The best Sienna years to buy are 2016 and 2021. Avoid the 2012: Takata air bag recalls and sliding door complaints give it the highest complaint rate of any Sienna.
Best years: 20162021 Years to avoid: 2012
Every Sienna year compared
Owner complaints per 100,000 cars sold. Lower is better. The newest years have had less time to collect complaints, so they are marked too new to judge.
Known Sienna problems
Year by year
| Year | Complaints | Per 100k sold | Recalls | Top issue | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 69 | - | 4 | Brakes | Too new to judge |
| 2023 | 69 | - | 3 | Brakes | Too new to judge |
| 2022 | 17 | 24 | 5 | Brakes | Good buy |
| 2021 | 45 | 42 | 4 | Air bags | Good buy |
| 2020 | 38 | 89 | 2 | Transmission and drivetrain | Average |
| 2019 | 47 | 64 | 7 | Fuel System | Good year |
| 2018 | 72 | 82 | 7 | Transmission and drivetrain | Average |
| 2017 | 159 | 143 | 10 | Transmission and drivetrain | Average |
| 2016 | 76 | 59 | 5 | Structure | Good year |
| 2015 | 233 | 169 | 6 | Structure | Watch out |
| 2014 | 164 | 132 | 6 | Structure | Average |
| 2013 | 183 | 151 | 6 | Structure | Average |
| 2012 | 247 | 215 | 9 | Air bags | Skip this year |
About the Sienna
The Sienna is one of the most dependable minivans, with a complaint rate half that of most. Older cars have Takata air bag recalls and power sliding door faults, and some 2021-2022 hybrids have brake feel complaints. Otherwise, problems are rare.
- 2011-2020: Third generation. Takata air bag and sliding door recalls on early years; very few complaints after 2016.
- 2021 on: Fourth generation, hybrid only. Low complaint rate; some brake feel reports.
Sienna warranty extensions and special coverage
Carmakers sometimes extend the warranty on a part that fails too often, or pay for a fix outside a recall. These notices come from the dealer bulletins Toyota files with NHTSA. 1,031 Sienna bulletins are on file in total.
Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyotas New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers ownership expe...
Dealer Daily Message: Sienna Sliding Door Certain 2011 ?
Dealer Package: June 19, 2019 Information about a proposed class action settlement has been added.
Dealer Package: Toyota has received a number of reports regarding the power sliding door rear lock assemblies on certain 2011 ?
Dealer Daily Message: Extension of Warranty Coverage for the Sliding Door Front Lock Assemblies.
Warranty Policy Bulletin POL17-01: Toyota has received reports of customer concerns in which the power moon roof, power sliding doors or power hatch are inoperative from the overhead console switches or require excessive pressu...
Dealer Package: Toyota is announcing a Warranty Enhancement Program to extend the warranty coverage on the Overhead Console Switch Assembly on Certain 2012 Model Year Camry, Camry Hybrid, and Certain 2011 ?
Dealer Email: Toyota is announcing a Warranty Enhancement Program to extend the warranty coverage on the Overhead Console Switch Assembly on Certain 2012 Model Year Camry, Camry Hybrid, and Certain 2011 ?
Region Email: Toyota is announcing a Warranty Enhancement Program to extend the warranty coverage on the Overhead Console Switch Assembly on Certain 2012 Model Year Camry, Camry Hybrid, and Certain 2011 ?
Dealer Daily Message: Warranty Enhancement Program ?
Ask a dealer to check a specific car by VIN. Extensions usually have a time or mileage limit.
Government investigations into the Sienna
NHTSA opens an investigation when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Some end in a recall and some close without one.
Defect petition DP22005 · 2021, 2022 · opened Jan 2023, closed Aug 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
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.
Engineering analysis EA21002 · 2012–2014 · opened Sep 2021
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L.
Sienna vs rivals
Questions
What is the best year for the Toyota Sienna?
2016 and 2021. The best Sienna years to buy are 2016 and 2021. Avoid the 2012: Takata air bag recalls and sliding door complaints give it the highest complaint rate of any Sienna.
Which Toyota Sienna years should I avoid?
2012. These drew far more owner complaints per car sold than the Toyota Sienna average.
Are Toyota Sienna sliding doors reliable?
On 2011-2016 vans the power sliding doors can stop working, and some are covered by recalls. A door motor or cable costs $400 to $900.
Based on 1,419 complaints filed by owners with U.S. safety regulators for model years 2012 to 2024, and U.S. sales by calendar year. How we score.