2015 Toyota Sienna

Component Failed & Availability: The engine on my 2015 Toyota Sienna (99,000 miles) catastrophically failed and is completely seized. The vehicle and engine are in my possession and are fully available for physical inspection. Safety Risk: The vehicle shut down completely while in motion, causing an immediate loss of motive power, power steering, and power braking assistance. Had this un-warned seizure occurred at highway speeds rather than a parking lot, the sudden loss of vehicle control would have posed a severe crash hazard. Reproduced/Confirmed: Yes. A certified mechanic removed the serpentine belt, attempted to turn the engine with a lock bar, and confirmed the engine block is completely seized. The local dealership, Fred Haas ToyotaWorld, also confirmed the vehicle does not run. Inspections: The vehicle was inspected by my independent mechanic and the local dealership. However, Toyota Corporate formally refused my request to dispatch a field engineer to inspect the defective engine. Prior Warnings: There were absolutely no warning lamps, check engine lights, temperature spikes, or abnormal noises prior to the failure. The engine seized instantly and without warning.

I am submitting this complaint to request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) document and evaluate what may be a broader defect affecting certain Toyota Sienna vehicles and determine whether it presents a potential safety-related defect trend. My 2015 Toyota Sienna was diagnosed by an authorized Toyota dealership with an external rear-bank head gasket leak. A head gasket is a critical engine component, and failure can result in coolant loss, engine overheating, reduced engine performance, stalling, or complete vehicle disablement. These conditions may create a safety risk, particularly if they occur while driving in traffic or at highway speeds. An authorized Toyota dealership confirmed the diagnosis and submitted a goodwill assistance request to Toyota. The dealership noted my history as a repeat Toyota customer and recommended that assistance be provided. Toyota denied the goodwill request based on the vehicle's age and mileage. I subsequently appealed through Toyota's customer relations process, and the denial was upheld. I understand that NHTSA does not resolve individual warranty or customer-assistance disputes. My purpose in submitting this complaint is to request that NHTSA determine whether similar reports exist involving premature head gasket failures in this model year or related vehicles and, if warranted, evaluate whether a broader defect trend exists that could present a safety concern. Potential safety consequences include engine overheating, loss of power, stalling, and unexpected vehicle disablement. The vehicle has been maintained in accordance with manufacturer recommendations and has not experienced any overheating event that would reasonably explain a premature head gasket failure. Thank you for your consideration and for documenting this complaint as part of NHTSA's review of potential vehicle safety issues. Respectfully, Vehicle Owner

I have requested urgent warranty evaluation regarding two Kumho Solus TA51a tires installed on my Toyota Sienna (Model: Kumho Solus TA51a, Size: 235/60R17 102H, DOT: 1824) Both front tires are exhibiting abnormal tread chunking and visible surface shredding. The tires are relatively new (purchased about 1-1.5 years ago) and have not been heavily used (only riding this car occassionally, about 5000-7000 miles per year). Our 2 rear tires are Kumho tires of different model, and although older, they are performing fine and do not experience these issues so it seems to be an issue on this particular Solus TA 51a model Kumho tires. Because this is our family vehicle and we transport our children in it regularly, we are very concerned about the safety of continuing to drive on these tires. I also returned to the tire shop that sold and installed the tires. After inspecting them, the owner advised me to contact Kumho for a warranty evaluation, informing me that he received similar complaints from other customers (especially Toyota Sienna owners) using this tire model. While I no longer have the original purchase receipt, the dealer can verify that the tires were purchased from and installed by his shop. I reached out to Kumho Tires USA by completing their online contact form 2 wks ago, which informed a response within 48 hours, but I have not received any response. I called and left a voice message in their warranty department, and in their general customer service line earlier this week, but still not response. I even completed another contact form and also reached out by email, but still no response. Then I remembered my mom recently sharing a concern about her tires, and just found out that she had same 'chunking' issues on her tires, which happened to be the same Kumho Solus TA51a tires from the same tire shop. Her car is Toyota Camry, not a Sienna, so this is happening on this specific tire model across all types of cars they are installed to. Please help!

My 2015 Toyota Sienna has “Sticky” steering. When on a curve, like an highway curved ramp, the steering locks in place. I have to pull the steering wheel back to keep the car on track. When it sticks I can literally let go on a curve and it will hold it’s position. Even when driving straight this occurs. The steering wheel will stick in place requiring me to turn it to get the steering wheel to come back to the desired or correct position. I’m seeing that this is a regular problem for Toyota steering across multiple models. Having your steering get stuck in place has the potential to be a very serious safety issue. This may cause an accident and resulting death. The complete repair for this safety issue to the consumer is over $3000.00. This is ridiculous! This is my first Toyota. I think their reliability night be really over rated.

