2012 Toyota Sienna: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2012 Toyota Sienna: 9 recalls, 247 owner complaints and up to 21 mpg combined.
Recalls
9 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Equipment Vehicle recall #11V560000 · 2011 · 210,000 vehicles
What's wrong: " these vehicles do not meet the requirement for displaying the correct vehicle capacity weight as the rated load for the combination of cargo and occupants.
Why it matters: Incorrect information on the vehicle placard May lead to tire overloading and possibly cause tire failure increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and will provide a remedy when it is available. Toyota will mail out a corrected placard to customers along with revised owner manual information. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on June 27, 2013.
Equipment Vehicle recall #12V120000 · 2012 · 363 vehicles
What's wrong: A malfunction in the audiovox electronics brand remote engine starter module can prevent normal communication of the vehicleâs controller area network (can).
Why it matters: If this condition occurs, antilock braking and stability control May be lost, increasing the risk of a crash. Drivers should receive dashboard warning lights warning them of a malfunction.
The fix: Gulf states Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the remote engine starter with a new one free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about June 4, 2012.
Seats, Airbags Vehicle recall #13V014000 · 2013 · 3,235 vehicles
What's wrong: During modification by set to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest dvd systems, these vehicles May not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system May not operate as designed.
Why it matters: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags May not deploy or they May deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag…
The fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013.
Equipment Vehicle recall #13V123000 · 2013 · 7,525 vehicles
What's wrong: These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (fmvss) number 110, "tire selection and rims."
Why it matters: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which May result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
The fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013.
Body & structure Vehicle recall #16V858000 · 2016 · 744,437 vehicles
What's wrong: If the power sliding door is unable to be opened when commanded, such as if the door is frozen shut, the door May subsequently open unexpectedly, possibly while the vehicle is moving.
Why it matters: If door opens while the vehicle is moving, there would be an increased risk of injury to the vehicle occupants.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the junction block, rear sliding door wire harnesses, and install two sub wire harnesses, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2017.
Airbags Vehicle recall #17V006000 · 2017 · 577,875 vehicles
What's wrong: S. Virgin islands, or "zone a." additionally, unless included in "zone a" above, Toyota is recalling certain 2009 Toyota corolla, corolla matrix, yaris, yaris hb, Scion xb, Pontiac vibe, Lexus, es350, is250, is350, and is-f vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland, missouri, nebraska, nevada, new jersey, new…
Why it matters: An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify the Toyota, Scion and Lexus owners. General motors will contact the Pontiac owners. Depending on the model, dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator or the air bag assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 1, 2017.
Airbags Vehicle recall #19V005000 · 2019 · 1,299,448 vehicles
What's wrong: S. Virgin islands or "zone a." Toyota is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Toyota corolla, corolla matrix, Lexus is250, is350, 2011-2016 4runner, 2011-2015 Scion xb, Lexus is350c, is250c, 2011-2014 Toyota sienna, Lexus is-f, 2011-2017 Lexus gx460, and 2011-2012 Lexus es350 vehicles ever registered in the states of arizona, arkansas, delaware, district of columbia, illinois, indiana, kansas, kentucky, maryland,…
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, or replace the air bag assembly. The recall began February 15, 2019.
Brakes (hydraulic) Vehicle recall #19V553000 · 2019 · 303 vehicles
What's wrong: The rubber brake hoses that attach to the rear wheel assembly May be too short, causing them to rub against the rear axle trailing arm.
Why it matters: The contact May cause failure of the rear brake hoses, resulting in a loss of vehicle control and reduced braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Vantage will notify owners, and dealers will install a set of rear brake hoses that will provide the proper clearance, free of charge. The recall began December 16, 2019.
Airbags, Airbags Vehicle recall #19V741000 · 2019 · 928,220 vehicles
What's wrong: These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators May explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 4 mention a fire, 13 injuries and 0 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Airbags (84): the most common themes are fails to deploy (4).
- Body & structure (72): the most common themes are door / lock issues (43), noise or vibration (7), rust / corrosion (5).
- Other / unknown (28): the most common themes are fire / smoke (3), rust / corrosion (2).
- Electrical (27): the most common themes are door / lock issues (13), electrical failure (7), warning light on (5).
The 2012 Toyota Sienna has 247 owner complaints, ranking #9 of 25 Sienna model years for complaints (about average; the typical year has 342). Complaints peaked in 2017 (119 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 5 years old, at a median of 58,000 miles. Neighboring years: 2011 (614 complaints, 14 recalls), 2013 (183 complaints, 6 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7 L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 19 | 24 | 21 | Regular |
| 3.5 L 6-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | 18 | 25 | 21 | Regular |
| 3.5 L 6-cyl | Automatic (S6) | All-Wheel Drive | 17 | 23 | 19 | Regular |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2012 Toyota Sienna.
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FAQ
Does the 2012 Toyota Sienna have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 9 vehicle recalls for the 2012 Toyota Sienna. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2012 Toyota Sienna problems?
Owners have filed 247 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are airbags (84), body & structure (72), other / unknown (28).
What gas mileage does the 2012 Toyota Sienna get?
EPA ratings run up to 21 mpg combined (2.7 L, Automatic (S6)), across 3 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2012 Toyota Sienna repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.