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2016 Toyota Sienna problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
10%
6 of 76 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2016 Toyota Sienna. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 10% of relevant complaints.

Better than 97% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2016 Toyota Sienna have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 6 of 76 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Sienna concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (10%). For comparison, the 2015 scores 16% and the 2017 scores 43%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
6
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
76
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
5
7 crashes · 6 injuries

Complaints by component

STRUCTURE27 · 36%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER14 · 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM9 · 12%
SEAT BELTS6 · 8%
WHEELS5 · 7%
AIR BAGS5 · 7%

The years either side

2010
17%
27 of 172
2011
16%
63 of 614
2012
18%
29 of 247
2013
16%
25 of 183
2014
17%
25 of 163
2015
16%
33 of 232
2016
10%
6 of 76
2017
43%
61 of 154
2018
48%
32 of 72
2019
38%
15 of 45
2020
41%
15 of 38
2021
11%
15 of 165
2022
9%
10 of 119
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2016 Toyota Sienna

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN02/11/2024
After 80,000 miles have a loud whirling sound coming from rear, after inspection and online investigation found many many others with same issue, the dust cover and or o-ring doesn’t properly protect the rear bearing in the coupler. So while the fix is to remove the rear differential coupler, and replace the bearing wi…

One of 6 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2016 Toyota Sienna?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns on the 2016 Toyota Sienna, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

5 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
equipment adaptive/mobility: wheelchair restraints/securement: latch/anchor: 25V876000 · Dec 2025
Rollx Vans (Rollx) is recalling certain GMC Yukon, Sierra, Chevrolet Express 2500, Ford Transit, E-250, Toyota Sienna, Sienna Hybrid, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, Voyager, Pacifica,…
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings19V553000 · Jul 2019
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…
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings19V410000 · Jun 2019
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…
structure: body: door16V858000 · Nov 2016
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2011-2016 Toyota Sienna minivans manufactured January 4, 2010, to August 12, 2016. If the power sliding door is…
seat belts: front16V197000 · Apr 2016
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Sienna vehicles manufactured February 15, 2016, to February 19, 2016. In the affected vehicles,…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2016 Toyota Sienna? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2016 Toyota Sienna

Does the 2016 Toyota Sienna have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 6 of 76 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Sienna concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (10%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2016 Toyota Sienna?

No. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns on the 2016 Toyota Sienna, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Toyota Sienna years are better?

Among the Toyota Sienna years we track, the 2022 (9%) has a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2016 (10%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2016 Toyota Sienna?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2016 Toyota Sienna shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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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.