2,801 of the
10,828 complaints filed about the Toyota Sienna
are about the body and structure —
26% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2004.
The automatic side doors of this Toyota sienna le have malfunctioned twice between expensive repairs. When the hardware comes off the guide rail, it hits the window behind the door and shatters in covering the interior and occupants with glass. I had the window repaired after I had the door hardware replaced after its first failure in spring of 2024. The door gave no indication it was failed until I noticed the window bulging and nearly broke again. The Toyota dealer didn’t seem very interested in covering the cost of the repairs I made in 2024 and can’t get me in until mid August which leaves me without transportation for a month.
NHTSA complaint #11750350 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The automatic side doors of this Toyota sienna le have malfunctioned twice between expensive repairs. When the hardware comes off the guide rail, it hits the window behind the door and shatters in covering the interior and occupants with glass. I had the window repaired after I had the door hardware replaced after its first failure in spring of 2024. The door gave no indication it was failed until I noticed the window bulging and nearly broke again. The Toyota dealer didn’t seem very interested in covering the cost of the repairs I made in 2024 and can’t get me in until mid August which leaves me without transportation for a month.
NHTSA complaint #11750350 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
About 2 years after the 9/30/2019 purchase (new), the paint on the front engine hood began peeling & cracking. Calls to Parks Toyota were ineffective. Now the entire hood has pervasive cracks. The hood needs to be removed, sanded & painted with a more substantial, long-lasting paint. The paint used is supposed to contain an additional clear coat for protection.
NHTSA complaint #11714572 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Sienna. The contact was unable to use the driver's side cargo door. The contact stated that the door was possibly frozen; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the door opened unexpectedly. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V858000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 201,235.
NHTSA complaint #11714163 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In August 2025, AutoNation Toyota on Sahara, checked the VIN of my Toyota Sienna and contacted Toyota while I was present. Toyota confirmed a broken fuel-door hinge was covered under a Customer Support Program. Instead, AutoNation attempted to repair, rather than replace, the hinge. This caused the metal fuel cap door to end up bent, paint to be gouged out from the bottom of the fuel door area, misalignment of the fuel door, and therefore issues with the door’s sensor reading correctly. I took the van back until they received shipment of a new fuel cap door. After the attempted repair, since the fuel door no longer aligned, the safety sensors repeatedly activated which strained the sliding-door ECU. The passenger sliding door began freezing intermittently, forcing my children to exit through the trunk several times. Finally, the door opened on its own as I was driving down the street. These issues did not exist prior to dealership service and presented a clear safety concern. Between October and December, I received conflicting explanations from Gerald, James, Ivan, and Rudy at AutoNation Toyota regarding whether the issue involved the fuel door, ECU, motor, or general wear and tear. AutoNation repeatedly failed to return my calls or respond to the emails I sent them. Toyota Corporate also informed me the dealership was also not responding to their outreach attempts after I contacted them due to not being able to get ahold of AutoNation Toyota. I emailed four managers on October 15 with detailed documentation and received no response. My vehicle remains unsafe, unrepaired, and in the possession of AutoNation Toyota. I approve allowing it to be inspected. While at AutoNation, the vehicle driver could not open the passenger sliding door after AutoNation's attempted repair. They have had my van for 4 months now so no one else has looked at or inspected it. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.
NHTSA complaint #11713421 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The passenger-side power sliding door system failed to stop or reverse when it encountered physical interference with the vehicle’s open fuel door. The door continued opening under power despite clear obstruction by a fixed exterior body component. The affected components, including the sliding door mechanism and damaged fuel door latch, remain available for inspection upon request. A powered sliding door continuing to operate against an obstruction creates a foreseeable risk of injury to occupants or bystanders, as well as vehicle damage. If a person’s hand, arm, or clothing had been in the same position as the fuel door, injury could have occurred. The incident occurred during normal vehicle use and demonstrates inadequate safeguards against obstruction. The issue has been formally reproduced or confirmed by an independent service center which noted that the incident occurred as described during normal operation of the power sliding door, and no abnormal conditions were present at the time. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms appeared prior to the incident. The power sliding door operated normally and without indication of malfunction until it failed to stop when encountering the open fuel door. Fueling the vehicle with the fuel door open is routine and expected vehicle use. The absence of any interlock, sensor logic, or safeguard preventing a powered sliding door from operating against an open body panel represents a design deficiency rather than a maintenance or wear issue. This condition may affect other vehicles equipped with similar power sliding door systems and warrants evaluation.
