Toyota Sienna 1998–2003
1st generation (XL10)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20261,648 complaints, 752 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 752
- Median of reported failures
- 75,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Body structure (13.5%)
- Recalls
- 1
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 36,000 and 114,254 miles.
Figure 1 · Toyota Sienna 1998–2003 · 752 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 10,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 65 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 30 complaints (4.0%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 15,000
- 25%
- 36,000
- Median
- 75,000
- 75%
- 114,254
- 90%
- 150,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 57 | 7.6% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 49 | 6.5% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 38 | 5.1% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 63 | 8.4% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 38 | 5.1% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 35 | 4.7% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 57 | 7.6% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 65 | 8.6% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 40 | 5.3% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 49 | 6.5% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 55 | 7.3% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 37 | 4.9% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 39 | 5.2% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 36 | 4.8% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 18 | 2.4% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 20 | 2.7% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 11 | 1.5% |
| 170,000–180,000 | 7 | 0.9% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 5 | 0.7% |
| 190,000–200,000 | 3 | 0.4% |
| 200,000+ | 30 | 4.0% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 1,648 complaints with NHTSA about the 1998–2003 Toyota Sienna, and 752 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 36,000 and 114,254 miles. The median is 75,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are body structure (13.5% of complaints, typically around 91,000 miles), the engine and its cooling system (11.7% of complaints, typically around 70,000 miles), latches and locks (10.9% of complaints, typically around 70,000 miles).
1 recall campaign cover this generation.
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 1998–2003 Toyota Sienna last?
Half of the failure reports on the 1998–2003 Toyota Sienna were filed by 75,000 miles and 90% by 150,000 miles — figures drawn from 752 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
30 reports (4%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Sienna reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 1998–2003 Sienna: the 3-minute check
Generated from 752 mileage-tagged complaints, 1 recall campaign, 2 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. 1 campaign cover this generation; an open recall is a free repair you can make the seller's problem.
- Check engine (oil gelling / sludge) on 1998–2002 cars. The 1MZ-FE V6 is part of the Toyota engine family affected by oil gelling - sludge accumulation that blocks oil passages and destroys the engine. Toyota's Oil Gel Policy extended engine coverage to 8 years with no…
- Check sliding doors on 1998–2003 cars. Sliding door cable, latch and roller failures causing doors that will not open, will not latch, or bind on the track.
- Complaint reports are not spread evenly across model years here — see the by-model-year table below before you settle on a year.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 36,000 and 114,000 miles, with a median of 75,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, body structure and the engine and its cooling system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The engine and its cooling system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 70,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Toyota Sienna 1998–2003
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Tyres151 reports45,00022,000–100,000Tyres: 151 reports, median 45,000 miles, middle half 22,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit142 reports49,00019,000–80,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 142 reports, median 49,000 miles, middle half 19,000 to 80,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system192 reports70,00043,000–100,000Engine and its cooling system: 192 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 43,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Latches and locks180 reports70,00025,000–102,000Latches and locks: 180 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 25,000 to 102,000 miles.
- Electrical system92 reports75,00045,000–118,000Electrical system: 92 reports, median 75,000 miles, middle half 45,000 to 118,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline136 reports79,00061,000–119,000Transmission and driveline: 136 reports, median 79,000 miles, middle half 61,000 to 119,000 miles.
