2012 Toyota Sienna: engine and transmission complaints
NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
18%
29 of 159 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2012 Toyota Sienna. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 18% of relevant complaints.
Better than 89% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 88 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 12%).
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
What owners reported
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE09/21/2016FIRECRASH3 INJURED
ON AUGUST 27, 2016 I WAS DRIVING OUR 2012 TOYOTA SIENNA ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. TRAFFIC WAS TERRIBLE AND I REAR-ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC. THE IMPACT WAS MINOR, BUT THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNT THE CAR TO THE FRAME. MY WIFE AND I WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE CAR BEFORE IT BURNED. WHEN I EXITED THE CAR…
ENGINE10/07/2025
Coolant leaking from rear of the engine through the head gasket. Vehicle struggles to accelerate beyond 55mph or 80kmph. A quick search on the internet shows that this is a frequent occurrence in this 3.5L V6 engine from Toyota model years 2011 through 2017.
POWER TRAIN04/25/2023
Rear axle coupler assembly (part number 41303-28013) making very loud noise and vibration.
Three of 29 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (9)
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Toyota 4Runner, 2014-2015 Scion xB, Lexus IS350C, IS250C, 2014 Toyota Sienna, Lexus IS-F,…
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2…
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 …
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2012 Toyota Sienna
No elevated drivetrain pattern for this model year. That describes the model, not the car in front of you.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose.
9 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