NHTSA complaint #11707717 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The drivers side sliding door when on the power on, it will either not catch when opening or not shut when you are trying to shut it. You can be in the door way and it will shut on you by itself. You have to physically stop it or pull it shut. I have taken it in the past to the local Toyota dealership, when it was under warranty, multiple times. They don't see anything wrong, or cannot explain it but have replaced the sensor multiple times. It will be ok for a while and then start again. I sometimes wonder if cold weather affects it but there is no rhythm or reason to it. I am scared to have children or my parents use this door and if I turn off the power to it, it is very hard to use the door because it is so heavy. There are no warning lights, messages, or signals of any kind.
NHTSA complaint #11706963 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The power sliding door assembly failed, and the driver side rear sliding door was bound shut, and could not be opened. Disabling the power door system did not resolve the issue. The cable for the power door mechanism was hanging below the rear vent windows; but for some reason the door still would not open. I ultimately with a lot of gentle force was able to get the door open enough to see the retract side of the cable was bound up, and was able to cut it with wire cutters, and ultimately get the door to work normally as a non-powered manual sliding door. Since the original NHTSA BULLITIN on this was published in 6/2019 before my 2020 Sienna was manufactured, and Toyota did not change the mechanism until the 2021 model redesign, I believe that RECALL should be extend to all 2019 and 2020 vehicles. This seems dangerous that the door does not default to manual operation in error.
NHTSA complaint #11693401 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, there was an audible alarm coming from the vehicle, alerting the contact that the door was ajar. The passenger’s side slide door opened independently while the vehicle was in motion. The vehicle was modified to accommodate a ramp for the contact's two wheel-bound children. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and closed the sliding door. The contact's husband tied the door to prevent it from opening independently again. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was inspected. The contact was informed that two latches had corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V858000 (STRUCTURE). However, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,500.
NHTSA complaint #11685365 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Our van has recently been having issues with the sliding doors. It has occurred while driving and the warning light as well as the warning for a door open, and the door lights have came on. Right before this occurs you can hear a click sound from the sliding door behind the driver's side as well as when you close the door, you can hear a strange sound when it closes, unlike the passenger side sliding door.
NHTSA complaint #11679778 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while the liftgate door was opened, the door had erroneously closed and failed to remain opened. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear hatch door struts were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 08V244000 (STRUCTURE); but parts were on back order. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 150,000.
NHTSA complaint #11679304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fuel filler door upper hinge failed so that door would not seat properly when closed. Because the door was not seated properly, the left side power sliding door interlock did not release, preventing the sliding door from opening fully. I had visited a fast food restaurant in Feb 2025 and ordered some French fries for my[XXX], strapped into his child seat directly behind the driver. He was choking on a fry, starting to turn blue. I quickly stopped and attempted to open the sliding power door, but it would not open fully to allow access to my grandson because the failing fuel door wouldn't release the power door interlock. By the time I ran around to the passenger side to reach him he had nearly passed out, but I reached him in time to extract him from the seat and performed a Heimlich to expel the fry and restore his breathing. Toyota should be forced to extend the extended warranty for the full duration of the court agreement of 10yr, Dec 2025, regardless of purchase date. My request for fuel door replacement in Jul 2025 was refused because Toyota claimed the warranty was only good until 10yr after date of purchase, not to the end of 2025. The warranty period applies to vehicles purchased Dec 2025, so the warranty program still exists, but Toyota National refuses to honor it for my vehicle. The inoperable power door can cause passengers to be trapped from quick exit in case of other emergencies, such as vehicle fire or accident rollover. Toyota should honor the warranty or risk legal liability for a death due to manufacturer defect! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11676320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Sienna. While the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that the fuel lid door hinge had fractured, causing the fuel lid to intermittently fail to open or close as needed. The contact stated that with the fuel lid intermittently inoperative, the rear driver’s side door failed to open when needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the fuel lid door and hinge needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
NHTSA complaint #11663672 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the driver’s side electric sliding door failed to properly open and close, and occasionally abruptly closed, causing a safety hazard to the occupants entering and exiting the vehicle. The cause of the failure has not yet been determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V858000 (STRUCTURE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11656702 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the rear driver's and passenger's power sliding doors failed to latch securely and opened while driving. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V858000 (Structure), but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the power sliding door motor, cable, and door lock actuators needed to be replaced. The dealer had to zip-tie the power sliding doors to keep the doors closed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
NHTSA complaint #11649207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the rear driver's side sliding door had failed to close or latch securely while closing the door manually or while using the power door switch button. The vehicle was taken to C&C Auto, where the door motor and belt were replaced, and other unknown repairs were performed. The door was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the rear passenger's side sliding door had failed to open and close as needed. The contact stated that the door was currently closed and would not open. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V858000 (Structure); because the VIN was not included in the recall. Additionally, the contact stated that the TPMS had failed to function as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.
NHTSA complaint #11624796 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.