Just bought a 2007 Sienna XLE last week and this weekend the right side sliding door started making a "ticking/rattle" sound that's very annoying. If you gently press on the inside door panel while moving, it goes away (but returns when you let go). I can recreate the sound with the van parked by gently pressing on the outside of the door where the front edge of the door meets the front passenger door.
I researched and didn't find anything in the way of TSBs and it seems that other owners haven't had this problem.
I have it at the dealer today, but wanted to know if any other owners have the same problem or if there are any Techs here that might have a little insight to what might be the problem.
I have an early 04 (purchased Sept 03) and I have not had one whit of door problems. I cannot say that for my old 94 Dodge caravan which rattled and creaked all the time. I'm betting it's slightly out of adjustment. Hope you get it fixed because in that Sienna van it is so quiet the slightest noise can be heard.
Noises are difficult to diagnose without hearing them first hand. Fortunately, it seems as if the noise if very easy to duplicate and demonstrate for the dealership so they should be able to fix it fairly easily.
The dealership adjusted the latch and the contact sensor. I guess mine was one of a million that rolled of fthe line with this problem. Now that the rattle is gone, this has got to be one of the quietest cars I've been in for some time.
I have a 2004 door and have found that the door creaks if there is dust on the seal or guides. If my van gets dirty from driving on a real dusty road I hear my door move and consequently creak. When I clean it and armour all the seal and guide the creaking noise goes away. Its is truly surprising how much the door moves while driving but you dont know it because most the time you cant hear it. I am sure the door could be adjusted as well to minimize this movement but I have not done that.
I had the same problem with a used Sienna. After much hair pulling I did find a suggestion about using a silicone spray, however it did not quite do the job. I then used a spray with white lithium grease in it and have not had a problem since. The main cause of the noise is a plastic piece on the door jamb that interconnects with a plastic piece (which contains metal contacts) on the door it self. It does not take a lot of the grease but passengers could rub against it when getting in or out.
It worked for me, hope this information is useful.
I have the same problem with my '07 Sienna CE. Bought it in May and brought it to the dealer in July for this issue...they lubed the door seals with silcone spray...I was skeptical...noise came back in early Sept...I bought lithium spray and tried that...didn't work...brought it back to the dealer today, told them sternly that I was not happy... I figured since I bought 2 new Toyotas from the same salesman in less than a year, that it might get me somewhere - NOT! (I have an '06 Tundra and love it - my wife says you can't love a truck, but what does she know about such things)...anyways, my wife picked up the Sienna this afternoon and said the noise was gone, but I drove it just this evening and the noise is coming back...so now I am up half the night searching the internet...saw a bunch of stuff about this same issue in the 2004 Sienna...your post is the 1st one I've seen corroborating the problem in the '07 Sienna.
This noise is truly annoying...I've owned a lot of cars and I have NEVER experienced this...I guess I'll have to plug in some good old rock 'n roll and turn up the volume until I figure this out.
Someone suggested wrapping black elecrical tape around the door latch catch...that it is the latch rubbing on the catch that actually makes the noise...they said they did this as an emergency measure for a
3,500 mile trip, and the noise disappeared....this was an '04 Sienna and he said that the fix is actually to get a new "rough" metal door latch receiver (the part inside the door that grabs around the catch) and replace the old one.... I am going to try the black tape trick tomorrow to see if I can isolate the noise...good luck and keep me posted.
There is a TSB (NV001-06) out for 04 to 06 Siennas titled "sliding door rattle", but your's is a 07 model. You might check with your dealer anyway. It has to do with replacing the striker plate and lock assembly with one that has a new coating of some sort. Perhaps some of the old parts slipped into the 07's or it's in need of adjustment by a QUALIFIED tech. Don't stop trying to get it fixed. I have a 04 and no door rattle what so ever.
If you are a SeinnaClub.org member you can download the TSB there.
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