Most common 1999 Toyota Sienna problems
Share of the 215 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Sienna complaints by model year
Best Sienna years: 2020, 2019, 2018. Years to avoid: 2005, 2006, 2011, 2008, 2007. Compare all years →
1999 Toyota Sienna recalls (2)
Structure
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,…
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.
Electrical system › Ignition › Anti-theft › Control module
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles, Mini vans and passenger vehicles equipped with a theft deterrent systems (tds) supplied by audiovox corporation and distributed by southeast Toyota distributors, inc. In the states of alabama, florida, georgia, north and south carolina.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the date code label on the security system harness and any displaying the manufacturing/final date code will be replaced with newly produced harnesses.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 1999 Toyota Sienna:
Steering wheel to return to center
There is no summary currently available
Engine seizure
What 1999 Toyota Sienna owners say
Engine & cooling all 39 →
My wife was driving on the florida turnpike with our sons (ages 3 and 1) in the vehicle. The engine light came on and the engine died. She coasted over to the side of the road. She stayed in vehicle and kept the boys in their car seats as she was along a major highway. A road side assistance vehicle pulled up behind her within a minute or two. He asked my wife what the problem was. She told him and he asked her to pop the hood. She did. He opened it and flames came out of the engine compartment. Neither he nor my wife knew or suspected a fire. No flames. No smoke. No smell. No heat. He yelled to my wife to get herself and the kids out of the car. She did and they were all unharmed. He put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. Obviously, my wife and children probably would have been killed had that road side assistant not been there. Fl highway patrol arrived. …
My van had first engine oil sludge problem at 32782 miles in March 2003. Finally Toyota paid the repair cost after many phone calls. One year later, on July 5,2004, I found that there is no engine oil left again during the middle of our family vacation trip (at 46000 miles). And blue smoke comes out from exhaust pipe again. Toyota couldn't fix the problem by clearing changing some parts. I request Toyota replace the defect engine.
Body & structure all 36 →
The cable to my drivers side sliding door snapped, thus the door can no longer be opened automatically. This defect is under a warranty enhancement for model years 2004-2007, but I have a 2009 model year.
The rear door of our 1999 Sienna van has already broken twice since we purchased it 5 years ago. I replaced it once, but cannot afford to again. As a result, I cannot get to the back which also prevents me from getting to my spare tire should I need it. In addition, when the back handle broke a year ago a week later a sliding door handle. Now, three days ago, another sliding door has broken. I have no money to replace this handles and it will run about 1,000 to fix all three. Further, the sliding door panels keep lifting and I have tried replacing the pegs with no luck. I have never owned a car that has had no many issue with door handles. They should last the life time of the car. I see throughout the web others who have complained about the same issue. When I call for used parts, they are backed ordered because there are no many request for them. Especially the back door one. …
Wheels & tires all 29 →
On 11/25/2012 at about 10:00 pm, after driving on freeway for about 100 miles, the front wheel on driver side began to make a small noise and small vibration and later the tire warning light came on. I stopped by at a rest area and didn?t see any noticeable problem. Since it?s about 50 miles away from home, I decided to keep driving it and the noise and vibration continued. I checked the tire the next day and found it flattened. I fixed it with a tire repair plug, pump it and I found a bubble about 4-inch in diameter. I drove back to vineland Toyota in vineland, nj on 12/7/2012 since the tire was only 18 months old and was still in warranty. After taking down the tire, I found, on the other side of the tire, there was another bubble in diameter 3-inch. I strongly believe there is a serious safety issue with this model of tires of good year. …
The tires showed signs of excessive wear every 15000 to 20000 miles. Dealer had front and rear suspension aligned. The tires were rotated, but excessive wear still occurred. The dealer admitted something was wrong with the alignment. The first set of tires was replaced at 17K miles, 2nd 39K miles. In any event, the car continued to pull to the left despite the alignment and rotation.
1999 Toyota Sienna engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 16 / 22 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1999 Toyota Sienna a good car?
Based on 215 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1999 Sienna rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Sienna at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1999 Toyota Sienna?
The engine & cooling — 39 complaints, 18% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › gasoline. Next are the body & structure (36) and wheels & tires (29).
How many recalls does the 1999 Toyota Sienna have?
There are 2 recalls for the 1999 Toyota Sienna, the most recent from April 20, 2010 (structure). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Sienna?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2019 and 2018. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2005, 2006, 2011, 2008 and 2007. See the full Toyota Sienna years comparison.
At what mileage do 1999 Toyota Sienna problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 90,000 miles; 15% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.