Toyota Sienna 1998–2003 problems by year and mileage
1st generation (XL10)
NHTSA data through 24 September 20261,338 complaints, 614 with mileageMethod
Which year is yours? Tap it to see what breaks on it.
The 1998 Toyota Sienna
Close- Median failure report
- 79,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 294
- Recalls naming this year
- 2
Most reported on the 1998
- Latches and locks40 reports
- Hydraulic brake circuit39 reports
- Tyres38 reports
2 recall campaigns name the 1998: Structure; Electrical system — ignition. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 1999 Toyota Sienna
Close- Median failure report
- 90,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 215
- Recalls naming this year
- 2
Most reported on the 1999
- Engine and its cooling system39 reports
- Body structure36 reports
- Tyres28 reports
2 recall campaigns name the 1999: Structure; Electrical system — ignition. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2000 Toyota Sienna
Close- Median failure report
- 82,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 363
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2000
- Transmission and driveline67 reports
- Engine and its cooling system66 reports
- Body structure52 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2000: Structure. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2001 Toyota Sienna
Close- Median failure report
- 66,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 180
- Recalls naming this year
- 2
Most reported on the 2001
- Body structure35 reports
- Latches and locks34 reports
- Engine and its cooling system24 reports
2 recall campaigns name the 2001: Structure; Structure — frame and members. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2002 Toyota Sienna
Close- Median failure report
- 67,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 181
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2002
- Body structure42 reports
- Latches and locks27 reports
- Electrical system24 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2002: Structure. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
The 2003 Toyota Sienna
Close- Median failure report
- 54,000 mi
- Complaints filed
- 105
- Recalls naming this year
- 1
Most reported on the 2003
- Latches and locks21 reports
- Body structure18 reports
- Hydraulic brake circuit12 reports
1 recall campaign names the 2003: Structure. Not every car in a campaign is affected — check the VIN at NHTSA. Recall repairs are free.
Each tile shows the median mileage at which that model year’s failures were reported. The 1999 reports latest and the 2003 earliest, but part of that gap is age: the 1999 has had 4 more years on the road to accumulate mileage.
The short answer
“Is the 1998–2003 Toyota Sienna reliable?”
- Median of reported failures
- 74,000 mi
- 90% of reports came by
- 150,000 mi
- Reports with mileage
- 614
- Recalls
- 3
Most reported
- Body structure16.3% of complaints · median 91,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system13.8% of complaints · median 70,000 mi
- Latches and locks13.2% of complaints · median 70,000 mi
Owners filed 1,338 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998–2003 Toyota Sienna; body structure leads with 16.3% of them, and half of the 614 that record an odometer reading came by 74,000 miles. A count like this can’t rate reliability on its own: NHTSA records what owners chose to report, not how many of each car were sold.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 36,000 and 113,000 miles.
Before-you-buy checklist ↓At your mileage ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
How many miles does a 1998–2003 Toyota Sienna last?
Complaint records can’t measure how long a car lasts; they show when reported failures happened. On the 1998–2003 Toyota Sienna, half of the 614 complaints that record an odometer reading were filed by 74,000 miles and 90% by 150,000 miles.
64 reports came in past 150,000 miles and 22 past 200,000 — each one proof that a Sienna reached that mileage, not that it failed there.
Figure 1 · Toyota Sienna 1998–2003 · 614 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 56 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 22 complaints (3.6%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 15,000
- 25%
- 36,000
- Median
- 73,658
- 75%
- 112,600
- 90%
- 150,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 43 | 7.0% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 38 | 6.2% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 32 | 5.2% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 54 | 8.8% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 31 | 5.0% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 30 | 4.9% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 51 | 8.3% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 56 | 9.1% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 34 | 5.5% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 40 | 6.5% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 43 | 7.0% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 28 | 4.6% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 28 | 4.6% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 28 | 4.6% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 14 | 2.3% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 19 | 3.1% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 9 | 1.5% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 6 | 1.0% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 5 | 0.8% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 3 | 0.5% |
| 200,000+ | 22 | 3.6% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Common Sienna problems, and when they happen
Figure 2 · Toyota Sienna 1998–2003
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Tyres143 reports45,00022,000–100,000Tyres: 143 reports, median 45,000 miles, middle half 22,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit131 reports52,00019,000–83,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 131 reports, median 52,000 miles, middle half 19,000 to 83,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system184 reports70,00043,000–100,000Engine and its cooling system: 184 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 43,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Latches and locks177 reports70,00025,000–106,000Latches and locks: 177 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 25,000 to 106,000 miles.
