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2005 Toyota SiennaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 1,130 owner complaints about the 2005 Toyota Sienna, most often about the structure. It is covered by 12 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-396 the manufacturer reports only 24% of affected cars repaired.

2005 Toyota Sienna
17
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid4.8× the Sienna median · #2 of 23 years by complaints
Safety recalls12Lowest repair rate 24%Owner complaints1,130106 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage65kStructure, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 31, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2005 Toyota Sienna has problems

1,130 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Structure49934
Latches/locks/linkages1357
Seat belts832
Steering791
Tires671
Electrical system651
Vehicle speed control6218
Air bags6011
Power train484
22 other systems24025

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

12 recalls

2005 Toyota Sienna recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

37%repaired · 2019 Q1

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 17V-657 · Oct 18, 2017 · 310,475 vehicles · 114,485 repaired

Risk. 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,…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

24%repaired · 2017 Q4

Front assembly: seat heater/cooler

Recall 16V-396 · Jun 2, 2016 · 7,749 vehicles · 1,831 repaired

Risk. If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

27%repaired · 2016 Q2

Front assembly: seat heater/cooler

Recall 14V-743 · Nov 19, 2014 · 3,233 vehicles · 871 repaired

Risk. 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.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

37%repaired · 2016 Q4

Tires: temporary/emergency spare tire

Recall 14V-273 · May 22, 2014 · 419,520 vehicles · 155,374 repaired

Risk. If the carrier cable is corroded due to road salt, the spare tire may separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 8 more recalls
50%repaired · 2015 Q2

Power train: automatic transmission

Recall 13V-429 · Sep 26, 2013 · 614,722 vehicles · 304,321 repaired

Risk. 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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 11V-539 · Nov 9, 2011 · 420,326 vehicles

Risk. IN SOME CASES, THE BELT FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PULLEY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A SUDDEN INCREASE IN…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Structure

Recall 10V-160 · Apr 20, 2010 · 600,000 vehicles

Risk. THE CABLE MAY BREAK DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND THE SPARE TIRE MAY SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Body: hatchback/liftgate

Recall 08V-244 · Jun 3, 2008 · 196,222 vehicles

Risk. IF NOT REPAIRED, THE GAS STRUTS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT OF THE LIFTGATE WHEN IT IS OPEN EVENTUALLY, THE GAS STRUTS COULD DETERIORATE TO THE POINT…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Seat belts

Recall 05V-327 · Jul 20, 2005 · 345,443 vehicles

Risk. IF THE SEAT BELT BINDS IN THE BEZEL, THAT EXTRA WEBBING MAY EXIST IN THE SEAT BELT WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN IMPROPERLY FITTED SEAT BELT ON A PASSENGER.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.

Mileage at failure

When do structure problems start?

65kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 428 structure complaints. 79% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
25under 30k miles339under 100k miles89100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Structure

72 owners mentioned a cost

$1,500median

Middle half: $831 – $1,925

Air bags

17 owners mentioned a cost

$2,400median

Middle half: $1,500 – $3,000

Latches/locks/linkages

16 owners mentioned a cost

$1,750median

Middle half: $800 – $2,000

Steering

10 owners mentioned a cost

$1,085median

Middle half: $850 – $1,425

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2005 vs. every other Sienna year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sienna median. How we score

'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2005 Toyota Sienna safety ratings

2005 Toyota Sienna in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2005 Toyota Sienna frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2005 Toyota Sienna side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: Optional
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
6 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2005 Toyota Sienna, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SEATBELT MALFUNCTIONEA05010 · closed Aug 2, 2005
    Led to recall 05V-327
  2. UNEXPECTED CLOSING OF POWER LIFTGATEEA06020 · closed Jun 25, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-244
  3. STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BINDINGEA08024 · closed Jul 16, 2009
    No recall
  4. Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts FailingEQ12010 · closed Dec 31, 2012
    No recall
  5. TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM FAILUREPE06010 · closed Aug 2, 2006
    No recall
  6. UNEXPECTED LIFTGATE CLOSINGPE06029 · closed Dec 1, 2006
    No recall
In owners' words

What Sienna owners report

Recent structure complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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.
Complaint 11591696 · May 31, 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.
Complaint 11556754 · Nov 25, 2023
Broken spare tire carrier. Seems to be a common problem on XLE sienna. I have 2005 LE and my spare tire carrier is completely broken. Tried getting a replacement from 5 parts car sienna and they were all broken as well! Another common problems Sienna have are rack and pinions. They always leak. I…
Complaint 11486049 · Sep 23, 2022

Own a 2005 Sienna?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.