Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
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).
Driving on dry pavement in mountainous terrain the slip indicator light/sound activates temporarily and the brakes can engage by themselves! Usually happens during right turns. I've been to several automotive specialists for mechanical & electronic diagnosis. I've replaced the lower control arm & the clock spring behind the steering wheel but the issue persists. Online searches indicate this is a common problem with Toyota siennas that is extremely difficult to diagnose & very costly to replace all the possible problematic components! I've had this problem since buying the car used several months ago.This should be a recall issue!!!!!!!!!!!
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.
Anti skid/slip malfunctions, Brakes are automatic applied while turning a corner. When this happen one dry road surfaces it was harder to control the car. This happen multiple times in the pass. Yes my safety and others on the road was put at risk. Yes been confirmed by independent service centers. 4.) UNKNOWN 5).No. The warning indicator light and buzzer comes on at the time the incident happens.
The Vehicle VSC Engaged multiple times even at low speed of 30 mph under the road speed limit. The brake applied and even the vehicle stop to respond to the acceleration. We have 3 little kids and old parents in this vehicle.Toyota should own this problem and fix it free of charge as a factory recall.
October 2016 this problem of my 2008 Toyota Sienna started- on slight curves doing 30-40mph I would hear a clicking noise coming somewhere underneath the front right end almost as if under the dash, the vsc light would flash. I took to a Toyota dealership, had a mechanic test drive with me they said the problem was that my tires werent aligned with my last tire change(which was done at their Toyota dealership) Toyota told me I needed to replace all the tires and have the wheels aligned. I did this, problem continued. I took my van in again to Toyota, they lied and told me I needed new brakes, and some other things I didnt need. Decided to get a 2nd opinion from 2 other auto shops and found out Toyota lied about the brakes, they were fine and they both were unable to find out my problem. I found this out going to 2 other auto shops asking for them to look into the original problem. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sienna. When the contact switched lanes or made a turn, the brakes activated on their own. The failure occurred on flat or curved roads and while driving 30 MPH. Sometimes the brakes worked properly, but sometimes they did not work at all. The contact also stated that the vehicle would occasionally accelerate and decelerate on its own and the steering wheel made an abnormal ticking noise. Furthermore, the vsc and traction control indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Toyota knoxville (10415 parkside dr, knoxville, tn 37922), but they did not assist. The vehicle was then taken to fox Toyota (228 fox family ln, clinton, tn 37716) where it was diagnosed that a steering angle sensor needed to be installed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures and provided a case number. The failure mileage was 170,000.
While putting on the brakes to stop for a traffic light the engine suddenly revved up to 6000 RPM and tried to take off by itself. I pushed the gear shift into neutral and put my left foot on the brake to keep the car from moving. I kicked the accelerator pedal several times until it disengaged. This is the 4th time this has happened. There was not a floor mat involved as there was not one in the car at this time. The last time I talked to a Toyota dealer about this they said this could not happen and I was wrong about what happened. The dealer did not document any of this and wanted nothing further to do with me. This is dangerous and happens with no warning when you push the brake pedal to stop for a traffic signal or to pull into a parking space. My wife was also in the car two of the times and saw what happened. She was not in the car for the latest episode.
3/12/11 I was driving at 55 MPH on state rt 104 in columbus ohio when I had to get on my brakes heavily to avoid hitting a van that was turning in front of me, the following car did not stop and collided with me forcing me into the van in front causing heavy damage to the rear vehicle and to mine . Immediately during the accident my brakes failed and I was unable to avoid hitting the van in front until I was able to think to put mine in park to stop the vehicle a few minutes later I tried my brakes again and they were o.k. I feel the antilock brakes failed either because I was into them or due to my vehicle being hit so hard from the rear. My vehicle is a 2008 Toyota Sienna van. The vehicle that hit me was a 1997 Honda civic the vehicle I hit was a Dodge caravan year unknown.
The vehicle stability control will unexpectedly engage in instances where it shouldn't activate. The most common is a long, slight curve on at freeway speeds on dry pavement. The second most common scenario is accelerating to enter the freeway. When vsc engages, the vehicle will lurch to the side it was activated on and curtail any acceleration. This makes the vehicle hard to control when on a freeway curve and when attempting to accelerate to merge onto the freeway, causing unexpected motion that is a hazard to remaining on the road or causing the vehicle to be in an accident with other vehicles. There is no indication that there are malfunctions in any system that would cause this to occur. Note: mileage on the odometer is ~170,000 miles.
Brake complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2008 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the brakes of the 2008 Toyota Sienna, 10% of the model year's 429 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Toyota Sienna brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2008 Toyota Sienna, though it has 9 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 2008 Toyota Sienna brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to brakes 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.