2009 Toyota Sienna Problems: Body / frame (202 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2009 Toyota Sienna is Body / frame (40% of 202 owner reports). There are 10 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Body / frame — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 202 complaints · 10 recalls
What problems show up on the 2009 Toyota Sienna?
81 of 202 filings named Body / frame (40% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Electrical (18 reports).
There are 10 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline and Tires. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2008 has 418 reports on file; this year has 202. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Body / frame 81 complaints · 40.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 15
- Fires 3
- Injuries 49
- Deaths 0
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.
“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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 81 | 40.1% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 18 | 8.9% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 11 | 5.5% | 1 crashes · 2 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 9 | 4.5% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 8 | 4.0% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 7 | 3.5% | 4 crashes · 0 fires |
| Tires (TIRES) | 5 | 2.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 4 | 2.0% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Wheels (WHEELS) | 4 | 2.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 119 | 58.9% | 3 crashes · 0 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.
- Campaign 09V223000 was reported 45 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 09V234000 was reported 55 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 10V035000 was reported 278 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 10V036000 was reported 278 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 13V429000 was reported 1,323 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 14V743000 was reported 2,028 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 16V396000 was reported 2,589 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17V657000 was reported 2,806 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09V223000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09V234000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V035000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V036000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V160000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V429000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V273000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V743000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V396000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V657000 |
Safety Recalls (10)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline and Tires.
-
Recall campaign 09V223000
Safety recall 09V223000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- INCORRECT LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE BEING OVERLOADED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH A NEW, ACCURATE LABEL TO BE INSTALLED OVER THE INACCURATE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 18, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-888-270-9371.
-
Recall campaign 09V234000
Safety recall 09V234000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- THE GVWR IS INSUFFICIENT FOR THE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY OF THE VEHICLES.
- Remedy:
- TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS INSTRUCTING THEM TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLE TO A TOYOTA OR LEXUS DEALER FOR AN EXCHANGE OF THE CERTIFICATION LABEL AND THE TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL, AN INSTALLATION OF THE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABEL, IF NECESSARY, AND A CORRECTION TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THIS REMEDY WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 10, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-888-270-9371.
-
Recall campaign 10V035000
Safety recall 10V035000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA AT 713-580-3300.
-
Recall campaign 10V036000
Safety recall 10V036000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
-
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.
-
Recall campaign 13V429000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- If the shift lever is moved out of the Park position without the brake applied, the transmission will either engage a drive gear or Neutral, increasing the risk of a backover or roll away crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will mail interim notifications to owners beginning in late October 2013. When parts are available, owners will be sent a second notice and dealers will replace the shift lock solenoid, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
-
Recall campaign 14V273000
Tires
- Report date
- Component:
- Tires (TIRES)
- Consequence:
- If the carrier cable is corroded due to road salt, the spare tire may separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota sent owners in August 2014 an interim notification to advise owners of the recall and that dealers will perform an interim remedy to remove the spare tire and relocate it to the luggage compartment, free of charge. Owners are being mailed a second letter as parts become available and dealers will replace the spare tire carrier assembly with an improved one, free of charge. The remedy campaign is being performed in phases. The first phase of the recall began July 7, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. NOTE: 2004-2010 Siennas subject to this recall were subject to recall campaign 10V-160 initiated in 2010. Those owners are advised that they must have their vehicles remedied again under this campaign and that having the earlier recall completed did not remedy their vehicles. Additionally, model year 1998-2003 Siennas were recalled as part of safety recall 10V-160. Owners of those vehicles that have not had not the remedy performed on their vehicles, should contact their Toyota dealer to schedule a free repair.
-
Recall campaign 14V743000
Safety recall 14V743000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
- Remedy:
- SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
-
Recall campaign 16V396000
Safety recall 16V396000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy:
- SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
-
Recall campaign 17V657000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- If the shift lever can be moved from the "Park" position without depressing the brake pedal and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may roll, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift lock solenoid and reapply the grease, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0V. Vehicles that were previously recalled under campaign 13V-429 are not affected by this recall.
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
Showing 10 of 202 complaints · page 1 of 9
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Odometer Fraud. The contact owned a 2009 Toyota Sienna. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the vehicle was sold. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the sale, the vehicle mileage was 253,000. The contact posted the sale on Craigslist, and several days after the sale, the contact noticed that the vehicle was posted back on Craigslist for sale. The contact discovered that the new owner had rolled back the mileage on the odometer to 126,000. The ad on Craigslist was showing the fraudulent mileage.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The driver's side sliding door was stuck and I was struggling with it. Suddenly, the quarter panel window shattered (the window between the door and the back of the car) and the door came halfway off the track. It's important to note that this was not the window of the door I was struggling with and nothing visible hit the window. Luckily, my baby was not yet in his seat which is right next to the window. It is normal for people to struggle with a stuck door. If a non-visibly connected window suddenly shatters it is a significant safety risk.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On my 2009 Toyota Sienna XLE V6 FWD. The anti-slip indicator light improperly turns-on on dry roads at safe speeds. This causes a distraction to the driver.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Vehicle has an unknown electrical draw this draining the battery every night, making vehicle unusable even in emergency. Mechanic has confirmed draw but is unable to find short.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Out of nowhere my vehicle started making a whining noise and then stopped moving then all these lights popped on my Dash getting it towed to a shop to come to find out that the solenoids for the transmission had went bad thank goodness I was on a side road only doing 25 mph I couldn't imagine being on the freeway doing 65 when this happened there has been numerous numerous other reports have the same issue
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The cables for the rear power sliding doors snapped on my car causing the door to be jammed shut. When the second one broke approximately two weeks later it's snap back whipping nearly hitting my three-year-old son
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Dashboard is sticky and extreme cracking. Makes it hard to see when sunlight hits dashboard. Have tried everything to try and get stickiness off. Nothing has worked.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The rear passenger side sliding door cable and motor assembly on the Toyota Sienna failed, causing the door to become completely inoperative (cannot open nor close) and the broken cable nearly cut my wife as it broke under tension and came flying out toward her as she was trying to close the door normally. The cable and motor had been replaced in 2015. The cable and motor on the rear driver side sliding door was also replaced in 2013 and 2017. The problem was confirmed by Woburn Toyota (dealer) and reported to the manufacturer. The manufacturer has confirmed the failure and safety defect, but refuses to provide repairs. No warnings were provided, no recall was issued, and customers were not notified of internal safety bulletin POL12-02 issued by Toyota.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
USUALLY MOVING BETWEEN 25- 45 MPH. ON ANY ROAD. THE VSC, TRACTION CONTROL, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME ON. FOR NO REASON THIS HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN DAILY. I HAVE LOOKED INTI THIS AND NUMEROUS, NUMEROUS PEOPLE EXPERIENCE TGE SAME PROBLEM
CrashFireInjuryDeath
ON DRY PAVEMENT DRIVING ABOUT 35-40 MILES AN HOUR THE VSC TRACTION SENSOR CAME ON LIGHTS AND SOUND AND HIT MY BRAKES MY STEERING WENT TO THE RIGHT I ALMOST GOT IN AN ACCIDENT THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED AND THEY CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT. *TR
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2009 Toyota Sienna?
Owners named Body / frame most often — 81 of 202 reports (40%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2009 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA lists 10 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline and Tires. 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 2009 Toyota Sienna?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck. 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.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
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.