2002 Toyota Sienna Problems, Recalls & Reliability
225 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Toyota Sienna, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 9/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 75,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2002 Toyota Sienna has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2002 sits among all Sienna years
What owners report
“The cable for the passenger power door snapped and door would not fully shut. I was stopped, getting ready to turn left, when it snapped.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Sienna
“Dear Sir, On April 2026, I need to do the semiannual smog check. Right now, I face DTC P0420 error code and I can't pass the smog check inspection. Note that I don't have the engine light on indicating the a/m error code. Only my OBD2 shows the error DTC Code P0420. I did some searhing and noticed…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Sienna
“Tl- the contact owns 2002 toyota sienna. The contact stated the rear lift gate on the vehicle will not open because the latch is broken. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told there is a plastic link to the latch that had broken and prevents the rear lift gate from opening from the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Sienna
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 146 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 71,816 miles. Half of those reports fall between 33,000 and 100,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
109 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 2002 Toyota Sienna. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2002 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 2002 Toyota Sienna reliable?
The 2002 Toyota Sienna drew 225 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 9/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2002 Toyota Sienna problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Toyota Sienna are body & structure (42 complaints), electrical (27), and latches & locks (27).
At what mileage do 2002 Toyota Sienna problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Toyota Sienna problems around 71,816 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 33,000 and 100,000 miles.
Does the 2002 Toyota Sienna have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2002 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.