2000 Toyota Sienna

Family: Sienna · filed with NHTSA as SIENNA

Summary

In its first three years the 2000 Sienna drew 150 complaints — 1.5× the median of its generation (1998–2003). It is among the most-complained-about years of this generation.
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Complaints are spread across systems: the largest, Engine, holds 19% of the 358 that name a component.
1 recall filed for this model year.
2 federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 363
Recalls: 1
Investigations: 2
NCAP overall: Not rated
Combined MPG: 19
Annual fuel cost: $3,300
Median mileage at complaint: 82,300 mi (n = 157)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 21 / 4 / 26 / 0

What owners report

Engine

68 complaints · 19% of complaints that name a component · median 82,300 mi (n = 22)

Owner report THE ENGINE LEAKS OIL AT VALVE COVERS. THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED. STILL LEAKS. AND A LOT OF SLUDGE BUILDS UP= ON PUMP SCREEN. BLEW ENGINE!! HAD ENGINE REPLACED. SAME THING HAPPENING. I AM ON SOCIAL SECURITY. &3 AND CAN NOT AFFORD THOUSANDS ON THIS VEHICLE.. PLEASE HELP@+!!

Owner report I DROVE MY VAN FROM WORK TO MY HOUSE WHICH IS AROUND 18 MILES. WHEN I GOT HOME I COULD SEE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I QUICKLY GOT OUT AND PULLED MY BABY OUT OF HER CAR SEAT. WITHIN A FEW MINS THE SMOKE INCREASED BY A LOT AND I CALLED 911. BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED THE VAN WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES, IT W…

Powertrain

67 complaints · 19% of complaints that name a component · median 70,000 mi (n = 18)

Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE THE IGNITION WAS OFF AND THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY INDEPENDENTLY. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS STILL IN THE PARK POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTU…

Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD ONLY SHIFT INTO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMAT…

Body & Structure

52 complaints · 15% of complaints that name a component · median 120,000 mi (n = 25)

Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE DETACHED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED OR CLOSED FROM THE OUTSIDE OR INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND NEEDED THE PLASTIC ASSEMBLY DOOR HANDLE REPLACED WIT…

Owner report WITHOUT WARNING, PLASTIC DOOR HANDLES BREAK, RENDERING ABILITY TO OPEN, CLOSE HATCH OR DOOR IMPOSSIBLE. HATCH DOOR BROKE FIRST APPROXIMATELY JANUARY 2013, THEN REAR SLIDING DOOR, AND THEN TODAY, PASSENGER FRONT DOOR. HATCH HAS NO INSIDE DOOR HANDLE, SO WITHOUT WARNING DOOR IMMEDIATELY INOPERABLE. REAR DRIVERS SIDE SLI…

1% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (1998–2003)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 99.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Note
1998	294	121
1999	215	99
2000	363	150	most complaints
2001	180	54	fewest complaints
2002	181	50	fewest complaints
2003	105	35	not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

10V160000 · STRUCTURE

Filed 2010-04-20 · 600,000 vehicles

Defect: 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.

Remedy: 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.

Federal investigations

Action	Component	Opened	Closed	Recall
DP02004	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	2002-04-30	2002-06-20
PE99070	STEERING	1999-11-17	2000-04-12

DP02004: ENGINE SEIZURE

PE99070: STEERING WHEEL TO RETURN TO CENTER

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
Sienna 2WD	3.0L 6cyl	Automatic 4-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	16	22	19	$3300

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2000 Toyota Sienna	Not Rated	Not Rated	Not Rated	Not Rated

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 114 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about structure.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…
2024-12-05	STRUCTURE:BODY	Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the Removal Procedure …
2024-12-03	STRUCTURE:BODY	Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can be identified by the …
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Sienna, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota Sienna model page.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.