Hatchback/liftgate problems of the 2005 Toyota Sienna

32 problems related to hatchback/liftgate have been reported for the 2005 Toyota Sienna. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2005 Toyota Sienna based on all problems reported for the 2005 Sienna.

1 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 01/05/2014

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the automatic rear door failed to open. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of this issue. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

2 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 11/15/2012

The struts of the door(liftgate) is not holding the door properly when it is opened. So there is a possibility the person who opens the door will hit their head. The failure started @ 70k.

3 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 11/01/2012

Regarding NHTSA id# 08v244000 aloha I have a 2005 Toyota Sienna which had the gas struts recall for my power tailgate which was done on 04/13/2009 work order# 656115 from servco Toyota in hawaii. However its been only 3 years and the gas struts are failing again. It seems to need a new pair every 3 years. I hope you can have Toyota recall the newly designed struts because according to Toyota they are supposed to have a longer life than the original but after reading some comments online I noticed I am not the only one who has the same problem with new struts failing again. Mahalo for your time.

4 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 12/01/2010

The liftgate struts were replaced under the recall in October 2008. Rear liftgate struts do not work now. The liftgate will not stay open. We have to hold it open while another person retrieves items from the rear cargo area. The struts began failing intermittently in the winter of 2010. I complained to my dealership, but the liftgate worked for them, so they would grease them. In the winter of 2011, liftgate struts quit working. The struts don't work in hot and cold climates. I've shown this to my dealership again this year and they referred me to Toyota customer care. Customer care issued a case number and said they can't help me, but my dealership would contact me. I never was contacted and had to contact them myself. They refused to replace for free, but quoted me an outrageous amount. I haven't replaced the struts yet. I have 3 young children which could be seriously injured by the liftgate falling. It has already bumped my husband and I in the head.

5 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 08/15/2010

My son was opening the rear hatchback of my 2005 Toyota Sienna, he opened it fully and without warning it closed almost injuring my 3 year old who was climbing in the trunk and hitting my older son who was opening it on the back. Now the hatchback closes without being propped up. It is very difficult to load groceries and you need two adults to do this one to prop up the door and one to load the groceries. My main concern is having one of my five children get hurt or killed. The door is heavy enough to seriously injured or killed.

6 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 06/06/2010

I had by 2005 Toyota Sienna fixed the recall letter I had regarding back hydraulic strut on my back door. This was done on last week of March this year(2010) at penske Toyota. After 3 months of using the back door, 1. It intermittently will go down half way and will go back to open position. 2. When opening the door manually, it will snap open wildly almost to the point of injuring your face. Note-these 2 conditions never happened prior to the recalled replacement.

7 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 12/01/2009

2005 Toyota Sienna: during cool/cold weather, the automatic lift gate closes immediately and without as soon as it fully opens - both when using the key fob and when opened manually. The problem began in 2009, abated during the summer of 2010 and has begun again in Nov. 2010 now that the cool weather is upon us.

8 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 08/15/2009

My rear hatch on the 2005 Toyota Sienna minivan does not stay up when opened. The weight of the rear door (trunk) makes this very dangerous as I put things in and take them out because I have to hold it up with one hand. No accidents or anything else occurred, so I think it is just a wear issue. The dealership is charging an excessive amount to fix it. Also my sliding passenger side door will not work automatically when the button is pushed anymore. No accidents or other damage.

9 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 08/10/2009

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. While attempting to place items in the trunk of the vehicle, the rear tailgate failed and struck the contact on her head. The failure caused a deep gash. There were no prior warnings. The contact then proceeded to go to the hospital and had her wounds cleaned. She is currently on medication for the severe headaches caused by the liftgate failure. The contact is in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for further inspection. She will also notify the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 65,000.

10 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 02/27/2009

My 2005 Toyota Sienna liftgate struts failed on 2-27-2009 when the open door collapsed without being supported as it normally would by the struts. My wife still had her hands under the door and was able to catch it to prevent it from falling onto my son who was under the door. This is a manually operated door, not a power operated door, and the local Toyota dealer service department says it is not covered by the previous recall for this problem. This should not happen on a four year old car, and is still a safety issue that Toyota should repair. Why is this failure covered under a recall for a powered door but not for a manually operated one? this door can freefall all the way down, so is potentially more dangerous than the powered one due to the speed with which it can fall, in my opinion. As a result of the failure to include all struts in ths recall, I will now be forced to carry a 2x4 to prop open the liftgate while waiting for a new recall to be issued before I can get it fixed. This is a dangerous situation that should have been recalled along with the other faulty doors, and it appears that someone or some organization(s) decided that economics was more important that consumer safety. You need to correct this mistake.

