10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
21 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
52,229 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2008 Toyota Sienna:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #29

Aug 202012

Sienna

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while driving 3 mph and attempting to park, the vehicle abnormally accelerated, which caused the vehicle to crash several times. The contact attempted to control the vehicle however, the vehicle crashed sideways into a building. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries reported however, the vehicle was not drivable and was towed to the dealer. The dealer had not yet diagnosed the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who filed a case on behalf of the contact (case number 1208222975). The failure and current mileage was 50,000.

- Dallas , TX, USA

problem #28

May 252012

Sienna

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sienna. The contact was stopped in a parking space when the brakes were depressed and the vehicle accelerated to approximately 25 mph. The vehicle crashed through the parking sign and into a tree. The contact continued to depress the brakes and shifted into reverse. The vehicle then reversed and crashed into another tree. After the contact activated the emergency brake, the vehicle came to a complete stop. The child in the rear passenger seat sustained bruises to the neck and shoulders. The contact sustained neck and shoulder injuries, and bruises to the right leg. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician stated that the floor mat could have possibly caused the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that an inspector would be sent to inspect the vehicle to determine the cause of the unintended acceleration failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

- Richland, WA, USA

problem #27

Jan 142008

Sienna

  • 16 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated while driving, the rpms increased and the vehicle lunged forward. The failure was intermittent; however, in May 2011, the contact applied the brakes but the vehicle suddenly accelerated. She shifted into neutral and turned the vehicle off in order to stop the vehicle. The same failure occurred 45 minutes later. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer but the dealer could not find anything wrong. The contact called the manufacturer regarding the failure; however, they offered no assistance. The current mileage was approximately 45,000. The failure mileage was 16.

- South Easton, MA, USA

problem #26

Nov 152010

Sienna

  • 20,850 miles
There is an intermittent lag in throttle response after pressing on the acceleration pedal for approximately 2 seconds. During the lag period, the vehicle does not accelerate. This is a problem that is then followed by a lunge in the vehicle, almost as if the vehicle"S electronic acceleration system, ?drive by wire, ? is trying to catch up with the depressed acceleration pedal. This has occurred at very inappropriate times, where we would have to suddenly apply the brakes abruptly. The nature of the defect is unusual and not only poses a safety problem while the vehicle is lunging, but also poses a serious safety issue, if we were trying to merge on a limited access highway. Being that a vehicle traveling on a limited access highway may be traveling at 60 mph. That vehicle will travel approximately 176 feet in that two second lag time of our vehicle"S acceleration system.

- Clarks Summit, PA, USA

problem #25

Oct 102010

Sienna

  • 25,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the vehicle it suddenly accelerated forward. The contact applied the brakes abruptly and was able to stop the vehicle from moving any further. On a separate occasion while driving 20 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently and caused the contact to crash through a fence, causing damages to the vehicle front end. There were no injuries. The contact called the dealer but no action was taken. The contact believed the vehicle was extremely unsafe to drive. The failure mileage was 25,000.

- Newville, PA, USA

problem #24

Aug 092010

Sienna

  • 60,500 miles
Pulling 2008 totally Sienna into parking spot. As I was turning my steering wheel towards the left into the parking space, the van suddenly accelerated forward at a high speed and crashed into a car parked adjacent to the space I was attempting to park in. Witnesses observed the event. After appropriate reports were taken, the van was taken to a Toyota dealer where I was told that my vehicle was not involved in the recall. I believe that my car make and model were just entered into a database. Not sure a mechanic even inspected the accelerator.

- Brandon, MS, USA

problem #23

Oct 172007

Sienna

  • 83,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that there was a rattling noise in the passengers side sliding door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who installed a rubber lining but that did not resolve the failure. The contact stated that the doors were not properly aligned. The throttle control has also malfunctioned. The contact stated that when the accelerator pedal was depressed the vehicle accelerated uncontrollably. The dealer stated that the vehicle was functioning normally. The contact stated that the vehicle also began pulling to the left, but that has not been diagnosed by the dealer at this time. The current mileage was 83,000.

