Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Toyota Sienna owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Toyota Sienna. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 48,230. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 241,080.
The engine stalled, power steering frozen then engine shut off while driving in an intersection. Replaced new battery, dove home upon arrival the engine stalled again, power steering frozen and engine shut off again. I don't know what's going on.
Was driving home from running errands, about a 4 mile drive at 35 miles/hr. At a stop light there seemed to be some sort of electrical surge. All the dashboard lights flashed and the vehicle turned off. I was able to put the car in park and restart it. There were no warning lights on after restarting the engine, so I assumed it was a fluke and continued on my way home. A little further down the road at another stop light it happened again. I pulled into my driveway and started to unload my car when I noticed smoke emanating from under the hood. I opened the hood to discover a small fire coming from a large group of wrapped wires behind the battery. I was able to put it out quickly with a fire extinguisher, but the car is completely dead and the entire electrical harness needs to be replaced as well as some other nearby parts. This vehicle was well taken care of. …
This car caught on fire few minutes after some electrical issues- while driving the car with everything looking just fine , the A/C fan fluctuated on and off -car blue tooth also kept disconnected and reconnect for a few seconds then all dashboard lights illuminated on and off few times . After maybe 2 minuets I reached home ,May family got off the car when I noticed smoke coming from the hood . I opened the hood to find a medium size fire coming from the driver side of the engine, I called 911 right away . In less than 10-15 mins most of the car melt from the fire plus the whole garage.
2013 Toyota Sienna minivan the power doors no longer close and open properly, they essentially stick, and we have to manually get out, and slam it shut with great force. The car door opened once while I was driving. My child on that side was wearing a seatbelt, I pulled over, and had to get out to shut the door with great force. For a long period, Toyota didn't have a fix for this problem. I have been calling the dealership regularly to see if the "fix" had arrived. Finally, in August I was told that it had, and that the soonest they could fix my car was December 27!!! I have told them that I paid for a feature, to have power doors which both worked and didn't pose a safety liability. I have asked for either a loaner car, or compensation. Their response has been that they apologize for the inconvenience, but that they are not willing to give me another car, or compensate me. …
2012 Sienna limited electrical issues I have a 2012 Toyota Sienna limited with every option except AWD. On February 4, 2015, after driving for about 25 minutes, when I stopped and turned off the engine, the van completely died! I wanted to start again, but there was no power at all; nothing would function, door locks, radio, lights, nothing! I had to wait for about 5 minutes. Finally I was able to start; however the navigation dvd was reset. This is the second time it happens this week. Before these events; about one year ago something like that happened, that time the van was in the garage, we were ready to go to church and when I press the start button it tried to start but then it completely died, there was no power at all. I am really concerned that this will happen while driving and we will be in a very serious condition not being able to control the vehicle. …
All underwood components are not only vulnerable, but attractive to rodents. While parked overnight on 4 consecutive nights, rodents have chewed through wires despite attractive rodent poison in the engine bay, the poison is untouched and the wires are attacked every night. To date injector wires, sensor sires, fuel pump wires have been compromised, including sensors for the stability control system, which is disabled. I repaired damage by running new wires, clearing nests and set traps and poison, but now the the fuel system has been attacked and the fuel pump does not activate. 3 other cars parked in the same location for the past 5 months are untouched. Safety systems are likely to be compromised for any person who must park these outdoors.
1) power sliding door opened while driving; 2) strer wheel always stay on right. I took my van to delaer (mark jacobson) and they have not fixed the sliding door after I report the problem with sliding door. After I started searching on internet and found that there is recall also. I called them there is a recall but they did not do anything. Recall date: November 22, 2016 dealer reference id: g04 NHTSA recall id: 16V858
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Toyota Sienna. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the rear driver side sliding door suddenly opened. While attempting to shut the door, the door could not be secured. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the cause of the failure was due to a faulty door motor and faulty door latch. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 44,820.
The vehicle was stationary when the power door cable snapped and the door will now only open approximately several inches. This poses a safety hazard as children in the back could become trapped in the vehicle. When I contacted the dealer I was told this was an incredibly common problem with the Sienna minivans but Toyota was not doing anything to remedy the issue.
Electrical complaints in other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2012 Toyota Sienna?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the electrical system of the 2012 Toyota Sienna, 11% of the model year's 247 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Toyota Sienna electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2012 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 2012 Toyota Sienna electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 45,000 miles, and 39% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.