2021 Toyota Sienna LE AWD Real Owner Review and Issues. Toyota Sienna Hybrid 

Finally, a review showing real issues, instead of telling how many cup holders there are. Thanks!

Thank you for a real owner review. I have a 2010 and 2013 Odyssey and love them both but was interested in the new Sienna. You have shown me that I need to hold onto my Honda's. Clearly much better build quality vs new Sienna but that can be said regarding most new cars these days.

Wow thank you so much for making this video and sharing this information. I was really considering a Toyota sienna but you did a real practical review and I really don’t like the fact that the trunk is not perfectly flat and that the seats do not lock into place when they’re folded down. And I really don’t like how the backseat third row passengers have no way of getting out by themselves. Thank you thank you thank you

Thanks Daniel, there are many great points to consider. Hopefully Xle is better. Great video 👍

OMG. lucky i came across this video. I was looking at the 2022 model which is the same as this. Big thank you for this video. now i have to rethink my choices. This is the kind of review i'm looking for. 🙏🙏

Thank you so much for the clip. It was very informative and I cannot appreciate you enough.

A great review. Thank you for an honest review.

I own an LE version and in my opinion this is the best car in that range considering maintenance,resale,Fuel efficiency and what not.Few things Toyota could have done better like Daniel mentioned but it is still the best car in this segment.Go for it.I also didn’t spend too much money going with high variant of this model since it is still a van.

As a 2021 XLE AWD owner, I agree with some of your points like the fittings and quality are not good, however, these vehicles are built in the US, I know as a fact that Toyota and Lexus' products tend to have much better build quality if they were built in Japan, not to diss made in America, it is just the sad fact. For the sliding door cable, I got your point but I don't know why one will step on the cable except that is the intention. The cable is far away enough from the space that people will step in and out, even my 3-year-old is not bothered by the cable. As I said, you will not step on it unless you really want to step on it, then you are looking for trouble on yourself. The 3rd row does not stay flat once fold down but mine doesn't spring back up when breaking either, not sure if yours has some spring problem or not. Another thought of this is why you want to fold it down if you are not carrying anything on the back, and if you do put things on the seat, it will stay there fine. My XLE AWD is 7 seater and there is a strap you can pull, then the 2nd-row seat will fold and can slide to the frontmost position. It is unfair that you compare a lower-trim 8 seater Sienna to a higher-trim 7 seater Odyssey just for the easiness to get out from the 3rd-row. Yes, the new Sienna has lots of plastic parts, flimsy here and there, however, Honda Odyssey's transmissions are not as good as the Sienna's, especially the old generation Honda. If you want a gas saver AWD minivan, then the new Sienna is your only choice. My close body bought a new 2021 Odyssey as he can't find any dealer who has the Sienna nearby, and he doesn't want to wait. However, only several months later, he trade in his almost new Odyssey for a 2022 Sienna just for the fuel economy. If you want better quality Japanese cars, don't go with Toyota, choose Lexus, and if you want an overall good minivan that saves you money on gas and has AWD capability, get a Sienna when the market calms down.

Great review Dan Thank you Are u able to review 2020 Toy Sienna If possible. Ur getting great gas mileage. So u got a nice vehicle....

Toyota is basically the AK47 family of cars. Not refined, often cludged together, but very reliable. It's a trade-off for sure.

that's very useful review. and I reli care the part of problems u mentioned about. thanks. support!

Who mess with pulling carpet on regular basis? Not a reason to whine

Very helpful, thank you for the video

Very true review, especially on that mid row seats, thanks! I don't like the placement of the power buttons by the coffee holders and hand rests. Me and my wife accidently tried to press the parking button already while driving :( , and coffee and bread crumbs always trying to get there. Speaking of parking brake actuation while slow driving and opening your door: I don't need that help in stopping the van for me. They need to let me use their EV mode at the grocery store lot when it is right off the HWY exit, but it always keeps it on low (3rd battery bar) and beeps saying "you can't use the EV because battery level too low :(. Also I'd turn the engine off sooner, while at the stop light. Again on EV use while after 25mph (not like in Prius) its practically impossible because you'll be slowing traffic down behind you while trying keeping acceleration in that dark green range of power meter.

Ty for this review, you showed perfectly things that usually bothers me. I was looking to buy one this week. You saved me a lot of time, money and probably a bad experience with all these issues. 🙏🏻

Could have done better?!? 4cyl 240hp hybrid 35+MPG Not to mention AWD option sign me up

You got a solid point

Thank you saved my money

2022 Sienna gets debris/dust/mud in the interior of the rear bumper and causes the "Toyota Safety Sense" to fail. No fix yet from Toyota. If you live in a dry area you may not experience the failure quickly, but debris/mud will eventually disable the RCTA and BSM sensors. I live in Helena, Montana, and can't get my sensors to last more than three weeks.

