6 Best Toyota Sienna Model Years According to CarComplaints
At its inception, the Toyota Sienna has been a staple in the minivan market for years, initially taking over for the dated and quirky Toyota Previa. The Sienna name has become synonymous with the minivan all over the world. Even though many can argue that Toyota puts out quality models with many of its cars lasting well over 200,000 miles, there are always some models that are better than others. The Sienna is no different. CarComplaints has compiled a list of the best used Toyota Sienna model years, taking both customer satisfaction and professional product reviews into consideration.
First generation Sienna: 2001
According to CarComplaints, 2001 is when Toyota started to get the Toyota Sienna right after a couple of years on the market. While the Sienna was still in its first generation, its durability and longevity were extremely impressive for its time, as well as today. CarComplaints lists the most common complaint with the 2001 Sienna deals with the exterior accessories including door handles breaking and weather stripping failing.
Toyota’s 2002 model
2002 was the second to last model year for the first generation Toyota Sienna. Oddly enough, the common issues with the 2002 model are different from the 2001 model. These include automatic door locks locking and unlocking on their own, consuming oil between oil changes, and oxygen sensors needing replacement.
2003 model continues improvement
The 2003 Toyota Sienna was the final model year for the first generation Sienna, and by this final model year, this minivan was just about ideal. The biggest issues with the 2003 Toyota Sienna are so minimal it’s unbelievable, with the most common complaints dealing with the CD player failing, trunk release malfunctioning, and catalytic converter failure, which is typically only reported after 140,000 miles.
Best Sienna model years: 2008
While still in its second generation, by 2008, it started to come standard with Toyota’s Vehicle Stability Control system, making the safe Sienna even safer. For 2008, the most costly common complaints regarding this van surrounded transmission issues around 100,000 miles, automatic sliding door malfunctioning, and radio malfunctioning.
Best used Toyota Sienna: 2009
2009 was when the second generation Toyota Sienna started to reach the end of its run, and by 2009 an “extra value package” was announced in some markets; this lowered the base model price, making it easier for families to purchase. While the 2009 model year is hardly complained about, the main expensive issues reported for 2009 dealt with failure in the power sliding door, power steering fluid leaks, and miscellaneous body and paint issues.
2010 Toyota minivan
The final year of the second generation Toyota Sienna is arguably the best minivan produced with the Sienna name when it comes to longevity and reliability. This minivan was largely unchanged for this model year, which kept engineering and production simple. The most costly issues surrounding the 2010 Toyota Sienna deal with transmission issues where some vans have experienced gears seizing in the transmission and transmission case failing. The Sienna was also still experiencing issues with its sliding door failing.
