IllustrationDT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT ABS PROBLEMS. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVEN TIMES. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CONTACT FELT THIS WAS A SAFETY PROBLEM. *AK
2003 Toyota Sienna
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2003 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
270–25K
1025–50K
1450–75K
1075–100K
14100–150K
4150K+
79 reports with mileage · 26 unknown
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 21 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
12 crash reports2 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
105 reportsI WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WASHINGTON STATE, AND NOTICED THAT MY DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE TREAD WAS SEPERATING FROM THE SIDEWALL AND STEAL. MY SON THEN FOUND THAT THE PASSANGER REAR WAS DOING THE SAME THING. I HAD TO CALL HOME AND FIND THE CLOSEST PLACE TO REPLACE THE TIRES. EUGENE. OR. WAS THE CLOSEST AND IT WAS 49 MILES. ABOU…
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I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WASHINGTON STATE, AND NOTICED THAT MY DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE TREAD WAS SEPERATING FROM THE SIDEWALL AND STEAL. MY SON THEN FOUND THAT THE PASSANGER REAR WAS DOING THE SAME THING. I HAD TO CALL HOME AND FIND THE CLOSEST PLACE TO REPLACE THE TIRES. EUGENE. OR. WAS THE CLOSEST AND IT WAS 49 MILES. ABOUT 15 MILES OUTSIDE OF EUGENE, THE TREAD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WAS THROWN OFF OF MY CAR AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO MY VAN. I REGAINED CONTROL AND GOT THE CAR TO COSTCO WHERE I REPLACED ALL 4 TIRES.
CONTACT STATED: DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW EXPLODED IN A THOUSAND OF PIECES OF GLASS WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE WHILE DRIVING 65-68 MPH ON FREEWAY. JUST DRIVING ALONG AND THE WINDOW EXPLODED WITH NO OUTSIDE DAMAGE EXCEPT THE DAMAGE DONE BY THE GLASS. THERE WERE NO EXTERNAL CAUSES. WAS CHECKED BY A STATE TROOPER. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT…
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CONTACT STATED: DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW EXPLODED IN A THOUSAND OF PIECES OF GLASS WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE WHILE DRIVING 65-68 MPH ON FREEWAY. JUST DRIVING ALONG AND THE WINDOW EXPLODED WITH NO OUTSIDE DAMAGE EXCEPT THE DAMAGE DONE BY THE GLASS. THERE WERE NO EXTERNAL CAUSES. WAS CHECKED BY A STATE TROOPER. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER THAT THIS WAS RARE, AND HAD HAPPENED AT THE DEALERSHIP ONCE BEFORE. CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY STRESS ON THE GLASS. THIS WAS BEING FIXED UNDER WARRANTY, AND REPAINTED THE DAMAGED PARTS.*AK
WE OWN A 2003 TOYOTA SIENNA THAT WE BOUGHT NEW IN JANUARY 2003. DURING MARCH 2005, NOTICED KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM ENGINE DURING COLD STARTUPS. TOOK TO TOYOTA AND AFTER 4 DAYS OF VARIOUS REMEDIES WHICH DIDN'T WORK (CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACEMENT, OIL CHANGE, ENGINE CLEANING), THEY CHALKED IT UP TO A "KNOWN PROBLEM" WITH "PIS…
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WE OWN A 2003 TOYOTA SIENNA THAT WE BOUGHT NEW IN JANUARY 2003. DURING MARCH 2005, NOTICED KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM ENGINE DURING COLD STARTUPS. TOOK TO TOYOTA AND AFTER 4 DAYS OF VARIOUS REMEDIES WHICH DIDN'T WORK (CATALYTIC CONVERTER REPLACEMENT, OIL CHANGE, ENGINE CLEANING), THEY CHALKED IT UP TO A "KNOWN PROBLEM" WITH "PISTON SLAP" AND SAID IT CAN'T BE FIXED, THAT "THEY ALL DO IT", AND RETURNED VAN TO US.*AK
THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 85 MPH, WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CONSUMER PASSED SEVERAL VEHICLES, CHANGING LANES, TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE CONSUMER PROCEEDED TO STRIKE A CONCRETE BARRIER. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. *NM
TOYOTA SIENNA 2003 BRAND NEW CAR THE BATTERY LEAK AND CAUSE THE RADIATOR DAMAGE DEALER STATE THAT THIS IS NOT A WARRATY REPAIR. THIS IS A WARRANTY REPAI AND THATS WHAT THE LEMON LAW SAYS . THE DEALER WHICH IS BAY RIDGE TOYOTA AND MAN WHO IS MANAGER TOM SCARPACCI SAYS THIS IS NOT WARRANTY REPAIR. *AK
CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 45-50 MPH. CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION . *AK
UPON DEPRESSING THE BUTTON FOR BOTH SLIDING DOORS CONSUMER HAS TO PUT BODY AGAINST IT TO MAKE IT DISENGAGE. CONSUMER DOES NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CLOSING THE DOOR. THE EXTERNAL HANDLER WILL NOT RELEASE THE LOCK TO OPEN THE DOOR. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND HAD THE DOORS GREASED. BUT, IT DID NOT HELP THE PROBLEM. *AK
SLIDING DOORS ON THE 2003 TOYOTA SIENNA VAN MAY LOCK AND PROVE UNABLE TO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE, TRAPPING OCCUPANTS.*AK
MY 2003TOYOTA SIENNA HAS A DISTINCT PROBLEM WITH PULLING . THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN TO THE DEALERSHIP 6 TIMES SINCE MARCH OF 2003 . THE FRONT END WAS REALIGNED WITH 231 MILES AND THE TIRES WERE REPLACED AT THAT TIME. SINCE THAT INITIAL REALIGNMENT THE VEHICLE HAS CONTINUED TO PULL AND HAS BEEN RE-EXAMINED, REALIGNED AND TESTD 5…
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MY 2003TOYOTA SIENNA HAS A DISTINCT PROBLEM WITH PULLING . THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN TO THE DEALERSHIP 6 TIMES SINCE MARCH OF 2003 . THE FRONT END WAS REALIGNED WITH 231 MILES AND THE TIRES WERE REPLACED AT THAT TIME. SINCE THAT INITIAL REALIGNMENT THE VEHICLE HAS CONTINUED TO PULL AND HAS BEEN RE-EXAMINED, REALIGNED AND TESTD 5 MORE TIMES. THE VEHICLE'S 4 TIRES WERE REPLACED ON OCTOBER 1ST AND IT WAS AGAIN REALIGNED. THE VEHICLE STILL PULLS AND ON OCT. 4TH THE SERVICE MANAGER AGAIN TEST DROVE THE VAN AND NOW STATES THAT A " SHIM PAK" NEEDS TO BE PLACED IN THE REAR. THIS IS UNNACCEPTABLE FOR A VEHICLE WITH 18,000 MILES ON IT. I FEAR THAT IT IS A TEMPORARY FIX FOR A SEVERE UNREPAIRABLE PROBLEM . *AK
Official recalls
110V160000 · 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.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.