2000 Toyota Sienna Sliding Door Latches Stick - Safety Hazard

Check for sticking mechanism. See if the Owner's Manual mentions LUBRICATING the door. Buy some graphite or teflon-type lubricating liquid to apply to mechanism. And I'd NOT use the electronic button until you get this fixed as you may burn-out / wear-out the motor prematurely.

Open the inside panel of the door by popping off the little white clips holding it on. The cable connected to the inside release button is either caught on something or has come lose. Check out this video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkC2OiOiE_U

You can open up the inside panel of the door and adjust the tension in the cable that opens the door from the outside handle.

To start, the noun "''rear latch switch'' is incorrect. It's actually called "Slide Door Lock". It's located on page BO-20 of the Toyota Repair Manual for the 2001 Sienna. There are two door locks on one sliding door. One in the front and one in the rear. Obviously, you want the one in the rear. The location for the "Slide Door Lock" (which also contains an electric switch) is in the rear of the sliding door located mid way up door. You can see (sliding door opened from the back) it without dissembling the door. And, the lock is made up of plastic (dirty white in color).

Try this.....Find the latch on the door, stick your finger in the hole, lift up and pull the door handle at the same time, the inside latch mechanism should go up, then try the door again. It would be nice if that's all it was huh? Sometimes they stick when they get too cold. If this works for you....spray it with some WD-40 or graphite. Hope this worked for you. Cheaper than the 2000.00 motor!

Bryon

You have a sticking fuel door lock-device. Look to see if the tab is in the down position.

there is a door lock actuator that has failed, it releases the latches so the door can open. you need to remove the door panel. unbolt the window and tape it as to hold the window up then remove the window regulator assembley then unbolt the lock actuator from the back side.

iv had a few people come in with that complaint I clean inside of door and spray seal with good 100% silicone spray and spray latches with penetrating oil

Sounds like something isn't right.Try to disconnect the battery for a few minutes and see if that helps.Some times the ecu gets haywired and disconnecting the battery might reset it.And if it is the original battery you might want to get it tested.