Thanks for the video. Very important information. Thank you for taking the time to share everything. All I can say is the Toyota have been the same. They will never change. I don’t expect the best from Toyota. I preferred to pay more money in quality or gas instead buying Toyota vehicles. I felt the pain after you bought Toyota. I hope that is comfortable at least while you drive it.

At 13:38, you claim you cannot get out. Wrong! At 10:05, if you look at the straps on the bottom, that's where you pull to move the seats forward.

My mother’s 22 sienna LE doesn’t have any of those problems. I guess they fixed them for the new model year

How is CVT transmission compare to automatic transmission? and can you please share some information about the hybrid battery (life + replacement cost)? if possible.

I have a 2002 Sienna. Fit and finish was never very good. But the engine is just amazing. 230.000 miles and still goes strong.

That is sad i was just about to get this one this week same trim but that QC sucks for the low trim level. I guess i will go for honda.

Thanks for that honest review. How is your ownership .. Would you still go for the sienna?

I wanted to buy a Toyota Sienna, but after your video, I don’t want to buy this car anymore

Good review. Hump on floor is annoying.

Toyota could have done better with Sienna hybrid’s taillights illumination. Maybe the new Sienna is still in prototype stage 😂. My current Sienna is 2005 3.3L V6 that is still running flawlessly like new with 311K miles without having to replace or rebuild any major component. Engine, transmission, AC, suspension m m, paint are in great shape.

First, Toyota does not make vehicles with the same quality they did 20 years ago across the board. It doesn't matter which model, or whether they are built in Japan or somewhere else. Second, it is clear that Toyota DID NOT design the new Sienna to be a true multi-purpose vehicle, which is the ONLY reason to buy a minivan! The non-removable second row seats, and non flat loading surface are a deal killer for many people. Why bother buying one of these when you can't easily use it as a van to carry oversize items? The Sienna is the perfect example of the stupid "group think" that seems to control all of Toyota's recent designs.

Very helpful

The rear window wiper… if you ever had to change out the rear wiper arm (not wiper blade) you would understand why they changed it. I have a 2011… not a fun thing to fix. Also the level surface in back you complained about… on the 2011 there is a pad attached to the top that folds up and over the headrest to protect it… pretty sure that looks the same. You might want to fold it over then see if it’s more level. Probably is.

Yah seems like a list to fix and that cord in the door? Hope its fixed. I have my 2015 v6, and love it. Still waiting for the vacuum, love the 3rd gen tail lights. You can't see the rear lights that much at night. please go back and fix the wiper back to the top!

I feel your pain... Over one year wait now for anyone who wants a new one

What a great review! So much better than the big auto sites where they only seem to care about the size of the screen or 1/4 mile times. I'm a Toyota fan, but the things you pointed out are very disappointing. Somebody at Toyota HQ needs to see this video. The quality of auto carpet across all manufacturers has nosedived for decades now. It used to seem like plush home carpet but now mostly it's just thin mouse fur. I could have lived with the fact the second row seats don't come out, but as you pointed out, there's really no flat surface behind them. Sliding in a large, heavy box is going to tear it all up, and if you wanted to camp in the back of the van, you'd be very uncomfortable in your sleeping bags. Toyota is about quality and minivans are about utility, but it seems the new Sienna misses on both counts.

Why would you want to put a sheet of plywood in a minivan anyway? That's what trucks are for! As a fellow owner of a Sienna, I feel like a lot of these issues could be corrected with a warranty claim. Aside from a few fit and finish items, this video's complaints seem quite exaggerated. For the third row issue, there's also a strap you can pull from behind the 2nd row to move the seats forward. BOOM, now you can exit the 3rd row safely!

Overall it’s still better quality than my model x.

I was on board until you mentioned how the middle row moves and Honda doesn’t. Honda’s are the only minivans that have near full center row seats, AND you can move them forward, AND in and out. Literally you can make a left sided “bench”, right sided “bench”, pull on all the way forward in the middle and sit one back. Besides the newer Kia that allows you to go nearly back to the 3rd row, you might wanna actually look into the other models.

It's not made in Japan, please people don't be surprised....but I really appreciated sharing ...

We need an updated review..!!! Any mechanical issues?

