Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here.
Owners have filed 1,130 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Toyota Sienna, and it carries 12 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 378 | 33% |
| Seat belts | 70 | 6% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 62 | 5% |
| Structure | 61 | 5% |
| Tires | 57 | 5% |
| Steering | 51 | 5% |
| Air bags | 46 | 4% |
| Unknown or other | 42 | 4% |
| Vehicle speed control | 39 | 3% |
| Power train | 35 | 3% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The dashboard has so many cracks literally everywhere. All the way from the driver side to the passenger side. When the temperature changes hot to cold or cold to hot. There’s nothing but cracking sounds.
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over, opened the hood, and added additional oil. The vehicle was towed to an independe
NHTSA complaint: Engine and engine cooling
The rear hatch on our 2005 Toyota Sienna, after being opened, comes down almost immediately and can hit a person who is reaching into the back cargo area and cause injury. Other people have also reported this same danger
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
When driving on the highway, the van will suddenly brake and the steering will lock up for about 10 seconds. It is truly frightening. It has happened many times, even with the anti-lock button off. I love this vehicle ot
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The stickiness of the dashboard causes unwanted glare and reflections on the windshield, especially when driving in bright sunlight. This glare and reflection make it extremely challenging to maintain a clear and unobstr
NHTSA complaint: Visibility/wiper
The airbag light is on. The seatbelt on the passenger side gets stuck.
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
I was driving on a dry road, going 70mph when my car began flashing the abs indicator and it began breaking and controlling my steering taking me into another lane. The car slowed my vehicle suddenly down to 60 mph and
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated when he walked outside, he noticed that the vehicle had rolled backwards into the middle of the street. The contact was able to drive the vehicle back into the dr
NHTSA complaint: Power train
NHTSA lists 12 recall campaigns for the 2005 Toyota Sienna. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2005-2007 and 2009-2010 Toyota Sienna vehicles. In the affected vehicles, due to a problem within the shift lock assembly, the shift lever may be moved out of the 'Park' position without depressing the brake pedal.
Risk: If the shift lever can be moved from the "Park" position without depressing the brake pedal and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may roll, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift lock solenoid and reapply the grease, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affec
Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Priu
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2004-2011 Sienna vehicles originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oh
Risk: If the carrier cable is corroded due to road salt, the spare tire may separate from the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota sent owners in August 2014 an interim notification to advise owners of the recall and that dealers will perform an interim remedy to remove the spare tire and relocate it to the luggage compart
| Reliability raw | 41 | below average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 66 | good |
| Maintenance | 76 | good |
| Depreciation | 92 | excellent |
| Performance | 66 | good |
| Efficiency | 35 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other minivans & vans in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 1,130 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and structure is the most reported area with 378 of them (33%). There are 12 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 41/100 (below average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 66/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2005 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: skip, because the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here. Its overall ownership score is 63/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.