26 of the
383 complaints filed about the Toyota Redundant Sienna
are about the seats —
7% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2021.
I purchased a 2021 Toyota Sienna from United Access Mobility in Sacramento. The vehicle was sold and delivered with multiple serious pre-existing safety defects. The exhaust system was unsafe. The catalytic converter had been stolen prior to sale and replaced with a non-OEM catalytic converter that was improperly welded and mounted too low. This caused exhaust leaks, loud exhaust noise, poor acceleration, and safety concerns including potential exhaust exposure. Multiple professional repair facilities confirmed the exhaust system defect. The electrical system was defective. The vehicle was sold with the wrong size battery that was not properly secured. This caused electrical instability, warning lights, and vehicle failure. The battery was not adequately supporting the vehicle’s electrical system. The airbag and restraint system showed warnings caused by third-party wiring, indicating potential airbag or seatbelt malfunction. The fuel system was defective. The gas cap was broken and required tools to refuel the vehicle. Structural and body components were unsafe. A bumper bracket was loose and flapped while driving, and the passenger seat was unstable. Accessibility systems were also defective, including lift and door malfunctions affecting safe operation. United Access was notified immediately but did not correct these safety defects. Instead, they attempted to have the vehicle repaired using an extended warranty for pre-existing conditions. The vehicle was not safe to operate at the time of sale.
NHTSA complaint #11711719 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2nd row passenger seat recline does not work. My seat is very reclined now causing the 2nd row passenger to not be in the optimal position for SRS airbag performance that may result in possible death due to head impact during a side collision. Toyota likely has enough data to issue a TSB to resolve this issue preventing serious injury or death to one of my children.
NHTSA complaint #11687905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased a 2021 Toyota Sienna (VIN: [XXX] ) from an authorized Toyota dealer in June 2024. At the time of sale, I was assured that the open safety recall (23TA15) would be repaired soon. More than a year later, no remedy has been offered, leaving me and my family driving an unsafe vehicle. Toyota’s own phase schedule indicates repairs should already be available in Washington State, yet I have been repeatedly told no repair exists. This has caused serious safety concerns, financial hardship, and loss of trust. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11681746 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
seat retractor failure- white plastic part off and visible , seat is making popping noise when seat is being adjusted. Noticed this when i picked up from dealer after oil change. I feel this is a driving safety concern. Larry H Miller American Toyota (Albuquerque, NM) service manager states it's safe to drive, however I feel this is a huge safety concern. The seat was in working order did not have this issue during drop off of service. However I believe this is a failure on Toyota engineering. I would like some guidance on how to get this repaired as they want me to pay $2,000.
NHTSA complaint #11662346 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My van been giving me some weird issues lately. When I’m going downhill, my brakes don’t seem to work well! I have to push it all the way down, like a spongy. It doesn’t break until I put on the emergency brake. the seat broke only weighed 185 pounds! the wiper blades don’t do a great job cleaning the driver’s side after I bought new ones. Dealership wipers
NHTSA complaint #11658450 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am writing to report a significant safety concern involving the second-row seat in the 2021 Toyota Sienna. The issue involves the seat base not locking securely into the floor. As a result, the seat remains unstable and sits at approximately a 45-degree angle, rendering it unsafe and unusable. This malfunction poses a serious risk to passengers, especially during braking or a collision, as the seat is not properly anchored. It also prevents the safe installation of a child car seat or booster. Despite this being a clear safety issue, there has been no recall issued by Toyota, and customer reports online suggest this is not an isolated incident. The inability of a seat to lock into its designated position is a fundamental failure in vehicle safety design. The vehicle has not been inspected and no warning of the issue was given.
NHTSA complaint #11650424 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Toyota Sienna has 3rd row seats recall already. While I was at dealership I explained that second seats are also rattling when they were fixing the 3rd row recall. My concern is that since they have safety concerns on that they should investigate all the seats for safety.because I’m experiencing second row issues with my vehicle. Terrible dealership! Called corporate office Toyota they were also no help! Please! please!. My request please have Toyota investigate the second row seats as well..
NHTSA complaint #11647760 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Back seats do not lock down when folded. This almost caused my pet to get hurt when going over a speed bump sent them flying up. Seats should lock down when folded to prevent injury to pets. Also almost hurt by daughter in backseat when the single seat came up flying up and re-latched into up position from folded position hitting her arm in the process.