The carpet. Could be better but made for easier access for repairs. The. Egress issue should be addressed for emergencies. On a brite note,I don't recall any of the Siennas ever experiencing self opening sliding doors or rear hatch as what happened on the same generation of Oddysey as this guys' or even one of the newer ones and also on the new Kia Carnival. I listen to 680 news all the time and pay very close attention to veh. Recalls

The vent under the seats are vents for the battery and you don't wanna cover them up. I think I'm gonna wait for the 2023 model before I buy one now.

can’t agree more. good review.

1x(11/19/22)….1…done thank you excellent. There is a trifold OEM mat that folds down and protects the back seats backing

That vent under the front seats are to allow air to flow to the battery to keep it cool. Never block them and after a while you need to clean them out which is easy.

Thank you for sharing this!! These dealers want an extra $5k to $10k for their pockets. The manufacture doesn’t car wha the dealers do. So go right ahead and expose them. They need to give you $4k back for poor quality or failed quality control.

Honda must have changed between 2006-2008. I had a 2006 Odyssey and there was a 5” drop from the tailgate to behind the front seats. Was NOT a level floor.

Those 2nd row rails sound like a good idea but how easy is it to clean? A day at the beach with 3 kids. I imagine there’s grease on the rails, so how would the sand effect it? The 3rd row down and it not being flat like my 2012 Odessy is very disappointing. Was it just me or did anyone notice how wobbly the seats were when stowing away the 3rd row seats? Overall pretty disappointing.

very objective !!!

Thank You for your honesty. What tick me off about Toyota Sienna is that they don't offer AWD+8passengers+leather combination. What's so hard for Toyota to understand that Minivan mean family car and 8 passengers is what minivan is built for. I went with Honda Odyssey instead, I at least get 8passengers+leather but missed out on AWD, but it's cheaper. Also whoever been designing middle seat on second row for the Sienna need to be fired long time ago. Sienna middle seat is an after thought compare to other minivan out there.

If I found you a couple days ago, I have stopped buying the platinum one. Too late. I found the quality of this vehicle is subpar (even the platinum). Anyway, my family needs the hauler.

Interesting review. Toyota charges a significant premium price over competitors. That being said, the quality should be much higher. We owned a 2008 sienna for 11 years and it was very solid. This new model is not. We bought a 2020 Odyssey mainly bc the 2nd row seats in the new sienna are not removable. Good luck hauling a sofa in a sienna. The Odyssey was also $8k less (exl model). I admit the Odyssey is not great and has some disappointments, but I am still glad we have it.

If you don’t mind how much did you pay for it ?

can you live in it working the ac overnight with the hybrid?? tnx

Good video except I don't want to have to speed up my video to keep myself from falling asleep

2:50 Clip your floor mats in so they don’t accidentally trap your accelerator.

i’m surprised how many areas the sienna is lacking in compared to the old honda

Hi. Very useful video. I also chose for a long time between 2021 sienna and 2021 honda. Toyota has overdone the Sienna, this is my personal opinion, I do not like the Sienna 2021. Therefore I ordered the Sienna 2020 awd limited.

This is a first model year so expect these issues. They should fix them for 2022. Plus you got the BASE model!

People being willing to overpay for Toyota has made them arrogant. You get far less tech at the price point.

Great video from an actual owner! I will stick with Honda!

We test drove one and thought it was very noisy inside. Some rattles, wind and road noise and it felt cheep overall.

Whats the purpose of pulling the carpet up?

I got XSE all wheel drive. Its quality is appropriate and it's not high end luxury vehicle. You cannot compare with Odyssey as this is hybrid and meant for family hauling with maximum fuel efficiency with modern safety features. In Canadaian model only deficiency is lack of parking sensors in XSE. Amazing fuel average for such big vehicle can cover many things. Its no way underpowered for normal van driving.

5th gen odyssey ex-L and up for the win!...but really..good review...the 2008 odyssey looked like it surpasses in engineering .lol

Am surprised!! Will someone sit at the third row when second row is empty??

Proudly assembled in Indiana.

Never buy the first year of a new model, learned that the hard way with our ‘17 Pacifica…

What about the pros ??? Will it because it’s the lowest model u got a lemon maybe thank you for sharing

What are you getting for mileage? I’m more interested in highway mpg. How is wind / road noise?

Send this to Toyota. Show them this is the American build quality!

i wonder if quality is the same on higher trims

We have an old Honda van and we were planning to get an Sienna. I guess it is a NO for us now. Thank you.

Not one mention of the engine did you make this video.for soccer moms

the main selling point is just the 35/36 mpg. other than that, they could've done so much better.