11 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 09/14/2008

Rear lift gate failure on 2005 Toyota Sienna xle. Hatch began closing immediately as it reached the full open position September 14th, 2008. Currently investigating recall postings, dealer and manufacturer remedies.

12 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 08/02/2008

The hatch strut on my 2005 Toyota Sienna failed and the hatch will no longer stay open. This could have caused serious injury to myself or any of my family should it have just dropped on us. No one was injured, but in researching this its seems it is very common and should therefore be a recall. My car is 3years 4 months old and this failure should not have occurred this early.

13 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 07/18/2008

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the passenger side sliding door sticks and is extremely difficult to open. She has to use excessive force to open the door. The door also freezes in the winter. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer three or four times, but they could not duplicate the failure. The dealer stated that once the 36 month warranty expired, the repair would cost $1,800. In addition, the rear automatic hatchback closes prematurely and too quickly, which could injure the contact's children. The failure mileage was 20,000 and current mileage was 32,000.

14 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 07/15/2008

2005 Toyota Sienna, manual rear lift gate struts have failed, will no longer hold the lift gate open. Toyota sent out a notice for power lift gates with the same problem. I took this complaint to two local dealerships and they stated that my VIN number was not included in the notice. We are fortunate that this did not result in any injuries.

15 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 07/12/2008

I recently purchased a 2005 Toyota Sienna (used) and after a few days of owning the Mini van the manual rear hatch door did not remain elevated as it had previously done and was designed to do. The door, which is heavy, simply fell down and bumped me. I determined that the failure was the struts (rear liftgate struts) and I proceeded to get part quotes from various local Toyota parts departments ranging from $200-$700 (seemed a high range. . . And I was never informed of a service bulletin that was issued). I next did some searches on the internet and found that this defect was a recurring issue with the Toyota Sienna and that Toyota had issued a bulletin and extended the warranty to cover this item. Upon receiving resistance from local Toyota dealerships to cover this work under warranty, I called Toyota headquarters to make a complaint. I then made an appointment at kings Toyota in cincinnati, OH and made them aware of the specific issue, warranty, etc and brought the car in about 4 days later for my scheduled appointment. After dropping off the vehicle, I received a call back that they did not have the parts in-stock (even though I had made the appointment specifically for this warranty item, and also informed them when I dropped off the car of exactly what parts and work was needed). I wanted to make NHTSA aware of the seeming resistance / delays of Toyota to fix this issue with my vehicle. Fortunately, I caught the rear door before it hit me very hard, but if a child or smaller person would have been underneath, it could cause serious injury due to the large weight of the door. Thanks very much for your time.

16 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 05/16/2008

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. Whenever the contact opens the rear liftgate, it will automatically close back. The liftgate will also close regardless if an object or the contact is attempting to keep it open. There have been no injuries due to the failure. Also, whenever snow falls from the roof rack onto the windshield, the windshield wipers were not strong enough to remove the snow from the windshield. The contact's vision is hindered. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current mileage was 42,000 and failure mileage was 41,000.

17 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 05/13/2008

Manual liftgate on 2005 Toyota Sienna will not stay open. Door is heavy enough to crush child. The van is currently out of warranty and the dealer wants $600 to replace the liftgate pistons.

18 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 03/06/2008

My 2005 Sienna minivan has a rear door that keeps falling down on its own. What's worse, because the Sienna is equipped with a motor to pull the door back, the door keeps pulling back no matter what the resistance is. It hurt my 2 year old son so bad we had to take him to emergency room for the bruises.

19 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 10/26/2007

Lift gate failed to open all the way quite often and then began to fail in October of 2007. I was loading and the gate fell unexpectedly and I could not get out from under it. Though I was not injured, it happened several times. I have replaced the whole door since then and the struts. The door and struts are not even two months old and I have the same problem. The door is unsafe and unreliable. How many people are putting up with this and getting lucky? those gates are very heavy. It fell on my husband who is 215 pounds and he almost could not get out, either.

20 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 10/23/2007

The power liftgate started to randomly close. It closed on myself and my child while we were unloading the trunk area of the minivan. It caused some discomfort as it was quite heavy. One time it automatically reopened when it hit my body but 3 other times it did not and I had to jump out of the way. I have had to take the power control off and open it manually - even now it will shut on me but with the power disengaged I can hold it open. It is a heavy door and could easily cause some injury. I have tested it using the remote and it is still malfunctioning. I indicated injury below as I was hit with it and my son banged his head though it was all minor.

