VehicleVerdict

2013 Toyota Sienna problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

One of the years to avoid

The 2013 Toyota Sienna carries two red flags at once: 226 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA and an open NHTSA defect investigation (subject: Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). It is one of the Sienna years to avoid. Complainants reported 14 injuries in total across these filings.

No single system dominates the record — complaints spread across body & structure (45), other (32), and electrical system (26), which usually points to general build quality rather than one defect. In government crash testing it earned 4 of 5 NCAP stars overall.

226

NHTSA complaints

6

Recalls

1

Investigations · 1 open

9

Crash-involved

1

Fires reported

14

Injuries

0

Deaths

4

NCAP overall · of 5 stars

How does 2013 compare to other Sienna years?

Sienna NHTSA complaints by model year, 2013 highlighted2,588 complaints1996: 3 complaints1997: 2 complaints1998: 352 complaints1999: 250 complaints2000: 459 complaints2001: 238 complaints2002: 225 complaints2003: 124 complaints2004: 2,588 complaints2005: 1,418 complaints2006: 1,284 complaints2007: 450 complaints2008: 570 complaints2009: 270 complaints2010: 227 complaints2011: 813 complaints2012: 331 complaints2013: 226 complaints2014: 207 complaints2015: 291 complaints2016: 98 complaints2017: 199 complaints2018: 85 complaints2019: 58 complaints2020: 48 complaints
Sienna NHTSA complaints by model year, 2013 highlighted. Red bars are years to avoid.

See all Sienna years to avoid →

What are the most common 2013 Toyota Sienna problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Body & Structure4520%
Other3214%
Electrical System2612%
Airbags2511%
Transmission146%
Brakes125%
Steering115%
Tires & Wheels115%
Visibility & Wipers94%
Latches & Locks94%
Engine84%
Speed Control73%
Fuel System63%
Suspension42%
Seat Belts42%
Seats31%

Does the 2013 Toyota Sienna have recalls?

6 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

19V741000AirbagsOctober 17, 2019 · 928,220 units

Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.

19V553000BrakesJuly 25, 2019 · 303 units

Defect

Vantage Mobility International, LLC (Vantage) is recalling certain 2012-2018 AMS Genesis wheelchair vans, built on a Toyota Sienna vehicles. The rubber brake hoses that attach to the rear wheel assembly may be too short, causing them to rub against the rear axle trailing arm.

Consequence

The contact may cause failure of the rear brake hoses, resulting in a loss of vehicle control and reduced braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Vantage will notify owners, and dealers will install a set of rear brake hoses that will provide the proper clearance, free of charge. The recall began December 16, 2019. Owners may contact Vantage customer service at 1-800-488-9082.

19V005000AirbagsJanuary 9, 2019 · 1,299,448 units

Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Toyota is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS250, IS350, 2011-2016 4Runner, 2011-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2011-2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, 2011-2017 Lexus GX460, and 2011-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010-2013 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Lexus IS350, 2010-2016 4Runner, 2010-2013 Lexus IS250, 2010-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2010-2014 Lexus IS-F, and 2010-2012 Lexus ES350 vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are "Zone A" Toyota: G0P, Lexus: GLG; "Zone B" Toyota: G0R, Lexus GLH; "Zone C" Toyota: H0A, and Lexus: HLA.

18V024000AirbagsJanuary 9, 2018 · 628,018 units

Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2013 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, 4Runner, Lexus IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, IS-F, and GX460 vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of AL, CA, FL, GA, HI, LA, MS, SC, TX, PR, AS, GU, the MP (Saipan), and the U.S. VI or "Zone A." Toyota is also recalling certain 2010 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Yaris, 4Runner, Lexus IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, ES350, IS-F, GX460, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles sold, ever registered, in the states of AZ, AR, DE, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, and WV or "Zone B." Toyota is also recalling certain 2009 Scion xB, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Yaris, Lexus IS250, IS350, ES350, IS-F, and Pontiac Vibe vehicles ever registered in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence

An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began on January 29, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331, or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for this recall are "Zone A" Toyota: G0P, Lexus: GLG; "Zone B" Toyota: G0R, Lexus GLH; "Zone C" Toyota: H0A, and Lexus: HLA.

16V858000Body & StructureNovember 29, 2016 · 744,437 units

Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Toyota Sienna minivans manufactured January 4, 2010, to August 12, 2016. If the power sliding door is unable to be opened when commanded, such as if the door is frozen shut, the door may subsequently open unexpectedly, possibly while the vehicle is moving.

Consequence

If door opens while the vehicle is moving, there would be an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants.

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the junction block, rear sliding door wire harnesses, and install two sub wire harnesses, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is G04.

13V014000SeatsJanuary 16, 2013 · 3,235 units

Defect

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.

Consequence

If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

Remedy

Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Open NHTSA investigations

EA21002

Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, BOTH SLIDING DOORS MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOORS REMAINED OPEN WHEN PROMPTED TO AUTOMATICALLY CLOSE. IN ADDITION, THE SLIDING DOORS HAD TO BE MANUALLY LOCKED AND UNLOCKED. A DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Body & Structure · September 17, 2017

“I had sever car accident while I am 7 months pregnant including my 5 years old sons . During the accident my airbag was not deployed which lead me hematoma in my uterus. That car is totally losses and the accident was severe .Thank God we put the sit belt and even if the frontdash board hit me bad…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Other · June 6, 2022 · crash

“MY 2013 TOYOTA SIENNA HAS A RECALL AND A PROBLEM WITH THE SIDE PASSENGER SLIDDING DOOR TOYOTA DEALER SHIP AND FINDLAY IN HENDERSON NEVADA WONT FIX IT..I CALLED THE MANU9THE WONT FIX IT THE WANT ME TO PAY BECOUSE THE MOTOR IS NOT LISTED ..I'M SCARED THAT THE DOOR WILL OPEN WHILE DRIVING AND THAT IT…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · November 1, 2019

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE DRIVER FAILED TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND CRASHED HEAD ON INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THEN A LIGHT POLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE DRIVER SUSTAINED A BROKEN NOSE, RIBS AND…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Airbags · July 19, 2013 · crash

“Grinding noise began from the rear of the vehicle increasing as acceleration increased. Took to the shop and found at the Rear Differential failed at 75,000 requiring replacement for thousands of dollars. The same year RAV4 has been recalled for this already - the Sienna should have a recall also.…”

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Transmission · July 18, 2021

2013 Toyota Sienna — common questions

Is the 2013 Toyota Sienna reliable?

NHTSA data argues against it: 226 complaints put the 2013 model at #15 of 25 Sienna years, and a defect investigation remains open. It is one of the Sienna years to avoid.

What are the most common 2013 Sienna problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are body & structure (45 complaints), other (32 complaints), electrical system (26 complaints).

Does the 2013 Toyota Sienna have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns affecting the 2013 Toyota Sienna. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Is the 2013 Toyota Sienna under NHTSA investigation?

Yes — an investigation remains open (Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture). An open ODI action means NHTSA is actively assessing a possible defect.

Which Toyota Sienna years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Sienna years to avoid are 2004, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2008, 2000, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014. The cleanest record among Sienna years belongs to 1997.

How safe is the 2013 Toyota Sienna?

In NHTSA's NCAP crash testing, the 2013 Toyota Sienna earned an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.