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).
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.
Issues with VSC. The sensor alarm goes off when driving at more than 50 mph and slightly turning the steering wheel. The car brakes itself and this is DANGEROUS. It happens all the time, it has been more than 5-6 years and we are to the point of not using the car on the freeway to prevent a potential fatal accident. I found posts describing the same issue with this model of Toyota. Car should be recalled to get this fixed.
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.
Detroit axle, in michigan, is selling defective struts, straight out of the junkyard, and rack and pinion steering and many other suspension parts, advertised as new, by just placing a coat of paint in them. They offer a warranty of one year in the products, but the consumer must pay for the removal and installation of the part. I played their game for three times and I foolishly paid 3 times for the strut installation, plus other damages the faulty struts caused me . The faulty struts caused my frame to loosen, my horizontal drive shaft to damage, and rack and pinion steering, that detroit axle sold. Well, my vehicle shakes violently at between 45-55 miles per hour, thus having to pull to the side of the road. I managed to drive to a mechanic through back roads at low speeds. …
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.
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.
Since, I've bought this van in late 2009, I have always felt a clicking noise in the steering wheel during turning. Now that the noise is getting worse, I am reading online that there's some kind of manufacturing defect and TSB's issued about the intermediate steering shaft as corrosion sets in those with time. Also, it seems like that oil from steering rack is leaking and that seems to be a problem with multiple Toyota siennas starting from 2006. Toyota should take responsibility for these manufacturing defects and correct the issues as these can lead to steering failure & can be fatal.
Toyota 2008 Sienna le 2wd power steering rack & pinion seal failed and leaked on the passenger side at 120,000 miles. The rack boot tore and broke as a result. Repair cost is estimated at approximately $2,000. Numerous complaints are posted by other owners on the internet all pointing to the same defect. If drivers are unaware, or if the defect is not resolved, power steering could freeze and potentially cause life threatening situations. This should require a safety recall or extension of power train warranty to cover this issue. Failure has not occurred yet and will take steps to repair.
While driving the vehicle at higher speeds (greater than 40 MPH) around curves, the skid indicator sensor will occasionally trigger even on dry pavement where no slipping is happening. The car will automatically decelerate and brake momentarily. There is often a clicking sound in the steering column as well. The vsc warning light occasionally comes on too. Mechanics on multiple occasions have not been able to figure out what is causing the problem. However, based on research at Toyota blogs, it appears that other Toyota Sienna drivers have experienced this same issue.
Steering complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2008 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 33 complaints about the steering of the 2008 Toyota Sienna, 8% of the model year's 429 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2008 Toyota Sienna steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 97,000 miles, and 12% before 25,000 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.