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Toyota SiennaModel year report

2003 Toyota Sienna Problems

Complaints
105filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
54,000miles, 77 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
19 mpgcombined, 3.0L 6-cyl FWD · 17 city / 23 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2003 Toyota Sienna (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe sliding-door and power door problems — doors that will not open, will not latch, or stick in hot weather — along with reports of unintended or sudden acceleration and brake noise or pedal concerns. Many reports come in at relatively low mileage for door complaints, while engine oil sludge and transmission shift issues appear mostly past 60,000 miles.

  1. Latches, locks and linkages

    Sliding doors stick, jam, or fail to open/close

    • 31 complaints (30%)
    • median 45,664 mi at 6.5 yrs old (24 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2003–2018

    Complaints describe the power sliding side doors failing to open from inside or outside, failing to latch when closed, or jamming so passengers cannot exit through them. Several owners link the problem to hot, sunny weather, saying the interior release button stays stuck down. Dealers are described as replacing handles, cables or door openers, sometimes with only short-lived results, and some owners say the dealer could not duplicate the problem or declined to repair it. Reported from very low mileage up to beyond 100,000 miles, with several complaints describing hot-weather recurrence.

    What to check: Operate both sliding doors several times, from inside and outside, including the power button and child lock; check the interior release buttons return fully. Ask whether the door latch or opener has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I own Toyota Sienna 2003 ce. I am not able to open passenger sliding door from inside. This is been problem for a while. It is very inconvenient that every time some one has to step out to open the door from outside. This can be some time safety issue if driver has to step out to open passenger door, risking driver open to incoming vehicle.”

    NHTSA complaint #10328934, filed 2010-05, 70,000 miles

    “We have a 2003 Toyota Sienna minivan. The drivers side automatic door now will not open manually or automatically. I have a daughter who is handicapped and this is the easiest door to put her in the car, so as of right now the car that holds her wheelchair is completely useless to us. Toyota has been absolutely no help. This is very dangerous. What is she was in the car an accident occurred and we could not get her out????”

    NHTSA complaint #10381391, filed 2011-02, 102,000 miles
  2. Vehicle speed control

    Sudden or unintended acceleration

    • 13 complaints (12%)
    • median 83,898 mi at 6.8 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2004–2014

    Owners describe the van accelerating on its own without the gas pedal being pressed — during parking-lot maneuvers, while merging, or when shifting into reverse — and say braking only partly slowed it. Some complaints mention the throttle cable or throttle body being replaced, and others say the dealer could not find anything wrong. A few owners also mention a sticky gas pedal that takes extra pressure to depress. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 5,000 to over 120,000 miles.

    What to check: Ask whether the throttle cable or throttle body has been serviced, and have a mechanic check pedal and throttle linkage freedom of movement before buying.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “2003 Toyota Sienna, spontaneous, uncontrolled acceleration. First occurrence on or about 7/20/09. At least 3 successive occurrences. Toyota dealer (larry h miller big Toyota city) was able to duplicate problem in road tests. When it happened to me, I threw transmission in neutral. Engine hit redline in time it took to turn key to off.(1-2 seconds) first mis identified as sticking throttle cables. Toyota replaced cables eventually (after recurrence) replaced throttle body. Wife nearly had accident with first occurrence, had to stand on brakes to get car stopped. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10303716, filed 2010-02, 125,769 miles

    “Unintended high speed acceleration I was accelerating to merge onto the highway and I briefly used the brakes to allow a large truck to go past before merging. I'm not sure if I then put my foot on the accelerator or the brake, but the 2003 Toyota Sienna began acceleration on its own as though the cruise control had been set at 100 MPH and it was trying to get there! I did not have the cruise control on at the time. I then put on the brakes to reduce my speed, and I was able to reduce the speed but the brakes were definitely fighting against the vehicle's desire to go 100 MPH. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10243306, filed 2008-09, 67,000 miles
  3. Brakes

    Brake noise, pedal feel, and ABS concerns

    • 18 complaints (17%)
    • median 75,000 mi at 6.6 yrs old (13 state mileage)
    • filed 2003–2014

    Complaints describe squealing or grinding brakes, a pedal that goes to the floor or feels locked, and occasional ABS warning lights with wheels that seem to seize. Several owners say pads and rotors were replaced, and some report the noise returning after repeated repairs. A few say the dealer could not reproduce the problem. Often reported early, many under 25,000 miles, with some pedal and ABS complaints at higher mileage.

