2003 Toyota Sienna problems & reliability
105 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 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 (13 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Toyota Sienna vehicles were involved in 12 fatal crashes with 7 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Latches/locks/linkages → | 21 | 20% |
| Structure → | 18 | 17% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 12 | 11% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 11 | 10% |
| Power Train → | 10 | 10% |
| Tires | 7 | 7% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 4% |
| Equipment | 4 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 65,000 miles (middle 50% between 20,500 and 96,000 miles), based on 71 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“A plug-in battery charger failed. You may inspect it. It got hot and smoked, and I suppose was a fire hazard. The problem has not been confirmed nor inspected. There were no symptoms of the problem before the failure. - - - - I used the automotive charger to charge a battery after a light had been on overnight…”
Equipment · filed Jun 1, 2021
“Takata recall air bags failed to deploy in a roll over accident that involved in car being airborne and rolling over. Car was totaled. No airbags deployed, car went through 50 foot of cornfield and landed on the roof. Windows were all collapsed door ripped off its hinges. I have pictures on my phone I can print and…”
Air Bags · filed Oct 15, 2018
“Mva - other party rear-ended us at 35-40 miles/hr. While we were stopped at a light. Both driver and passenger front seat backs broke. Our vehicle was totaled , other vehicle air bags did not deploy . Appeared to be minimal damage to other vehicle. Pictures of both vehicles available”
Seats · filed Jun 6, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
108 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 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 2003 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 2003 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 65,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.