2000 Toyota Sienna Problems and Recalls (342 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2000 Toyota Sienna is Transmission / driveline (16% of 342 owner reports). There are 1 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 342 complaints · 1 recalls

What problems show up on the 2000 Toyota Sienna?

56 of 342 filings named Transmission / driveline (16% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Engine (54 reports).

This snapshot lists no safety recalls for this year. That is not a clean bill of health. Still check the VIN at nhtsa.gov.

The 1999 has 198 reports on file; this year has 342. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2000 Toyota Sienna

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 1 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  4. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Transmission / driveline 56 complaints · 16.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 21
  • Fires 4
  • Injuries 26
  • Deaths 0
All Toyota Sienna years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 56 of 342 owner complaints (16.4%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 56 complaints, 16.4% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 4 crash reports 56 · 16.4% Engine (ENGINE): 54 complaints, 15.8% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 2 fire reports 54 · 15.8% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 43 complaints, 12.6% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 crash reports 43 · 12.6% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 35 complaints, 10.2% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 4 crash reports 35 · 10.2% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 19 complaints, 5.6% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 2 crash reports 19 · 5.6% Tires (TIRES): 17 complaints, 5.0% of reports Tires (TIRES) 17 · 5.0% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 17 complaints, 5.0% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 3 crash reports 17 · 5.0% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 11 complaints, 3.2% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 11 · 3.2% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 10 complaints, 2.9% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 10 · 2.9% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 258 complaints, 75.4% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 16 crash reports 1 fire reports 258 · 75.4% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 56 16.4% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 54 15.8% 0 crashes · 2 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 43 12.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 35 10.2% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 19 5.6% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 17 5.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 17 5.0% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 11 3.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 10 2.9% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 258 75.4% 16 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 1999; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 2010. 1999-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 1999-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2000-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2000-Q3: 31 owner reports 31 2000-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2001-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2001-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2001-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2001-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2002-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2002-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2002-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2002-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2003-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2003-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2003-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2003-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2004-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2004-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2004-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2005-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2005-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2006-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2006-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2007-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2008-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2008-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2009-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2010-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2011-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 1999 Oct 2023 Recall campaign 10V160000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V160000 Investigation PE99070 ● Investigation PE99070 Investigation DP02004 ● Investigation DP02004
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1999-Q3 Owner reports 2
1999-Q4 Owner reports 4
2000-Q1 Owner reports 1
2000-Q2 Owner reports 5
2000-Q3 Owner reports 31
2000-Q4 Owner reports 8
2001-Q1 Owner reports 16
2001-Q2 Owner reports 13
2001-Q3 Owner reports 11
2001-Q4 Owner reports 12
2002-Q1 Owner reports 11
2002-Q2 Owner reports 8
2002-Q3 Owner reports 11
2002-Q4 Owner reports 7
2003-Q1 Owner reports 11
2003-Q2 Owner reports 9
2003-Q3 Owner reports 11
2003-Q4 Owner reports 8
2004-Q1 Owner reports 12
2004-Q2 Owner reports 2
2004-Q3 Owner reports 12
2004-Q4 Owner reports 2
2005-Q1 Owner reports 8
2005-Q2 Owner reports 3
2005-Q3 Owner reports 9
2005-Q4 Owner reports 6
2006-Q1 Owner reports 4
2006-Q2 Owner reports 3
2006-Q3 Owner reports 4
2006-Q4 Owner reports 3
2007-Q1 Owner reports 2
2007-Q2 Owner reports 1
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2007-Q4 Owner reports 3
2008-Q1 Owner reports 4
2008-Q2 Owner reports 2
2008-Q3 Owner reports 8
2008-Q4 Owner reports 3
2009-Q1 Owner reports 3
2009-Q2 Owner reports 2
2009-Q3 Owner reports 5
2009-Q4 Owner reports 3
2010-Q1 Owner reports 5
2010-Q2 Owner reports 4
2010-Q3 Owner reports 3
2010-Q4 Owner reports 7
2011-Q1 Owner reports 3
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 3
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q3 Owner reports 2
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q2 Owner reports 2
2014-Q3 Owner reports 4
2015-Q1 Owner reports 1
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 2
2016-Q2 Owner reports 2
2016-Q3 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q3 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 10V160000
Defect investigation 1 PE99070
Defect investigation 1 DP02004
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (1)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

