2021 Toyota Sienna Hybrid problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (13) · Service Brakes (7) · Visibility/Wiper (4)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Sienna Hybrid model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (4)
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility:wheelchair Restraints/Securement:latch/Anchor: 2025-12-17 · campaign 25V877000 · 1,019 vehicles
Defect: Vantage Mobility, LLC (VM) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Honda Odyssey, 2021-2025 Chrysler Pacifica, and Toyota Sienna vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
Risk: An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters was mailed January 27, 2026. Owners may contact Vantage Mobility customer service at 1-800-488-9082.
Seats:mid/Rear Assembly:recliner 2025-02-13 · campaign 25V086000 · 167,802 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Sienna Hybrid vehicles. The bolts for the seatbacks on the third-row seat assemblies may not be tightened properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints," 207, "Seating Systems," and 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Risk: An improperly tightened seatback may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will tighten the seat assembly bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA05.
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification 2023-12-20 · campaign 23V865000 · 999,901 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Electronic Stability Control (Esc):control Module:software 2022-04-13 · campaign 22V239000 · 458,110 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehic
Risk: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.
Service bulletins (176)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-08-20 · T-SB-0110-20 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice august 20, 2026: this bulletin is now obsolete. please see t-sb-0051-26.
Engine 2026-08-20 · T-SB-0051-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (hv) ni-mh and li-ion batteries.
Engine 2026-08-11 · 24TE04 · Warranty Program/Extension
although the flow shut-off valve is covered by toyota’s new vehicle limited warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to flow shut-off valve coolant leak.
Electrical System 2026-05-14 · 22TE09 · Warranty Program/Extension
although the hv floor under wire harness and rear traction motor cable is covered by toyota’s new vehicle limited warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. toyota is providing extended coverage under this customer suppo
Engine 2026-02-27 · T-SB-0104-21 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice february 27, 2026: this bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
Electrical System 2026-01-30 · T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice january 30, 2026: this bulletin is now obsolete. please see t-sb-0001-26.
Showing the 6 most recent of 176 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-09 · Service Brakes“this is a supplemental correction to my nhtsa complaint #xxx (2021 toyota sienna hybrid, vin [xxx]). the description of the brake defect itself is unchanged; i am correcting the service-history details. first dealer visit: the correct date is xxx, at approximately 41,192 miles, repair order #xxx, at checkered flag toyota of [xxx]. i reported that …”
2026-10-09 · Service Brakes“i purchased my 2021 toyota sienna hybrid new in march 2021. for several years i have had an intermittent braking problem: when i apply the brakes, especially while slowing down or driving downhill, the vehicle sometimes lurches or feels like it suddenly accelerates forward instead of slowing. i must press the brake pedal again to stop. this happens…”
2026-09-15 · Electrical System“the front passenger door lock actuator does not work properly causing the door to stay locked or unlocked despite attempts to change the door lock through the internal power locking system or remote key. this presents a safety issue in that it requires a manual lock/unlocking of the door should an emergency situation arise and expeditious ingress o…”
2026-09-10 · Structure:body“the rear power liftgate hinges on my 2021 toyota sienna failed structurally under normal, everyday operation. the power liftgate motor and struts appear to exert uneven or excessive pressure on the rear hatch assembly, causing the metal hinges to crack. before the failure, we noticed a loud popping/grinding sound when opening the hatch, which quick…”
2026-09-05 · Service Brakes“brake sleeps sometime when i press brake pedal i took car to dealer once,they said need time i did not have much time took another time, they reseted system still... my warranty is over now. rear seat,make shake noise and check rear seat sign on dealer can't find problem. did not do anything since new car. i do not know any other 2021 sienna drive…”
2026-09-02 · Seats“the electronic driver's seat motor and track assembly failed completely on my 2021 toyota sienna (vin: [xxx]) at less than 18,000 miles. the seat is permanently seized in a fixed position. this creates an immediate safety and crash-protection hazard, as drivers of different heights cannot safely adjust their distance from the steering wheel airbag …”
2026-09-02 · Structure:body“my liftgate has been making loud noises upon closing. the dealership checked it and diagnosed that the trunk door is mis-aligned, leaving a gap so that the door would not securely close. i was referred to the body shop to have the shocks and hinges changed. further discussions mentioned this was a common problem with the toyota rav-4 where the hydr…”
2026-08-27 · Air Bags“srs airbag malfunction, visit dealer warning…”
2026-07-22 · Unknown Or Other“vehicle safety sos button is not functioning properly. when the sos button is depressed in case of emergency, the vehicle notifies user at the emergency system is un operational. toyota includes this for 10 years from the date purchase and my vehicle is a 2021 making this feature active till 2031. by having the sos button nonfunctional occupants of…”
2026-07-13 · Service Brakes“failure: brake control system. vehicle intermittently surges forward while braking at low speed, most often through a curve — the brakes momentarily release and the vehicle lurches before braking resumes. appears to occur during the transition between regenerative and friction braking. vehicle available for inspection. safety risk: unpredictable mo…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.