10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
32,114 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Toyota Sienna transmission problems

transmission problem

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2003 Toyota Sienna Owner Comments

problem #7

Jun 242010

Sienna

  • 92,797 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While I was fully stopped, with my foot on the brake, my 2003 Toyota Sienna unexpectedly and suddenly accelerated.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #6

Jul 102007

Sienna

  • miles
I have owned 3 Toyota Sienna's. in all of the models I identified a problem which the dealers told me was normal. I then made sure to advise anyone driving my cars of this issue. Now that you are looking more closely at safety I thought I would bring this to your attention. When a Sienna is in drive and on a hill with the front end up and the back end down. And when you then remove your foot from the brake the car will immediately role backwards. I learned to press the gas slowly as I was releasing the brake slowly to avoid this, but it is very dangerous. If a person was behind the vehicle and the driver did not know this occurs they could be run over. Thanks for checking on this.

- Pine Plains, NY, USA

problem #5

Apr 252009

Sienna

  • 54,000 miles
Drove vehicle into a gas station to fill up with gas. After this was completed, restarted vehicle and used gear shift to put the vehicle into drive. Gear shift linkage inside steering column broke. Gear could not be changed. Car was stuck in reverse. Fortunately, this problem occurred at a gas station staffed with a mechanic. Repair took one week -- local Toyota dealership order wrong parts twice before ordering the correct ones. Old parts are available.

- San Carlos, CA, USA

problem #4

Jul 112007

Sienna

  • Automatic transmission
  • 58,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My vehicle in the last 6 months has started experiencing a hesitation when shifting gears. Took to the dealer to check, and they updated with the patch. Car continues to have problems. The dealer is calling it a "hard shift" that is normal for this vehicle even though it didn't do it the first 2 years of ownership. Car is almost out of its 60K warranty, and they indicate they can't do anything else to fix.

- Hume, VA, USA

problem #3

Dec 292004

Sienna

  • Automatic transmission
  • 20,000 miles
Car would not go over 45-50 mph. Currently at dealership for a new transmission.

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #2

Mar 032003

Sienna

  • miles
Problems with sliding door, transmission. Mr. The dealer replaced the transmission, the consumer was told it was a manufacturers defect.

- Springfield, IL, USA

problem #1

Jan 052002

Sienna 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 0 miles
Unsafe design of overdrive feature on Toyota Sienna. Every time car is put into drive, it defaults to 'overdrive' mode - which means it is free wheeling whenever driver's foot comes off the accelerator. No engine braking!! take your foot off the gas and the car rolls freely. This is grossly unsafe, particularly in town driving. To get engine braking, driver must push a button. The default should be the other way around: Car should be designed so it automatically provides regular, safer engine braking mode, and the driver should have to push a button to get into less safe, economy overdrive mode. A computer chip recall would probably correct this. Please investigate!!!!!!!!

- Boulder, CO, USA

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