2012 Toyota Sienna Problems, Recalls & Reliability
333 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Toyota Sienna, alongside 9 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 14/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 58,200 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Toyota Sienna has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2012 sits among all Sienna years
What owners report
“Takata recall: september 2017, recall still incomplete, called hotline, was told no remediation available”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sienna
“It rained and froze, snowed and thawed, and the latch on the sliding door of my 2012 toyota sienna broke. The door would slide open and closed while i was driving it and would not stay closed. Fortunately none of my children were in the back seat when this happened.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sienna
“Takata recall. I have waited months for toyota to fix this, with no action. The recall for side-panel sienna doors has also not been addressed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sienna
“The power sliding door cables snap by itself and unable to open or closed. While my children and I were in the vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Sienna
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 153 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 63,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 34,000 and 95,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (9)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag…
Vantage Mobility International, LLC (Vantage) is recalling certain 2012-2018 AMS Genesis wheelchair vans, built on a Toyota Sienna vehicles. The rubber brake hoses that attach to the rear wheel assembly may be too short, causing them to rub against the rear…
Fix: Vantage will notify owners, and dealers will install a set of rear brake hoses that will provide the proper clearance, free of charge. The recall began December 16, 2019. Owners may contact Vantage…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F, and 2014-2017 Lexus GX460 vehicles sold, or ever registered in the states of Alabama,…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019. Owners…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2012 Toyota 4Runner, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sienna, Yaris, Scion xB, Lexus ES350, GX460, IS-F, IS250, IS350, IS250C, IS350C, and Lexus LFA vehicles originally sold, or ever registered,…
Fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General Motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Toyota Sienna minivans manufactured January 4, 2010, to August 12, 2016. If the power sliding door is unable to be opened when commanded, such as if the door is…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the junction block, rear sliding door wire harnesses, and install two sub wire harnesses, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2017.…
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ…
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still…
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and…
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may…
GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 4RUNNER AND SIENNA VEHICLES, EQUIPPED WITH NON-ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT REMOTE ENGINE STARTERS. A MALFUNCTION IN THE AUDIOVOX ELECTRONICS BRAND REMOTE ENGINE STARTER MODULE CAN PREVENT NORMAL COMMUNICATION OF…
Fix: GULF STATES TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REMOTE ENGINE STARTER WITH A NEW ONE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT JUNE 4, 2012. OWNERS MAY…
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 THROUGH 2012 SIENNA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NUMBER 110, "TIRE SELECTIONS AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES DO NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENT FOR DISPLAYING…
Fix: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND WILL PROVIDE A REMEDY WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE. TOYOTA WILL MAIL OUT A CORRECTED PLACARD TO CUSTOMERS ALONG WITH REVISED OWNER MANUAL INFORMATION. THIS SERVICE WILL BE…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Technical service bulletins
372 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and electrical — are on file for the 2012 Toyota Sienna. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 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 2012 Toyota Sienna reliable?
The 2012 Toyota Sienna drew 333 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 2012 Toyota Sienna problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Toyota Sienna are airbags (84 complaints), body & structure (73), and other (33).
At what mileage do 2012 Toyota Sienna problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Toyota Sienna problems around 63,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 34,000 and 95,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Toyota Sienna have recalls?
9 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 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.