2019 Toyota Sienna: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
45 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. 2019 specifically: a year the record favours — 45 complaints, score 77/100. 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 2019 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 45 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 6.43
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
2019 Sienna XLE with 77,000 miles has a UA80 Transmission is whining at the final gear per Imperial Toyota Milford MA service center. They want to replace the transmission for 9,000 USD and Toyota Corporate refuses assistance. It appear to be a common defect which could lead to transmission lockup if the gear fails.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while attempting to open the driver's side sliding door, the door failed to completely open but remained ajar. The contact became aware that an electrical cable was hanging from the door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the cable needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the door needed to…
Started hearing a whining noise upon acceleration. Took car to Toyota for a diagnostic check. Discovered transmission is failing. Recommended repair is a full transmission replacement, quoted 10,000. After bringing to a local mechanic for a second opinion, he claims this is a widespread issue with Toyota Siennas in similar years. After some research, Toyota quietly claims there was an issue in the manufacturing of th…
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. |
| 19V318000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Sienna vehicles. The passenger front door may have incorrect welds inside, possibly affecting the air bag sensor readings for the passenger side front seat and curtain shield air bags. |
| 19V244000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. |
| 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.
- Unknown Or Other8 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Power Train7 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Fuel/Propulsion System7 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Structure6 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Fuel System6 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Gasoline6 complaints · typical job: Fuel delivery and emissions repair (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,360
Other Toyota Sienna years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Toyota Sienna?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (8 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2019 Toyota Sienna a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 77/100, computed from 45 NHTSA complaints and 7 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2019 Toyota Sienna's most common problem?
8 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2019 Toyota Sienna sit in the Unknown Or Other group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is diagnosis and mixed repair: about 2.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$940 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 2019 Toyota Sienna cost to run per year?
About $4,572 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $22,860 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 2019 Toyota Sienna have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for the 2019 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 2019 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.
Thin evidence — 45 complaints, 7 recalls on record
- 45 NHTSA complaints on record (6.4/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (13.8/yr)
- 7 recall campaigns, 5 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality