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 2008 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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. …
I was getting things out of back with power lift gate up. While leaning in vehicle the power lift gate came down without warning and caught me. It did not continue to crush me but it did not reverse so I had to use a pretty good force to push it up (my wife probably would not have been able to do it). It did it a second time a week or so later. When I took it to Toyota they said the struts were bad and replaced them. When I asked why there was no warning they just shrugged their shoulders and said do not know and insinuated they would not know what to do so it would not happen again without warning. How was I to know the struts were bad since it is a power lift gate had been working just fine? …
In very cold weather (approximately 20 degrees or colder), the automatic tailgate on the back of the minivan malfunctions while parked. It will go up but as soon as it gets to the full open position, it comes back down and will not stop, even if you have your hand or body in the path of the tailgate door. This has happened to me numerous times over the last seven years (the last time being on the evening of 2/12/16 in bloomington il) and the first time I barely was able to pull back before the tailgate would have crushed me. In summary, the tailgate door malfunctions in very cold weather (as it won't stay open) and it appears the sensor that detects something in the path of the tailgate door also is malfunctioning since it will not stop if something is in its path. …
Dear madame/sir, I own a Toyota Sienna (2008). The driver side sliding door cable just got cut-off last week while my kid was trying to open the door and get in and the passenger side door moves very slowly. I went to the Toyota dealer(s) and they said they had a fix at no cost only for vehicles which are 9 years/120,000 miles and if the customer came with a problem (not a recall) and I do not qualify as it has been 10 years (how did Toyota come-up with this number?). I went online and found that many people have reported a similar issue and looks like Toyota did not take care of them either. From the dealer I understand Toyota was aware of the problem and did not take care of the issue or did not do enough to resolve this problem. I sincerely request you to provide necessary directions/action taken against manufacturer so that 1000s of customers like me will get their car fixed. …
Power sliding doors have a common problem of the cable breaking and the power sliding feature stops working. The door can still be used in manual operation, which is just an inconvenience. The power rear latch is a safety issue as the door can suddenly open while driving, or other times remain locked so as the door cannot be opened. This problem is compounded when both doors are affected, and I have had multiple repairs done to both doors to a point where I cannot keep up with the frequency of how often the doors fail. To summarize, power sliding function granted is a luxury though an expensive one when Toyota does not warrantee the repair. The latching problem is most certainly a safey issue as the doors either do not stay closed, or are stuck shut forcing the rear passengers to climb over the front seat to exit the vehicle. Imagine what would happen in an emergency.
My wife and I have five lovely small children. We own a 2008 Toyota Sienna xle. Some years ago, the "power" aspect of the sliding doors stopped working. Since then, we have been using the van by sliding the doors open and shut manually. Recently, while my wife was driving, the passenger sliding door unexpectedly came open while the vehicle was moving at a high rate of speed. This was traumatic for her and for my 5 children. Also recently, the driver side passenger door became completely non-functional. The local dealership, mark miller Toyota, has been working diligently and expertly to try to repair both sliding doors. They appear to have been able to repair the passenger sliding door, at substantial expense to me. However, mark miller Toyota is presently unable to repair the drivers sliding door, and the vehicle has been non-operational for weeks now.
Powered passenger doors on both sides of the van malfunctioned and then cable system broke and locked the doors in the closed position. This happened one after the other in about a three-week period. The cable is clearly rusted and shredded on the one side. I cannot tell why the cable pulled out and stopped working on the other side. As I transport 3 or more children at a time, it is a huge safety issue that the only way out of the car in case of emergency is through one of the front doors or the back trunk hatch. I have owned this vehicle since it was new and I am told this is out of warranty/isn't covered and will cost at least $6,000 to fix. I cannot drive the vehicle like this and I can't afford to fix it. I am apparently not the only one who's had this problem with the van, yet Toyota is doing nothing about it for their customers.
The passenger side of the powered sliding door stuck open during a cold winter night and we were lucky we were at the parking lot not on highway for an emergency stop (which is possible with two little ones on board sometimes). We did a little research and found out that this is due to an known faulty sliding cable assembly and Toyota already had a a customer support program which extends the warranty of the cable assembly for model years of 2004 to 2007. Unfortunately, our car is 2008 and the local dealer asked for $2000 to change the cable assembly. Since this issue is the same as the previous model years for the second generation Sienna, this should have been covered by the same program. Due to the potential risk of door stuck open on highway during emergency stop, Toyota should have included this as a recall campaign.
The drivers side sliding rear door will not latch closed. While driving,the door will slide open when accelerating. I called Toyota about this and they said there's nothing they can do unless I pay for repairs. They have extended the factory warranty specifically for the sliding doors to 9 years/ 120K mi. My vehicle is 11 days past the 9 years but under the 120K mi. I cannot get the door to latch closed, a Toyota supervisor informed me there was a recall to keep the door latched closed but my vehicle wasn't covered under that recall. This problem happened 4/12/2017 while parked at my kids soccer practice. After reading how many complaints have been filed against Toyota for their sliding door problems, I'm not sure why this wouldn't be classified as a recall. Driving with a door that won't stay shut is not very safe.
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.
Body complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2008 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 117 complaints about the body & structure of the 2008 Toyota Sienna, 27% of the model year's 429 complaints. The component named most often is body (64 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Toyota Sienna body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-160 (structure, Apr 20, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2008 Toyota Sienna body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 8 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.