  1. Recall campaign 10V160000

    Safety recall 10V160000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 8 of 342 complaints · page 1 of 14
2023-11-06SUSPENSION
NHTSA ODI 11553768
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Rear wheels cambering rubbing on shock absorbers.
2023-07-30Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 11535298
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I had my car's brake lines replaced at McGee Toyota in Hanover MA on June 20, 2023. On July 19, 2023, my wife and I had just exited the interstate, and were stopping at a grocery store on our way home. I tried to brake upon entering the parking lot and the brake pedal sank to the floor. There was no resistance when I tried pumping the brakes. Fortunately, I was traveling at a slow speed and there were no moving cars in the lot, so I was able to safely stop the car without an accident. I had the car towed to McGee for repairs and the next day was told the catastrophic brake failure was due to a defective part. Since this would likely have had much more serious consequences such as serious injuries or worse if the failure occurred on the exit ramp or at the busy state highway intersection in front of the grocery store, I wanted to report it to be sure it doesn't happen to someone else.
2021-07-13Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 11424539
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I have a 2000 Sienna with 305000 miles. I have never had trouble with this vehicle until about 2 weeks ago. When I am stopped and my car is in drive, I just tap the gas pedal for a second and the engine RPM will increase to about 2000 RPM and will stay there until I put the car in neutral or turn the engine off. This is a problem because my breaks barely hold this and I must put the car into neutral for the car to stop pulling forward. Putting the car into neutral resets the rpm. If there is no car in front of me, I can release the brakes and the vehicle will continue to accelerate until the transmission switches to second gear, at this point I can drive normally. One time the vehicle continued to accelerate even after switching gears, I put the vehicle into neutral and the engine went to over 4000 RPM, the brakes could not stop the vehicle, I had to turn the engine off. The gas pedal is not sticky or stuck, floor mats are not in the vehicle. I can rev the engine normally when I am in park, this only happens when I am in gear. I have checked the Throttle Body, Throttle Position Sensor and disabled the cruise control module, I can see no reason for this to happen. I have seen many complaints about this same issue online but have not found a resolution. I can buy an ECM but this is an expensive trial. I will take it to the dealer from here.
2019-09-24Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 11257729
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHEN THE IGNITION WAS STARTED, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND MOVED FORWARD WITHOUT SHIFTING INTO DRIVE. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, BUT BOTH FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL GEAR. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. A DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 210,581.
2019-05-13Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11207251
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE ENGINE LEAKS OIL AT VALVE COVERS. THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED. STILL LEAKS. AND A LOT OF SLUDGE BUILDS UP= ON PUMP SCREEN. BLEW ENGINE!! HAD ENGINE REPLACED. SAME THING HAPPENING. I AM ON SOCIAL SECURITY. &3 AND CAN NOT AFFORD THOUSANDS ON THIS VEHICLE.. PLEASE HELP@+!!
2018-07-04Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11109517
CrashFireInjuryDeath
OUTER DOOR HANDLES ON DOORS OF SIENNA ARE EXTREMELY BRITTLE AND BREAK EASILY EVEN WITH NORMAL EVERYDAY GENTLE USE. OF THE 4 MAIN DOORS ON MY TOYOTA SIENNA, 3 OF THEM NOW HAVE BROKEN OUSISE HANDLES CAUSING THE DOORS NOT TO BE ACCESSIBLE & OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE. THIS HAS NOW AFFECTED BOTH SLIDING DOORS AND MY PASSENGER FRONT DOOR. MY PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR IS NOT EVEN ABLE TO BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE SINCE THE OUTER HANDLE BROKE OFF COMPLETELY. THIS POSES A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS DOORS ARE NOT ABLE TO BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT OR EMERGENCY. ADDITIONALLY THE FACT THAT THE PASSENGER SLIDING DOOR CAN NOT EVEN BE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE CAUSES EVEN MORE OF A SAFETY ISSUE. UPON REVIEWING OTHER CONSUMERS WHO OWN THIS SAME VEHICLE I HAVE FOUND IT ALARMING THAT WELL OVER 50% OF THEM HAVE COMPLAINTS DUE TO THIS SAME ISSUE.
2017-11-27Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 11048620
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE DID A STOP AND GO ACTION THAT OCCURRED EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE MOVED. THE CONTACT HAD TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO STOP IT COMPLETELY. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.
2017-07-13Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11005152
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE THE IGNITION WAS OFF AND THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY INDEPENDENTLY. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS STILL IN THE PARK POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INVALID. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 200,000.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2000 Toyota Sienna?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 56 of 342 reports (16%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2000 Toyota Sienna?

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall campaigns. This snapshot lists none, which is not a clean bill of health. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2000 Toyota Sienna?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources