Toyota Isis: Power Sliding Door Motor Cable Fraying — Door Stops Mid-Travel

The ANZ10 Isis power sliding door system uses a drum-and-cable mechanism driven by an electric motor mounted in the door B-pillar or behind the trim panel. The stainless-steel actuator cable is routed around several pulleys and is subject to repetitive bending stress through hundreds of thousands of open-close cycles. From approximately 100,000-120,000 km onward, individual cable strands begin fraying at the sharpest pulley contact points. As the frayed section thickens, it creates increased drag, causing the door motor controller to detect an obstruction and halt door travel mid-swing. In advanced cases the cable snaps entirely, leaving the door inoperative in the open or partially open position. The door motor itself can also seize if run under sustained high load from a fraying cable. Replacement requires B-pillar trim removal and cable re-routing.

• Power sliding door stops and reverses direction mid-travel without obstruction
• Door operation becomes intermittent, sometimes working and sometimes stopping
• Unusual grinding or clicking noise from door B-pillar area during operation
• Door completely inoperative in open position if cable snaps

1. 1

   Cycle the power sliding door fully open and closed at least five times and observe for any mid-travel stall or reversal.

2. 2

   Listen for mechanical clicking or grinding from the B-pillar motor area.

3. 3

   With the door trim partially removed, visually inspect the cable for frayed strands at each pulley contact point.

4. 4

   Check the motor connector and wiring for chafing.

5. 5

   Confirm the door opens and closes fully and latches securely.

$350 to $950 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “Do the power sliding doors open and close fully every time without stopping?”
• “Has the power door cable or motor ever been replaced?”
• “Are there any warning lights or error messages related to the sliding doors?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.