Toyota Sienna Airbag Problems

Airbag complaints by model year

Which parts fail

• Frontal
  41
• Side/window
  17
• Frontal › Sensor/control module
  9
• Sensor › Occupant classification
  3
• On-off switch assembly
  2
• Sensor › Occupant classification › Front passenger
  1
• Frontal › Driver clockspring/spiral cassette
  1
• Side/window › Curtain
  1

Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  6513%
• 25k–50k
  7615%
• 50k–75k
  12425%
• 75k–100k
  12124%
• 100k–150k
  8817%
• 150k+
  326%

What owners report

My van was struck directly in the driver side rear sliding door while sitting still at a stop sign. The other driver collided straight into the passenger compartment door at an approximate speed of 30 mph crushing the door, exploding the window and neither the driver side airbags nor the side curtain airbags deployed. Resulting in my wife severely jarring around in the driver's seat, as well as my son who was securely fastened in a child booster seat in the driver side rear seat. The glass from the rear door window shattered and covered my son and the interior of the vehicle. There are no active recalls, but I read about a recall concerning the passenger side door welds that could affect operation of the side airbag and side curtain airbag sensors, but this only applied to a small number of 2019 Sienna's. …

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the liftgate failed to lower while using the remote. While reversing, the back-up camera became inoperable. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who stated the failure was due to the remote start feature that was installed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that she noticed the mirrors were fractured. While driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown safety features became inoperable. There was a burning odor detected inside the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and offered to pay a nominal portion of the repair for the mirrors and referred her to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Sienna The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the contact was rear-ended and the vehicle lost control and the vehicle rolled over multiple times and fell into a ditch. The contact stated that the side air bags did deploy but the front air bags did not deploy vduring the accident. Medical attention was given to the contact and her family in which they were transported to the local emergency room. The contact stated she and her family suffered injuries the contact stated she had bruised ribs a contusion to her hip and her shoulder and a bruised lung. The contact daughter suffered a concussion neck and shoulder and was diagnosed with manubrium in her back. The contact son suffered a concussion contusion on his abdomen and neck. The contact spouse suffered an injured wrist finger injury and possibly broken ribs and all of the family suffered from whiplash. …

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated while driving at 74 mph, a deer ran across the freeway, and as a result, the contact crashed into the deer. The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a sore shoulder but did not require medical treatment. The was not drivable and was towed back to their home address. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was contacted and informed the contact that they would run tests on the air bag once the vehicle was fixed. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owned a 2017 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while driving alone at 70 MPH and attempting not to hit tire tread in the road, she crashed into the median, her vehicle drove into a ditch, the vehicle spun twice, and then crashed head-on into a tree where it came to a stop. The driver's side air bags did not deploy, but the passenger air bags deployed when there was no occupant seated. The contact sustained neck and back injuries, and medical attention was sought via the hospital. A police report was filed, but it was not available at this time. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 216,000.

On [redacted], I was involved in a car accident in Saint John, Indiana, while driving my 2017 Toyota Sienna. The vehicle was hit on the passenger side, but none of the airbags deployed. As a result, I sustained serious injuries including cervical disc herniations, nerve compression, and ongoing pain. Since then, I've been unable to perform daily tasks, drive, care for my children, or work as I did before. I confirmed with Toyota that my vehicle has no active recalls, including for airbags, yet this failure occurred. There were no warning lights or messages prior to the incident. The airbag system has not yet been inspected or confirmed defective by a service center, but I am willing to make the vehicle available for inspection if needed. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this failure, as it may represent a serious safety defect that could affect others driving the same model. …

A deer was struck on the driver to middle of the front of the van while traveling 75 mph on the highway. Caused significant enough damage that van was inoperable. What was concerning was the airbags did not deploy despite the significant force and high speed associated with this accident.

Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Toyota Sienna. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact lost control of the steering wheel. The contact was not able to stop the vehicle and the electronic brake warning indicator illuminated. The contact crashed into a road sign. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There were minor injuries that did not require medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000.

Related recalls (7)

NHTSA investigations