Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
I am writing in regards to my 1999 Toyota Sienna xle. We have had (and loved) this car for all of it 134,000 miles, but recently the power sliding door (on the passenger side) stopped working. Using brute force, an adult can manually pull the door open and shut, but a child cannot. My local Toyota admits that this is a "design issue" and that he's seen "dozens" of such cases, but that has no bearing on the fact that it costs upwards of $1600 to make the fix. This hardly seems fair, reasonable or safe. I'm sure Toyota will spring into action once a van with a sliding door is involved in an accident where a child is trapped and hurt, but it's too bad that it will have to come to that for them to do what's clearly right. The NHTSA should investigate this issue further -- a recall of some kind is clearly warranted.
I have owned my 1999 Sienna for 5 years. Two months after purchasing my rear hatch door handle snapped. 3 years later it happened again. Now, every door handle on the van is broke. The slider doors stick causing you to have to pull hard on the doors to open. (and they were not sticky from soda) last month both the driver and the passenger front door handles broke. The design of the handles are poor in that the weight is not evenly distributed why pulling the handle. It all on one side and the weaker side snaps. The rear is a cheap plastic that snaps for no reason. If you go on the web there are numerous complaints of the rear hatch and the sliding door handles breaking.
Passenger side power door started opening and shutting by itself after opening to allow children to enter vehicle. The door attempted to close and did not stop, even when encountering the body of my child. Fortunately he was our oldest child and was able to move quickly enough to only be bruised on his sides. Turned power off to door and tried to determine cause. Opened door manually and closed again - door would not reopen manually, even with substantial force. Dealership claims "normal wear and tear" and wants $1200 to repair damage to door hinge and motor assembly.
On back door of minivan, the outside handle broke when we squeezed it to open. The door cannot be opened. Why is there no release from the inside? The quote to fix is $275-300. Also, on the rear sliding door (driver side, not an automatic sliding door), the push-button latch "sticks" so the door will not latch when closing; we have to pry the push-button out with a key or screw driver so the door will latch.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the front and rear bumper failed. The bumper was made with defective material that caused the bumper to crack and dent easily when struck. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.
Driver-side sliding door and the rear door on 1999 Toyota Sienna xle both went out of control at the same time. Both doors are locked and do not respond to repeated efforts to open them, by key or manually. The lock handle on the rear door is permanently depressed, I.e., no longer pressable, no longer acting like a movable part.
The sliding electronic door will not stay closed. When the door was closed, it would reopen on its own. The vehicle has been examined twice by the dealer. Dealer claimed that the electrical drive in the door should be replaced. The door could be opened and closed manually, but with difficulty.
Driver's door was opened and a gust of wind grabbed the door and snatched it off the hinges. The pins popped out, and the door could not be closed. The dealer claimed that the door hinges were not a part of the warranty.
Related recalls
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.
Body complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 1999 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the body & structure of the 1999 Toyota Sienna, 17% of the model year's 215 complaints. The component named most often is body › door (21 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Toyota Sienna body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-160 (structure, Apr 20, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1999 Toyota Sienna body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.