2009 Toyota Sienna Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2009 Toyota Sienna ranks 4th worst out of 16 model years, with a Complaint Index of 80 and 207 NHTSA complaints. It carries a rank of Avoid, driven largely by Structure & Body complaints (48% of the total) and 10 recall campaigns.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 80/100
- #4 of 16 Sienna years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 207
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 10
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 15
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 49
- Top issue
- Structure & Body
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 18.5
- 16.5 city / 22 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 49 / 0
Top 2009 Toyota Sienna problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Structure & Body100 (48%)
- Other40 (19%)
- Electrical System29 (14%)
- Engine26 (13%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires18 (9%)
- Airbags14 (7%)
- Steering12 (6%)
- Brakes10 (5%)
- Transmission & Powertrain6 (3%)
- Fuel System3 (1%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration while parking or backing up, with brakes failing to stop the vehicle.
- Side curtain and front airbags reportedly failed to deploy in moderate-to-severe crashes, leading to head and facial injuries.
- A front passenger seat belt reportedly failed to properly restrain the occupant during a frontal collision.
- Owners report electrical fires starting in the driver's side door panel while the vehicle was parked.
- One owner reported an engine compartment fire attributed to an oil leak from the manifold cover valve and seal.
- Owners describe brake and alignment issues, including uneven tire wear and unexpected speeding up after releasing the gas pedal.
2009 Toyota Sienna recalls
10 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 17V657000Oct 18, 2017Transmission & Powertrain310,475 vehicles
Power train:automatic transmission
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.
Remedy: 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 this recall is H0V. Vehicles that were previously recalled under campaign 13V-429 are not affected by this recall.
- NHTSA 16V396000Jun 2, 2016Structure & Body7,749 vehicles
Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler
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 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: 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 SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
- NHTSA 14V743000Nov 19, 2014Structure & Body3,233 vehicles
Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler
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 affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
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.
Remedy: 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 to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
2009 Toyota Sienna fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 16.5 MPG
- Highway
- 22 MPG
- Combined
- 18.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,500
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2009 compared with other Sienna years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2009 Toyota Sienna reliable?
- Among 16 Sienna model years, 2009 ranks 4th worst with a Complaint Index of 80 and is rated Avoid relative to other Sienna years.
- What is the most common problem with the 2009 Toyota Sienna?
- Structure & Body complaints are the largest category, accounting for 100 of 207 complaints (48%), with a median failure mileage of 78,000.
- Does the 2009 Toyota Sienna have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2009 Sienna, covering areas including transmission/shift lock assembly, structure/body seat heaters, suspension, and tire labeling.
- How does the 2009 Sienna compare to other years?
- The 2009 Sienna's Complaint Index of 80 is lower than the 2005 (100) and 2006 (93) model years but higher than later years like 2013 (33) and 2018 (13), which rate Good or Best.
- Were there airbag problems in the 2009 Toyota Sienna?
- Yes, NHTSA logged 14 airbag-related complaints, some involving crashes where airbags failed to deploy, at a median mileage of 74,000.