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 2006 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have a Toyota Sienna with 69,451 miles. I have had both rear sliding doors repaired twice each. The doors still do not engage and lock. I have two children and multiple times the doors have opened while driving. Toyota recently has a recall on this issue, but it only dates back to 2011. This is an issue for many earlier models and I am furious it was not included. Toyota says there is nothing else they can do for me. When one of my children falls out the back and gets injured is not the time to address it. I demand that the 2006 model be included in the recall for safety issues, not just for me and my children, but for many, many others who have complained about the same issue. Please address this problem before someone gets hurt or worse. Thank you for your prompt attention. The date the incident occurred below is from when I first began having a problem.
I have a 2006 Toyota Sienna that I bought in 2009. I had to turn off my electrical right back side passenger door because it slides open by itself while I'm driving. The door opens and closes with the push button but due to the door flying open while I'm driving I had to turn the automatic option off. I take my vehicle in for all recalls but I'm not sure if this has been one of them and if it hasn't it should be. It just happens out of nowhere and you never know when it's going to happen you just see the door fly open in traffic. I have kids and a dog that rides in my van on a daily basis so this problem needs attention.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the vehicle's rear door was not locking and the door ajar warning indicator illuminated. Once the door was ajar, it did not lock and took several attempts. The contact was concerned that the doors would open while driving. The dealer repaired the vehicle twice, but the failure recurred. The failure mileage was 45,000. Updated 01/26/2017 consumer stated both doors had the issue of not locking multiple times. All automatic door features have had to be disengaged and the right rear (passenger) door will not engage the lock. Updated 7/10/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the motor to the back door latch on the passenger side of the vehicle failed to lock automatically. In order to lock the door, the contact had to manually close the door. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 108,000.
Right-side power sliding door is beginning to fail. There are there hinges that support the door. Two are located at the front of the door (one at the top and one at the bottom). The third hinge is located at the rear of the door (in the center). It is the center hinge which is failing. The hinge is sagging, and scraping the rear body panel (under the rear quarter window). Given the failure of the hinge, proper clearances are not maintained, and the door scrapes the front edge of that body panel. It also catches on the door frame (body frame) when opening and closing. This is a well-documented problem with these vans and Toyota refuses to acknowledge any fault. Eventually this door will cease to function. Others have had it fail in the open position, while others have had it fail in the closed position. …
Description of problem: 2006 Toyota Sienna sliding door on driver's side won't close. Events leading up to problem: drove vehicle about 25 miles from home, opened sliding door for child to exit vehicle, door would not close after that. Front latch can be secured with great force, however the rear latch will not engage. Door remains open and is a very serious safety risk as the front latch security/reliability is insufficient. Sliding door could open without warning while driving 70 MPH. Lights in van stay on, presenting another risk at night because vision is inhibited greatly by interior lighting. Had to drive home without door fully closed at night. This lack of visibility nearly resulted in several accidents. Problem stems from the mechanism that grabs the metal loop that is connected to the rear door frame. …
I own a 2006 Toyota Sienna van and the passenger side sliding door is not working correctly. The sliding automatic door does not close completely on a consistent basis. It requires assistance to close and when shut, it doesn't seem to be fully/safely latched. We can hear more road noise now that before. We contracted the local Toyota dealership where we purchased the van and they knew right away that the door motor was starting to fail and we were told it could not be fixed without replacement. We were quoted $1800 to repair without anyone even wanting to look at the problem. They indicated that this is a pretty common problem with these vans. After reviewing some web postings on this problem, I am in the same boat as a large amount of consumers that have purchased this make/model/year of van. …
I have a 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan. The latch on the driver's side passenger sliding door failed to keep the door secured when driving down the road. The door would become unlatched and open slightly in transit. I took the car to the dealer and they informed me that the latch would have to be replaced. I talked to the service manager who told me that there was nothing he could do about it nor was it covered by any recall or warranty. I tried to have the regional parts manager call me, however, he would not return my call. This a major safety issue for Toyota, but they did not want to hear about it nor do anything about it. What really bothers me is that this door gets used when the grandchildren are traveling with us. I find it very upsetting that this door unlatches by itself without any prior warning.
2006 Toyota Sienna two potential safety failures: (1) the drivers side sliding door when opening will slide into the gas fuel door while another person is fueling the vehicle. There is no stop that prevents the door from striking the gas door when a person is exiting the vehicle. When this happened, the fueling nozzle was jarred loose and fuel was splashed on the vehicle. Also, the fuel message stayed on following this event on the dashboard. (2) driver's side and passenger's side front door power locks both failed(driver's side at 37,000miles & the passenger's side at 58,000 miles.) this May or May not become a safety failure; however, if the doors are not locked manually, the lack of locked doors could prove to be dangerous when the car is moving.
My drivers side power sliding passenger door cable jammed without warning while out with my family. I had 2 small children in the back seat. I was unable to close the door, even after turning off the power switch trying to use it "manually". Had to call a friend to take us home, as I could not drive the vehicle with the door open. My husband was able to pull on the door hard enough to snap the stripped cable, and the door will now function manually. Upon inspection, it appears that the protective coating on the cable wore off, exposing the bare wire which started to uncoil...thus causing the door to jam. I have been told the repair will cost me $1800.00. This is unacceptable, and I am insisting on a recall for the power door cables.
NHTSA investigations
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 2006 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 67 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2006 Toyota Sienna, 7% of the model year's 1,017 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Toyota Sienna door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2006 Toyota Sienna, though it has 11 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 2006 Toyota Sienna door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 56,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 2 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.