InsightArise CarsU.S. Owner Complaint Index
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2021 Toyota Sienna problems, complaints & recalls

Far fewer Rising

NHTSA has received 40 owner complaints about the 2021 Toyota Sienna, or 7.1 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.17, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #15 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Toyota models its rate is 79% lower; against other Minivans it is 86% lower.

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

Complaints filed between 2020-12-03 and 2026-09-02. Median delay from incident to filing: 8 days.

40Complaints
7.1Complaints per year on the road
0.17Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
4Recalls
2.5%Share involving a crash or fire
16Last 12 months

Analysis

The previous model year (2020) drew 5.7 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2022) drew 3.2 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 7 complaints, 89% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.

The most common problem area is Airbags & seat belts (32.5% of complaints), followed by Body & structure (20.0%) and Brakes (12.5%). Airbags & seat belts complaints are 8.5 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Airbags & seat belts reports, owners most often mention “bags recall”, “notification air”, “air bags”, “hybrid” and “confirms available”. 1 reports (2.5%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 1 injury and 0 deaths.

Half of the reported incidents happened within 42 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (32% of incidents). In the last 12 months 16 new complaints were filed, versus 8 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls for this model year. 50% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).

Complaint index

  • vs. all tracked vehicles0.17
  • vs. other Toyota models0.21
  • vs. other 2021 models0.19
  • vs. other Minivans0.14
  • Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (7)0.11
  • #15 of 85 · 2021Rankings ›

1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.

Other model years

  • 20188.0 per year0.19
  • 20195.9 per year0.14
  • 20205.7 per year0.14
  • 20217.1 per year0.17
  • 20223.2 per year0.08
  • 202318.0 per year0.43
  • 202424.3 per year0.58
  • 2025158.4 per year3.76

Toyota Sienna problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›

What owners complain about

  • Airbags & seat belts13 · 32.5% · 8.51×
  • Body & structure8 · 20.0% · 2.18×
  • Brakes5 · 12.5% · 2.06×
  • Engine3 · 7.5% · 0.34×
  • Other3 · 7.5% · 4.15×
  • Transmission / powertrain2 · 5.0% · 0.43×
  • Electrical2 · 5.0% · 0.32×
  • Wheels, tires & suspension2 · 5.0% · 2.01×

vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average

Airbags & seat belts · Common terms in reports

  • bags recall9
  • notification air9
  • air bags10
  • hybrid10
  • confirms available9
  • tool confirms9

Body & structure · Common terms in reports

  • entertainment3
  • mirror4
  • liftgate3
  • digital3
  • rear6
  • hybrid3

Problem areas: Body & structure · Interior & equipment · Brakes

When complaints were filed

2020: 1 1 2020 2021: 5 5 2021 2022: 1 1 2022 2023: 2 2 2023 2024: 9 9 2024 2025: 6 6 2025 2026: 16 16 2026
  • Crashes reported: 0
  • Fires reported: 1
  • Injuries: 1
  • Deaths: 0

Vehicle age at incident

  • <1 yr22.5%
  • 1–2 yrs5.0%
  • 2–3 yrs7.5%
  • 3–5 yrs32.5%
  • 5+ yrs32.5%

Median age at incident: 42 months

What owners report

Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.

Segment peers · 2021 · Minivans

ModelsComplaintsComplaints per year on the roadComplaint index
2021 Toyota Sienna407.10.17
2021 Honda Odyssey13824.30.58
2021 Chrysler Pacifica39068.71.63

Safety recalls (4)

EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY:WHEELCHAIR RESTRAINTS/SECUREMENT:LATCH/ANCHOR: Campaign 25V877000 · 2025-12-17

Summary: Vantage Mobility, LLC (VM) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Honda Odyssey, 2021-2025 Chrysler Pacifica, and Toyota Sienna vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.

Risk: An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters was mailed January 27, 2026. Owners may contact Vantage Mobility customer service at 1-800-488-9082.

SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:RECLINER Campaign 25V086000 · 2025-02-13

Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Sienna Hybrid vehicles. The bolts for the seatbacks on the third-row seat assemblies may not be tightened properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints," 207, "Seating Systems," and 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."

Risk: An improperly tightened seatback may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will tighten the seat assembly bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA05.

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION Campaign 23V865000 · 2023-12-20

Summary: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.

Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC):CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE Campaign 22V239000 · 2022-04-13

Summary: Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

Risk: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.

How to check whether your car has an open recall ›

Investigations

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints were filed for the 2021 Toyota Sienna?

40 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota Sienna, or about 7.1 per year on the road.

What is the most common problem reported for the 2021 Toyota Sienna?

The most common category is Airbags & seat belts, accounting for 32.5% of complaints.

Does the 2021 Toyota Sienna have any recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall(s) for this model year. 1 NHTSA defect investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Pedestrian alert sounds” (opened 2023-01-27, closed 2023-08-07).

Is the 2021 Toyota Sienna still generating complaints?

In the last 12 months 16 new complaints were filed, versus 8 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.

How does the 2021 Toyota Sienna compare with similar vehicles?

NHTSA has received 40 owner complaints about the 2021 Toyota Sienna, or 7.1 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.17, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #15 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Toyota models its rate is 79% lower; against other Minivans it is 86% lower.