1996 Toyota Sienna Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1996 Toyota Sienna, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags133.3%
- Body & structure133.3%
- Driver assistance133.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHING CONTINUALLY WHILE ENGINE IS RUNNING. DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT DIAGNOSTIC CODES B0111 AND B 0116 OPEN INSIDE SQUIB AIRBAGS. REPLACE SIDE AIRBAG SQUIBS COST PARTS AND LABOR $677 PLUS TAX
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE ELECTRIC SLIDING DOOR ON THIS MINIVAN IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS FOR TWO REASONS. THE FIRST IS THAT IT TAKES A GREAT DEAL OF RESISTANCE BEFORE THE DOOR WILL REVERSE WHEN IT ENCOUNTERS AN OBJECT. THAT OBJECT, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, HAS BEEN A CHILD GETTING IN OR OUT OF THE CAR. THIS HAS CAUSED SEVERAL BRUISES, BUT THE REAL CONCERN IS THAT A SMALLER CHILD WOULD BE CRUSHED, OR THE NECK OR LIMB OF A LARGER CHILD WOULD BE EASILY BROKEN. I AM AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN AND CAN ATTEST TO THIS FACT. THE SECOND DANGER POINT IS THAT THE DOOR OPERATES FROM A KEYCHAIN REMOTE. IF THE REMOTE IS BUMPED, DROPPED, OR LIGHTLY PRESSED (AS WHEN IN A POCKET), THE DOOR WILL EITHER OPEN OR CLOSE. THIS OFTEN OCCURS WHEN CHILDREN OR OTHER PASSENGERS ARE IN THE DOORWAY, AND HAS ALREADY RESULTED IN SEVERAL CRUSH INJURIES. THIS IS A DEADLY COMBINATION OF DESIGN FLAWS (I.E. A HAIR-TRIGGER ON A GUILLOTINE) THAT MOST ASSUREDLY WILL CAUSE A DISASTER. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE TOYOTA DEALER AND WITH THEIR NATIONAL OFFICE, AND THEY BOTH TOLD ME THAT "THEY HAVEN'T HAD ANOTHER COMPLAINT SO I MUST BE WORRYING ABOUT NOTHING." THE DEALER, HOWEVER, WAS SURPRISED WHEN I DEMONSTRATED HOW MUCH FORCE WAS REQUIRED TO REVERSE THE DOOR. THIS PROBLEM MUST BE INVESTIGATED. IN THE MEANTIME, WE HAVE DEACTIVATED THIS DANGEROUS HAZARD. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE ACCELERATOR CABLE BROKE/DISENGAGED, WHILE DRIVING. *TS *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .