Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Brakes make a noise when the car is about to stop. There is a squeal and thump that can be heard. Have taken this in several times to be fixed. They say the brakes are safe. I am 74 years old and have had many cars over the years and the only times other cars have made this kind of noise it was time to change the brakes. In this case the brake pads seem to have plenty of life left. Funny that when the rear drums are removed and the brake and drums are thoroughly cleaned the noise does not happen for a while. The first complaint was made at 15,523 miles and continues too this day. At 31,842 miles the rear drums were replaced per TSB br003-04. Took the car in again at 125,559 miles and we were told we needed new rear drums. They had been replaced. They have a problem with brakes and need to fix the problem.
Began having indicator lights on dashboard of my vehicle (Toyota Sienna 2002) come on for no apparent reason; specifically, the csv and brake lights concurrently. It seemed to occur more when temperature was cold outside. Initially thought it was a faulty sensor, but when the intermittent nature of fault became more frequent, was concerned could be a serious brake problem. I took to dealer; diagnosis was a 'faulty sensor' on the wheel's "sensor/hub assembly". Apparently, it is impossible to replace the faulty sensor without replacing the complete assembly at a cost of over $600 for the part, not including labor, at $115/hr. (it also took them an hr just to diagnose, so add another $115). They disabled sensor while part on order, which meant that my anti-lock breaks - a key safety feature of the vehicle-- will not work until part is replaced. …
I have taken my 2002 Sienna to the dealership (last winter) because the brakes have failed in very cold weather. The failure has happened three times, most recently this past Sunday morning. The first two times the vehicle had been parked outside in below zero temps for a few hours. I backed out of the driveway (no problem braking in reverse)...all was well. However as I drove toward the stop sign it was as though the power was all gone from the braking system. I pushed them to the floor and held them there and eventually it stopped before I was too far out into the intersection. It has happened twice, under exactly the same conditions over the last two winters. The dealership could find nothing wrong. This past Sunday morning I had my two youngest children in the car and we were headed to church. As I began to brake for the stop sign ahead, again the same thing happened. …
We have owned this 2002 Toyota Sienna since 2002. The brakes have always squealed when stopping gradually, and the dealer said that Sienna brakes all squeal. There have been only a few instances over the previous 9 years when the ABS has activated and I had always felt that the ABS on this was much superior to the Mazda protege that we owned. However in the past month or two, the ABS activated about 3 or 4 times, on slightly rapid stops, under dry driving conditions. Yesterday evening, under dry driving conditions, when pulling out of a stop light, I noticed the SUV ahead slowing down and began braking, then switched to the accelerator for a fraction of a second when it seemed that they might start accelerating, then when they brake hard, I too slammed on my brakes. …
I was pulling forward from a red light, slowly accelerating. Someone cut me off, I swerved, and then accelerated into traffic. The car started accelerating on its own, from about 35 MPH (where I pulled my foot off the accelerator pad to "hold" the speed but not continue accelerating) up to 55 MPH--this happened very quickly, in a smattering of seconds. I remembered reading that you should just slam on the brake and hold it down hard, which I did. This did stop further acceleration, but it did not immediately slow the car. I was able to slow the car in about 10 seconds, though deceleration was very slow. When I finally returned to 35 MPH, I did not attempt to accelerate again for about two miles. …
Tl contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sienna. At 34,006 miles, the brakes began to make squeaking noises and the brake warning light illuminated. The failure occurred while driving 45 MPH. At 36,000, 46,000, and 49,000 miles, the dealer replaced the front and rear brakes, the rear and front rotors, and also resurfaced the front and rear drums. The repairs were performed under warranty. Nevertheless, the brakes continued to squeak and the brake pedal must be depressed very hard in order for the vehicle to stop. The dealer stated that the noise was due to the brake buster and it needed to be replaced at the cost of $1,000 since the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer stated that they could not be of assistance since the warranty expired. They provided the contact with reference number 2007-0220392. The current mileage was 78,000 and failure mileage was 34,006. …
Is Toyota 2002 Sienna safe to drive? As of februray 2010, we still observe slippage during stops at slow speeds. The brakes pulsate when applied slowly. This is a problem that comes and goes. In December 2007, we reported the following problems to the dealer 1) ABS and low tire pressure warning lights turn on and off 2) crunching sound heard when braking with delayed braking action, particularly in cold, rainy weather. The dealer found no signal at right rear speed sensor, and recommended replacing ABS actuator (which we did) -- total cost approx. $2,000.00, but insisted that this was a "fluke." van had 66,481 miles at the time. Problem with braking still occurs, though no warning lights appear. We are concerned that Toyota is selectively recalling newer models and ignoring the fact that there have been reported braking and acceleration problems with older vehicles as well.
My son was driving the van when an individual cut in front of him prompting my son to put on his brakes to avoid contact which he did (thank god). So he continue to his destination ( our house ) but he started to hear the car was making some strange noise coming from the front end and also when pressing the brake the car started to pull to the right .he got home and told me about the situation and it was when I took car to local mechanic .at that time we discover where the noise was coming from. The rotor broke and it was just hanging there . The mechanic told us that he never seen something like it and to be thankful that no one got hurt. This is a big safety concern and need someone immediate attention .
Since we purchased the car we have had problems with the brakes squeeking. We have had the brakes replaced multiple times and have even upgraded the brakes to an improved quality brake pads by the dealer. However the brakes have gotten worse as the car has gotten older. The brake pedal is very spongy and tends to go down to the floor when stopping. When stopping in emergency situations the brakes make a horrible crunching noise. Since December 2010 I have had 3 instances where I needed to stop quickly. Each time the brakes made the crunching noise and the braking distance was longer than would be expected.
Dt: contact states the brakes are squeaking on her vehicle. There were no warning lights indicating a problem. When she applied the brakes during the winter months the pedal pulsated. If she applied the brakes rapidly, there was a problem stopping the vehicle. The dealer said they could not find anything wrong with the brakes. The brake pads have been replaced, but this did not correct the problem.
Brake complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2002 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the brakes of the 2002 Toyota Sienna, 13% of the model year's 181 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › drum (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Toyota Sienna brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2002 Toyota Sienna, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Toyota Sienna brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles, and 31% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes 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.