- Body structure222 reports91,00051,000–120,000Body structure: 222 reports, median 91,000 miles, middle half 51,000 to 120,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body structure | 222 | 13.5% | 91,000 | 51,000–120,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 192 | 11.7% | 70,000 | 43,000–100,000 |
| Latches and locks | 180 | 10.9% | 70,000 | 25,000–102,000 |
| Tyres | 151 | 9.2% | 45,000 | 22,000–100,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 142 | 8.6% | 49,000 | 19,000–80,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 136 | 8.3% | 79,000 | 61,000–119,000 |
| Electrical system | 92 | 5.6% | 75,000 | 45,000–118,000 |
| Steering | 74 | 4.5% | 66,000 | 12,000–109,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 63 | 3.8% | 112,000 | 70,000–153,000 |
| Seat belts | 63 | 3.8% | 80,000 | 55,000–100,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Toyota Sienna 1998–2003 · 752 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 37% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 59% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 78% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 96%: the remaining 4.0% of reports (30) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
37% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Body structure — middle half 51,000–120,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 43,000–100,000 mi
- Latches and locks — middle half 25,000–102,000 mi
- Tyres — middle half 22,000–100,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — middle half 19,000–80,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 45,000–118,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 61,000–119,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
59% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 49,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Body structure — middle half 51,000–120,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 43,000–100,000 mi
- Latches and locks — middle half 25,000–102,000 mi
- Tyres — middle half 22,000–100,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 61,000–119,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 45,000–118,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
78% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Body structure — median 91,000 mi
- Engine and its cooling system — median 70,000 mi
- Latches and locks — median 70,000 mi
- Tyres — median 45,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 49,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 79,000 mi
- Electrical system — median 75,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 75,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
Body structure accounts for 13.5% of complaints (222 reports, 114 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 91,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 51,000 and 120,000 miles.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 11.7% of complaints (192 reports, 72 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 43,000 and 100,000 miles.
Latches and locks account for 10.9% of complaints (180 reports, 113 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 25,000 and 102,000 miles.
The tyres account for 9.2% of complaints (151 reports, 37 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 45,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 22,000 and 100,000 miles.
The hydraulic brake circuit accounts for 8.6% of complaints (142 reports, 56 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 49,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 19,000 and 80,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 8.3% of complaints (136 reports, 56 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 79,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 61,000 and 119,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2000 model year drew the most — 459 complaints — while 2003 drew the fewest at 124. The median year sits at 244.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 1 recall campaign covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 1,648 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 113 (6.9%)
- Fires
- 24
- Injury reports
- 80
- Fatality reports
- 3
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Engine (oil Gelling / Sludge) 1998–2002
The 1MZ-FE V6 is part of the Toyota engine family affected by oil gelling - sludge accumulation that blocks oil passages and destroys the engine. Toyota's Oil Gel Policy extended engine coverage to 8 years with no mileage limit for affected owners. This is the defining engine risk for the generation.
Sliding Doors 1998–2003
Sliding door cable, latch and roller failures causing doors that will not open, will not latch, or bind on the track.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 352 | 89 |
| 1999 | 250 | 83 |
| 2000 | 459 | 183 |
| 2001 | 238 | 158 |
| 2002 | 225 | 148 |
| 2003 | 124 | 91 |
Recalls (1) — is your car included?
Oct 2010 · 1998–2003 · StructureThe cable may break due to excessive corrosion and the spare tire may separate from the vehicle, possibly…
The 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 stat
What can happen. The cable may break due to excessive corrosion and the spare tire may separate from the vehicle, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash.
The free fix. 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.
What owners reported
While driving 35 MPH, the check engine light illuminated on the dashboard and the vehicle stalled on the highway. The dealer examined the vehicle and found a build up of sludge in the engine. A new engine was installed. Two years later, the same problem recurred and a new engine was needed. *Ak on march 22, 2004 the…
1998 · 92 miles · Engine and its cooling system
1998 Toyota Sienna sliding door on left and right get stuck and will not open. In case of accident or fire my grandchildren would not be able to get out. Rear door handle broke off in my hand which would create the same hazard of not being able to exit. I've had this problem since i bought the car, and they have never…
1998 · 1,500 miles · Latches and locks
On numerous occasions since purchasing this vehicle (and most recently, today), the sliding door handle/latch/lock has failed. Usually, the failure is such that the door cannot be opened from the inside or outside. Sometimes, the door can only be opened from the inside and sometimes the door can only be opened from…
1998 · 5,000 miles · Latches and locks
Passenger sliding door handle/button (interior) jam 6 out of 10 times, making it impossible for passengers to exit car. I have reported this to dealer several times, only to be told it's a billable repair, despite there being a known problem with this vehicle/handle. Many occasions my kids have had to climb out…
1998 · 10,000 miles · Latches and locks
Built from 752 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page