2023 Toyota Sienna: What to check before buying
Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the brakes, electrical, and wipers and visibility. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2023- Owner complaints
- 52
- Recalls
- 1
- Crashes reported
- 7
- 4 injuries
Your inspection sheet
Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2023 Toyota Sienna: inspection sheet
Paperwork and questions
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Walk-around and cabin
Engine off, key in hand0/3
Cold start, engine bay, and underside
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
Test drive
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/2
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Which Sienna is it?
EPA figures for each version of the 2023 Toyota Sienna. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4-cyl | AWD, FWD | 35–36 mpg |
- On the hybrid, watch for the car moving off on electric power at low speed and for any hybrid system warning on the dash.
- Reset the trip computer at the start of the drive. A Sienna that averages well under the EPA 35 mpg combined on a mixed route may have an engine or tire problem.
Why these checks: what owners reported
NHTSA complaints for the 2023 Toyota Sienna, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Brakes171 crash
Brakes briefly let go while slowing, and the van lurches or surges forward before they grab again. It happens near a stop, in turns, over bumps and on downhill grades. Many drivers say it happens several times a week, with no warning light. Some dealers blame the switch from regenerative to regular braking, but many cannot reproduce it on a test drive. Drivers report near rear-end collisions and rolling past stop signs. One of the 17 complaints involves a crash while parking. One report puts the start at about 20K miles.
Electrical61 crash
Lurching under braking shows up here too. One crash-related report describes a low-speed bump into another car, then engine revving and a check engine light. The 12V battery drains until the van will not restart, and one owner fixed this by disabling the rear hatch kick sensor. On vans with mobility modifications, the fuel gauge drops to empty within about twenty miles, and a sliding door opens on its own while the van is parked and locked. Two complaints say the dealer took months to supply a second key fob.
Wipers and visibility6No crashes
The most common complaint is that the lowered rear entertainment screen blocks the view through the rearview mirror. Drivers say they cannot see traffic or emergency vehicles behind them, and no digital mirror is available as a workaround. Separately, the wipers stop working without warning in snow and rain, then start again on their own later. One report describes the windshield cracking just above the defrost vent with the defrost on high in freezing weather.
Airbags32 crashes
Airbags fail to deploy in serious collisions, according to 2 crash-related complaints that together list 4 injuries. One describes a side impact that pushed the passenger door inward, yet no frontal, side or curtain airbag deployed. The other describes a crash that totaled the van with no deployment. A third complaint describes water leaking into the cabin soon after delivery and reaching electrical parts of the airbag system. Dealer repair attempts under warranty did not fix it.
In owners' own words
Excerpts from complaints Sienna owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
When braking vehicle will accelerate for a brief 1-2 seconds then go back to braking, causing sudden jolts forward and increase distances needed to stop the vehicle, this was only noticed recently in the last 6 months and are at 20K miles as of July 2024, but is becoming more and more frequent, this happened twice on 7/8/2024
Filed with NHTSA, July 2024
Car lunges forward 10ft or so intermittently when braking is applied. This is very dangerous given situations. Toyota dealer is given new car models under 36k miles a free fix, but they would charge high mileage cars a lot of money. I wish NHTSA demand Toyota provide free fix for this issue.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2024
Vehicles equipped with rear entertainment: when tv is folded down, Toyota failed to include a digital mirror to support the ability to see through the rear of the vehicle. When the entertainment system is folded down, the rear view mirror is inaccessible. Many reports are filed online describing the same issue by other owners. Recall should be made to fix the issue and have a digital mirror put in place.
Filed with NHTSA, December 2023
The entertainment screen is completely blocking the rear view when in use which is very dangerous when backing out. Also, I can’t see ambulances, fire trucks, police, etc. are coming behind me to pull over. This is a very serious safety issues for driver. Toyota said that I need to close the screen when this happens but it’s more dangerous for the driver to turn around to close the screen while driving.
Filed with NHTSA, April 2023
How the 2023 compares with other Sienna years
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2023 ranks third for owner complaints among 8 Sienna years, close to the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
- Brakes172
- Electrical62
- Wipers and visibility63
- Airbags32
Where the 2023 fits in the Sienna's history
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2023 is the third model year of the Sienna's fourth generation (2021–2023).
It includes the 2022 update.
What changed for 2022
- Special limited trim for 2022 model
Recalls to confirm (1)
Recall repairs are free at any Toyota dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
25V759000Equipment Adaptive/mobilityOct 2025
Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Chrysler Pacifica, 2022-2025 Toyota Sienna, and 2022-2026 Honda Odyssey vehicles equipped with wheel chair restraint retractors. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.
Risk: An unlocked wheelchair can move during transit or during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 23, 2025. Owners may contact Q'Straint's customer service at 1-800-987-9987 or Braun's customer service at 1-800-488-0359.
Also looking at these instead of a Sienna?
Cars shoppers compare with the Toyota Sienna, with their own 2023 checklists.
2023 owner complaints, side by side
- 2023 Toyota Sienna52
- Honda Odyssey75
