One of the most overlooked aspects of returning your leased vehicle is whether or not it includes some of the original accessory parts. Of course, if your car is missing a bumper or a brake pedal, it’s easy to notice. However, there are a few parts that are very easy to overlook.
Today we are going to concentrate on one of those parts: The infrared headphone that is used to listed to the rear seat VES (Vehicle Entertainment System) DVD player on your Toyota Sienna. It’s a part that the kids can easily lose or break, and they can cost you a pretty penny if you get dinged during your lease return.
Wireless IR headset styles change from year to year, so you don’t have to worry about getting the exact headphone style that your vehicle originally came with. Instead, simply purchase a replacement that meets (or exceeds) the original specs. They just have to be compatible with your vehicle’s DVD system to be acceptable to the dealer during your lease return.
If your wireless headphone is scratched or missing a battery cover, you should consider replacing them. Dealers know to look out for this type of damage, and they will ding you during the lease return. Also, they will have to replace the headphones if they are too damaged to give to the next leasor (or purchaser). You will also want to make sure that the foam covers are adequately clean and intact. If they are damaged or dirty, you should consider replacing them.
You do not need to include batteries with your headphones, but it may be a good idea to have a fresh set in there so you don’t get penalized for having non-working headphones when they actually just needed fresh batteries.
Getting replacement headphones, foam and batteries is an easy task thanks to the internet. Dealerships usually charge upwards of $200 for headphones, so it’s best to look around and check where the best prices are. Because compatibility can vary widely, I highly recommend using a website with a good return policy and guarantee. One that I was able to find with a simple Google search was: AudioVideo2go.com http://www.audiovideo2go.com/toyota_headphones_headsets/
However, a search on google.com will net you several other places that sell used headphones and that also have access to the dealership priced replacements. Personally, I’ve ordered from AudioVideo2Go for my other lease return needs and have always been pleased with their service and prompt delivery. They also make it easy to find the wireless headphones that are compatible with my car.
I hope you find this posting useful – as always, if you have any questions do not hesitate to ask! I am here to help with all your lease return issues. Remember – we’ve already given the automakers our tax dollars, lets not pay any more for our leases than we have to.
-Leasexpert.
Leasexpert's Blog 
That was helpful. I just discovered the headphones & remote for our 2010 Sienna “disappeared”, don’t know when or where as the van is always garaged and locked in parking lots, etc. So now I’m looking for replacements. I’m trying to figure out if there is some standard specs – that I can just buy wireless IR and have them work.
Dave,
Sorry for the late reply! It’s been a busy week. To answer your question: You can find replacement headphones for your 2010 Toyota Sienna at your local dealership. Of course, the Internet has a few solutions for you as well! Here’s a site that has the headphones for quite a reasonable price:
http://www.audiovideo2go.com/Toyota-sienna-headphones/
The problem with buying just any ol’ IR headphone is that they are not all made to work in cars. So, your home stereo’s IR headphone isn’t made to withstand the 140 degree’s your car gets in the hot summer sun! 🙂 You’ll come back from a trip to the beach with a melted headphone on your car seat… yuck.
Hope that answers your question!
-Leasexpert!
Thank you very much, that information helps a lot. I looked all around that site for a remote for that same year and didn’t find one. I’ll contact them and ask about one. Again, thank you.