I was thinking of buying this toyota sienna that is very reliable but shitty finishing but I'll get the honda or order brands with very good finish and high maintenance.

The 2013 toyota sienna is better than the latest sienna le in terms of space and build quality. The 2013 may have a lot of cheap plastic but it was quite stable. The third row in the 2013 had more space than the 2021 third row.

3rd gen sienna I felt had more plastic inside and looked cheap over the 4th gen, the higher trim like platinum has less plastic or better material than the base model, most base model cars look cheap, you pay for what you get for a entry level, the Honda Odyssey compared 2008 is not a base model. Btw the sienna is manufactured in US, so this may have build quality issue…

Quality of the inside look very cheap and flimsy but functional

You should have gotten an Odyssey instead since you seem unhappy with the sienna. Until Honda comes out with a hybrid Odyssey I'll definitely go with the Sienna. I've test driven the new Sienna and the are sweet. For me, hybrid is the way to go instead of electric.

I know what you mean. Cars built after year 2000 tend to be like that . They are not designed to last so consumers will get new one sooner than the old days. As each year .. price increase because give your more stuff in the car as std equipment. And car price can’t increase that much . So. That’s why the quality cut on others things

You sound like Father Guido Sarduccci. Eetza verri, verri gooda van! Yes indeedy, thanks for your frank words. Without brutally honest assessments such as yours, all I have to go on is BS from the dealer. The Odyssey still has a timing belt AND solid lifters that require periodic adjustments. Your Honda dealer will not mention those maintenance burdens.

Thanks for showing these issues. There is a big difference between American and Japanese built Toyotas......standards of quality between American designed and built Toyotas is not the same as Japanese.

Built during peak pandemic, hold on to your existing vehicles

I own a 2022 xle and I have no problem with any thing at all dude if you don't like all that stuff get a different van omg my Toyota sienna is awesome better then a chrysler pacifica or Honda odyssey or any other mini van seats are awesome

that short opening of the slide door is ki lling me.......kinda defeated half the purpose of having a slide door. Shoulda slide more back

Moral of this review , Don’t buy an LE , you get what you pay for….

The other thing that shows Toyota builds a great car but a sucky electronics interface is the bonging alarm anytime the outside air temp gets to 37 degrees warning to watch for icy conditions. Repeatedly. Can't be shut off. Bitched about in the Sienna forum by everyone. Doesn't matter that it is clear with no moisture. That's just one of many irritations.

I might get an odyssey instead.

If you like take ax and hack it down or use screw driver to loosen things, truth is it is great the best mini van.

Wow! Too much whining for my taste. Desperate to make content much?

The cab looks so cheap just like my 2011 Sienna . Cheap plastic parts that break . All my window trim has disintegrated too . Did you notice there is no rear bumper ? Someone gets hit from behind and they are going to have a big repair bill .

gotta admit this build quality issue is getting worse every year ... it's like all manufactures took a massive nose dive in quality control just to pinch a penny 😮‍💨

I got 22 sienna limited.

Some of the quality issues are pretty minor. The plastic clips can be easily replaced under warranty. The cabling to the door is nit picking. I have yet to see anyone step so far back as to impact the cabling. With that said, that system seems to use a cheaper gauge cable protector. What you are really paying for is the powertrain. I have owned my 2004 Sienna since June 2003. First year model… Had AC issue fixed after two services and letter with legal action. Other than that.. tires, starter, two brake calipers, one oxygen sensor. Radio became erratic so it was replaced with Kenwood unit. Ours was an LE and is the most reliable vehicle I ever owned. We just ordered LE, AWD with sunroof package. It will most likely have some faults, but I would not even venture into GM, Nissan, Chrysler territory. Honda starts at 41k.. .and no AWD. I love the fact you can lift the carpet… over time you can replace with new. BTW… the days of quality carpet are gone…. Those left us in the 2000’s, unless you venture into 60k or better. I think some of criticisms are on the mark but he had every right to inspect the vehicle on dealers lot before he drove it home. I did notice one thing that he did not: a open exposed cable that runs under back window for the sliding doors. That cable was concealed before. That cable should be at least one gauge thicker and hidden.

Read Consumer Reports about Sienna vs Odyssey, then buy the Sienna.

Great review indeed .. but that rant on the rear seat is completely avoidable .. because you put the seat in down when you need to put something on top of it .. else can be kept up .. am I missing something ?

What I don't understand is that everything you pointed out is not hidden. It's all clearly part of the van's design yet you still bought one? 😂

And with that everyone will shift to the Odyssey...so when is the re-designed Odyssey coming out? Great review, thanks.