Toyota Sienna problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 8 model years (2018–2025), NHTSA has logged 615 owner complaints and 17 safety recalls for the Toyota Sienna. That averages 27.6 complaints per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (index 0.68 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Minivans segment it ranks #1 of 4 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 52.0.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is worsening. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 151% above the 2018 and 2019 models (41 early complaints per model year versus 17).
The 2025 model year has the highest rate (149.3 complaints per year) and the 2022 model year the lowest (3.3). The 2025 model year runs at least 50% above this model's average of 27.6 complaints per year on the road across its tracked model years. Model years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 run at least 40% below this model's average of 27.6 complaints per year on the road.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Other (34.6% of complaints), followed by Body & structure (13.7%) and Unspecified or other (11.7%). Other complaints are 18.8 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 25 complaints (4.1%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 32 injuries and 1 death.
In the last 12 months owners filed 340 complaints versus 84 in the previous 12 months — up 305%. The 2025 model year generated the most recent reports (241). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 13 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 17 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2019 (6). 1 NHTSA investigation has covered this model; the latest is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (defect petition, opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).
It has fewer complaints per year than every other tracked model among Minivans, including Kia Carnival, Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 72 | 8.2 | 0.2 | 9 | 7 | Transmission / powertrain | View › |
| 2019 | 45 | 5.8 | 0.14 | 6 | 7 | Fuel system | View › |
| 2020 | 38 | 5.6 | 0.14 | 6 | 2 | Engine | View › |
| 2021 | 45 | 7.8 | 0.19 | 21 | 4 | Airbags & seat belts | View › |
| 2022 Fewest complaints | 16 | 3.3 | 0.08 | 16 | 4 | Brakes | View › |
| 2023 | 66 | 17.4 | 0.43 | 16 | 2 | Brakes | View › |
| 2024 | 66 | 23.7 | 0.59 | 25 | 3 | Brakes | View › |
| 2025 ▲50%+ | 267 | 149.3 | 3.7 | 241 | 5 | Other | View › |
▲50%+ = 50%+ above this model's average yearly rate. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 340 · Previous 12 months: 84 Rising
Problem areas
Other
213 · 34.6% · 18.75 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Body & structure ›
84 · 13.7% · 1.5 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Unspecified or other ›
72 · 11.7% · 1.3 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Brakes ›
60 · 9.8% · 1.62 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Transmission / powertrain
36 · 5.9% · 0.5 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Airbags & seat belts
36 · 5.9% · 1.54 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Electrical
33 · 5.4% · 0.34 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Fuel system
30 · 4.9% · 1.12 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Engine
25 · 4.1% · 0.18 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Wheels, tires & suspension
13 · 2.1% · 0.84 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Driver-assist systems
7 · 1.1% · 0.2 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Lighting
3 · 0.5% · 0.31 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Steering
3 · 0.5% · 0.08 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 13 months
What owners report
Three (3) separate systems failed. 1. Upon seeing cars ahead of us slowing down, my husband pressed the breaks to slow down to avoid collision.
Moving about 55 miles per hour on right lane of I-95 the Jeep in front of me braked abruptly. I braked hard but as my Sienna was quickly slowing down to stop, the brake pad felt spongy when it was slower and as I pressed even harder, it seemed to have stopped…
The foam under the headrest was discovered to be cracked when the cover was removed while performing the the repair on the recall for the babies eating the foam (can't find the recall paperwork now).
Whining noise when accelerating, transmission shop reported discovery of damage to transmission upon removal and inspection of transmission.
Transmission whining above 20mph. Toyota customer care program [XXX] states my vehicle falls within timeframe but dealer and corporate will not honor repairs INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Minivans
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Sienna | 615 | 27.6 | 0.68 | Worsening | Rising | 17 | Other |
| 2 | Kia Carnival | 507 | 45.8 | 1.13 | Improving | Rising | 7 | Electrical |
| 3 | Chrysler Pacifica | 2,728 | 49.8 | 1.23 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 36 | Engine |
| 4 | Honda Odyssey | 3,433 | 79.4 | 1.97 | Improving | Rising | 27 | Electrical |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 17
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 0
Safety recalls: 2018 (7) · 2019 (7) · 2020 (2) · 2021 (4) · 2022 (4) · 2023 (2) · 2024 (3) · 2025 (5)
Investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds Closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele…