2021 Toyota Sienna

Showing the 2021 Sienna Limited. NHTSA's VIN data shows it with a 2.5 L engine, but that may not be every version of it, so the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
35–36 mpgcombined; city 35–36, highway 36; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$9,020–$9,280U.S. average; Ohio $8,060–$8,290 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
4over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
210filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2021 Sienna. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 210 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Sienna. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service brakes88802
Unknown or other30321
Air bags29205
Seats22103
Electrical system17111
Engine11020
Structure11001
Power train10200
Vehicle speed control10101
Seat belts8001
Forward collision avoidance6100
Fuel/propulsion system6000
12 more parts
Visibility/wiper6000
Visibility5000
Suspension4000
Exterior lighting3011
Lane departure3000
Steering3000
Tires3000
Back over prevention2000
Latches/locks/linkages2000
Chest clip, buckle, harness1000
Service brakes, hydraulic1000
Tether, lower anchor (ON CAR SEAT OR VEHICLE)1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 20061,017
  2. 2007364
  3. 2008429
  4. 2009207
  5. 2010172
  6. 2011615
  7. 2012247
  8. 2013183
  9. 2014163
  10. 2015233
  11. 201676
  12. 2017155
  13. 201872
  14. 201945
  15. 202038
  16. 2021210
  17. 2022140
  18. 202370
  19. 202469
  20. 2025267
  21. 202617

Every Sienna year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2021 Sienna over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Equipment adaptive/mobility: wheelchair restraints/securement

NHTSA campaign 25V877000 · reported Dec 17, 2025 · 1,019 vehicles potentially affected

Vantage Mobility, LLC (VM) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Honda Odyssey, 2021-2025 Chrysler Pacifica, and Toyota Sienna vehicles equipped with QRT-Deluxe and QRT-Max wheelchair restraints. The retractors may not lock, preventing the wheelchair from being properly secured.

Risk: An unsecured wheelchair can move during transit, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the retractors, free of charge. Owner notification letters was mailed January 27, 2026. Owners may contact Vantage Mobility customer service at 1-800-488-9082.

NHTSA's record and documents

Seats: critical fasteners; Seats: mid/rear assembly

NHTSA campaign 25V086000 · reported Feb 13, 2025 · 167,802 vehicles potentially affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Sienna Hybrid vehicles. The bolts for the seatbacks on the third-row seat assemblies may not be tightened properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints," 207, "Seating Systems," and 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."

Risk: An improperly tightened seatback may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will tighten the seat assembly bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 1, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA05.

NHTSA's record and documents

Air bags: sensor

NHTSA campaign 23V865000 · reported Dec 20, 2023 · 999,901 vehicles potentially affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.

Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

NHTSA's record and documents

Electronic stability control (ESC): control module

NHTSA campaign 22V239000 · reported Apr 13, 2022 · 458,110 vehicles potentially affected

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, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

Risk: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 183 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2021 Sienna, the latest on Aug 20, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (58), equipment (38), structure (32), engine (28), engine and engine cooling (18).

NHTSA defect investigations

Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.

InvestigationPartOpenedStatus
Defect petition DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
Electrical systemJan 27, 2023Closed Aug 7, 2023
Petition withdrawn
NHTSA's record and documents

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2021 Sienna.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: minivan. EPA greenhouse gas score: 7–8 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Sienna Hybrid
Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AV-S6)Regular Gasoline36 / 36 / 36
Sienna Hybrid
All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AV-S6)Regular Gasoline35 / 36 / 35

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data