Rain water leaking into the parked vehicle on the driver and passenger seat belts, potentially weakening the belts and creating odor.

On April 15, 2026 Report filed with NHTSA from an accident-causing property damage due to a failure in the shifter mechanism while the vehicle was parked, ignition off, no keys in the vehicle and the brake pedal was NOT pressed. Manufacture initiated an investigation after we contacted their customer care line. Our vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership on March 11, 2026. We received an email on April 13, 2026 stating Toyota's inspection did not identify any evidence that this incident was a result of a concern with the operation of our vehicles gear shift lever. We retrieved our vehicle from the dealership on April 20, 2026. On April 21, 2026 From our driveway the shift lever fell out of park into drive with the ignition off, no keys, and the brake pedal not pressed. Toyota claims no responsibility! How is this possible when they know there are active recalls for the same issue on earlier models? This is a massive public safety risk considering the vehicle can rollaway without the ignition even being on! I will continue to report this issue every time the Shift lever falls out of park until resolved.

On April 15, 2026 Report filed with NHTSA from an accident-causing property damage due to a failure in the shifter mechanism while the vehicle was parked, ignition off, no keys in the vehicle and the brake pedal was NOT pressed. Manufacture initiated an investigation after we contacted their customer care line. Our vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership on March 11, 2026. We received an email on April 13, 2026 stating Toyota's inspection did not identify any evidence that this incident was a result of a concern with the operation of our vehicles gear shift lever. We retrieved our vehicle from the dealership on April 20, 2026. On April 21, 2026 From our driveway the shift lever fell out of park into drive with the ignition off, no keys, and the brake pedal not pressed. Toyota claims no responsibility! How is this possible when they know there are active recalls for the same issue on earlier models? This is a massive public safety risk considering the vehicle can rollaway without the ignition even being on! I will continue to report this issue every time the shift lever falls out of park until resolved.

On April 15, 2026 Report filed with NHTSA from an accident-causing property damage due to a failure in the shifter mechanism while the vehicle was parked, ignition off, no keys in the vehicle and the brake pedal was NOT pressed. Manufacture initiated an investigation after we contacted their customer care line. Our vehicle was taken to a Toyota dealership on March 11, 2026. We received an email on April 13, 2026 stating Toyota's inspection did not identify any evidence that this incident was a result of a concern with the operation of our vehicles gear shift lever. We retrieved our vehicle from the dealership on April 20, 2026. On April 21, 2026 From our driveway the shift lever fell out of park into drive with the ignition off, no keys, and the brake pedal not pressed. Toyota claims no responsibility! How is this possible when they know there are active recalls for the same issue on earlier models? This is a massive public safety risk considering the vehicle can rollaway without the ignition even being on! I will continue to report this issue every time the Shift lever falls out of park until resolved.

The power steering has a notch or almost a stickiness when turning. In turns around interstate ramps the steering almost locks in place requiring physical effort to get the steering to straighten back out. Even driving in a straight line one can feel this notch like feeling where the steering wheel is not operating in a smooth manner. This gives me a serious concern over the safety of driving this vehicle. In researching this specific issue it is notable that Toyota issued a large scale recall on other models for steering issues exactly as I’m experiencing on my vehicle. It appears this overall safety concern extends beyond the vehicles listed in Toyota’s original power steering safety issue recall.

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, and the shifter lever was turned off, it unexpectedly fell down, causing the vehicle to shift into drive and roll down the street, where it crashed into a house. At the time of the incident, the vehicle was occupied by one three-year-old and two six-year-old children. One of the six-year-old occupants attempted to move the shifter into park while another attempted to steer the vehicle. The passenger-side sliding door was ajar. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, fire, or airbag deployment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but declined the claim. The failure mileage was approximately 119,274.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Toyota Sienna. The vehicle was a private sale. The contact stated that at the time of purchase, the mileage was 92,862. The contact later purchased a Carfax Report which indicated that the last odometer report in 2024 showed that the mileage was 205,000. The seller was made aware of the mileage discrepancy.

i am having repeated issue with Toyota sienna engine 1. Engine oil leaks through timing chain cover 2. Engine coolant leak Engine oil leak keep repating even I fixed earlier and leaks again due poor engine design same issue fixed on Nov/22/20 - 59k