- Hartly, DE, USA

problem #22

Jul 282010

Sienna

  • 25,000 miles
1. engine lights came on alerting us to a problem (check engine, service engine, etc.). after alleged repair, spouse drove to families house approximate 600 miles away and found a significant amount of oil had leaked from the system - oil had been changed as part of the fix. A second dealer, at the new location, "fixed" with the same hose again, with similar results, though my spouse only drop 120 miles. She is unable to continue the trip home due to this issue. 2. after taking to dealer, was told the vvt oil line was a known faulty part and needed replacement. Was not a "formal" recall, but was considered an internal recall to Toyota that needed to be fixed for "free". both dealerships claimed to have fixed the problem, though the engine is still leaking a significant amount of oil. There is a significant amount of data on the web that addresses this oil line and the associated issues. 3. part was replaced, but with same type (part number, composition, etc.). basically, a "new" bad part was replaced. Furthermore, the first dealership installed various gaskets and seals incorrectly, and still gave the car a safe rating for a 600 mile trip. The second dealership merely replaced a bad oil line with another bad oil line.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #21

Jul 102010

Sienna

  • 35,000 miles
This happened yesterday July 10, 2010 Saturday in the regional parks parking lot. Since it's unpaved so there was rocks and dirt on the ground so I was driving extremely slow to come to a stop at a spot to park ' I was driving way below 5 mph and even slower when I was about to come to stop ' as I also know outside of the wire fence, beyond the narrow road, it was a cliff with a substantial drop of elevation; and I have my whole family in the car. I was driving a Toyota Sienna mini van which I have been a loyal customer and a big believer of the quality. Just around the time the car is about to stop, all of a sudden, it sped up forward in such a force we were all pushed back against the seat back, I immediately moved my foot to the brake and press all the way but it was not responsive and did not slow the car. Instead, the car sped up and went through the wire fence at about 45 degree angle, while I was steering towards left to avoid it with very little effect, and dropped down the slope onto the road, all the while kept speeding up, and then got across the road and hit a wooden pole on the road side by the cliff straight on. Then the car stopped and the brake seemed to work again as my right foot was pushing all the way down on the brake for the whole time ' so I shifted to park, turned off the engine, and then open the door to tell people coming up that we were fine. Someone called the high way patrol and the officer arrived later to take the case and later transfer the case to the park police for report. The car was towed to a body shop and most likely is totaled. We have insurance coverage so the financial damage to us wasn't big. But we are really concerned of what has happened. We were so lucky to have escaped the drop down the cliff and extremely lucky that we did not hit anyone along the way, even though it was only a few seconds (maybe 3-5 seconds) but this was a crowded park and there were many bikers biking along the road.

- Pleasanton, CA, USA

problem #20

Jun 052010

Sienna

  • miles
I have a 2008 Toyota Sienna AWD. Saturday afternoon I was driving East along lee highway in arlington, va (probably moving at about 30 to 35 mph) with my two small children, and I slowed as I approached the intersection with harrison street (which is a rather busy intersection). My traffic light was red, so I needed to stop. I applied the brakes fully, and the car continued to slow, but it did not stop fully. I released the brake and then pushed it hard all the way to the mat, but the car still continued to inch forward. I became frightened and threw the car into park and hit the emergency brake. The car seemed to stop, but I turned off the ignition just in case. I was a few minutes from home, so I drove home with my hazards on and parked the car. I have not driven it since. I called the dealership that has been primarily servicing the vehicle (koons arlington), and was told to call Toyota headquarters - 800.331.4331. I called this number for headquarters, but after remaining on hold for over 5 minutes with no end in sight and without hearing a live person, I hung up and tried the dealership again. A service representative told me to have the vehicle towed to the dealership, which I did early this morning. I am awaiting a response from the dealership. I emailed them for a status update earlier this afternoon.

- Arlington, VA, USA

problem #19

Apr 062008

Sienna

  • 12,573 miles
TL- contact owns 2008 Toyota Sienna. As the contact was pulling into their driveway at 10 mph with the brakes depressed, the vehicle abnormally accelerated. The vehicle was placed in park and the engine continued racing. The dealer stated that nothing was wrong with the brakes or accelerator after test driving the vehicle. There were no repairs made to the vehicle. The failure and current mileages were 12,573.

- Bradenton, FL, USA

problem #18

Apr 282010

Sienna

  • miles
2008 Toyota Sienna acceleration hesitation this minivan hesitates from driver acceleration for 1-2 seconds intermittently at very low speeds. However, the problem can be reproduced very easily by making a corner turn at low speed, and increasing acceleration after the turn. The minivan will not respond for 1-2 seconds before 'jumping' into the acceleration. The biggest safety issue with this is a left turn across an oncoming lane of traffic (similar to a corner turn). If I am coasting to the intersection for the turn, the minivan does not respond to the driver input for acceleration to get out of the way of the oncoming car (until through the intersection). Knowing this defect, I compensate for it, but an unsuspecting driver could have an accident with this defect.

