2012 Toyota Sienna Transmission & Powertrain Problems
NHTSA lists 17 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Toyota Sienna, 7% of its 247 total complaints, with a median failure mileage of 96,500 miles. No related recall covers this area. Most reports describe rear differential/viscous coupler failures on AWD models.
- Transmission & Powertrain complaints
- 17
- 7% of 247
- Crashes reported
- 1
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 96,500 mi
- Related recalls
- 0
Typical transmission symptoms owners report
- Owners describe the rear differential viscous coupler failing, producing a loud whining or whirring noise from the rear axle that grows louder with speed.
- Several report the coupler or bearing seizing, sometimes with the driveshaft universal joint, on AWD Sienna models.
- One owner reported the transmission hesitating and refusing to downshift on kick-down during highway merging, causing unexpected deceleration.
- One complaint describes the vehicle rolling away while parked with the shifter in park and the brake applied, resulting in a crash into a house.
- Owners note that Toyota dealers often will not replace just the bearing, requiring replacement of the entire coupler assembly.
When 2012 Toyota Sienna transmission complaints were filed
First complaint Apr 28, 2012, latest Apr 25, 2023.
Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2012 Toyota Sienna
No safety recalls on record for this model year.
Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Sienna model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the transmission a common problem on the 2012 Toyota Sienna?
- NHTSA records 17 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2012 Sienna, 7% of all complaints filed for that model year, centered on rear differential/viscous coupler noise and failure.
- At what mileage do 2012 Sienna transmission problems usually appear?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this area is 96,500 miles.
- Is there a recall for the 2012 Toyota Sienna transmission or rear differential?
- No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for this problem area on the 2012 Sienna.
- How does 2012 compare to other Sienna years for this issue?
- The 2012 Sienna's 7% share is lower than 2017 (24%) and 2018 (28%), which show a higher proportion of Transmission & Powertrain complaints among all their model-year complaints.