacketing has come off and cable is fraying badly (unwrapping) and making much noise and making difficult for door to open/close. I am concerned this weakened cable May snap and hit someone (ESP my children) who uses the door for entry/exit as it is under high tension. Driver side door cable jacketing is also beginning to come off and I am concerned it will end up doing the same thing. The van was purchased in March 2005 and since I am past three years, the Toyota dealer I originally took it to said it was not covered by any warranty (including my 7 year/100K mile extended warranty) and it would cost over $1700/door to fix. The car is not even 4 years old and the basic safety of the door open/close is already compromised! …
The automatic passenger side van door would not open and was indefinitely locked and would not open. It had happened before but somehow came open by itself. I brought it to Toyota dealership and the mechanic said the latch assembly came "loose" but was not "broken." this would have been a costly fix and would not cover it by warranty that we had purchased since it wasn't "broken." I went straight into the dealership to cancel the rest of my warranty as this wasn't the only time it had suddenly locked on me. The other door also still does it sporadically and somehow comes open. The mechanic told me that if it happened again, he would "break" it himself so that I could get the warranty but he said that it would probably never happen again. It broke the following week or "came loose" again. Warranty was no problem this time because the salesmen inside called the garage. …
During cold weather, my 2005 Toyota Sienna, one or both rear sliding doors (manually operated) will fail to open more than a fraction of an inch. Furthermore, having pulled on the door to attempt to open it, it is then difficult to close all the way. Therefore, I have often been riding along at highway speeds (sometimes at night) with the interior lights flickering on-and-off because the van's sensors sense that a door is open. This safety concern is in addition to my concern that a child could fall out of the one of the rear doors if it suddenly opens all the way, although realistically this latter event is unlikely due to built-in safety mechanisms. …
Driver side, rear passenger door will only open a 6-8 inches. It is not a power door. Seems to be linked to the cable mechanism that disables door if gas cap door is left open. Have made sure gas tank door is shut properly, child proof door safety is not interfering and window is all the way up as well as various other suggestions with no results. Door is still only opening 6-8 inches. Seeing as how the other passenger door is a power door, I am worried that if egress from the vehicle is necessary from this door which will not open, my passenger(s) or children could be injured or killed if they cannot escape. This is a major safety issue. When a means of escape on a vehicle is blocked, it is a major safety issue. …
The door to my 2005 Toyota Sienna stuck open while on vacation 500 plus miles from home. The door could not be closed due to a common failure that many other owners have experienced. The motor breaks and sticks to a cable that is used as a guide in the mechanism rendering the door inoperable. I had to cut a cable to close the door manually just so that I could drive the car home with my wife and 3 small children. The door open warning light and beeper would randomly sound while driving as if the door was trying to open itself. I tried shutting the door several times and it would close and latch. I had to turn off the electronic control and make sure the door was locked but it would still sound the beep and warning light. The safety issue is that you cannot fix the door without going to a dealer when the motor fails and I fear some people might try to drive with the door open. …
I have a 2005 Toyota Sienna xle AWD limited. The power sliding doors have motors in them that open and close the doors, via small steel cables. The steel cables attached to the motors/doors are the same steel cable type used in the Toyota spare tire recall. These steel cables are trash. If/when they break, Toyota is charging $1,600 to $1,800 per door to fix the problem, even if the motor attached to the steel cables is fine. I've been told that on newer model Sienna vans you can just purchase the steel cables and not the whole motor. A google /yahoo search turns up hundreds if not thousands of complaints regarding these automatic sliding door issues and the extreme cost to repair them. Additionally, I have been told by my Toyota dealership that if the steel cable breaks, I can not open or close the door manually. This is a safety hazard! …
(#1) we purchased a 2005 Toyota Sienna xle. Within one week of owning the car, the driver's side sliding door was not working. Automatic opener did not work. I'm not sure what the fix was. About six months ago the driver's side sliding door, again, started to sound like crumpling aluminum and with a few more uses would not open any more. My daughter and son could have been trapped if that was the only side to get out. Toyota wanted $1,800 to replace the cable that moves the door automatically back and forth. This was at approximately 46,000 miles. (#2) after a few years of owning the car, the driver's door started "clicking". It was determined to be a faulty weld. It was fixed and about a year later now it is "clicking" again. (#3) about three months ago they had to replace the rear door lifting mechanism. It failed and the door was like a big weight waiting to crash down. …
2005 Toyota Sienna side doors (sliding) constantly lock up in cold weather (less than 40 degrees) prohibiting me from using either door to get my children into my car. There is no way to correct this issue. Turning on your car and warming it up for even as long as one half hour has no effect. To compound matters, once someone has attempted to open either of the doors, the car alarm continues to beep (warning that a door is ajar). Also, I am unable to fully re-close the doors when this happens. Thus, I am forced to drive with my doors not fully closed (as they should be). This is more than an inconvenience. My safety and that of my children is being compromised, driving with the doors stuck in a slightly ajar position. Also, it is dangerous for my children to be climbing in and out of the car through the rear hatchback because the sliding doors will not open. …
2005 Toyota Sienna AWD Mini van- purchased used from a reputable small town car dealer- not an exclusive Toyota dealer- after 1 month of ownership driver side slider would not open. Took back to place where purchased and they took the door apart, cleaned it, and got it working again- 5 months later: door not opening again- took to Toyota dealer this time as limited warranty expired with original dealer- told it will cost $700 plus to fix .I was surprised at the cost, over $500 for the part alone. I asked if the door could be over-ridden and operated manually only, and was told no. I expressed my concern of my child's safety if ever in accident and needed to get out this door. The door cannot be opened at all if this part is broken. I was given Toyota customer service number to call and express my concerns. …
NHTSA investigations
Unexpected liftgate closing
The liftgate gas struts for the subject vehicles May have damaged gas seals that allow the liftgate to drop unexpectedly.the rates for complaints, alleged injuries and warranty claims are higher for vehicles with the power liftgate option.the power liftgate May automatically power-close at the completion of a power-open command without input from the operator.some owners are caught unaware of the power-close…
Unexpected closing of power liftgate
On May 30, 2008, Toyota initiated a safety recall to replace the liftgate struts in approximately 196,000 model year 2004-2006 Toyota sienna vehicles equipped with power liftgates (recall 08v-244).the recall will provide the opportunity for vehicle owners to obtain new struts that are more robust.based on these actions, the agency has decided to close the investigation.while Toyota has not made a decision that the…
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2005 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 135 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2005 Toyota Sienna, 12% of the model year's 1,130 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (20 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Toyota Sienna door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2005 Toyota Sienna, though it has 12 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 2005 Toyota Sienna door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 9 injuries to locks & latches problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.