MajorCommonElectrical

Toyota Sienna: Power Sliding Door Cable Fray & Mid-Travel Stop

Power Sliding Door Cable Fray & Mid-Travel Stop is a common electrical fault on the Toyota Sienna on the 2010 onward cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $450 to $1,600 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 5 documented faults on the Toyota Sienna.

Vehicle: Toyota Sienna
Years: 2010 onward
Fuel: petrol
System: Electrical

This page covers the Toyota Sienna as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Toyota Sienna faults5 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph for this fault yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of something else.

What goes wrong

The ACR50 Sienna power sliding doors use a steel cable-and-drum drive system to move the door along its track. The cable runs through a series of pulleys and is wound onto a motor-driven drum. With age and repeated cycling, the cable strands fray at the pulley contact points or where the cable attaches to the door carrier. A frayed or partially broken cable causes the door to stop mid-travel, reverse unexpectedly, or fail to move entirely. The door control module detects resistance from the compromised cable and triggers a fault that disables the power drive, leaving the door operable only manually. In some cases a fully failed cable jams the door in a partially open position. Both driver-side and passenger-side doors are susceptible.

What you would notice

Sliding door stops partway open or closed and reverses without obstruction
Power door operates intermittently — works sometimes, fails others
Grinding or snapping noise from door track during operation
Door reverts to manual-only mode with warning light on dash
Door jams partially open and cannot be closed by power or manually

How to check it

Where to look. Both rear sliding doors — cable drum drive motor in door cavity, cable routed along lower sill track and upper door rail

Cycle both sliding doors fully open and closed at least three times each, watching for hesitation, reversal, or mid-travel stopping. Listen for scraping or cable-slap from the door track. With the door open, inspect the visible cable run along the lower door sill track for fraying, kinking, or broken strands. Check whether the power door warning indicator appears on the instrument cluster.

What it costs to put right

$450 to $1,600 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.

Ask the seller

“Have the power sliding door cables or motors ever been replaced?”
“Do both sliding doors open and close smoothly every time without stopping or reversing?”
“Has a power door warning light appeared on the dashboard?”

Now check the Toyota Sienna you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

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.

Toyota Sienna buyer questions

Is power sliding door cable fray & mid-travel stop serious on a Toyota Sienna?

We rate it major and common on the Toyota Sienna. The ACR50 Sienna power sliding doors use a steel cable-and-drum drive system to move the door along its track. The cable runs through a series of pulleys and is wound onto a motor-driven drum. With age and repeated cycling, the cable strands fray at the pulley contact points or where the cable attaches to the door carrier. A frayed or partially broken cable causes the door to stop mid-travel, reverse unexpectedly, or fail to move entirely. The door control module detects resistance from the compromised cable and triggers a fault that disables the power drive, leaving the door operable only manually. In some cases a fully failed cable jams the door in a partially open position. Both driver-side and passenger-side doors are susceptible.

How much does it cost to fix on a Toyota Sienna?

$450 to $1,600 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Toyota Sienna years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2010 onward Toyota Sienna. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.