2002 Toyota Sienna problems & reliability
181 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Toyota Sienna, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
9 complaints report injuries (19 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Toyota Sienna vehicles were involved in 24 fatal crashes with 23 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 42 | 23% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 27 | 15% |
| Electrical System | 24 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 19 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 9% |
| Tires | 15 | 8% |
| Power Train | 13 | 7% |
| Steering | 10 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 68,385 miles (middle 50% between 30,375 and 98,000 miles), based on 116 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Dear Sir, On April 2026, I need to do the semiannual smog check. Right now, I face DTC P0420 error code and I can't pass the smog check inspection. Note that I don't have the engine light on indicating the a/m error code. Only my OBD2 shows the error DTC Code P0420. I did some searhing and noticed that the ECM for…”
Electrical System · filed Feb 15, 2026
“The lower rear mount for the passenger-side rear shock absorber was found when the vehicle was stationary to have become partially fractured over time. It is made of thin hollow metal with internal threads. There is no replacement for this except to purchase a large multi-functional unit costing $1,688.00”
Suspension · filed Mar 25, 2021
“Brakes make a noise when the car is about to stop. There is a squeal and thump that can be heard. Have taken this in several times to be fixed. They say the brakes are safe. I am 74 years old and have had many cars over the years and the only times other cars have made this kind of noise it was time to change the…”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 1, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE
Preliminary Evaluation PE01036 · opened Oct 19, 2001 · closed Feb 11, 2002
Technical service bulletins
109 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Toyota Sienna. The 10 most recent:
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow…
T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 5, 2024
Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can…
T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 3, 2024
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
T-SB-0035-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2002 Toyota Sienna has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2002 Toyota Sienna?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 68,385 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.