IllustrationOIL SLUDGE: IT TOOK SOME DOING BUT TOYOTA FINALLY DID PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE.
2002 Toyota Sienna
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Toyota Sienna do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 183.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sienna years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
240–25K
2125–50K
2150–75K
2575–100K
18100–150K
11150K+
120 reports with mileage · 61 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Structure. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Latches/locks/linkages. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 24 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
16 crash reports4 fire reports9 injury reports
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
16 reportsTHE OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON 5/28/2003 AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT FUNCTION WITH THE CURRENT ENGINE. *NLM
VEHICLE WAS BLOWING WHITE SMOKE OUT, AND WHEN YOU REMOVED THE OIL REFILL CAP THERE WAS A GEL TYPE SUBSTANCE ON IT, THE MECHANIC CALLED IT OIL GEL. TOYOTA KNEW ABOUT THIS AND TOLD CONSUMER THAT THEY ARE NOT MAINTAINING THEIR AUTO, BUT WITH HER VEHICLE THIS IS NOT TRUE. *TT
TOYOTA SIENNA ENGINE FIRE. THE CONSUMER INQUIRED WHEN THE RESULTS OF THE FIRE INVESTIGATION WOULD BE PUBLISHED. *AK *JB
THE ENGINE LOCKED UP.*JB
I OWN A 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM MAGIC TOYOTA IN EDMONDS WA. THE VAN HAS 20000 MILES ON IT AND IS NOW IN NEED OF A NEW ENGINE. I HAVE HAD IT SERVICED BUT APPARENTLY THE TOYOTA ENGINES HAVE AN OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP PROBLEM WHICH DESTROYS THE ENGINE IF IT OCCURS. TOYOTA IS UNCERTAIN AT THIS JUNCTURE…
Read full complaint
I OWN A 2002 TOYOTA SIENNA. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM MAGIC TOYOTA IN EDMONDS WA. THE VAN HAS 20000 MILES ON IT AND IS NOW IN NEED OF A NEW ENGINE. I HAVE HAD IT SERVICED BUT APPARENTLY THE TOYOTA ENGINES HAVE AN OIL SLUDGE BUILD UP PROBLEM WHICH DESTROYS THE ENGINE IF IT OCCURS. TOYOTA IS UNCERTAIN AT THIS JUNCTURE IF THEY ARE GOING TO REPAIR THE ENGINE WHICH IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I HAD IT SERVICED ON 11/20/02 AT MAGIC TOYOTA. FOUR WEEKS LATER THE ENGINE IS DEAD LINED WITH BLUE SMOKE, POOR COMPRESSION, AND A KNOCK. I HAVE RECENTLY READ THAT TOYOTA ENGINES FROM 2000 ON WERE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I AM ALSO UNDERSTANDING THAT THE STATE OF IDAHO AND POSSIBLY CALIFORNIA ARE FORMULATING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ON THIS ISSUE. TOYOTA IS CLAIMING THAT IT IS AN OWNER MAINTENANCE ISSUE NOT A DEFECT. I REQUEST TO FILE AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT AGAINST TOYOTA IN REFERENCE TO THIS ENGINE DEFECT. THEY ARE NOT STANDING GOOD FOR IT. AN ENGINE WITH 20,000 MILES ON IT SHOULD NOT BE DEAD LINED. TS
Official recalls
110V160000 · Structure
Apr 20, 2010
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1998 THROUGH 2010 SIENNA PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN AUGUST 7, 1997 AND JANUARY 4, 2010, CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN OR ORIGINALLY SOLD IN CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, VERMONT, WASHINGTON DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, VIRGINIA, WEST VIRGINIA, AND WISCONSIN. THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE SPARE TIRE STOWED UNDER THE VEHICLE. IF THE VEHICLE IS OPERATED IN THE COLD CLIMATE REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES WHERE ROAD SALT IS FREQUENTLY USED, WATER SPLASHED BACKWARDS WITH HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF ROAD SALT CAN REACH THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER AND CORRODE THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER ASSEMBLY CABLE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE CABLE MAY BREAK DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION AND THE SPARE TIRE MAY SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS WITH AN INTERIM LETTER INITIALLY INSTRUCTING THEM TO BRING THEIR VEHICLE TO AUTHORIZED DEALERS TO INSPECT FOR CORROSION. A SECOND NOTICE WILL BE SENT WHEN THE PERMANENT REMEDY IS AVAILABLE. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE SEE TOYOTA'S AMENDED RECALL REPORT OF JULY 19, 2010. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OCTOBER 12, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1PE01036 · Engine Compartment Fire
Opened Oct 19, 2001 · Closed Feb 11, 2002
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine And Engine Cooling
No summary supplied.