Most common 2002 Toyota Sienna problems
Share of the 181 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 →
2002 Toyota Sienna recalls (1)
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2002 Toyota Sienna:
Engine compartment fire
What 2002 Toyota Sienna owners say
Body & structure all 42 →
Passenger side power door jammed, would not open after slow speed crash which knocked off the outside door handle. Toyota of santa barbara, ca took a week and charged $2500 to fix just the power electrical door, no body work (that was extra). Door has never worked properly ever since. Many incidences of door not shutting or opening when using control buttons inside car. After 19 months, power door jammed while open and could not close it by power or manually, attempted to drive to service station while in the jammed open position and while moving, the door slammed closed on its own, popping the wire cable, which is now dangling. Door now works part of the time manually, not at all with power, no motor sound at all. Door opening mechanism on inside of door frequently jams in the pushed in position and then door is completely inoperable. This is severe safety issue. …
When I attempted to open driver side sliding door it would not open electrically or manually. After several failed attempts to open I cut the cable and was able to then open the door. At this point in time both sliding doors will not open electronically but will open manually.
Locks & latches all 27 →
The button on the sliding doors sticks when I try to open it from the inside, and it causes the door to be either unopenable or uncloseable, depending on what position it was in when the button got stuck. I had it repaired once , but it stuck again. The dealer is claiming they can't fix it because it did not happen when they had the car there at the dealership. This is a very serious safety concern - we had to crawl out the back because we could not open the door! It took a long time to try to get the button out by giggling the door and prying the button back out. This has happened numerous times. I hate to think what would happen if there was a fire or other emergency! I also have a problem with the driver side front door lock mechanism. It will not always unlock the other doors, as it is supposed to. …
I have a Sienna xle 2002 with the electronic sliding doors. From the inside of the van, there are three buttons to open the doors; one on the console, one on the columns between front and back seats and one button in the handle. Periodically the sliding doors will not shut or they will not open. The last time this happened was July 16, 2008 when the kids in the back driver's side tried to open the sliding door and could not. We tried everything and it was jammed shut. It seems like the button in the handle was stuck (which has happened before). This is a very dangerous situation if there was an accident or roll over and my passengers could not get out. I believe this is a defect as I have read many complaints about this problem. …
Electrical system all 24 →
Dear Sir, On April 2026, I need to do the semiannual smog check. Right now, I face DTC P0420 error code and I can't pass the smog check inspection. Note that I don't have the engine light on indicating the a/m error code. Only my OBD2 shows the error DTC Code P0420. I did some searhing and noticed that the ECM for Sienna should be updated to erase the a/m DTC code. I would appreciated to help me how the resolve this issue ASAP. It will enable me to renew my registration.You may contact on my cell phone [phone] or my email at [email]. Regards, Massey
I was driving the car to take dinner with my family when arrive to the restaurant I notice was a lot smog in the motor I open the hood was a lot smog so I plug out the battery and I call a mechanic and he tellme the fire was in the power steering pump he disconnect the cable from the power steering and tellme to bring the car to the dealer because is a safety problem and maybe have a recall. Thats by I want to no if is cover for the warranty or recall.
2002 Toyota Sienna engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Toyota Sienna a good car?
Based on 181 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Sienna rates average: 30% fewer complaints than 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 2002 Toyota Sienna?
The body & structure — 42 complaints, 23% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body › door. Next are the locks & latches (27) and electrical system (24).
How many recalls does the 2002 Toyota Sienna have?
There is 1 recall for the 2002 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 2002 Toyota Sienna problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 68,000 miles; 38% 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.