- Electrical system89 reports75,00045,000–118,000Electrical system: 89 reports, median 75,000 miles, middle half 45,000 to 118,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline130 reports79,00061,000–119,000Transmission and driveline: 130 reports, median 79,000 miles, middle half 61,000 to 119,000 miles.
- Body structure218 reports91,00055,000–120,000Body structure: 218 reports, median 91,000 miles, middle half 55,000 to 120,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
All systems in a table
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body structure | 218 | 16.3% | 91,000 | 55,000–120,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 184 | 13.8% | 70,000 | 43,000–100,000 |
| Latches and locks | 177 | 13.2% | 70,000 | 25,000–106,000 |
| Tyres | 143 | 10.7% | 45,000 | 22,000–100,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 131 | 9.8% | 52,000 | 19,000–83,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 130 | 9.7% | 79,000 | 61,000–119,000 |
| Electrical system | 89 | 6.7% | 75,000 | 45,000–118,000 |
| Steering | 74 | 5.5% | 66,000 | 12,000–109,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 63 | 4.7% | 112,000 | 70,000–153,000 |
| Seat belts | 60 | 4.5% | 79,000 | 55,000–100,000 |
System by system, in words
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 74,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Body structure accounts for 16.3% of complaints (218 reports, 111 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 91,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 55,000 and 120,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 13.8% of complaints (184 reports, 71 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 43,000 and 100,000 miles.
Latches and locks account for 13.2% of complaints (177 reports, 112 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 25,000 and 106,000 miles.
The tyres account for 10.7% of complaints (143 reports, 37 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 45,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 22,000 and 100,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 9.8% of complaints (131 reports, 51 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 52,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 19,000 and 83,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 9.7% of complaints (130 reports, 56 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 79,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 61,000 and 119,000 miles.
Known problems with the 1998–2003 Sienna
Engine (oil Gelling / Sludge) 1998–2002
The 1MZ-FE V6 is part of the Toyota engine family affected by oil gelling - sludge accumulation that blocks oil passages and destroys the engine. Toyota's Oil Gel Policy extended engine coverage to 8 years with no mileage limit for affected owners. This is the defining engine risk for the generation.
Sliding Doors 1998–2003
Sliding door cable, latch and roller failures causing doors that will not open, will not latch, or bind on the track.
Before you buy a 1998–2003 Sienna: the 3-minute check
Generated from 614 mileage-tagged complaints, 3 recall campaigns, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 3 campaigns cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check engine (oil gelling / sludge) on 1998–2002 cars. The 1MZ-FE V6 is part of the Toyota engine family affected by oil gelling - sludge accumulation that blocks oil passages and destroys the engine. Toyota's Oil Gel Policy extended engine coverage to 8 years with no…
- Check sliding doors on 1998–2003 cars. Sliding door cable, latch and roller failures causing doors that will not open, will not latch, or bind on the track.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 36,000 and 113,000 miles, with a median of 74,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, body structure and the engine and its cooling system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The engine and its cooling system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 70,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Sienna problems by mileage: where your car sits
Type your odometer reading, or read the common mileages in the table. Your marker lands on the timing chart above and on the curve below.
