2005 Toyota Sienna problems & reliability
1,130 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Toyota Sienna, alongside 12 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.
59 complaints report injuries (71 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2005 Toyota Sienna vehicles were involved in 59 fatal crashes with 24 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 | 499 | 44% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 135 | 12% |
| Seat Belts | 83 | 7% |
| Steering | 79 | 7% |
| Tires | 67 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 65 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 62 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 60 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 49 | 4% |
| Power Train | 48 | 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 69,000 miles (middle 50% between 43,095 and 100,000 miles), based on 903 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The dashboard has so many cracks literally everywhere. All the way from the driver side to the passenger side. When the temperature changes hot to cold or cold to hot. There’s nothing but cracking sounds.”
Air Bags · filed May 31, 2024
“The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over, opened the hood, and added additional oil. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed him that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Feb 14, 2024
“The rear hatch on our 2005 Toyota Sienna, after being opened, comes down almost immediately and can hit a person who is reaching into the back cargo area and cause injury. Other people have also reported this same dangerous malfunction online as far back as 2007.”
Structure · filed Nov 25, 2023
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
- 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
- SEATBELT MALFUNCTION
Engineering Analysis EA05010 · opened Jun 13, 2005 · closed Aug 2, 2005 · led to recall 05V327000
Technical service bulletins
246 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2005 Toyota Sienna. The 10 most recent:
Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 2026
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
Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 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 2005 Toyota Sienna has 12 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 2005 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 69,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.