Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (electronic stability control and traction control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Toyota VSC and ABS engaging and activating for no reason on dry pavement causing loss of proper control of the vehicle. The have been multiple occurrences on dry pavement between 30 and 65 mikes per hour. The car pulls to one side as the computer takes control of the car end engages the brakes suddenly for no reason. VSC Skid light goes on on the dash and there is a beeping sound while this happens. Very dangerous. Toyota USA notified and assigned case number 220201001364. They refuse to take any responsibility for this dangerous failure.
The following has happened several times over the past couple years. The latest 2 times were on a ramp at about 25mph coming off an interstate and at about 65mph an interstate. While cornering to the left a fair amount, but well under control, the vsc started alarming and kicked in. When it kicked in, it caused the vehicle to swerve hard to the right as if it had locked up the brakes on the right side of the vehicle. In both cases, the vehicle swerved into an adjacent lane. Had anything been in that lane or had we been in an outside lane, the vcs would have caused a serious accident. Whatever the cause, the vsc in this vehicle is very dangerous. Over the 12 years we've owned the vehicle, it's unlikely that the vsc has come on more than 5 times. Since it's so rare, we drivers have no experience with the behavior and the vehicle is compliant until the vsc kicks in. …
When driving in dry conditions at various speeds over 25 MPH, the vsc warning light comes on, an alarm sounds and the antilock brakes engage for no reason. This is a terrifying and extremely dangerous issue that is well documented by so many Toyota Sienna owners but to date has not been addressed or acknowledged by Toyota. When taken to a dealership, they claim (as other owners have also stated) that they cannot replicate the problem and it does not register through the obd2 sensor so there is no record of it happening. With as many people as this is happening with, it is not a question of whether there will be accidents, injuries and ultimately deaths caused by this issue. The only question is when and how many have to occur before Toyota acknowledges this is a problem. …
This vehicle has a traction control feature which helps keep it from skidding out of control in icy, wet, or otherwise unstable conditions. It can help an out of control vehicle get back into control by doing a variety of things, including braking. Previously this feature had only kicked on when I would slide on the snow during a low speed turn and would slide in the snow (which was good). But over the past few months, there have been two times that this feature has kicked on at high speeds (once at 40mph and once at 65mph) on dry roads, both while turning around a curve. Suddenly the braking system is applied without any warning and the vehicle swerves slightly and does what it wants for a few seconds. Then it stops. If this were to happen on an icy road at those speeds, the vehicle could certainly spin out of control. The vehicle could also swerve into an oncoming lane of traffic. …
When I drive my van the vsc and trac off lights come on intermittently and cause the vehicle to bog down and pull towards oncoming traffic. I took my van to the dealership and they suggested replacing the steering sensor. We replaced the sensor and the problem persists. With no codes coming up they say they can't fix my van. It happens while driving around corners at 35 MPH mostly but has also happened a few times on the freeway at 70. All times it has happened so far has been on dry pavement. Toyota doesn't seem to think that there is really a problem since no codes are coming up on their code reader. Due to the frequency of the issue I am having it could be disastrous and end up in a head-on collision. How come this vehicle hasn't been recalled. I have included a photo of my service report from the dealership. …
At 108190 miles I had the front end aligned. They attached a snap on analyzer and did a code link computer reset. As I left, the vsc light came on and would not turn off in spite of doing a zero point calibration. I took the vehicle to the Toyota dealer where I bought the van new on 5/8/2003, he ran his diagnostics, got no error codes, and claimed that I needed to replace brake actuator assembly at a cost of $2721. Out of warranty. No recall on this model. Too bad. Others have seen this problem on other 2004 Toyota's. The danger is that after the light is on the vehicle May decide to apply hard braking at any time and at any speed. Toyota redesigned the system in 2005. I am concerned that this will happen to me. Toyota recalled some vehicles with this problem with the vsc system in later models, why not the first year of the problem? …
It started a year or so ago the while driving on dry road above 50miles the vsc light would lit with a alarm sound, the van will automatically apply brakes and slow the Sienna. Since this was extra van and we were driving mostly sedans we had and due to business I could not spend any time on it.. Now it happens more frequently and it risk our lifes on highway. Upon searching internet various forums came with with problems pertaining only to this year and model, please search (sudden vsc activation) and you will find multiple owner only of 2004 complaining for same issue.. In fact there are to two TSB articles to point to this problem ( TSB-br001-04 and TSB-br004-03) . I would kindly request to investigate the sudden vsc activation in middle of highway. I have spent money to replace tires, aligment balancing to find the issue is widespread.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Toyota Sienna. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the traction control warning indicator illuminated and a warning chime sounded. The vehicle lost steering and braking ability, and the steering wheel started to jerk from left to right. The contact continued to drive and the failures went away after thirty seconds. The contact stated that the failures randomly started approximately one year ago and grew worse. The contact also mentioned that the lock on the sliding door showed that it was unlocked; however, no one could exit the vehicle when attempting to open the door from the inside or the outside. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
I just bought a 2004 Toyota Sienna xle. When driving the vehicle home I experienced the vsc (traction control system) go off with the dash light illuminating, audible tone beeping and brakes automatically applied all while on dry clean road. The first incident I was making a slight right turn to get on an onramp to the freeway. I was traveling at approximately 35mph when the vsc was activated and caused me to veer hard right and almost hit the right onramp rail. The second time I was getting off the freeway I made a slight right turn at about 30mph and the vehicle veered right from the left lane to the middle of the right lane. I took the vehicle to my mechanic and said that he ran diagnostics on the vehicle and there is no error codes in the computer and does not know what the issue is. Mileage is 125,600
Driving along on 210 freeway east bound in pasadena doing 60, the traction control kicked in, the van braked, and the traction control light on dashboard came on with a beeping sound, and the steering wheel shuttered and car lost power. Lasted about 5 seconds and then back to normal. Could have been rear-ended or could have swerved into other lanes. Also happened on 110 fwy northbound in pasadena, 60 MPH, on slight turn, same thing happened, traction control kicked in, the van braked, and the traction control light on dashboard came on with a beeping sound, and the steering wheel shuttered and car lost power. I came close to hitting fwy divider and swerving into car in adjacent lane. Roads were dry and no slippage of wheels felt. Took it to dealer wondries Toyota in alhamba,ca twice and were unable to duplicate.
Traction Control complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2004 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 78 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2004 Toyota Sienna, 4% of the model year's 2,062 complaints. The component named most often is automatic (asc) (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Toyota Sienna traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2004 Toyota Sienna, though it has 10 recalls 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 2004 Toyota Sienna traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 120,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 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.