Midsize vans are generally considered to be family haulers and hence, they are expected to pack in a lot of reliability. Toyota has been in the game for quite some time and offering reliability is no task for the Japanese giant. The 2012 Toyota Sienna has been sold to over 114,000 users and that is a high number considering what other brands have managed to attain. The Sienna does however pack in some issues and NHTSA has recorded a total of 229 complaints along with 9 recalls. The majority of complaints are repetitive and most users were worried about the power sliding door issue that the Sienna had to face. Users were also worried about the airbag recall notice as it left them driving a car that was unsafe for a while. Toyota is up against vans like the Honda Odyssey, the Chrysler Town & Country, and the Nissan Quest.
User complaints and problems
Electrical Problems
- Power sliding door – It was stated that the rear passenger power sliding door opened while driving. This caused a serious safety hazard and the vehicle was immediately taken to the dealers where it was found that the door latch was faulty and that it needed to be replaced.
Mechanical Problems
- Engine – The user found the car to make a knocking sound while accelerating and it was said to get louder over time. The vehicle was taken for an inspection and the mechanics found glittering particles in the engine oil. It was stated that the internals rubbed against each other and cause the metal to grind. This was said to happen due to a low oil level and the dealers had to flush out the entire engine before filling it with a new batch of oil.
- Powertrain – The users started to hear a whirling noise from underneath the car and it was said that the volume was correlated to the speed. The dealers were informed and they required the user to drive the car to the dealership. The vehicle was inspected and the technicians found the rear differential to be failing. It was said that the differential would need to be replaced and the user was also to find out that this was an issue faced by a few other owners.
- Steering – The users found the steering to start jerking while accelerating and this caused the vehicle to swing towards one side. The vehicle was taken to the mechanics who stated the intermediate steering shaft failed and that it would need to be replaced.
Safety Problems
- Airbags – The users received a notice stating that they were not allowed to let anyone sit on the passenger seat as there was a fault in the airbag sensor. This was pertaining to a recall that Toyota was working on and the users had to follow the notice until a remedy was found.
External Problems
- Headlight – The headlight compartment has a leak that allows water to enter, causing the bulbs to burn and leave the headlights inoperable.
2012 Toyota Sienna recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1. |
17th October 2019 |
19V741000 |
Frontal airbag inflator may explode. |
The inflator may explode during the deployment of the airbag and cause sharp metal fragments to strike the occupants, causing fatal injuries or even death. |
Dealers will replace the airbag inflator. |
|
2. |
25th July 2019 |
19V553000 |
Rear brake hoses may be too short. |
The rubber brake hoses that attach to the rear wheel assembly may be too short, causing them to rub against the rear axle trailing arm and result in reduced braking power. |
A proper set of rear brake hoses will be installed. |
|
3. |
9th January 2019 |
19V005000 |
Passenger frontal airbag inflator may explode. |
An inflator explosion may cause sharp metal pieces to strike the occupants and cause serious injuries. |
The airbag inflator will be replaced. |
|
4. |
9th January 2017 |
17V006000 |
Passenger frontal airbag inflator may rupture. |
An inflator rupture can cause metal fragments to strike the occupants and cause severe injuries. |
Dealers will replace the frontal passenger airbag inflator. |
|
5. |
29th November 2016 |
16V858000 |
Power sliding door may open while driving. |
A door that does not function while commanded may open abruptly while the vehicle is in motion. |
Dealers will replace the junction block, rear sliding door harness, and install two sub wire harnesses. |
|
6. |
9th April 2013 |
13V123000 |
Inaccurate load carrying capacity labels. |
This could lead the drivers to overload the vehicle over its maximum limit and cause the vehicle to lose control. |
The corrected label will be provided. |
|
7. |
16th January 2013 |
13V014000 |
Occupant sensing system calibration. |
If the sensor is not calibrated, the airbags may not deploy during a crash. |
Dealers will recalibrate the sensors. |
|
8. |
23rd March 2012 |
12V120000 |
Audiovox remote engine start. |
A malfunction in the Audiovox can hinder the communication with the vehicle’s controller area network, disturbing the antilock braking and stability of the vehicle. |
The remote engine starter will be replaced. |
|
9. |
30th November 2011 |
11V560000 |
Load carrying capacity information. |
Incorrect information may lead the users to overload the vehicle and possibly cause the vehicle to lose control. |
A corrected placard along with a revised manual will be sent to the users. |
Should you buy the 2012 Toyota Sienna?
The list would only be incomplete if you’re looking to buy a midsize van and it does not have the 2012 Toyota Sienna on it. This van makes sure to offer a lot of practicality while also offering an engaging drive character that makes the Sienna a fun van to be behind the wheel of. Even though there have been multiple issues with the Sienna, the recall list that Toyota rolled out managed to cover almost all the complaints and concerns. To be able to sell high volumes even after being against a very strong set of rivals is a validation for the Toyota Sienna to be a perfect van. We would definitely pick the Toyota Sienna over the other vans but do make sure to get the incorrect labels corrected and also check if the engine oils are particle-free.