In August 2025, AutoNation Toyota on Sahara, checked the VIN of my Toyota Sienna and contacted Toyota while I was present. Toyota confirmed a broken fuel-door hinge was covered under a Customer Support Program. Instead, AutoNation attempted to repair, rather than replace, the hinge. This caused the metal fuel cap door to end up bent, paint to be gouged out from the bottom of the fuel door area, misalignment of the fuel door, and therefore issues with the door’s sensor reading correctly. I took the van back until they received shipment of a new fuel cap door. After the attempted repair, since the fuel door no longer aligned, the safety sensors repeatedly activated which strained the sliding-door ECU. The passenger sliding door began freezing intermittently, forcing my children to exit through the trunk several times. Finally, the door opened on its own as I was driving down the street. These issues did not exist prior to dealership service and presented a clear safety concern. Between October and December, I received conflicting explanations from Gerald, James, Ivan, and Rudy at AutoNation Toyota regarding whether the issue involved the fuel door, ECU, motor, or general wear and tear. AutoNation repeatedly failed to return my calls or respond to the emails I sent them. Toyota Corporate also informed me the dealership was also not responding to their outreach attempts after I contacted them due to not being able to get ahold of AutoNation Toyota. I emailed four managers on October 15 with detailed documentation and received no response. My vehicle remains unsafe, unrepaired, and in the possession of AutoNation Toyota. I approve allowing it to be inspected. While at AutoNation, the vehicle driver could not open the passenger sliding door after AutoNation's attempted repair. They have had my van for 4 months now so no one else has looked at or inspected it. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Toyota Sienna. The vehicle was purchased from a private seller. The contact stated that while registering the vehicle at the local Department of Motor Vehicles, the contact was informed that the odometer mileage was last recorded at 141,000. The contact later purchased a Carfax report, which indicated the past mileage recorded at 287,000. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased on November 8, 2025, the odometer was recorded at 98,043. In addition, the mileage recorded on the title was 97,043, and in parentheses, the words “Not Actual” were handwritten.

See attached document for complaint.

My husband parked our minivan and came in to pick up the kids. While he was inside the library, the van went out of park and hit a fire truck in the parking lot. It seems this has been an issue with Toyota siennas in the past but I do not see it reported yet for its year 2015. Our van had damage to the front fender, hood, and surrounding area and needed repair. We obviously didn’t have any idea this was possible nor noticed anything since purchasing this van recently. I have read online that a Toyota sienna cannot be turned off without being in park. Since my husband was not in the vehicle when it crashed in the parking lot, it is clearly a defect of the vehicle.

Fuel filler door upper hinge failed so that door would not seat properly when closed. Because the door was not seated properly, the left side power sliding door interlock did not release, preventing the sliding door from opening fully. I had visited a fast food restaurant in Feb 2025 and ordered some French fries for my[XXX], strapped into his child seat directly behind the driver. He was choking on a fry, starting to turn blue. I quickly stopped and attempted to open the sliding power door, but it would not open fully to allow access to my grandson because the failing fuel door wouldn't release the power door interlock. By the time I ran around to the passenger side to reach him he had nearly passed out, but I reached him in time to extract him from the seat and performed a Heimlich to expel the fry and restore his breathing. Toyota should be forced to extend the extended warranty for the full duration of the court agreement of 10yr, Dec 2025, regardless of purchase date. My request for fuel door replacement in Jul 2025 was refused because Toyota claimed the warranty was only good until 10yr after date of purchase, not to the end of 2025. The warranty period applies to vehicles purchased Dec 2025, so the warranty program still exists, but Toyota National refuses to honor it for my vehicle. The inoperable power door can cause passengers to be trapped from quick exit in case of other emergencies, such as vehicle fire or accident rollover. Toyota should honor the warranty or risk legal liability for a death due to manufacturer defect! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Sienna. While the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that the fuel lid door hinge had fractured, causing the fuel lid to intermittently fail to open or close as needed. The contact stated that with the fuel lid intermittently inoperative, the rear driver’s side door failed to open when needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the fuel lid door and hinge needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

My engine caught on fire. We had seconds to get out prior to it engulfing in flames. Fire department had to extinguish. Not sure what caused it. The entire vehicle caught on fire. There was an engine light warning I had the vehicle repaired but the warning light was not cleared

The slide door latch stopped working. The sliding door doesn't latch properly and I have to manually close the door and lock it to know it's secure. If it's not locked a slight push will cause it to pop open. My mechanic said there is a recall associated with the replacement part. I can't find the recall. However, I did find a related TSB (TSB-0244-17).