- Franklin, MA, USA

problem #17

Apr 112010

Sienna

  • 51,398 miles
Engine accelerated while parking in a parking spot and crashed into a pole.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #16

Apr 012010

Sienna

  • 22,553 miles
Vehicle traveling 35mph on a level street. Warm, dry, windy, cloudy afternoon. Sudden acceleration! brief (1-2 seconds) ended before I could depress the brake. No damage, collision or injury occurred. Just startled. Checked for floor mat or other visible obstruction/ impedance, none apparent. This was the first time I was sure of the occurrence. There have been a variety of what appear to be electrical /electronic "glitches" : ac green light on button comes on by itself, summer or winter and sometimes I can not get it to turn off. Seatbelt light sometimes comes on when they are properly in use. (and nothing heavy resting on the seats) also airbag light sometimes. Service light remains on sometimes after oil change service. Brake highly sensitive gas pedal very touchy, especially from stop, ie at light. Hard to not spin wheels on starting. (especially when pavement wet, even on level St.). fortunately, having lived in snow territory, I know the importance of slow starts and stops when possible. I have not checked any sites to see if Sienna 2008 has any problems listed yet.

- Cedar Lake, IN, USA

problem #15

Nov 032007

Sienna

  • 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Sienna. While the contact was driving at a speed of 5 mph attempting to pull into his driveway the vehicle had suddenly surged forward causing the contact to crash into his screen door. No one was injured and a police report was not filed for the incident. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the failure could not be reproduced. The contact noticed prior that he could smell braking fluid coming from the rear of the vehicle. The current and failure mileages were 30,000.

- Ocala, FL, USA

problem #14

Aug 202009

Sienna

  • 44,000 miles
2008 Toyota Sienna.

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #13

Sep 082009

Sienna

  • 12,000 miles
Making a sharp left turn crossing a rr track brake was applied to negotiate curve, car did not decelerate resulting in wide turn, striking rr track, swinging car, and running down the track. Repairs roughly $12,000.. second incident: November 2009. Backed out of parking space, car accelerated in reverse across lot, a sidewalk and street stopping about 20 feet from gas pumps at a station across the street. No crash, no apparent damage to car.

- Albany, MN, USA

problem #12

Jan 302010

Sienna

  • 39,500 miles
Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) Toyota Sienna le 2008 did not stop when braking. Issue with acceleration on tachometer after braking. I have taken the vehicle to Toyota collision center on 2/1/10 the first business day after the accident. The collision center hold onto my vehicle till 2/15/10 [xxx] mention he will start working on it and every time he ask me if I will file a claim which he state the vehicle would take longer to repair then. And be ready this wed 2/24/10 which I call yesterday and he mentioned he was not sure. I have tried to find a lawyer (1800lawyers) but they did not want to take cases relating to Toyota. Now I'm without me vehicle for several weeks and I cannot do anything. I have reported this issue with Toyota case[xxx] and I have geico insurance case [xxx] (1800654-5896 ext 5608 [xxx] ). I was traveling westbound, sunny day, clear road with my wife and child. The vehicle in front stopped, I pressed on the brakes to stop, first the tachometer sped up then their was not braking. I was traveling 15-20 miles per hours at the time on regular street. I have been without my vehicle for almost one month which I need the car for work.

- Rancho Cordova, CA, USA

problem #11

May 102008

Sienna

  • 1,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sienna. While driving 35 mpf with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle began to reduce speed when the senor recognized another vehicle approaching. The contact stated that whenever a vehicle in front of him changed lanes, the vehicle accelerated to the set speed. The contact is concerned about the safety risk involved. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure. The contact would like for the manufacturer to have the laser sensor removed. The failure mileage was 1,000. Updated 03/17/10.

- Escondido, CA, USA

problem #10

Apr 012008

Sienna

  • 9,000 miles
On April 1, 2008, at about 9:30 P.M., my two sons, 19 and 16, and my youngest son's friend drove South on interstate 35 out of downtown minneapolis upon conclusion of a twins game. About three blocks North of crosstown highway 62, going 60 mph I passed a car by putting the accelerator on the floor. Traffic is somewhat heavy of course. The car continued accelerating despite the fact that I took my foot off of the accelerator. I calmly told my 19 year old son sitting next to me that the accelerator was stuck. He shifted the car into neutral, and then into park and reverse when the shift into neutral didn't seem to correct the problem. He then shifted the car back into neutral, my foot was on the brake, and I was able to slow the car down on the 80 degree turn onto the crosstown 62 from I35. I slowed the car down to about 45 mph and, luckily, was able to get to the shoulder. I took the car in to my local maintenance shop the next day. The owner of the shop suggested that I ask the dealer I purchased the minivan from, bloomington Toyota, to check at least the following three items: Throttle position sensor, engine control module, and idle control motor. On May 15, 2008, I brought the minivan into bloomington Toyota and told them what my local shop owner suggested. After testing the vehicle, the service manager told me that they found nothing wrong with the vehicle and that if the accelerator had malfunctioned, their computer testing devices would have detected it and had detected nothing.

- Northfield, MN, USA

Read the next 9 complaints »