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 2005 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
The rear hatch on our 2005 Toyota Sienna, after being opened, comes down almost immediately and can hit a person who is reaching into the back cargo area and cause injury. Other people have also reported this same dangerous malfunction online as far back as 2007.
The dashboard has so many cracks literally everywhere. All the way from the driver side to the passenger side. When the temperature changes hot to cold or cold to hot. There's nothing but cracking sounds.
I have a 2005 Toyota Sienna ,the drivers side door started making popping sound a few months ago and as the time as gone by it is getting worse and worse. The noise is coming from the door check welds that were welded improperly and the main structure of the door is affected by it. Researched the issue and it is a common problem on my type of car, Toyota has recognized this problem which affected 600,000 Sienna's and issued a warranty enhancement program in 2007 but it ended a few years ago. Took it to Toyota dealership, they refused to fix the problem because my VIN # is not affected by the warranty enhancement and even if my VIN # was affected, its too late to take advantage of any help from Toyota. I have called Toyota corporate, they know all about the issue and will not help me either. …
Driver side front door -check pocket welding points broken driver side front door was giving click and other noises during open and close. It started about 4 years ago. I thought it May just require a few drops of lubricating oil. Eventually, the click noise becomes louder and louder. Mid last year, the driver side front door -check pocket gave away. Every time you open and close the door, it gives very loud crack and the door is not properly checked. I've found that there are multiple welding points of the pocket to the door body and some welding points gave away over time. But eventually, part of the pocket gave away and it becomes loose. I had cars older than this and never had such issue. It is definitely a quality issue or design flaw. Because the door is not properly checked, it May cause safety issue in windy or sloped situation when you open or close door. …
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. …
The sliding doors continue to malfunction where you can't open and get out of the vehicle, causing the potential for people (e.g. Kids, disabled folks, older people) to be unable to get out. This has happened multiple times now on the passenger side where the automatic door will not open and the manual override does not work. Once due to an actuator, several times caused by a crappy cable mechanism, and now a forth time due to who knows what. The dealer this time told us it would cost $275 to take the door apart before he could diagnose the problem. We have already spent $3,000 for the past times the door would not open. My disabled sister got stuck in the [redacted] car and had to be moved out the other side which was extremely difficult. What if there is an accident and a person can't get out? …
In stationary mode my sliding doors will not open, or will open intermittently, or will not open at all or will not close at all or will not latch. The passenger door would not close all the way and so I had to drive home with the door unlatched and beeping at me staying part way open even while operating the vehicle. I see that the 2005 Toyota Sienna was given an extra 9 years warranty for this issue or 120K miles, my car has only 110K miles and has the same issues as the NHTSA campaign number: 16V858. Both doors were affected within a week of each other. The dealer diagnosed the actuator motors on both sides as coincidentally going out at the same time but replacing the actuator motor on the passenger side did not fix the issue. After removing the passenger door they say that the cable is bad and the clutch is worn out on the motor/part that moves the door is bad or broken. …
I was completely stopped in my Sienna AWD at a traffic light at the top of a freeway on-ramp in a major city, and rear-ended by a vehicle beginning to travel down the on-ramp at an unknown but high rate of speed and not heeding the traffic signal. On impact, the rear cargo compartment of my Sienna crushed inward so far that it caused the third row bench seat to move forward and propel the seat part of the bench seat into the backs of the second row captain's chairs in front of it. This would have crushed the legs and maybe whole body of anyone seated in the outer two seats of the rear bench seat, and perhaps in the middle position as well. I found a piece of paper bag caught between the bottom seat edge of the bench seat and the back of a captain's chair, and I could not pull that piece of paper free. …
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.
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.
NHTSA investigations
Stabilus Rear Liftgate Struts Failing
Please see the attached closing resume summary.It has been attached to this document as a PDF.
Body complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 499 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Toyota Sienna, 44% of the model year's 1,130 complaints. The component named most often is body (178 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Toyota Sienna body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-160 (structure, Apr 20, 2010); NHTSA recall 08V-244 (hatchback/liftgate, Jun 3, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2005 Toyota Sienna body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 41 injuries 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.