2018 Toyota Sienna Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 35,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

Whining noise when accelerating, transmission shop reported discovery of damage to transmission upon removal and inspection of transmission.Owner complaint, filed 2026

Transmission whining above 20mph. Toyota customer care program [XXX] states my vehicle falls within timeframe but dealer and corporate will not honor repairs INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 35,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Hi, I’d like to report a serious issue with my 2018 Toyota Sienna related to the recent fuel system recall. Since the repair, the vehicle has leaked all of its gasoline not once, but three separate times. One of those times, my family was inside the vehicle, and the smell of gas was overwhelming. The car wouldn’t start, and it was…Owner complaint, filed 2025

When accelerating, both from a stop and/or at speed, there is a definite hesitation. When gas pedal is pressed down, there is a noticeable pause before acceleration begins. This causes safety issues especially when accelerating to merge with moving traffic. Have owned this van since Oct 2021, and it has always been an issue. Possible…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 56,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Toyota Sienna. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 49,000. While attempting to resell the vehicle, the Auto Check report indicated that the mileage was 324,000.Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 324,000 miles

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 57,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 175,152 miles

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and lost motive power. In addition, the contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle shut off independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The contact owns a 2018 toyota sienna. While driving at low speeds making a right turn the oil warning indicator light illuminated and contact noticed the oil was low. The vehicle was taken to mechanicsville toyota 6546 mechanicsville turnpike, mechanicsville, va 23111(804) 559-8000 where it was diagnosed that the oil was low and…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 37,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

Unintended acceleration while reversing vehicle. Van went full throttle and sped up in reverse while backing up from my drive way at home.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 32,549 miles

I had torque converter clutch pressure control solenoid control circuit and when I rich 85 speed the car check and my friend have the same car sam model he had the same issueOwner complaint, filed 2021, at 65,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Sienna The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the contact was rear-ended and the vehicle lost control and the vehicle rolled over multiple times and fell into a ditch. The contact stated that the side air bags did deploy but the front air bags did not deploy vduring the accident. Medical attention was…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 117,000 miles

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated while driving at 74 mph, a deer ran across the freeway, and as a result, the contact crashed into the deer. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a sore shoulder but did not require medical treatment. The was not drivable and was towed…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 60,000 miles

Parts named most: Body (5).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The front passenger side bumper snap(s) comes undone, by air flow, as vehicle travels down the road - this causes further tearing of the supporting plastic frame. Local Toyota dealership says this initially was caused by a driver of the vehicle hitting a concrete curb. Note: Bottom of the bumper is only 8 inches from ground surface. The…Owner complaint, filed 2021

The automatic sliding doors do not have an auto/emergency stop if something impedes their shutting. A child can get crushed if an adult is not there to stop the doors. Even though I was there it was very hard for me (an adult) to stop the doors from closing. Yes, the child was wrong for pushing the close button then reaching back in the…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 8,700 miles

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

The consumer owns a 2018 toyota sienna. The consumer stated while the vehicle was at a stand still, when all four rear driver and passenger seats began to move independently forward. The vehicle was taken to local dealer autonation toyota hayward located at 24773 mission blvd, hayward, ca 94544, where it was diagnosed with needing floor…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 1,000 miles

I have a question regarding vehicle seat movement. I have been told by two dealerships that the seats in the third row of the toyota sienna are meant to have some play to them. My main concern is that with a couple of car seats in the third row, or a couple of passengers, the movement of the seats may be an issue. All four seat latches…Owner complaint, filed 2018

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the sunroof glass exploded without impact while closed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the sunroof glass needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 58,634 miles

Driving on 1-75 and sunroof exploded. Glass all over our dog in the back. No traffic around us thank god. Van is 3 days old. Took to dealer in florida after duct taping around hole. Told it was hit by something. We did not hear anything but my concern is if we around any traffic we may not be here anymore. Hell of a noise causing me to…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 900 miles

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

Light, moderate to too much vibration on the front brake when driving downhill. I was driving downhill and I felt moderate vibration on the front brake. I was so scared that I have to release the brake hoping to stop the vibration. On the way back home, I have to drive another downhill and this time, I felt too much vibration on the…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 35 miles

The contact owns a 2018 toyota sienna. While driving approximately 45-50 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but failed to respond. Additionally, the vehicle [VIN] independently on occasion. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Larry h miller toyota colorado springs (located at 5115 new car dr, colorado springs, co 80923…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 10,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

Original tires at 17k, my 2018 sienna is showing excessive wear on the outside of the front tires. Alignment checked, it is fine.Owner complaint, filed 2020

The contact owns a 2018 toyota sienna equipped with four bridgestone turanza tires, size: 235/55/18 (na). The contact stated that the inside shoulder of each tire experienced severe wear. The vehicle was taken to my auto imports toyota (1860 east sternburg rd, muskegon, mi), but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The tire…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 30,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

The vehicle has been wearing tires down unevenly to the point steel braid becomes exposed. It has had 3 sets of tires in less than 2 years. It has been aligned twice. The rear wheels are not within specs and are fixed and in adjustable. Toyota has refused to look into the problem any further and has stated that it might be how the van…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 55,000 miles