| System | Middle half of reports, mi | At 60k mi37% below | At 90k mi60% below | At 120k mi78% below | At 150k mi90% below | At 200k mi96% below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body structure | 55,000–120,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Engine and its cooling system | 43,000–100,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Latches and locks | 25,000–106,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Tyres | 22,000–100,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 19,000–83,000 | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Transmission and driveline | 61,000–119,000 | later | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
| Electrical system | 45,000–118,000 | in window | in window | earlier | earlier | earlier |
Figure 3 · Toyota Sienna 1998–2003 · 614 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 37% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 60% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 78% of reports below
- 150,000 mi — 90% of reports below
- 200,000 mi — 96% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it above
The staircase tops out at 96%: the remaining 3.6% of reports (22) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
1998–2003 Toyota Sienna recalls (3)
NHTSA records 3 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around body structure (2), the electrical system (1). Several campaigns against one area can mean a remedy that did not hold, or separate defects in parts filed under the same heading; the summaries below name each defect.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Apr 2010 · 1998–2003 · StructureThe cable may break due to excessive corrosion and the spare tire may separate from the vehicle, possibly…
The defect. Toyota is recalling certain model year 1998 through 2010 Sienna passenger vehicles manufactured between august 7, 1997 and january 4, 2010, currently registered in or originally sold in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, kentucky, maine, maryland…
What can happen. The cable may break due to excessive corrosion and the spare tire may separate from the vehicle, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
The free fix. 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…
Mar 2001 · 2001 · StructureThis condition could cause failure of the assembly following long-term usage, increasing the risk of a crash.
The defect. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. The front sub frame assembly has not been adequately welded.
What can happen. This condition could cause failure of the assembly following long-term usage, increasing the risk of a crash.
The free fix. Dealers will inspect and replace the front sub frame, if necessary. Owner notification began april 9, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and…
Oct 1998 · 1998–1999 · Electrical SystemThis condition can cause intermittent performance of the vehicle's electrical components such as the dash…
The defect. Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles, MINI vans and passenger vehicles equipped with a theft deterrent systems (tds) supplied by audiovox corporation and distributed by southeast Toyota distributors, inc. In the states of alabama, florida, georgia…
What can happen. This condition can cause intermittent performance of the vehicle's electrical components such as the dash warning lights and/or hvac fan speed controls. Also, the vehicle may not run smoothly and…
The free fix. Dealers will inspect the date code label on the security system harness and any displaying the manufacturing/final date code will be replaced with newly produced harnesses. The date codes are: RAV4…
Crashes, fires and injuries owners reported
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,338 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 95 (7.1%)
- Fires
- 17
- Injury reports
- 73
- Fatality reports
- 3
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Sienna problems by model year
The 2000 drew the most complaints of this generation, 363, most of them about the transmission and driveline, and the 2003 the fewest, 105. A typical year drew about 198.
| Year | Complaints | With mileage | Median miles | Most reported | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 294 | 72 | 79,000 | Latches and locks (40) | 2 |
| 1999 | 215 | 67 | 90,000 | Engine and its cooling system (39) | 2 |
| 2000 | 363 | 156 | 82,000 | Transmission and driveline (67) | 1 |
| 2001 | 180 | 124 | 66,000 | Body structure (35) | 2 |
| 2002 | 181 | 118 | 67,000 | Body structure (42) | 1 |
| 2003 | 105 | 77 | 54,000 | Latches and locks (21) | 1 |
What Sienna owners reported
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…
2000 · 211,000 miles · Parking brake
Brakes make a noise when the car is about to stop. There is a squeal and thump that can be heard. Have taken this in several times to be fixed. They say the brakes are safe. I am 74 years old and have had many cars over the years and the only times other cars have made this kind of noise it was time to change the…
2002 · 16,000 miles · Brakes
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…
2000 · 130,000 miles · Problems owners could not categorise
The driver's side rear sliding door has several times now refused to latch, and when in emergency situation i have locked it and forced it to shut then it will not unlock and it has to be taken apart to be opened and the whole latch and lock mechanism reworked by the mechanic, and in the meantime the door is unable to…
2001 · 147,000 miles · Body structure
Built from 614 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-09-26 · open data · how it is built
Other Sienna generations
- Sienna 2004–2010 4,338 reports with mileage, most about body structure
- Sienna 2011–2020 955 reports with mileage, most about body structure