2018 Toyota Sienna: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
69 NHTSA owner complaints · 7 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2011 Sienna, which scores 28 on 612 complaints, 211 of them Air Bags and 154 Structure, with twelve recall campaigns. Buy a 2018 to 2020, which score 76, 77 and 88 on 69, 45 and 38 complaints, or the 2016 at 83 on 75. Read the full note on the model page. 2018 specifically: a year the record favours — 69 complaints, score 76/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Toyota Sienna: the years to avoid and the years to buy, including 2018 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 69 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 8.62
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Since owning my 2018 Toyota Sienna, I have experienced hesitation and erratic shifting with my transmission. I have the UA80E transmission which upon research others are experiencing issues with as well. It appears Toyota is not fully acknowledging the problem. The problem is a safety issue as sometimes when you go to quickly accelerate (merging, making a turn while starting from a stop, etc) the transmission hesitat…
My 2018 Sienna had developed a whining noise when accelerating. After taking it in to the mechanic, they advised the transmission was failing. Estimated price tag of $6500-7000 to repair. The vehicle has less than 140K miles. Looking at different issues with this make/model and year, it seems like its rather common. I bought a Toyota for its reputation of getting at least 200K if not more miles. I called both …
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and ascending a hill, the vehicle started making an abnormal whining sound and hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
Recalls: 7 campaigns (5 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 19V410000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Toyota Sienna mobility van conversions. The brake lines may have incorrect tube nut fittings installed, which may cause a pressure drop within the braking system. |
| 20V682000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus… |
| 20V012000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020,… |
| 19V532000 | Steering | Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain modified 2017-2020 Toyota Sienna vehicles. The steering shaft extensions may have been improperly manufactured, possibly causing the extensions to fracture. |
| 18V130000 | Wheels | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Sienna vehicles built with a specific lot of 10-spoke alloy wheels from one production facility. These wheels may not have been properly cooled during manufacturing. |
| 19V553000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | Vantage Mobility International, LLC (Vantage) is recalling certain 2012-2018 AMS Genesis wheelchair vans, built on a Toyota Sienna vehicles. The rubber brake hoses that attach to the rear wheel assembly may be too short, causing them to rub against the rear axle trailing arm. |
| 19V503000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Toyota Camry, Corolla, Rav4, Sienna, and Yaris iA vehicles equipped with factory-installed floor mats. The load carrying capacity modification label may be incorrect. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a minivan of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 22 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,800
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Power Train18 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other13 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Fuel/Propulsion System9 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Electrical System6 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine5 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Air Bags5 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
Other Toyota Sienna years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Toyota Sienna?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (18 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Toyota Sienna a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 76/100, computed from 69 NHTSA complaints and 7 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Toyota Sienna's most common problem?
18 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Toyota Sienna sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2018 Toyota Sienna cost to run per year?
About $4,753 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,768 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2018 Toyota Sienna have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Toyota Sienna, 5 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 04/06/2019. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other minivans of about the same age.
What will a 2018 Toyota Sienna really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 69 complaints, 7 recalls on record
- 69 NHTSA complaints on record (8.6/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (13.8/yr)
- 7 recall campaigns, 5 touching safety-critical systems