Toyota Tether Anchor Help
Tether Help for 1998-2000 Toyota Sienna Owners
The part number listed is used to retrofit all Toyota top tether anchors, so the information supplied here can also be generally applied to other Toyota vehicles.
Parts you need to install an anchor bolt:
- anchor bolt (approx. $12; price varies by dealer)
- sharp razor blade or knife
- socket wrench with size 14 socket attachment
- torque wrench (approx. $20 at Home Depot)
Time to complete installation: approximately 10 minutes for the first anchor, less for subsequent anchors
You MUST use Toyota's anchor bolt! Use of a generic bolt will strip out the anchor point in the van, making it useless. The part you order from the parts department of your Toyota dealer will have everything you need. The part number listed below is the only part from Toyota you need (and is used for all Toyota vehicles, not just the Sienna). Some manuals have a different part number listed; however, this is for a special car seat kit, which is more expensive and contains items you won't need for this installation.
There are 3 standard tether anchor locations in the Sienna van, regardless of whether you have a bench seat or captain's chairs in the 2nd row: one for the 2nd row driver's side position and two for the 3rd row outboard positions. To find these locations:
- Pull up the mat and look for a perforated circle in the carpet.
- Cut the carpet in that circle away. There will be a shiny black plastic layer under the carpet.
- Cut a hole through that and you will see the hole for the anchor.
- You may need to punch through some insulation before screwing in the anchor bolt.
- Hand tighten the bolt into the hole; switch to the socket wrench when it becomes too difficult to tighten by hand.
- Switch the size 14 socket attachment to the torque wrench to finish tightening bolt to specified torque. Consult your Sienna owner's manual, child restraint section, for the correct torque to use on the bolt.
The cushion you see is the 3rd row bench, driver's side. When installing this anchor, it helps to remove the 3rd row seat so you have room to move the torque wrench.
The location for the other 3rd row tether anchor is in the same location, just the opposite side of the van. I have colored the circle black to make it easier to see
in the picture.
There is a 4th location1 for a tether anchor behind the 2nd row passenger's side seat in some Siennas. It is marked in the carpet with the same type of perforated circle as the other anchors. It is not mentioned in the Sienna owner's manual and it would be wise to consult a Toyota-certified mechanic who is familiar with installing tether anchors before using this location. It is a pre-drilled hole, so all you need is the above tether anchor hardware. I have not installed an anchor in this position.
Rear-facing convertible seat reclined to 45 degree angle with 2 noodles.
1 I have been in contact with product specialist at Toyota who has given me more information on the 4th tether anchor location. According to Toyota, "We only recommend using the anchor locations identified in the Owner's manual because they have been selected to be the safest locations for the car seat. The safety determination is based on the position of the anchoring point to the frame of the vehicle and its position within the interior of the vehicle in case of external impact. Therefore, we do not recommend adding an additional anchor bracket in the area you have discussed for the fourth location." I was also told by a Toyota phone representative that the reason a 4th tether anchor location isn't included in this position is because it would hamper passenger access to the 3rd row seat. I stand by my original recommendation of consulting a Toyota-certified mechanic before installing a tether anchor in this location.