Most common 2005 Toyota Sienna problems
Share of the 1,130 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 →
2005 Toyota Sienna recalls (12)
Power train › Automatic transmission
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2005-2007 and 2009-2010 Toyota Sienna vehicles. In the affected vehicles, due to a problem within the shift lock assembly, the shift lever may be moved out of the 'Park' position without depressing the brake pedal.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift lock solenoid and reapply the grease, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0V.
Seats › Front assembly › Seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010…
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016.
Seats › Front assembly › Seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge.
Tires › Temporary/emergency spare tire
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Sienna vehicles originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode…
Remedy: Toyota sent owners in August 2014 an interim notification to advise owners of the recall and that dealers will perform an interim remedy to remove the spare tire and relocate it to the luggage compartment, free of…
Power train › Automatic transmission
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2005 Sienna vehicles manufactured January 10, 2003, through August 10, 2005; and model year 2007-2009 Sienna vehicles manufactured February 20, 2007, through December 12, 2008.
Remedy: Toyota will mail interim notifications to owners beginning in late October 2013. When parts are available, owners will be sent a second notice and dealers will replace the shift lock solenoid, free of charge.
Engine and engine cooling
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004 avalon vehicles; 2004 and 2005 camry, camry solara, highlander, and sienna vehicles, 2006 highlander hybrid; 2004 and 2005 Lexus es330 and rx330; and 2006 Lexus rx400h vehicles manufactured from June 1, 2004 through March 31, 2005, equipped with the 1mz-fe or 3mz-fe engine.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the crankshaft pulley to identify whether it was produced by the U.S. Supplier. If so, the dealer will replace the pulley with a new one at no charge.
Show 6 more 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.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Gulf states Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between September 1, 2005 and June 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Remedy: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Remedy: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on May 27, 2010.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2009 sienna and 2009 Lexus gx passenger vehicles. The vehicle capacity weight on the tire and loading information label and the gvwr on the certification label is insufficient for certain vehicles.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners instructing them to return their vehicle to a Toyota or Lexus dealer for an exchange of the certification label and the tire and loading information label, an installation of the load carrying…
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate
Toyota is conducting a safety improvement campaign involving 196,222 my 2004-2006 Toyota sienna vehicles equipped with power rear liftgate struts. The gas struts used to help lift and support the rear power liftgate could wear out sooner than expected.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the gas struts with newly designed gas struts that have a longer service life. The campaign began on August 8, 2008, and will be mailed in three phases ending in late December 2008.
Seat belts
On certain Mini vans, in the middle row seating position, the shoulder portion of the seat belt May bind in the bezel trim piece. The affected seat belt bezel is located on the shoulder portion of the seat in the right side seat of the seven passenger models and the center seating position in the eight passenger models.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat belt bezel and clip. The recall began August 5, 2005. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 6 possible defects involving the 2005 Toyota Sienna:
Unexpected liftgate closing
The liftgate gas struts for the subject vehicles May have damaged gas seals that allow the liftgate to drop unexpectedly.the rates for complaints, alleged injuries and warranty claims are higher for vehicles with the power liftgate option.the power liftgate May automatically power-close at the completion of a power-open command without input from the operator.some owners are caught unaware of the power-close…
Tire pressure warning system failure
Odi opened pe06-010 based on 12 reports of alleged tire pressure warning system (tpws) failure on the subject vehicles.all reports alleged that the tpws warning light did not illuminate on the driver information panel when the tire pressure was low or the tire was flat.in some incidents, the consumer reported that tpws light did not illuminate when the tire pressure in 1 tire was at 15-20 psi and the other tires…
Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts Failing
Please see the attached closing resume summary.It has been attached to this document as a PDF.
Steering intermediate shaft binding
Odi's analysis of warranty data shows that the alleged defect has occurred in just 0.2 percent of the subject vehicle population.when the analysis is limited to salt-belt states, the rate is still well below one percent of the population (0.4 percent).in addition, tests conducted by odi and Toyota have shown that the alleged defect has a minimal affect on steering efforts.odi interviews of owners who experienced the…
Unexpected closing of power liftgate
On May 30, 2008, Toyota initiated a safety recall to replace the liftgate struts in approximately 196,000 model year 2004-2006 Toyota sienna vehicles equipped with power liftgates (recall 08v-244).the recall will provide the opportunity for vehicle owners to obtain new struts that are more robust.based on these actions, the agency has decided to close the investigation.while Toyota has not made a decision that the…
Seatbelt malfunction
The shoulder portion of the middle-row seatbelt webbing feeds through an opening in the seatbelt bezel located at the top of the seat.the bezel also contains a clip that covers a narrow slot in the bezel.the clip May become dislodged from use and allow the seat belt to become stuck in the narrow slot exposed by the dislodged clip.
