Best and worst Toyota Sienna years — which to avoid

If you are looking for a reliable minivan to buy, the Toyota Sienna seems like a dependable option, but only if you steer away from the few problematic model years. So, our team wanted to give you a heads-up about the Toyota Sienna years to avoid and also recommend the best Sienna model years to go for.

We’ll give you a complete brief on the best and worst Toyota Sienna years based on official NHTSA ratings, as well as driver satisfaction scores and reviews.

Why you can trust REREV’s advice on which car model years to avoid: Our car experts look at official data, ask real drivers what they think, and talk to experienced mechanics to make sure our list is useful. This reliable info can make buying a car easier for you. Want to know how we do it? Find out more about our research methodology.

How we rated the best and worst Toyota Sienna years

To give you a transparent and verified overview of the best and worst Toyota Sienna years, our team had to go through lots of data and reliability information. We browsed NHTSA’s complaint records and official recall actions to see which issues plagued the worst-rated models.

On top of that, we listened to what real Toyota Sienna drivers had to say through their Sienna reviews and ratings on Edmunds, KBB, and Consumer Reports. We also ended up checking some Sienna forums to see if we can find helpful, yet easily verifiable information there to give you a complete package. Here’s what we found out about the Toyota Sienna years this way:

Most common Toyota Sienna problems

While the Toyota Sienna proved to be quite reliable overall, there are some issues that the drivers simply hated coping with. One of the model-specific concerns is the matter of melting dashboards and surrounding materials including poor-quality plastic during the first few generations, but there were also some more severe problems, so let’s take a look:

1. Melting dashboard

Let’s deal with the least important issue at least for your driving safety first. It’s a matter of melting dashboards due to increased sun exposure. While it’s regular for the rubber or plastic materials to degrade in this area of a car’s interior over time, Sienna owners have reported excessive wear.

Also, reports indicate that the melted dashboard completely ruined the appearance of the interior, so many drivers were looking for replacement dashes. However, it’s even worse if the dashboard controls are affected and can’t be properly used due to this problem. Because of all this, it’s worth having a replacement option ready just in case or buying a Sienna where the previous owner already dealt with the issue.

2. Oil sludge within the engine

One potentially devastating issue occurred during the 1997 to 2002 production years of the Sienna and it was the formation of oil sludge. The 3.0-liter V6 engine used in the first generation of Sienna is mostly prone to this problem, and if not treated on time, it could lead to a completely seized engine.

Oil sludge forms due to engine oil oxidation or contamination and it blocks the oil pathways inside the engine. So, oil can’t do its job of lubricating the engine components, causing them to wear off more quickly due to friction and high temperatures. Some drivers were wondering if engine oil expires and putting old oil in the first-gen Sienna is surely a bad idea.

Still, it’s not only associated with owners that placed old oil in their Sienna vehicles with the 3.0-liter engine, so the problem was associated with the engine itself.

3. Airbag problems and recalls

Well, Toyota isn’t the one to blame for faulty “Takata” airbags that also affected other car brands and their models, but it’s still a major concern when buying a Sienna. Because of these faulty airbags that could even be lethal in case the inflator exploded due to high pressure, Toyota had to make more than a few recalls.

The most notable recalls that deal with the issue include the 2014, 2017, and 2019 airbag recalls.

4. Automatic transmission and impaired engine revs

Drivers of Toyota Sienna vehicles have also complained about impaired engine revs when compared to actual driving speed. It was the first sign that something was off with the automatic transmission, and there was more to it.

The problem was mostly caused by a faulty transmission shift control cable that didn’t properly pair the driving situation with the displayed gear. In other words, the gear on the dashboard wasn’t always the gear that the car was in and this increased the risk of a collision. The issue was also followed up by problems with the loss of power after slowing down, and a few other problems.

Another consequence of this problem was an improper park position lock that sometimes caused parked cars to roll over unless the handbrake has been lifted.

Worst Toyota Sienna years to avoid

Now that you are familiar with some of the major issues that come with Toyota Sienna models, it’s time to dig deeper into the problematic model years. Some production years are deemed much less reliable than others, and we’ll divide those by model generations, so what are the worst Toyota Sienna years?

The worst Toyota Sienna years are 2004 and 2011, but these are the ones you should also avoid:

• 1999
• 2000
• 2004
• 2005
• 2006
• 2007
• 2011
• 2013
• 2015

All of these have faced some problems including the issues we’ve outlined above, so let’s take a closer look:

First-generation Toyota Sienna (1999-2000 model years)

The first generation of the Sienna was plagued by the changing engine oil thickness and it mostly affected all models with a 3.0-liter engine. Still, the 1999-2000 model years were seemingly more affected and they received a bit more complaints than the other model years.

Besides this problem and some car paint peeling, the first-gen Sienna is generally speaking quite reliable.

Second-generation Toyota Sienna (2004-2007 model years)

The second generation of the Sienna was much more affected by some frequent faults than the first generation. So, model years from 2004 to 2007 should completely be avoided, and a large number of driver complaints confirms it.

The worst model years overall are 2004 and 2006, and this is not just for the second generation itself, but for the whole model. The biggest concerns of second-gen Sienna owners in these model years include transmission failure, melting dashboards, and some engine stalling issues.

Third-generation Toyota Sienna (2011, 2013, and 2015 model years)

While the third-generation Sienna received fewer complaints than the second-gen, model years 2011 and 2013 still have a fair share of issues. These were followed up by the 2015 model year and the main issues that drivers faced included brake and steering issues, faulty car features, and electrical issues.

On top of that, there’s the matter of faulty airbags that require numerous recalls to finally fix, so you should pay attention to this one when buying a third-gen Sienna. There were six recalls regarding airbag problems for the 2013 model alone, so it’s crucial to avoid this one unless you want to deal with bothersome inflator replacements.

What are the best Toyota Sienna years to buy?

We get you, there’s no chance that Toyota made a vehicle with so many bad production years. Well, even if that’s true, there are still plenty of production years you can settle with and get a completely reliable car since the Sienna has been in production for over 25 years. It’s a car that holds its ground in terms of reliability that many associate with Toyota’s models, so here’s a list of the best model years:

• 1998
• 2001
• 2002
• 2003
• 2009
• 2010
• 2012
• 2014
• 2016
• 2017
• 2018
• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 2022

The fourth generation of the model is considered to be the best one yet, without many engine and transmission-related issues. However, it’s also safe to go for the 1998 and 2001 model years of the first generation, or the 2003 and 2010 model years as some of the most reliable.

2010 Toyota Sienna

If you are looking for a reliable and affordable Sienna model, the 2010 one offers the best of both worlds. It had the best reliability rating out of all the second-gen models according to drivers and previous owners, and there were lots of compliments regarding the car’s engine and transmission.

Most of the owners stated how the car is capable of doing over 180,000 miles without an engine swap, and the oil sludge issues were somewhat resolved for this one.

Is the Toyota Sienna worth buying?

To put it simply – the SIenna is a reliable minivan that goes with Toyota’s brand reputation regarding the reliability of their cars. It’s also quite useful if you go for 2003 or later models with a longer wheelbase and a bit more cargo space. Still, the key thing is to check for oil sludges and automatic transmission problems and avoid problematic model years.

At least with all those years listed above you can go for the best possible Sienna regardless of the generation you aim for.

Looking for your next family vehicle? Our insights in Honda Odyssey years to avoid, Dodge Caravan years to avoid, or Kia Sedona years to avoid reveal which model years to go for and which to avoid, making your decision easier and safer for the whole family.