Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While driving vehicle on dry, non slippery roads with slight to moderate curves, vehicle illuminates Traction Loss light, sounds alarm buzzer, and at times applies brakes and dethrottles engine, even when no loss of traction has occurred. This happens while driving on straight roads with slight unevenness. Had to disconnect wheel speed sensor harness to disable ABS/VSC system. When this happens, the vehicle automatically applies brakes to certain wheels and dethrottles the engine, this can pull the vehicle to one side sharply and can cause an accident.
The vehicle stability control system randomly engages and activates the brakes without cause. This can happen on a gentle curve going under the speed limit. It is very scary and I am afraid it is going to cause an accident. Internet research shows many owners with this issue and no information on the cause or a fix
Vehicle shut off when going over the drain pipe I rolled it into a gas station turned it on and off switched gears and it started to roll back on drive I tried to move the gears and turned off the the vehicle after ward no gear worked.
Driver's side power window stopped working. Mileage approx. 126,123. Toyota dealer said window regulator assembly and motor needed to be replaced. I specifically asked if the master power window switch was involved, because Toyota just sent out recall 15V689000 saying the master power window switch in some Toyota vehicles could melt or overheat. Toyota assured me that no, the switch was not involved. I took the van to another shop for repair. They replaced the window regulator assembly and motor, as per Toyota diagnosis. The window still did not work! And when the master switch was depressed, the control panel began to visibly smoke! To further test, the shop supplied separate power to my original window regulator assembly and motor - and they worked fine. The shop then re-installed my original window regulator assembly and motor, and replaced the master switch. The window now works. …
ABS, vsc, trac off, brake lights on continuously, plus tire pressure light blinking. This is not normal and also annoying. Toyota doesn't seem to know what the problem is, and is only willing to allow me to spend thousands of dollars to "try" to fix this. Toyota needs to take responsibility! Vehicle drives normally. Lights have been on for months. I was driving down the road, with a car load of children, late at night, coming home from a football game when the lights came on. We were driving across a long bridge, on a 6-lane roadway, going about 50 miles an hour. Very scary! I pulled over, but soon realized the care was drivable. I've spent so much money, trying to figure out what is going on. I am seeing online that this is not exclusive to toyotas. Many vehicles exhibit this issue. …
When driving the vehicle regardless of speed or driving condition the traction control system randomly activates (it is always when going around a curve, but road conditions are dry, speed could be 70 or could be 20, there is no loss of control by me as a driver). This causes the car to abruptly brake. The computer system shows no issues when the dealer looks at it. When I deactivate the traction control system using the button the van will still beep loudly indicating a loss of traction control. It will also kick off the cruise control, but does not activate the automatic braking feature. This has been happening daily for 2 months with multiple visits to repair shops.
VIN: [redacted] year: 2006 make: Toyota model: Sienna number of open recalls: 1+ recall for instrument panel NHTSA recall number: opens new window takes away from VIN lookup section> 14V273 recall date: May 22, 2014 manufacturer recall number: e1s the dealer (kings Toyota, kings mall) and manufacturer are not repairing the vehicle after several requests and after sending recall notices. As a result I still have same defective spare tire carrier and instrument panel (crack appeared already). They keep saying that they will revert with no response there after.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Sienna. Whenever the contact parked the vehicle and attempted to turn it off, the key would fall out of the ignition. The contact stated that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 17V657000 (power train) and 14V273000 (tires). There were no warning indicators illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 177,000.
Powertrain fails at 140,000 miles which is very unusual for Toyota [repair cost ~4000 quoted from dealer]. Also, there are plenty of electrical problems starts with failing actuators such as sliding door actuator [$~1500 quote from dealer], HVAC air blend actuators [$~850 quote from dealer]and vehicle stability control solenoids [$~500 quote from local]. Please help us and others to shed some light on such kind of issues since it costs too much. In winter time when heater is not working.
Sliding door quit working. Door would get stuck midway through operation and jam. Cables exposed outside of vehicle. Toyota stated there was no type of coverage or recall outside of regular warranty. Entire motor and cables need to be replaced for approximately $1400 or they recommended going to a manual override. Children have been nearly caught in manual door closing because of rapid closing, worse on a slope. Online research reveals that many Sienna's have same problem.
Electrical complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2006 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 85 complaints about the electrical system of the 2006 Toyota Sienna, 8% of the model year's 1,017 complaints. The component named most often is starter assembly › solenoid (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Toyota Sienna electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2006 Toyota Sienna, though it has 11 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 2006 Toyota Sienna electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to electrical system 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.