What 2005 Toyota Sienna owners say
Body & structure all 499 →
Broken spare tire carrier. Seems to be a common problem on XLE sienna. I have 2005 LE and my spare tire carrier is completely broken. Tried getting a replacement from 5 parts car sienna and they were all broken as well! Another common problems Sienna have are rack and pinions. They always leak. I owned a 1998 then a 2003 sienna and they both leaked from the power steering pack. Spare tire carrier is a dangerous issue. Spare tire can fall off on the road and can cause auto accidents or serious injuries and serious damage to other autos on the road. rack and pinion leaks leave oil on the floor. Steering locks up without power steering which can cause a serious accident.
I was pulling in my driveway when this incident happened. When exiting my vehicle and opening the driver side door this is what occurred. The driver side sliding door cable snapped and could have potentially hit the driver or me and which could have injured a body part especially the eye or hand. It also made a loud popping noise. There was no warning lights that this would happen and now the door will not open which causes a safety hazard because in case of an emergency this door may need to be opened to escape for safety reasons. Thank you for the investigation of this matter.
Locks & latches all 135 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. While driving at 35 MPH, the passenger side sliding door became ajar without warning and would not close. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the latching mechanism failed. The vehicle was repaired on six separate occasions, however the failure recurred. The vehicle was brought to the dealer and the dealer declined to perform the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000.
Passenger power sliding door cable jacketing has come off and cable is fraying badly (unwrapping) and making much noise and making difficult for door to open/close. I am concerned this weakened cable May snap and hit someone (ESP my children) who uses the door for entry/exit as it is under high tension. Driver side door cable jacketing is also beginning to come off and I am concerned it will end up doing the same thing. The van was purchased in March 2005 and since I am past three years, the Toyota dealer I originally took it to said it was not covered by any warranty (including my 7 year/100K mile extended warranty) and it would cost over $1700/door to fix. The car is not even 4 years old and the basic safety of the door open/close is already compromised! …
Seat belts all 83 →
The door check was replaced by Toyota for previous owner.the door welds are broke and pops and the door check has broken plastic.Toyota replaced the spark plugs, but just the front. Front were denso and back were ngk. Local dealer says they do not mix plugs. Local dealer says they will inspect the shifter and leave it when the recall says they will replace it. On the dash , it was also fixed by the dealer because it melted. I was told by local dealer I had until 2024 to get it fixed when actually it goes out in 2017. I am being misled on purpose so they do not have to fix their problems. No one is watching them and letting them do what ever they want no matter you spend over $40,000 plus for their trash they will not stand behind. If their is a factory defect it should be an automatic recall because they cannot be trusted to do the right thing. …
I made an appointment and showed up 15 minutes early at 11:15 am for my appointment at a the Toyota service center on 4th avenue in san francisco. I have two recalls issues on my 2005 Sienna (shift lock solenoid and corrosion of the spare tire carrier) and this super annoying and unsafe locking of my front seat belts both on the driver and passenger side. The seat belt issue should be covered under a warranty enhancement - zf2. It took them 5 hours to fix both recall but they refuse to fix my seat belt issue. At first, they said they couldn't replicate the issue. I drove off and what do you know, the seat beat got stuck again! I drove back to the service center and show my service person. He jerked the seat belt left and right to loosen it and then said this "just happens" and there is nothing they can do about it. …
2005 Toyota Sienna engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 22 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Toyota Sienna a good car?
Based on 1,130 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Sienna rates avoid: 4.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sienna at the same age. It is one of the Sienna years we suggest avoiding. 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 2005 Toyota Sienna?
The body & structure — 499 complaints, 44% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the locks & latches (135) and seat belts (83).
How many recalls does the 2005 Toyota Sienna have?
There are 12 recalls for the 2005 Toyota Sienna, the most recent from October 18, 2017 (automatic transmission). 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 2005 Toyota Sienna problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 66,000 miles; 33% 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.