1998 Toyota Sienna Problems, Recalls & Reliability
352 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1998 Toyota Sienna, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 14/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Wheels & tires leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 1998 Toyota Sienna has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 1998 sits among all Sienna years
What owners report
“One of the vehicles five factory installed firestone tires (fr680 failed due to the steel belt separating, there were no injuries and no damage (firestone fr 680, p205/70r15.95s.m+s). Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Sienna
“The brake drum was off, resulting in brake cylinder rupture and fluid leaking into brake shoe. Yh”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Sienna
“Passenger side sliding door latch failed. The door will not remain in the open position.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Sienna
“The sliding door on the passenger side does not open unless someone kicks the bottom or it is opened from the outside of the vehicle. The locking mechanism is off also. Took to dealer. The problem has not been remedied as of yet. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Sienna
“Engine had to be replaced due to oil sludge, oil changes were made made promptly.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Sienna
“When turning left and accelerating, the steering wheel "sticks" and must be manually pulled back to center”— owner report to NHTSA, 1998 Sienna
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 88 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 97,688 miles. Half of those reports fall between 60,000 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1998 THROUGH 2010 SIENNA PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN AUGUST 7, 1997 AND JANUARY 4, 2010, CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN OR ORIGINALLY SOLD IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND,…
Fix: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS WITH AN INTERIM LETTER INITIALLY INSTRUCTING THEM TO BRING THEIR VEHICLE TO AUTHORIZED DEALERS TO INSPECT FOR CORROSION. A SECOND NOTICE WILL BE SENT WHEN THE PERMANENT…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, MINI VANS AND PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEMS (TDS) SUPPLIED BY AUDIOVOX CORPORATION AND DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, INC. IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DATE CODE LABEL ON THE SECURITY SYSTEM HARNESS AND ANY DISPLAYING THE MANUFACTURING/FINAL DATE CODE WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEWLY PRODUCED HARNESSES. THE DATE CODES ARE: RAV4…
EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION: AFTERMARKET THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEMS USED ON 1998-1998 TOYOTA RAV4, AVALON, AND SIENNA MODEL VEHICLES DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, INC. IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA. THE ALARM…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DATE CODE LABEL ON THE SECURITY SYSTEM HARNESS AND ANY DISPLAYING THE MANUFACTURING/FINAL DATE CODE WILL BE REPLACED WITH NEWLY PRODUCED HARNESSES. THE DATE CODES ARE: RAV4…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
92 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and visibility & wipers — are on file for the 1998 Toyota Sienna. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1998 Sienna TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1998 Toyota Sienna reliable?
The 1998 Toyota Sienna drew 352 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 14/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 1998 Toyota Sienna problems?
The top reported problems for the 1998 Toyota Sienna are wheels & tires (47 complaints), brakes & stability (46), and latches & locks (41).
At what mileage do 1998 Toyota Sienna problems show up?
Owners most often report 1998 Toyota Sienna problems around 97,688 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 60,000 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 1998 Toyota Sienna have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 1998 Toyota Sienna. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.