IllustrationPE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A NOISE. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SIDE OF SHOULDER, AND NOTICED THAT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. FIRESTONE, WILDERNESSS AT TIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.*AK
1998 Toyota Sienna
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 Toyota Sienna do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 183.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sienna years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 73 of 294 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 39 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Tires. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
18 crash reports3 fire reports13 injury reports
What owners actually said
294 reportsWINDSHIELD CRACKED FROM BOTTOM WHERE HEATER BLEWOUT WHICH MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PROBLEM. *AK ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THERE WAS A SNOW STORM AND ICE BUILD-UP ON FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED LATER ON. *YH
THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING IN OUR DRIVEWAY, WHEN WE CAME OUT OF THE HOUSE, IT HAD POPPED INTO REVERSE AND BACKED INTO OUR GARAGE. IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE SHIFT LEVER TO STOP IN-BETWEEN PARK AND REVERSE AND THEN POP INTO REVERSE IN A FEW MINUTES BY ITSELF. IS THIS A TYPICAL PROBLEM AND NOT CONSIDERED A DEFECT?*AK
WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL STICKS/LOCKS INSTEAD OF AUTOMATICALLY RETURNING TO CENTER, THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE MORE NOTICEABLE IN WARM WEATHER, DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM. NLM
THE INNER SLIDING DOOR RELEASE BUTTON STUCK IN THE DEPRESSED POSITION, THE DOOR HAS BEEN REPAIRED BUT NOW IT RATTLES AND SQUEEKS. NLM
AT ONLY 30,000 MILES, WHILE VEHICLE STILL UNDER FULL BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY, SMOKE BEGAN EMITTING FROM EXHAUST PIPE. TOOK TO DEALER - DEALER SAYS IT IS STEAM. NEXT SMOKE GETS WORSE (ITS BLUE) & OIL LIGHT FLASHES WHEN BRAKING. TAKE IT BACK TO DEALER - DEALER SAYS NEED OIL CHANGE. DO IT. NEXT - SAME STUFF. TAKE IT BACK. DEALER …
Read full complaint
AT ONLY 30,000 MILES, WHILE VEHICLE STILL UNDER FULL BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY, SMOKE BEGAN EMITTING FROM EXHAUST PIPE. TOOK TO DEALER - DEALER SAYS IT IS STEAM. NEXT SMOKE GETS WORSE (ITS BLUE) & OIL LIGHT FLASHES WHEN BRAKING. TAKE IT BACK TO DEALER - DEALER SAYS NEED OIL CHANGE. DO IT. NEXT - SAME STUFF. TAKE IT BACK. DEALER SAYS OIL LEAK IN VALVES OR RINGS - WILL CALL TO SET UP APPT. FOR REPAIR. NO CALL. I CALL DEALER. DEALER SAYS WANT OIL CHANGE RECEIPTS. I GET THEM. DEALER SAYS NO FIX UNDER WARRANTY, NOT COVERED, CAUSED BY CONSUMER LACK OF MAINTENANCE. I COMPLAIN TO MANUFACTURER. NO LUCK. I LOOK ON INTERNET - HUNDREDS OF IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS WEB SITES. CAUSED BY SLUDGE IN ENGINE, WHICH ANALYSIS OF SHOWS WATER & FUEL IN OIL. I CONTAACT YOU. *AK
BRAKES MAKING CLUNKING AND SCRAPING NOISE. DEALER SAYS DRUMS ARE CRACKING. *AK
PE 00 020; CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO FIRESTONE FOR ROTATION. BECAUSE STEERING WHEEL WAS VIBRATING, AND ATTENDANT TOLD HER THAT LEFT FRONT TIRE THREAD STARTED SEPARATING. FIRESTONE, P2057015, SHE HAS CONTACTED.*AK
I HAVE SEEN MOUSE INSIDE MY VAN. I THINK THERE IS SOME OPEN SPACE FROM WHERE A MOUSE CAN GET INTO THE VAN.*AK
NO SUMMARY
Official recalls
210V160000 · Structure
Apr 20, 2010
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1998 THROUGH 2010 SIENNA PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN AUGUST 7, 1997 AND JANUARY 4, 2010, CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN OR ORIGINALLY SOLD IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WASHINGTON DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN. THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE SPARE TIRE STOWED UNDER THE VEHICLE. IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN THE COLD CLIMATE REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES WHERE ROAD SALT IS FREQUENTLY USED, WATER SPLASHED BACKWARDS WITH HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF ROAD SALT CAN REACH THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER AND CORRODE THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER ASSEMBLY CABLE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE CABLE MAY BREAK DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND THE SPARE TIRE MAY SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS WITH AN INTERIM LETTER INITIALLY INSTRUCTING THEM TO BRING THEIR VEHICLE TO AUTHORIZED DEALERS TO INSPECT FOR CORROSION. A SECOND NOTICE WILL BE SENT WHEN THE PERMANENT REMEDY IS AVAILABLE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE TOYOTA'S AMENDED RECALL REPORT OF JULY 19, 2010. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OCTOBER 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
98V278000 · Electrical SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL Module
Oct 19, 1998
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, MINI VANS AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEMS (TDS) SUPPLIED BY AUDIOVOX CORPORATION AND DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, INC. IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THE ALARM WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH AND THE VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH WIRING HARNESS PLUGS INTO THE ALARM HARNESS TO COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT. A PERCENTAGE OF THE FEMALE TERMINALS USED IN THE ALARM CONNECTOR WERE FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE, CAUSING AN 'OPEN CIRCUIT' CONDITION WHEN MATED TO THE MALE IGNITION SWITCH TERMINALS.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE INTERMITTENT PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS SUCH AS THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS AND/OR HVAC FAN SPEED CONTROLS. ALSO, THE VEHICLE MAY NOT RUN SMOOTHLY AND COULD STALL.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DATE CODE LABEL ON THE SECURITY SYSTEM HARNESS AND ANY DISPLAYING THE MANUFACTURING/FINAL DATE CODE WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEWLY PRODUCED HARNESSES. THE DATE CODES ARE: RAV4 - 6/24/98, 6/25/98, 6/26/98; SIENNA - 6/25/98, 6/26/98; AND AVALON - 6/30/98, 7/1/98, 8/31/98, 9/1/98, 9/2/98, AND 9/3/98.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2DP02004 · Engine Seizure
Opened Apr 30, 2002 · Closed Jun 20, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.
PE99070 · Steering Wheel To Return To Center
Opened Nov 17, 1999 · Closed Apr 12, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
There is no summary currently available