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 my 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan the vehicle stability control light and alarms come on when driving in non hazardous conditions (e.g.. No water on the highway). This happens occasionally on straight roads as well as curves and hills when driving at highway speeds. The steering wheel May "lockup" for a few seconds and the brakes seem to engage. The problem corrects itself and May go away or reappear in a few miles. This happened on our 2006 Sienna a few years ago but we replaced the defective tires and the problem went away until recently. I have read that other Sienna minivan owners have experienced this problem with their vehicles and some owners have had hit-or-miss success in getting the issue resolved when taking the car in for service from a Toyota dealership. …
I own a 2006 Toyota Sienna le with only 26500 miles on it. I was driving my car on the highway doing 45 miles per hour on a dry pavement on Tuesday 09/03/2019 around 6:40 pm and at a sudden moment the vsc light started flashing, warning sound came on, the car applied the brakes on its own hard until it fully stopped, and the engine shut off by itself, which almost got me into an accident. I contacted Toyota and they told me that I have to pay for the dealer to get the car diagnosed for this safety issue, they transferred me to hudson Toyota and they confirmed that I have to pay for it despite that I had my car to the dealer recently for two recalls and they checked the car and gave me a report that everything in the car was good. …
When driving around 40-65 MPH, the car begins to beep, the vsc light and stability control (slip indicator) lights come on, the brakes are applied, and the steering wheel seems to act on its own for a few seconds. It cannot always be replicated, but has occurred more than once on the same curve and about a dozen times over the past couple of years. This is a very frightening event, especially since it happens at higher speeds and on a curve. This has been documented by other Toyota Sienna owners in youtube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgmjafpifko, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy9a8shj0xg. When I have taken it to the dealer, it has not shown a code, so they conclude that there is nothing wrong. Another mechanic checked and did the zero point calibration, which did not fix the problem. …
The vehicle stability control (vsc) system unexpectedly engaged multiple times while driving at a safe speed on a dry, paved, winding road. This happened 10 - 15 times during a 1 hour period, usually while driving at a speed of 20 to 40 MPH in a right hand curve. Each time the problem happened, the brakes suddenly and automatically engaged hard, causing a near loss of control. This was accompanied by the skid indicator light blinking and a loud beeping sound. The service representative at the Toyota dealership stated that a worn rack and pinion is causing the vsc system to incorrectly detect that the vehicle is in a skid, so the system is applying the brakes in an attempt to regain control. If this issue had happened at a higher speed or while being followed closely by another vehicle, I have no doubt that it would have caused an accident.
2006 Toyota Sienna le acquired 9/2013 with 93K miles on it. Single previous owner with "clean" carfax and service records. Starting 1/2014, vehicle stability control began engaging erratically at inappropriate times while cornering during highway driving. It is very startling with loud beeps and flashing lights followed by automatic braking that causes vehicle to slow and swerve abruptly. The vehicle continues to do so and is clearly a malfunction as it happens on dry roads, in gentle corners and at conservative speeds 45-65 MPH, and unprovoked by abrupt steering, accelerator, or braking inputs. A very obvious safety issue as well as much undue wear and tear on brakes, tires, suspension, and steering.
For no reason the the warning light comes on and alarms. Also the traction icon appears and then the brakes are applied. It doesn't matter if the road is dry or wet and no warning whatsoever. This happens at various speeds from 30 MPH to 70 MPH. It also does not matter if you are traveling in a straight line or negotiating a turn. There is a switch that can be activated to bypass the system. This makes no difference if its on or off. This started on sept 7, 2016, now it is about a daily occurrence. I wonder how many rearend accidents have to be experienced or the car being pulled of the road because the brakes are only deployed on one side of the car before Toyota is mandated to repair the problem.
Randomly, on gentle turns our van will suddenly brake with traction control lights and beeping as well. It is always on a windy highway at speeds greater than about 35 MPH. We are slower than average cautious drivers. This seems very dangerous to be happening without provocation. I have done an enormous amount of research on this and have found a myriad of other people experiencing the same same problem, and all have found no fix for the issue. They usually go to the dealer multiple times with no success. I don't have the funds to go round and round with the dealer to end up with a repair that still isn't resolved. Pleas help. Thank you.
The traction control is malfunctioning and turning on during normal driving conditions. There is a loud beeping and the traction control light turns on while turning. This has happened at various speeds from 35 MPH on a city street to 65 MPH on freeways. What is really alarming is that sometimes while the light turns on the system applies the brakes to one wheel pulling the vehicle suddenly to one side. This is very dangerous at high speeds. I have replaced many parts- shocks, control arms, joints and taken it to multiple mechanics. This is a common problem when searching the web but nobody is able to find a solution.
On several occasions on various dates in the last 2 weeks the traction control alarm on our car has falsely gone off, brakes engaged, and we lost control of the car. We were traveling on minor bends on the interstate at speeds between 40 and 60 miles per hour when this happened. After doing some research online, this appears to be a huge and common problem that Toyota doesn't appear to be taking seriously. I've never filed a complaint before, but this is so dangerous and so rampant that I believe it isn't a matter of if people will die, but when. I fear for the lives of my wife and four children.
The car's vehicle stability control (vsc) will activate unexpectedly, braking hard and causing temporary loss of control. There is also an audible alarm and the vsc light turns on. Occurs intermittently when driving between 30-50 MPH, typically on a gentle curve like a freeway interchange. Has occurred as many as 9 times on a single drive, and has caused a couple near accidents. An internet search of online forums shows that this issue is common in siennas after 100,000 miles. Thus far my Toyota dealer has claimed they are unable to reproduce the problem.
Traction Control complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2006 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2006 Toyota Sienna, 3% of the model year's 1,017 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2006 Toyota Sienna traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control 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 traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 137,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to stability & traction control 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.