    4 related service bulletins

    What to check: Have the brakes inspected on a test drive for noise, pedal firmness and ABS light behavior; ask for service records on pad and rotor replacement.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When braking vehicle rolled forward. Driver depressed the brake pedal and the brakes squeaked. It felt like vehicle continued to accelerate. The consumer stated that the vehicle crept forward while stopped at an intersection with the brake applied.”

    NHTSA complaint #10062829, filed 2004-05, 3,330 miles

    “When applying the brakes at any speed they squealed. Vehicle was taken to dealer to get the problem repaired, but after the repairs the squealing diminished but persisted. The manufacturer was informed of the problem.”

    NHTSA complaint #10041928, filed 2003-09, 6,000 miles
  4. Seat belts

    Seat belts that jam, fail to retract, or loosen

    • 5 complaints (5%)
    • median 80,000 mi at 4.4 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2006–2008

    Owners report rear and second-row seat belts that jam and will not pull out, fail to retract, or twist in the mechanism, making the seat unusable. A few describe belts that did not hold in a crash. One owner says three replace­ments of the third-row belts were needed. Reported from about 12,000 to over 110,000 miles.

    What to check: Pull every rear seat belt out fully and let it retract; check for twisting or locked retractors and ask whether any belts have been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I had to replace the 3rd row seat belts in 2003 seinna 3 times on each side. The seat belt locked at top and will not fit arround my children or it was too loose. It has been a a safty issue numerous times when it broke on vacation , and my child had to seat up front.”

    NHTSA complaint #10187409, filed 2007-04, 12,000 miles

    “The front and second row seat belts didn't hold in a rear end crash causing the driver to strike her head on the steering wheel and a juvenile in the second row to strike her head on the rear of the driver's seat.”

    NHTSA complaint #10227519, filed 2008-05, 114,000 miles
  5. Engine cooling

    Engine oil sludge and cold-start knocking

    • 6 complaints (6%)
    • median 32,500 mi at 5.7 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2003–2010

    Complaints describe oil sludge or gel build-up that led to an oil light and a seized engine, and a knocking noise on cold starts that one dealer attributed to piston slap. Owners say the dealer declined to repair or called the condition normal. Others report blue smoke from the exhaust attributed to valve or ring problems. Mostly reported between about 20,000 and 160,000 miles, with the knocking complaints at low mileage.

    What to check: Check the oil on the dipstick for level and consistency, listen for knocking at a cold start, and ask for oil change records.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “We own a 2003 Toyota Sienna that we bought new in january 2003. During march 2005, noticed knocking sound coming from engine during cold startups. Took to Toyota and after 4 days of various remedies which didn't work (catalytic converter replacement, oil change, engine cleaning), they chalked it up to a known problem with piston slap and said it can't be fixed, that they all do it , and returned van to us.”

    NHTSA complaint #10116273, filed 2005-04, 22,000 miles

    “Our 2003 Sienna van (Toyota) has begun throwing blue smoke out the exhaust. We took it to a mechanic that told us that it's a valve,ring sludge problem in the motor . He said it's been happening to this particular model . I researched it on google and found this website from other owners of siennas. From what I understand Toyota has not been willing to fix this problem and has in fact found a loophole through an acknowledgement of the problem. So, here I am with my complaint. Hope that you can help us out as I do not have the funds to buy a new engine. Thank you.”

    NHTSA complaint #10198341, filed 2007-08, 90,000 miles

Buying note. Check the sliding doors and all seat belts carefully on any example, and get a pre-purchase inspection covering brakes, throttle linkage and engine condition. Service records for oil changes and any door or brake repairs are useful to ask for.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 80 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.

NHTSA recorded 105 consumer complaints for the 2003 Toyota Sienna. 77 of the complaints include a mileage, and 48% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 54,000 miles. Of all complaints, 12 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 13 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 98 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Fuel system (4), Steering (4), Suspension (4), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (4), Air bags (2), Other or unknown (2), Electronic stability control (1), Seats (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Latches, locks and linkages: “Opened tail gate on 03 Toyota Sienna van. Reached in to get something and gate suddenly came down striking me on the top of my head causing a concussion. Gas struts were replaced at a cost of over $300. Old parts not available.”

