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 2005 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On several occasions the vehicle stability control on my 2005 Toyota Sienna xle is activated suddenly and for no reason. It has happened changing lanes on the freeway, on off ramps, and city streets. I was never going over the speed limit, turning sharply, and the road was not wet or slippery. The activation caused my car to rapidly decelerate from 50 MPH to 20 MPH in a matter of seconds and caused my wife, children, and I to lurch forward. Vsc also caused my vehicle to swerve sharply to the right. I had immediately lost control! This put me and my family in mortal danger along with the occupants of vehicles around us. They were completely unprepared for my sudden and unwarranted stop! I believe Toyota has sold a vehicle that has a hardware and/or software error in it that can result in fatal injuries to the driver, passengers and occupants of surrounding vehicles. …
I've only had the van for 5 months and this problem has occurred over a dozen times, beginning with the day I bought it. And every time this problem has occurred I've been driving on dry roads. It usually happens when driving around a corner, anywhere from 35-65 MPH, far. All of a sudden the traction control light starts beeping, the brakes engage on their own, and then engine makes a loud noise (likely downshifting itself). It's as though the vehicle thinks it is slipping, even though it is not, I drive very cautiously so it's not me flying around a corner super fast, it also happens when my partner drives the van as well. I finally took the van to a mechanic and they told me it was the steering angle sensor that was faulty and needed to be replaced, so I spent $900 to have it replaced. …
I have a Toyota Sienna 2005, mileage 178000, slip indicator turns on randomly and causing the car lost control. It is extremely dangerous when it happened out of zero warning. It's not only scare me but also my children in the car. It has been happened for over a year since sept. 2019. It usually happens when driving on dry curving roads at speeds 35-75 MPH. When it happened, the antilock brakes engage, slip indicator light comes on, and alarm sounds, the car's brakes grab and pulls the car to the side. It happens randomly, goes away, and back to normal. I have sent the Mini van to a few mechanics for multiple times but they can't find out what's wrong with it. I have replaced 4 brand new tires, done the zero-point-calibration, mechanics couldn't find codes for the issues, they have tried everything to diagnose and fix the problems but it just never work. …
While driving around curves with dry pavement on highways and exit/entrance ramps at highway rates of speed (55-65 miles per hour or less) the anti-lock brake system engage,s causing the van to pulse and slow down unexpectedly. It disengages once the wheel straightens. We first tried to trouble shoot with our local mechanic with no success, prompting us to have our local Toyota service department attempt to diagnosis. Initially they said they were not able to diagnosis the problem or replicate it on a local highway (as it does not occur on every curve encountered) and were ready to send us home without any remedy. This was unacceptable. With our persistence they hooked it up to a computer and determined(without guaranteeing) it was the steering angel sensor and replaced it. …
Continuous issues with traction control system almost daily. Any time vehicle veers towards the right anti-slip indicator light, alarm sounds and ABS system activates. This happens almost daily, on dry roads, going downhill or on a curve, even while switching lanes now. This happens above 20 MPH. Driving becomes stressful and worry-some when alarm begins to sound and dash light come on. Fear of losing control becomes great, fear for your passengers safety as well as other drivers safety becomes real. During the past 3 months there have been 5 separate incidents in which the vehicle has lost acceleration, pulls steering in one direction and sudden break lock occurs. 2 of which took place on the freeway on ramp at a speed of 35mph, 1 driving downhill, slightly towards the right, at a speed if 20mph and the last 2 while switching lanes, 35 MPH. …
Very dangerous situation: Toyota Sienna 2005 vsc (anti skid system) kicks in unexpectedly for no reason. Numerous times I have been driving straight along dry roads only to have my ABS (antilock braking system) suddenly come on, the van slow down, with the vsc alarm going off, and the vsc light blinking. It's very scary, especially on the highway, and it becomes hard to control the van. This has happened at high (~55 MPH) as well as low (~25-30mph) speeds. I drive 90% on smooth, well-paved suburban roads, and about 10% on highways. The frequency of this defect is definitely increasing. One day it happened 4 times in one trip! All for no reason, and all under dry, normal driving conditions on smooth, suburban roads. My van has 113K miles on the odometer. …
2005 Sienna xle limited. The traction control system activates randomly and unexpectedly in dry conditions - most often on downhill, angled turns, at speeds between 25 MPH and 60 MPH. A sudden dash-board alarm sounds with vehicle skid light. Simultaneously, there is a sudden, independent activation of front brakes, grinding noises, the steering wheel shutters wildly, and the vehicle attempts to pull towards oncoming lanes. It requires great effort to maintain control. The immediate result is a loss of vehicle control! This defect has occurred 8 times in 3 months. Serious fears about operating the vehicle with my family. A front-end alignment was done on the vehicle. Problem persists. Multiple reports have been filed that this is an ongoing problem with this model vehicle. This is clearly a safety defect and the vehicle should be recalled to prevent injury or fatalities! …
The traction control system is activating improperly. The vehicle's anti-slip indicator warning light illuminates; an alarm sounds; the ABS system activates; and the vehicle sometimes loses power. This happens on dry roads, most commonly either going downhill or else on a curve, even a mild one. This happens above 20 MPH. When it happens, the combination of alerts and sensations are very startling to the driver, creating a dangerous situation. It has occurred while trying to accelerate to merge onto a highway. This was exceptionally dangerous as the vehicle began losing power and vehicles behind us almost hit us from behind as we were slowing instead of increasing speed. From my internet searches (including NHTSA complaints), this appears to be a recurring issue with this make/model/year range. This has been happening for the past 3 months. …
On several occasions the vehicle stability control (vsc) on my 2005 Toyota Sienna AWD xle (127,000 miles) is activated suddenly and for no reason. This is intermittent and happens when on a curve at varying speeds on perfect road and weather conditions. A buzzer sounds, vsc light comes on, brakes slam on and vehicle pulls to the right. Mechanic could find not anything. Toyota dealership had not heard of this problem. A google search revealed many similar complaints. This is frightening, dangerous and creates unsafe conditions for passengers in my vehicle, as well as other drivers on the road as the car suddenly and drastically reduces speed and pulls to the right. Many others are experiencing the same problem and should be recalled. Any defective part that poses a safety risk should be recalled by law! It seems that most people experiencing this problem are outside of their warranty.
A couple of years ago, my 2005 Sienna's vsc warning lights, alarms and braking would come on while going around turns. My car had new tires, wheels were balanced and aligned. It's scary and dangerous when the brakes engage. I'm not going around sharp turns at high rates of speed. Dozens of other people have exactly the same experience, and when the brakes engage, it yanks the car hard, and has almost caused accidents to me and others. This happens to me on a regular basis. The only way to avoid it is to slow down to less than 40mph on some turns, which is dangerous when the speed limit is 65. Here's a link to the many other people's experience with this exact same thing. This is a liability and Toyota really needs to take action here. Https://www.cargurus.com/cars/discussion-c9152_ds656326?sntemlid=4322597535#msg1051125
Traction Control complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2005 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 45 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2005 Toyota Sienna, 4% of the model year's 1,130 complaints. The component named most often is automatic (asc) (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Toyota Sienna traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2005 Toyota Sienna, though it has 12 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 2005 Toyota Sienna traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 133,000 miles, and 5% 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.