2003 Toyota Sienna Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sienna years
- Fewer complaints than other years 19th of 25 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 105 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Toyota Sienna. That ranks 19th out of 25 Sienna model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is latches/locks/linkages (21 complaints, 20%), typically at around 39,000 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 2 fires, 13 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
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- 105owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latches/locks/linkages | 21 | 20% | 39,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 18 | 17% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 12 | 11% | 13,488 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 10% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 10 | 10% | 75,399 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 7% | 28,934 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 6% | 66,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 5% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 4 | 4% | 18,010 | — | — |
| Equipment | 4 | 4% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 4% | 80,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 4% | 1,012 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 4% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 4% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 49,516 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 230,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | 1 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Toyota Sienna recalls (1)
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.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
A plug-in battery charger failed. You may inspect it. It got hot and smoked, and I suppose was a fire hazard. The problem has not been confirmed nor inspected. There were no symptoms of the problem before the failure. - - - - I used the automotive charger to charge a battery after a light had been…
Takata recall air bags failed to deploy in a roll over accident that involved in car being airborne and rolling over. Car was totaled. No airbags deployed, car went through 50 foot of cornfield and landed on the roof. Windows were all collapsed door ripped off its hinges. I have pictures on my…
Mva - other party rear-ended us at 35-40 miles/hr. While we were stopped at a light. Both driver and passenger front seat backs broke. Our vehicle was totaled , other vehicle air bags did not deploy . Appeared to be minimal damage to other vehicle. Pictures of both vehicles available
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota sienna. While driving approximately 45 mph, an abnormal squeaking sound emitted from the rear of the vehicle. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where it was diagnosed that spare tire carrier assembly cable was…
The toyota sienna's gas pedal has been and remains intermittently sticky. It takes some foot stomping to depress the gas pedal in order to accelerate the vehicle. Toyota does not believe this to be a major problem when i questioned them a few years ago. *tr
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 | 614 | 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 | 105 | 1 |
| 2002 Sienna | 181 | 1 |
| 2001 Sienna | 180 | 2 |
| 2000 Sienna | 363 | 1 |
| 1999 Sienna | 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 2003 Toyota Sienna?
Owners most often report latches/locks/linkages, structure, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, latches/locks/linkages, accounts for 21 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Toyota Sienna?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.