How To Change A Sienna Power Liftgate To A Manual Liftgate

The power liftgate on your Toyota Sienna is a very convenient feature. However, if it starts acting up or quits working altogether, repairing it may not be worth the cost or hassle. The problem may be a small one or easy to fix, but in many cases, the repair can cost thousands of dollars. Sometimes you have to replace the rear liftgate.

If you're looking to save money, another option is to convert the power liftgate to manual operation. The process is easy and costs less than $200. If you're interested, read on, and we'll show you how to do the conversion as well as the steps to open and close your power liftgate manually on your Sienna.

How To Open And Close Your Sienna Liftgate Manually

Power liftgates like the one on the Sienna are designed to be opened and closed manually if they malfunction, but you need to override the power operation. To do that on the 2011 to 2020 Toyota Sienna, follow the steps below:

1. Earlier Sienna models have an on/off switch for the power liftgate, located on the dashboard, below the steering wheel, next to the fuse panel. Pushing that button will disable the power function, making it easy to manually open and close the liftgate.
2. On newer Sienna models, you can access the power liftgate functions from the settings screen on the instrument panel. First, open the settings menu and then scroll through the menu functions until you locate the option for the power liftgate. Then select the "off" setting.

Once you have switched off your power liftgate, you can open and close it manually.

How To Convert Your Power Liftgate To Manual Operation

Image Credit: Cbonz77

The following parts are required to perform the manual liftgate conversion on a 2011 to 2020 Toyota Sienna:

The total for these parts comes to $138.40 before tax and shipping. For comparison, the cost of one power liftgate cylinder comes to $314.10, and you'll likely need two for a total of $628.20. When you add the cost of power relays, switches, and other miscellaneous parts, you could be looking at over $1,000 to fix your power liftgate.

Once you have the right parts, here are the steps to complete the manual liftgate conversion:

1. This video from Toyota Nation is helpful and provides a lot of information. The video shows the manual liftgate conversion for the Toyota Highlander, but the same general steps work for the Sienna.
2. Turn off the power to the liftgate using the on/off switch on the dashboard or through the settings on the instrument panel. On the Sienna, the power liftgate usually shares a fuse with the power sliding doors, which means it's usually not practical to remove.
3. Raise the liftgate to its maximum height and secure it using a step ladder and wood blocks to hold it open. Make sure it's safely secured so it won't come down unexpectedly.
4. Remove the access panels on both sides of the liftgate using a flat-bladed screwdriver or pry tool.
5. Disconnect the electrical connectors and pull them out of the liftgate. Then reinstall the access panels.
6. Using a 10 mm socket, remove the brackets and strut assembly on each side of the liftgate.
7. Install the new brackets to the liftgate and frame of the Sienna.
8. Install the new hatch lift supports, noting their location for either the left or right side of the vehicle as marked.

Once the new lift supports are secured, check to make sure the brackets are tight and remove the prop holding the liftgate open.

Liftgate Parts From Olathe Toyota Parts Center

Whether you want to do a manual liftgate conversion, repair your existing liftgate, or replace the entire liftgate on your Sienna, we have the OEM Toyota parts you need with up-front wholesale pricing. If you have questions or would like to know more about the liftgate conversion, you can contact us through this link.

If you need other help, check out our free resources, like our Toyota VIN decoder or our resources for common Toyota trouble codes.