2017 Toyota Sienna: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
43%
60 of 140 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
43% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2017 Toyota Sienna are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 52% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 13 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 39%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES09/06/2023CRASH1 INJURED
Parked the car on an incline (our driveway) like we have a 100 times before. Went inside to unload groceries. Came back to the car and from the passenger seat reached over to press the auto-off button. When that was pressed the car started to roll down our driveway with our daughter in the back seat. It rolled across t…
POWER TRAIN06/22/20191 INJURED
VAN WERE ON A SLIGHT SLOPE DRIVEWAY WITH ENGINE STILL TURN ON AND SHIFT IN PARK. WHEN TURN THE ENGINE OFF, THE VAN ROLE BACKWARD INTO THE STREET. THIS COULD BE A RESULT OF GEAR SHIFT OUT OF PARK. IT IS A AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
POWER TRAIN07/11/2026
I, as well as other owners of 2017–2018 Toyota Highlanders and 2017–2018 Siennas are experiencing serious transmission issues—including high-pitched whining, erratic shifting, clunks, hesitation, and premature failure. My 2017 Toyota Sienna has the UA80 8-speed automatic transmission at issue and started whining upon a…
Three of 60 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 (10)
STEERING
Braun Corporation (Braun) is recalling certain modified 2017-2020 Toyota Sienna vehicles. The steering shaft extensions may have been improperly manufactured, possibly c…
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 ma…
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 m…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2017 Toyota Sienna
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
10 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.