NHTSA complaint #11638481 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's client owns a 2021 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that she was unable to place a car seat in either of the outboard third row positions due to the angle of the seat edge. There was more than twenty percent of the car seat hanging off the edge. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11570491 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
3rd row seats when folded in well: They don't stay put in well and they come out with a bang upon applying a sudden break or going over a speed hump. Why is it a problem: 1) if a pet is there on the back, it could cause a serious problem 2) It makes a big bang when came out of the well and It make the driver think like they are rear ended and stopping their vehicles suddenly. 3) any light weighted articles fly to the front creates a possible hazard. What am I expecting: they stay put in the well and locked. What did I do? I spoke to the dealer and they acknowledged the problem and simply said that's how it is designed with no solutions.
NHTSA complaint #11552558 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Third Row Seats does not stay stowed and while driving over a hump the seats ended up moving away from the potential stowed position and locked itself in the upright position. the noise was so loud that we thought something had banged on the car, but then we realized that the seat had just moved to the upright position. a little bit of research indicated other drivers reporting the same issue without any fix until date. The risk is if the seat decides to move and there is somethin on the seat in stowed position that can become a projectile. Also if the middle seats are reclined at the farthest position, it will cause an impact. Toyota dealership does not have any solutions for this issue and currently the third row seats are held down with a bungee cord.
NHTSA complaint #11543420 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
3rd row seats do not lock into place when folded down. As a result, when going over a bump or applying brakes, the seats can start to bounce. Upon hard braking the seats can actually fully pop up and transform to unfolded position, potentially injuring anything in front of it.
NHTSA complaint #11467387 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
We hit a bump in the road at approximately 25mph and the third row seats went flying forward from their stowed position. The impact force was loud enough that it caused me to swerve and the seats could have easily injured our dog had it been in the back.
NHTSA complaint #11466745 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
3rd row seat components in 2021 Toyota Sienna 60/40 configuration. Both portions of the seats do not stay in the stowed position. Initially I assumed it was user error such as not pushing them down all the way or something not latching. After evaluation, the 2021 Sienna 3rd row seats do not have a way to latch down. When stowed and in motion the back portion of the seats begin to lift and when breaks are engaged, the car turns or slows down each section of the seats will thrust forward and lock into the seated position. The back being loose and starting to rise seems to give the bottom portion momentum to pop up quickly. This has caused multiple objects flying if they are not heavy enough and are resting on the seat stowed. Additionally, the reason to bring real awareness is that my son was sitting in the single seat and the other side had been placed in the stowed position, while driving the seat lunged and caught my son’s elbow. The dealership evaluated and stated they do not see a definitive cause, they are replacing all parts related under warranty to trouble shoot and hopefully find an issue. The fact that there is no latching mechanism to hold them down is a hazard altogether. This needs to be addressed for the safety of passengers. All that went through my head when my son was hit was “what if his arm was down, it would have gotten his fingers or caused serious damage
NHTSA complaint #11464997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The third row seats do not latch when stowed. The 1/3 side does not lie flat. Because of the lack of latch, when going over a speed bump, the seats bounce and in some cases the seat flies forward and latches violently into place with a loud sound. It was very alarming and could have caused damage to any thing laid flat there, or potentially injured a dog in the cargo area. This is a fundamental design flaw. The corresponding seats on my 2005 Sienna latch into place.
NHTSA complaint #11463425 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
3rd row seats do not lock down when stowed. When vehicle comes to abrupt stop, 3rd row seats shoot up with high velocity. Anyone in the vicinity will be harmed. Any items placed on chairs will fly as projectiles, harming individuals with the possibility of an accident.
NHTSA complaint #11462804 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was in a major traffic accident on 2/14/22. I was rear ended in traffic by a car going high speeds. The headrest on the driver seat popped off and ended up in the second row on the floor. Because the headrest came off during the accident my head and neck were not supported and I am still recovering at this time. Although I'm thankful to have survived this is likely a safety issue. I do have a picture and a police report if needed.
NHTSA complaint #11455284 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The rear 3rd row single seat does not stay folded down in the compartment. It constantly pops up and if you put anything on it to weigh it down, that object can be a potential death threat. Toyota needs to be responsible to resolve this issue. They have offered to replace the spring on the seat, but then said the same thing would happen. Upon researching online, I have found several 2021 Sienna owners are having the same issue. This is not normal. We've had 4 previous Siennas and NONE of them have ever had a problem with the seat folding down, so I don't know where the design flaw is.
NHTSA complaint #11445245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.