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2021 Toyota Sienna problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
11%
15 of 165 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2021 Toyota Sienna. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 11% 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 2021 Toyota Sienna have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 15 of 165 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota Sienna concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (11%). For comparison, the 2020 scores 41% and the 2022 scores 9%. 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
15
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
165
this model year
Fires reported
3
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
1
14 crashes · 11 injuries

Complaints by component

SERVICE BRAKES80 · 48%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER27 · 16%
SEATS17 · 10%
AIR BAGS16 · 10%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM13 · 8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL10 · 6%

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 2021 Toyota Sienna

What one owner reported

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM02/02/2026
I was driving my Toyota Sienna on a busy 6 lane highway in the second to the left lane, on a bridge. Suddenly without any warning AT ALL, my vehicle lost all power and came to an abrupt halt in the middle of high speed traffic. My wife and children were all in the car and we were in imminent danger of getting hit by an…

One of 15 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 2021 Toyota Sienna?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2021 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.

1 other recall on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
electronic stability control (esc): control module: software22V239000 · Apr 2022
Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna,…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2021 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.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2021 Toyota Sienna

Does the 2021 Toyota Sienna have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 15 of 165 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Toyota Sienna concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (11%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2021 Toyota Sienna?

No. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2021 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%) and the 2016 (10%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2021 (11%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2021 Toyota Sienna?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2021 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.