NHTSA complaint #10347933, filed 2010-08, 139,000 miles

Body and structure: “Driver and front passenger door started making loud clicking sounds when opening and closing doors back in may of last year. Then about 2 months ago, the front passenger door would not close fully and would only open up a few inches. After I was able to open up, I noticed the door weld had snapped and broken off (where it attaches to the door). I searched online and found out this is a common problem with siennas and there was a service bulletin for this problem, although not for my year. …”

NHTSA complaint #10445773, filed 2012-01, 98,000 miles

Brakes: “Here is a list of mechanical malfunctions indicating manufacturing defects on my Toyota Sienna. The current models recalled by Toyota motors do not cover all vehicles with defects. Based on my personal experience in the past few years, Toyota motors have a lot of lying employees in their authorized dealership. In short, Toyota motors put their business interest way ahead of the life safety of american people. I hope national highway traffic safety administration will check this manner and enforce proper regulation. Updated 03/14/10 the consumer stated the engine would stall. …”

NHTSA complaint #10319618, filed 2010-03, 43,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “I turns my Toyota Sienna into a driveway of a storage facility and placed the vehicle into park while trafficpassed by as this road was also the exit road from costco. When it was safe from other vehicles and is was safe to back out of the driveway I took the vehicle out of park and suddenly the vehicle lurched forward ramming into an iron gate bending it wide open. The vehicle continued through the gate even though I turned off the ignition , jammed my brakes an tried to place it into park all to no avail. …”

NHTSA complaint #10317294, filed 2010-03, 14,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

48% of the 77 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 18,010 and 94,000 miles.

17%0–1018%10–2513%25–5018%50–7513%75–10018%100–1503%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (77 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 54,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’03’06’0922’12’15’21
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2003 Toyota Sienna. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Sienna · hatchback AWD/RWDnot rated5 / 5———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2003 Toyota Sienna version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Sienna 2WD3.0L 6-cyl4-speed automatic172319$3,550

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2003 Toyota Sienna → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 98 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 98 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota Sienna

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20221192,0002—3648 · TypicalRising
202116528,0001——50 · TypicalRising
20203814,57125210 · FewerStable
20194522,250752218 · FewerFalling
20187229,000752229 · FewerFalling
201715621,8001052265 · MoreRising
20167619,000552144 · TypicalStable
201523330,000652179 · MoreStable
201416348,212652132 · FewerFalling
201318348,918642136 · TypicalFalling
201224758,000942154 · TypicalFalling
201161556,00014421100 · MoreFalling
201017267,5008—1958 · TypicalFalling
200920784,42510—1954 · TypicalFalling
200842977,0009—1977 · MoreFalling
200736468,00010—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20061,01770,80011—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20051,13066,00012—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20042,06275,00010—20Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200310554,0001—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200218166,8461—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200118066,2682—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200036381,6501—19Not compared (before 2008)Rising
199921590,0002—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199829478,8502—19Not compared (before 2008)Rising

All Toyota Sienna model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2003 Toyota Sienna?

Owners of this model year most often describe sliding-door and power door problems — doors that will not open, will not latch, or stick in hot weather — along with reports of unintended or sudden acceleration and brake noise or pedal concerns. The issues reported most often: Sliding doors stick, jam, or fail to open/close; Sudden or unintended acceleration; Brake noise, pedal feel, and ABS concerns.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2003 Toyota Sienna have?

NHTSA recorded 105 consumer complaints for the 2003 Toyota Sienna as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2003 Toyota Sienna is reported most often?

Latches, locks and linkages is named most often, in 21 complaints (20% of the total), followed by body and structure with 18.

Has the 2003 Toyota Sienna been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2003 Toyota Sienna get?

The EPA rates the 2003 Toyota Sienna (Sienna 2WD, 3.0L 6-cyl) at 19 mpg combined, 17 city and 23 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,550 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2003 Toyota Sienna reported?

Among the 77 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 54,000 miles and the middle half falls between 18,010 and 94,000 miles; 48% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.