Most common 2008 Toyota Sienna problems
Share of the 429 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 →
2008 Toyota Sienna recalls (9)
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.
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.
Show 3 more recalls
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…
Equipment › Other › Labels
Toyota is recalling 27,080 model year 2005 through 2010 passenger cars built from September 1, 2005 to May 4, 2009. These vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims."
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with a new, accurate label to be installed over the inaccurate label free of charge. The safety recall began on August 18, 2009. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-888-270-9371.
What 2008 Toyota Sienna owners say
Body & structure all 117 →
My vehicle has 138,000 miles and when I inquired about fixing the sliding door, I was told that the recall was over in 2016; however, I know of a person that was able to have his vehicle fixed by Toyota. In fact, Toyota replace both the door sliding components / latches. For my vehicle I tried getting Toyota to fix this last year and tried again today but Toyota will not cover these repairs. I want it documented that this VIN has not been fixed regarding the sliding door and should a serious safety issue arise in the future due to these doors, this will server as documentation. The issue began about 1 year ago when the driver side sliding door would not open. This year I had to take it on myself to try and fix the issue due to Toyota not willing to cover the costs. The cable for the sliding door had frayed and when the door was manually opened, it would only open some but not fully. …
Toyota cable frayed on automatic sliding door (it was fine one open then had a terrible sound the next and we could visually see the frayed cable from the outside), however the 2008 is not in the designated years (2004-2007) to have it fixed under extended warranty. Originally 3 calls to Toyota customer service provided me that it was covered but I had to speak to a supervisor after reading the paperwork online to explain that although I was part of the extended warranty for cable and latch mechanisms, that the latch mechanism is the only part that applies to the 2008. It's so confusing, the customer service agents can't figure it out. Taking it to the dealership to have them tell the 2008 cable isn't covered would have cost me $110. The repair is $1500-2000 on a car only work 8K or so. Being that this has been an issue in the past is upsetting. …
Speed control & acceleration all 51 →
2008 Toyota Sienna. Driving down steep right turns, VSC light comes on, urgent beeping alarm and tires grip and grip vehicle brakes going 20-30+ mph on dry road. Very scary and dangerous, and has continues repeatedly over the past year on curvy right turns. Local mechanics don't know what is wrong with the vehicle. Many Sienna owners have similar problems listed on Carguru. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-c9152_ds656326 Please insist on a manufacturing recall for this vehicle. It is unsafe and could easily cause an accident. Thank you. Concerned original car owner.
I have had the traction control go on while driving on the highway even when I turn it off. Sometimes the VSC and TRAC OFF lights go on while driving. The roads are dry. Whenever I take it in to the mechanic, all the lights are off. They pulled a zero calibration code and recalibrated. It still kept happening. Then I was driving around a curve on highway speeds when the traction control light went on and the van suddenly braked on its own and I almost lost control. The tires are new and the roads were dry.
Engine & cooling all 51 →
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated while pulling into a grocery store, he heard an abnormal ticking sound. The contact stated upon parking and inspecting the outside of the vehicle, he noticed that engine oil was leaking onto the ground. Additionally, the oil dipstick was dry upon inspecting the oil level. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys where oil was added in the vehicle and the contact drove to his residence. However, the failure persisted while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the exhaust cam gear had fractured, causing damage to the engine and other unnamed components. The dealer diagnosed that the engine, the exhaust cam gear, and the timing chain needed to be replaced, and additional unknown repairs were also needed. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The head gasket that was repaired failed and the radiator system also failed. Im not sure if these issues are dealer related or manufacture related as i spoke to the previous owner and they stated they had the vehicle serviced at a manufacturer prior to doing a trade in with the dealer
2008 Toyota Sienna engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 23 / 19 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Toyota Sienna a good car?
Based on 429 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Sienna rates use caution: 1.8× 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 2008 Toyota Sienna?
The body & structure — 117 complaints, 27% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the speed control & acceleration (51) and engine & cooling (51).
How many recalls does the 2008 Toyota Sienna have?
There are 9 recalls for the 2008 Toyota Sienna, the most recent from June 2, 2016 (seat heater/cooler). 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 2008 Toyota Sienna problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 77,000 miles; 31% 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.