1999 Toyota Sienna Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sienna years
- About as many complaints as other years 11th of 25 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 215 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Toyota Sienna. That ranks 11th out of 25 Sienna model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (39 complaints, 18%), typically at around 79,000 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 4 fires, 25 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 215owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Toyota Sienna problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 39 | 18% | 79,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 36 | 17% | 95,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 28 | 13% | 33,200 | — | — |
| Steering | 21 | 10% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 19 | 9% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 14 | 7% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 14 | 7% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 14 | 7% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 11 | 5% | 82,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 10 | 5% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 7 | 3% | 135,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 3% | 133,678 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 2% | 62 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 2% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 5 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 305,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Toyota Sienna recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Structure
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 1998 through 2010 sienna passenger vehicles manufactured between august 7, 1997 and january 4, 2010, currently registered in or originally sold in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, washington district of columbia, virginia, west virginia, and wisconsin. The subject vehicles are equipped with the spare tire stowed under the vehicle. If the vehicle is operated in the cold climate regions of the united states where road salt is frequently used, water splashed backwards with high concentrations of road salt can reach the spare tire carrier and corrode the spare tire carrier assembly cable.
Risk: The cable may break due to excessive corrosion and the spare tire may separate from the vehicle, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners with an interim letter initially instructing them to bring their vehicle to authorized dealers to inspect for corrosion. A second notice will be sent when the permanent remedy is available. For more information, please see toyota's amended recall report of july 19, 2010. The safety recall is expected to begin on october 12, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module
Problem: Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles, mini vans and passenger vehicles equipped with a theft deterrent systems (tds) supplied by audiovox corporation and distributed by southeast toyota distributors, inc. In the states of alabama, florida, georgia, north and south carolina. The alarm wiring harness plugs into the vehicle's ignition switch and the vehicle's ignition switch wiring harness plugs into the alarm harness to complete the circuit. A percentage of the female terminals used in the alarm connector were found to be defective, causing an 'open circuit' condition when mated to the male ignition switch terminals.
Risk: This condition can cause intermittent performance of the vehicle's electrical components such as the dash warning lights and/or hvac fan speed controls. Also, the vehicle may not run smoothly and could stall.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the date code label on the security system harness and any displaying the manufacturing/final date code will be replaced with newly produced harnesses. The date codes are: rav4 - 6/24/98, 6/25/98, 6/26/98; sienna - 6/25/98, 6/26/98; and avalon - 6/30/98, 7/1/98, 8/31/98, 9/1/98, 9/2/98, and 9/3/98.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine seizure (DP02004) — opened Apr 30, 2002, closed Jun 20, 2002.
- Steering wheel to return to center (PE99070) — opened Nov 17, 1999, closed Apr 12, 2000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The van has sudden acceleration problem at times it is hard to slow it down even stop it. The problem mainly occurs from stop and go especially if it has been parked for few hours.
The cable to my drivers side sliding door snapped, thus the door can no longer be opened automatically. This defect is under a warranty enhancement for model years 2004-2007, but i have a 2009 model year.
While driving, my spare tire fell from underneath my car due to the fact that the cables snapped. The car behind me ran over it and i am now being charged for the damages to that person's car. *tr
The car was off, the key was not in the ignition. My two year old daughter was in the front of the car. She touched the shifter and it went between park and reverse; the car started rolling down our driveway. She did not press the brake (she is unable to) but the car went into reverse. The van hit…
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 toyota sienna. The contact stated that after shifting into park, the gearing shifter arm fractured. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for repair, who stated that the entire gear shift module would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the…
Other Toyota Sienna years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Sienna | 38 | 2 |
| 2019 Sienna | 45 | 7 |
| 2018 Sienna | 72 | 7 |
| 2017 Sienna | 155 | 10 |
| 2016 Sienna | 76 | 5 |
| 2015 Sienna | 233 | 6 |
| 2014 Sienna | 163 | 6 |
| 2013 Sienna | 183 | 6 |
| 2012 Sienna | 247 | 9 |
| 2011 Sienna | 615 | 14 |
| 2010 Sienna | 172 | 8 |
| 2009 Sienna | 207 | 10 |
| 2008 Sienna | 429 | 9 |
| 2007 Sienna | 364 | 10 |
| 2006 Sienna | 1,017 | 11 |
| 2005 Sienna | 1,130 | 12 |
| 2004 Sienna | 2,062 | 10 |
| 2003 Sienna | 105 | 1 |
| 2002 Sienna | 181 | 1 |
| 2001 Sienna | 180 | 2 |
| 2000 Sienna | 363 | 1 |
| 1999 | 215 | 2 |
| 1998 Sienna | 294 | 2 |
| 1997 Sienna | 2 | 0 |
| 1996 Sienna | 3 | 0 |
See all Toyota Sienna problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
Similar Toyota models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Toyota Sienna?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, structure, tires problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 39 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Toyota Sienna?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Toyota Sienna a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sienna model years, the 1999 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.