2024 Toyota Sienna Hybrid Problems

What owners report

Owners of this van most often describe a braking hesitation in which the vehicle briefly loses deceleration or lurches forward while the pedal is already pressed, in a few cases leading to a rear-end impact. A second recurring theme is a delay of several seconds before the accelerator responds when pulling into traffic, which drivers describe as unnerving but which usually clears on its own. Folding-seat locking, liftgate operation and driver-side mirror vibration round out the frequent reports; most complaints arrive at low mileage.

1. 1
   Brakes

   Lurch forward while braking (brake / surge)

   • 19 complaints (27%)
   • median 31,600 mi at 2.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Complaints describe the van losing deceleration for a second or more while steady pressure is held on the brake pedal, then either resuming braking harder than expected or pushing forward a few feet. Owners say it happens when rolling to a stop at a light, turning into a parking space or heading downhill, and several report having to press much harder to avoid hitting the vehicle ahead. According to the complaints, dealers have often been unable to duplicate the behavior during a test drive, and in some cases told owners the braking feel was normal or that a repair could not be made without reproducing it. Reported from a few thousand miles up to the mid-30,000s, in ordinary stop-and-go and downhill braking; several owners note it is intermittent.

   What to check: Drive the van at low speed on a downhill stretch and brake firmly to a full stop, feeling for any pause or push. Ask the dealer whether any braking software updates or reprogramming have been applied to the vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Looked online to see if other Sienna drivers had the same issue with the hybrid system. Brakes are accelerating a bit even when already pressing on the brakes. It has happened enough times to be concerning. We have not taken it to the dealearship as of yet but will be getting in touch soon , now that we know it's a known issue. No warnings from vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #11694919, filed 2025-10

   “When I am rolling to a stop, or lightly pressing in the brakes, the car will occasionally jolt forward and I have to slam on the brakes. It is not every time but has happened many times since buying the car new. I brought it into the dealership and they could not replicate it, but it makes me so scared to drive. This could result in an accident or the hitting of a pedestrian. No warning lights.”

   NHTSA complaint #11656862, filed 2025-04
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   No throttle response when pulling into traffic

   • 7 complaints (10%)
   • median 68,000 mi at 2.4 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners describe pressing the accelerator from a stop or rolling start and getting nothing for two to four seconds before the van finally moves, sometimes abruptly. A few suspect the forward collision system is cutting power when a passing vehicle triggers it, and note that no warning light or message appears. Complaints also describe the opposite: a sudden loss of motive power and stall at parking-lot or highway speeds, occasionally followed by multiple system warning messages and a limp limit on speed. Most reports come from low-speed pull-outs and start-up situations; a handful occurred on the highway at higher mileage.

   What to check: On a test drive, stop at a quiet intersection and accelerate briskly a few times to see whether power arrives promptly. Ask whether the dealer has logged any related fault codes or applied electronic control unit updates.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2024 toyota sienna suddenly stopped for 2-3 seconds while driving in the city roads. I was caught off-guard with that behavior. I kept pushing on my gas pedal and after few hard pumps the power came back. This happened couple of times so far. Not sure what the main problem is.”

   NHTSA complaint #11717553, filed 2026-02

   “I was at a complete stop. There were no obstacles around me or oncoming. When I pressed the accelerator nothing happened for a full 3 seconds, until my vehicle jolted forward at an excessive speed. Brakes were not working.”

   NHTSA complaint #11592492, filed 2024-06
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Power liftgate closes partway or won't open

   • 7 complaints (10%)
   • median 14,592 mi at 2.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe the power liftgate starting to close and then reversing partway with a beep, repeating the same aborted cycle from the key fob, the interior button and the handle. Others report the hatch becoming inoperable while parked, a screeching noise before it stops moving, a hatch that opened by itself while driving, and a support strut that bent and then came apart while the door was being closed; one vehicle needed new hinges at low mileage. Complaints also mention dealers recalibrating the hatch without a lasting result. Mostly reported on newer vehicles, with examples around 14,000 to 20,000 miles and some at lower mileage.

   What to check: Cycle the liftgate open and closed several times with the fob and the dash button, and check both support struts for bends or cracks. Ask whether any latch or calibration work has been done on the hatch.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The lift gate strut bent when I tried to close the rear door, then when I tried to open the door to see what the issue was, the strut exploded. The parts went flying and almost hit me in the face, I could feel the air on my cheek as it blew past me. The spring and metal parts inside the strut shot all the way across my cul de sac, and the noise it created sounded like a gunshot. My neighbors came out of their houses to see what happened because it was so loud. We have an appointment at the dealer tomorrow to get it looked at. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11667874, filed 2025-06

   “The power liftgate on my 2024 Toyota Sienna consistently fails to complete a full close-and-latch cycle. When activated, the liftgate begins its closing sequence normally but then aborts the cycle during the final stages of latching. The system emits an audible beeping signal and the liftgate reverses direction, reopening approximately one-quarter of the way. This failure occurs repeatedly when the vehicle is stationary with no external obstruction present. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11746650, filed 2026-06
4. 4
   Seats

   Third-row seats do not stay stowed

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the folded third-row seats bouncing up several inches or failing to lock down when the van goes over a bump, sometimes with a loud thud, and in some cases a cable has come loose or broken in the process. Owners say items resting on the folded seats can be thrown inside the cabin. A service bulletin covers a related condition where the second-row stow lever stops working because the cable has come off its bracket, and Toyota has recalled certain vans for third-row seatback bolts that may not have been tightened correctly. Reported across a wide mileage range, most often noticed on speed bumps, dips or after braking harder than usual.

   Recall 25V0860002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Stow and unfold the third-row seats and pull on each one to confirm it latches; ask the dealer whether the seatback bolt recall has been completed on the vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I notice the driver seat had a clip that popped off unto my carpet, when inspected it came off the seat rail. While moving my seat back using the electronic seat lever a white clip with two metal bearings was sticking out, I notice the ball bearings were not in place and had came off the white clip. Yes, it is available for inspection. This pose a safety concern as the seat rails will not function correctly when moving seat or using the memory seat buttons for each driver. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11739212, filed 2026-05

   “The third-row seat does not lock in the stowed position. As one goes over speed bumps etc. it bounces up and down. The is no positive lock to ensure the third-row seat is secured in the stowed position. In the event of a head on collision the seat may fly out and forward either killing or injuring the passengers.”

   NHTSA complaint #11652705, filed 2025-04

Buying note. The braking hesitation is the item worth testing yourself on a test drive, since it is intermittent and dealers often cannot reproduce it; confirming that any software updates have been applied is a reasonable question. Beyond that, check that the third-row seat recall and folding-seat cable service work are done, and exercise the liftgate before deciding.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.