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2021 Toyota Sienna
Solid pick. The complaint record is strong for its age. It does carry safety recalls, so confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the VIN before money changes hands.
36 owner complaints · 2 recalls · data verified July 19, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Airbags problems dominate (33% of complaints).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.
Score breakdown, by factor
Full methodology →#59 of 402Among the 2021 models with a matured record, the 2021 Toyota Sienna ranks #59, scoring higher than 80% of them. See the 2021 ranking →
Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
5/5 overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2021 Toyota SIENNA HYBRID VAN AWD
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 13%
1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file, separate from the recalls above.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2021 Toyota Sienna, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Airbags (12) · Brakes (6) · Visibility & wipers (5)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Airbags
33%12 complaints · 9 in the last 2 years
“Unknown, I got the SRS Airbag system malfunction in my vehicle, I got the same error in my vehicle dashboard a few times in the past but it would go away and since yes…”
Brakes
17%6 complaints · 4 in the last 2 years
“Car surged as brakes were applied when stopping. Very dangerous. Could have easily rear-ended another vehicle. Surge was immediate and occurred when brake was being ap…”
Visibility & wipers
14%5 complaints
“The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Sienna Hybrid. The contact stated that the passenger's side rearview mirror detached and the rear liftgate door inadvertently opened whi…”
Electrical system
8%3 complaints · 2 in the last 2 years
“Unexpected failure of the acceleration pedal to accelerate from a complete stop to a go at an intersection. The electric vehicle (EV) motor began accelerating up to ab…”
Check it against this car’s mileage
Type the odometer reading on the actual car you’re looking at to see which of these problem areas owners tend to report before it, around it, or after it.
Too few owners named a mileage on this model to place issues against an odometer yet.
Read all 36 owner complaints in their own words → · just the 2 crash/fire/injury reports →
Recalls (2)
Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.
Seats · 25V086000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Sienna Hybrid vehicles. The bolts for the seatbacks on the third-row seat assemblies may not be tightened properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints," 207, "Seating Systems," and 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Risk: An improperly tightened seatback may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will tighten the seat assembly bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA05.
Air Bags · 23V865000
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Questions to ask the seller
Questions worth asking the seller of this Toyota before you buy, drawn from its public record:
- NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2021 Toyota Sienna. Can you run this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and confirm each one shows "Remedy Completed"?
- Owners of this model report airbags problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any airbags symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Owners of this model report brakes problems more than anything else. Has this car shown any brakes symptoms, and are there repair records for it?
- Has this car been in any accident or had any structural, airbag, or flood-related repair? Do you have a clean title and a recent history report (Carfax / AutoCheck)?
- How many owners has it had, do you have the maintenance records, and why are you selling it?
- Are you open to me having an independent mechanic inspect it before we settle on a price?
Before you hand over money
Verify the recall work was done
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2021 Toyota SIENNA beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2021? See how every Sienna model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2021 Toyota Sienna against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.