1999 Toyota Sienna XLE review from North America

The power door once wouldn't operate but the dealer took care of that by cleaning the electric contacts and greasing the runner at about 30,000 miles.

An idiot light on the dash tells me that I need to check my tire pressure even though all tires have correct pressure. This light has been lying to me since about the year 2001 but it doens't worry me enought to fix it.

There is a slight rattling sound, very faint, coming from behind the instrument panel. Something is vibrating in there against something else.

I bought this minivan with all the bells and whistles (air cond., cd player, sunroof, leather, alloy wheels, etc. The engine is a good performer and has plenty of passing power. The power seats, the engine, none of that stuff has failed.

I am the original owner and have only been to the dealership a few times to fix the problems that I have mentioned. However, the idiot light came back as a problem, after the warranty period. Nothing about this vehicle warrants serious concern.

All in all, this has been a trouble-free vehicle. I have changed the oil about every 4,000 miles. It doesn't leak or burn oil. It has always gotten me safely to my destination. I was motivated to write this review after reading a bad review of a Sienna. If I wanted to replace this minivan, I certainly would do so with either another Toyota, and I would consider a Honda too because their seats can be removed a little easier.

I bought the Sienna for its 5 star rating in crash tests and for the Toyota reputation for reliability. I never crashed it so I can't speak to that, but as far as reliability I'd guess I made the right choice. Besides oil changes and tires, I really haven't spent a penny on it and have stayed out of the dealership fairly well.