2004 Toyota Sienna problems & reliability
2,062 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2004 Toyota Sienna, alongside 10 safety recall campaigns. 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.
131 complaints report injuries (180 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2004 Toyota Sienna vehicles were involved in 71 fatal crashes with 37 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 | 962 | 47% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 308 | 15% |
| Steering | 159 | 8% |
| Electrical System | 132 | 6% |
| Tires | 124 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 111 | 5% |
| Seat Belts | 98 | 5% |
| Power Train | 89 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 87 | 4% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 68 | 3% |
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 75,000 miles (middle 50% between 47,000 and 105,167 miles), based on 1,608 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact's mother owns a 2004 Toyota Sienna. While the contact's mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the warning lights illuminated on and off for days and months. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where DTC: P2241 was…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Nov 17, 2025
“The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while the liftgate door was opened, the door had erroneously closed and failed to remain opened. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the rear hatch door struts were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired…”
Structure · filed Aug 8, 2025
“The Traction Control System commonly malfunctions while making turns on curving road sections. I will lose power through turns as the TCS light blinks on my dashboard and makes a beeping sound. On some occasions the brakes will automatically engage in the tire that the car perceives as experiencing slippage. This…”
Steering · filed May 9, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts Failing
Investigation EQ12010 · opened Sep 28, 2012 · closed Dec 31, 2012
- STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BINDING
Engineering Analysis EA08024 · opened Oct 28, 2008 · closed Jul 16, 2009
- ACCELERATOR PEDAL INTERFERENCE
Engineering Analysis EA08014 · opened Aug 8, 2008 · closed Jan 26, 2009 · led to recall 09V023000
- STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BINDING
Preliminary Evaluation PE08041 · opened Jul 9, 2008 · closed Oct 28, 2008
- ACCELERATOR PEDAL INTERFERENCE
Preliminary Evaluation PE08025 · opened Apr 10, 2008 · closed Aug 8, 2008
- UNEXPECTED CLOSING OF POWER LIFTGATE
Engineering Analysis EA06020 · opened Dec 1, 2006 · closed Jun 25, 2008 · led to recall 08V244000
- UNEXPECTED LIFTGATE CLOSING
Preliminary Evaluation PE06029 · opened Aug 2, 2006 · closed Dec 1, 2006
- TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE06010 · opened Feb 27, 2006 · closed Aug 2, 2006
Technical service bulletins
257 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2004 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 2004 Toyota Sienna has 10 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2004 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 75,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.