21 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 10/03/2007

Rear hatch on my 2005 Toyota Sienna is not staying open. When I open the rear door, it automatically closes on me without notice. This could be dangerous seeing as the rear door is very heavy. Door has not been repair as the dealership wants us to pay 583 dollars for the repair. I think this is something the manufacturer should address and have a recall. It seems to be a common issue and NHTSA has a case currently open(ea06020).

22 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 08/23/2007

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the rear hatch would not stay up and continued to close. She stated that the rear hatch was repaired on August 23, 2007 by the Toyota dealer. The current mileage was 25,000 and failure mileage was 24,495. *updated 12/12/07 updated 12/12/07.

23 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 08/14/2007

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. When the contact pushed the button to open the rear hatch, it opened to its full position. Without warning, it suddenly dropped approximately 12-18 inches and went all the way to the bottom. The dealer stated that the assembly failed and they replaced the part. The current and failure mileages were 48,230. Updated 02-01-08 updated 02/01/08.

24 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 08/14/2007

The liftgate on my Toyota Sienna minivan 2005 has failed. The back door closed down after it lifts to the most open position. This is a constant failure. The dealership wanted me to pay for entire repair. I called Toyota consumer affairs and after that the dealership was willing to split the over $600. 00 repair with me. I have rejected that offer, am filing this complaint and am going to go back to Toyota consumer affairs to see if I can get a better resolution. My main concern is that minivan's are typically vehicles that parents with children have. Do we have to wait until a child is crushed to recall this?.

25 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 08/08/2007

I have a 2005 Toyota Sienna van. The rear power door suddenly started to slam shut when I opened it. I read the manual to see if there were any suggestions. I turned off the master rear door switch-same results. The door goes up slowly as usual but slams down very fast and you have to have your head out of the way or you have a serious problem. I have checked the fuses. We bought the van because we pick up our granddaughter each week. This is a very dangerous door.

26 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 08/01/2007

Back liftgate won't stay up. When the back hatch is opened, it closes immediately (quickly). It is dangerous for my wife & children as it comes down as soon as it's opened. I'm afraid someone will get hurt.

27 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 07/14/2007

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the power lift gate would close immediately after opening and would force itself shut when opened manually. The dealer has not inspected the vehicle. The current mileage was 20,000 and failure mileage was 19,900.

28 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 04/21/2007

Issue: structure:body:hatchback/liftgate. The back door of the Sienna 2005 stopped functioning. After the door was lifted to the top it came down and tried to close the door. I was taking out things from the car and the door hit my head and back. It was going back upward, and when it got to the top it came down again while trying to close the door. This was very dangerous at the point that we stopped using this door. I had to have someone hold the door when I took out things from the trunk. I did the research on this issue and found out that Toyota had issued a technical service bulletin (TSB) to replace back door struts and its brackets. This was a manufacturing defect. I took the car to the local dealer , Toyota of huntington beach, and they would not replace it since the Sienna had 37, 392 miles on it. By the time I took it to the dealer it was too late for the warranty, 36000 miles. They quoted $350 to repair it. I called Toyota to report this problem and asked their help to fix it. They refused to give any assistance. The case that I opened with Toyota was #200705091268. I requested that Toyota took responsibility and fix the problem. This was a family car. None of my children were allowed to get too close to this back door anymore.

29 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 01/18/2007

The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the rear lift gate no longer stays up on it owns. The contact had the rear lift gate repaired for this same problem in July 2007 and now the gate needs to be repaired again. The dealer stated that this normal and they have to be replaced ever few years. The failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 70,000.

30 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 12/01/2006

I have a 2005 Toyota Sienna with the same problems with the back liftgate being investigated in ea06-020. When it first began to fail, the power option was engaged. It did not open all the way, so I manually pushed it up further, and upon release it fell and the power closing activated with me underneath. The liftgate currently will not stay up by itself.

31 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 05/10/2006

1-no events 2-rear lift struts failed 3-need to replace rear lift struts.

32 Hatchback/liftgate problem

Failure Date: 04/12/2006

Automatic rear hatch opener "failure" combined with uncontrollable door (and dangerous crushing hazard when you disable automatic door if it's in the up position). Graciously, Toyota took care of this issue and fixed the hatch. However, I am concerned, because the door and related situation poses great risk to anyone else who this problem affects.



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