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 613 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Sienna, and it carries 14 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 141 | 23% |
| Structure | 81 | 13% |
| Unknown or other | 41 | 7% |
| Air bags | 32 | 5% |
| Power train | 22 | 4% |
| Tires | 19 | 3% |
| Wheels | 18 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 17 | 3% |
| Engine | 14 | 2% |
| Steering | 14 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
No accident t door on the rear passenger side will not open I have tried everything and it just will not budge. This is a safety hazard because in the case of an accident or emergency, the door cannot be opened. It will
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
I have a flat tire the other day, and I try to put the spare tire on but it's gone. The spare tire's cable holds the spare tire under the car got corroded and broke. The spare tire is gone. It has lost some where on th
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
The glide pins in the calipers came loose and one of the pins fell out (left front drivers side). As a result it caused the caliper to seize and smoke. It got hot and mangled the lower left control arm bushing. I bought
NHTSA complaint: Suspension
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Toyota Sienna. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase in 2025, the mileage was 110,000. The contac
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Sienna. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V858000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacte
NHTSA complaint: Latches/locks/linkages
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was intermittently illuminated while driving. The contact stated that the warning light turned off while restarting the vehicle. Ad
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE VIN: [XXX] Mileage: ~204,800 Incident Date: [XXX] Recent Service: Oil change, tire rotation, brake inspection, and multipoint inspection performed on November 10, 2025 at Fitzgerald Toyot
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Catalizador caUsando bajas emisiones, consecuencia encendido de codigos de luz de advertencia de tablero como luz indicadora de falla (Check Engine). LUZ DE ADVERTENCIA ABS. LUZ INDICADORA DE DERRAPE VSC-TRAC Y LUZ DE AD
NHTSA complaint: Power train
NHTSA lists 14 recall campaigns for the 2011 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 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, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louis
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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 may
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 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX4
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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 sub-asse
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 frozen shut, the door may subsequently open un
Risk: If door opens while the vehicle is moving, there would be an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants.
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. Owner
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
| Reliability raw | 39 | below average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 65 | good |
| Maintenance | 76 | good |
| Depreciation | 92 | excellent |
| Performance | 67 | good |
| Efficiency | 35 | below average |
| Safety | 80 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other minivans & vans in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 613 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and air bags is the most reported area with 141 of them (23%). There are 14 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 39/100 (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 65/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2011 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 64/100. 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.