2016 Toyota Sienna — Known Issues & Recalls

Your rear passenger sliding power door closed unexpectedly while your child was in the doorway, trapping them and causing visible injuries and pain to their back. This happened while the van was parked in the garage with the engine off, with no warning signs before the incident. The issue likely involves the door's closing mechanism or safety sensors that should prevent the door from closing when an obstruction is detected.

Your sliding door may open while you're driving. Toyota issued a recall for this issue, but they're claiming that because your vehicle has a handicap ramp installed, the responsibility belongs to the company that installed the ramp rather than Toyota. However, the ramp installation company says Toyota is responsible. The fix will likely involve adjusting or replacing the sliding door latch mechanism to prevent it from opening during operation.

You have a structural issue with your vehicle that needs repair, but you're unable to get it fixed because you're stationed overseas and unable to ship your car back to the United States. Neither local Toyota dealers nor your military branch will assist with getting the vehicle repaired.

Your van's driver-side sliding door is making clicking sounds and intermittently triggering door-open warning lights and alerts while you're driving, even though the door appears closed. The door also makes unusual noises when closing, unlike the passenger-side sliding door. The issue likely involves the door latch mechanism or sensor and may require inspection and repair of the sliding door assembly.

While driving at 60 mph, your steering wheel suddenly became stiff and difficult to turn, causing you to lose control and crash into a highway barrier. The vehicle was totaled in the accident. Toyota investigated but found no evidence of a steering system defect based on the vehicle's data recorder. The repair would likely involve a complete steering system inspection and replacement of damaged components.

Your steering suddenly locked up while you were stopped at a traffic light, making it impossible to steer and requiring a tow. Even though your vehicle only has about 21,000 miles, Toyota says your warranty has expired and you'll need to replace the entire steering assembly at a cost of approximately $3,200.

While driving your 2016 Sienna at 30 mph, the rear driver's side window suddenly shattered into pieces with no apparent cause — police found no object struck the window, and there were no warning signs or pressure changes that would normally cause this. Your children were in the vehicle at the time, creating a safety concern. The Toyota dealer claims to have no record of this issue or any recalls related to it.

Your air conditioning system works intermittently and doesn't operate consistently. The cause isn't immediately clear, but the AC may stop working at random times and then start working again. A technician will need to diagnose whether the issue is with the compressor, refrigerant levels, electrical connections, or another component in the AC system.

Your front tires are wearing down more on the outer edges than the center, which suggests a wheel alignment issue. This uneven wear will reduce tire lifespan and may affect handling. Getting a wheel alignment check and replacing the tires when needed should resolve the problem.

Your front tires are wearing down excessively on the outer edges after only 20,000 miles of normal driving, even though you're rotating them every 5,000 miles as recommended. This premature wear means you'll need to replace all four tires much sooner than expected. This issue is typically caused by a wheel alignment problem, and a tire alignment service should be performed to correct it.

Your van was hit by a deer while traveling 75 mph on the highway, causing significant damage that left the vehicle inoperable. The airbags failed to deploy despite the force and speed of the collision. The dealer or a collision repair shop will need to inspect the airbag system, sensors, and wiring to determine why the bags didn't activate.

While driving at 55-60 mph, your vehicle came to a complete stop without warning, and your driver's seatbelt tightened suddenly during the incident. This happened twice in 30 days with no warning lights beforehand. The engine and transmission should be inspected to determine why the vehicle lost power unexpectedly.

Your seat belt attachment bolt at the B-pillar came completely loose and detached when you tried to buckle up, with the bolt found in perfect condition on the floor — suggesting it was never properly secured at the factory. The dealer replaced the bolt but initially reinstalled the seat belt in a twisted position, requiring a second visit to correct it. A loose or improperly installed seat belt anchor bolt can prevent the seat belt from functioning correctly in a crash, which is a serious safety issue.

Your 2016 Sienna caught fire in the driveway shortly after you parked it and turned off the engine. Your wife noticed smoke as she was getting out, and within moments flames erupted from the engine compartment, spreading to the passenger area and completely destroying the vehicle. The fire department arrived and extinguished it, but the damage was severe enough to total the vehicle.

Your vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own while you were driving at 15 mph, jumping to 40-50 mph without you pressing the gas pedal. Your brakes didn't slow the vehicle down, so you had to jump the curb and hit trees to stop it. The dealership inspected the vehicle but couldn't identify what caused the unintended acceleration.

Your driver's side sliding door isn't opening and closing properly, and sometimes it closes suddenly without warning, which is a safety concern when people are getting in or out. This problem happened even though the door was previously repaired under a safety recall. The cause hasn't been identified yet, and the dealer hasn't offered a solution. The door mechanism may need to be inspected, repaired, or replaced to ensure it operates safely and reliably.

Your driver-side sliding door latch isn't working properly and won't close completely, even after multiple attempts. A mechanic attempted a repair, but the problem continues. You've had to manually close the door as a workaround. The latch mechanism likely needs replacement or adjustment to function as designed.

At around 80,000 miles, you may hear a loud whirling sound coming from the rear of your vehicle. This is caused by the dust cover or O-ring on the rear differential coupler not properly protecting the rear bearing, allowing it to wear out. Toyota's official fix requires replacing the entire rear differential coupling assembly for about $2,000 plus labor, though some owners have successfully replaced just the bearing.

Your car's tires are wearing out completely in just 15,000-20,000 miles, which is much faster than normal. This appears to be a suspension design issue that affects multiple vehicles. You'll likely need to replace your tires frequently and may want to have the suspension system inspected to identify the underlying cause.

Your passenger-side sliding door has opened on its own without you touching it—once while the engine was running and again after the engine was off. The door was repaired under a Toyota recall, but the problem happened again about two years later. When you took it back to the dealer twice, they couldn't recreate the issue to fix it. The fix will likely involve inspecting and adjusting the door latch mechanism or its electrical controls.