Since 2018–2019, our 2018 Toyota Sienna has had recurring drivability and suspected transmission problems, including stalling, failure to engage or accelerate when the accelerator is pressed, rough idle, hesitation, and harsh shifting. We reported these concerns to Toyota and filed an the federal safety agency complaint during our first year of ownership. The problems have continued intermittently for years and now include transmission whining, slipping, delayed gear engagement, irregular shifting, and reduced power. Unexpected stalling or failure to accelerate creates a safety risk when entering traffic, crossing intersections, or avoiding hazards. On October 19, 2026, AAA inspected the vehicle following a four-wheel-drive malfunction warning. Its October 20 invoice documents UA80F eight-speed transmission-related fault codes P0740-7E, P2713-7F, and P2756-7F and notes possible sticking valve-body solenoids. Toyota's own Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0160-18 (issued December 17, 2018; revised May 11, 2021), titled "Transaxle Whine Noise, Harsh Shift, MIL ON, or Reduced Power," applies to certain 2017–2018 Siennas and lists these exact three codes (formatted P07407E, P27137F, P27567F). Toyota's Customer Support Program ZJC, Policy Bulletin POL19-04 (2019), also acknowledges transmission whine, harsh shifting, reduced power, and warning lights in certain UA80-equipped vehicles and describes a possible assembly defect involving a washer tab and loosening internal nut. An authorized Toyota dealer evaluated the vehicle October 24–30, 2026, after receiving AAA's findings but reported it could not reproduce a warning light and that the VIN/transmission serial number were outside program limits. No transmission repair was performed. The vehicle remains unrepaired. Please investigate whether this longstanding safety-related failure affects vehicles beyond Toyota's stated production cutoff.
Toyota Sienna hesitation problems
103 of the 8,561 owner complaints about the Toyota Sienna describe hesitation when accelerating, most of them for the 2004 model year.
- owner complaints
- 103
- worst model year
- 2004
- typical repair cost reported
- $725
- typical mileage
- 25,000
By model year
Often reported together
Jerking 17Whining noise 6Transmission failure 5Stalling 5Harsh shifting 5Loss of power 4Fuel pump 4Sudden acceleration 3
Trouble codes mentioned
P2756 1P2713 1P0740 1
What owners say
I, as well as other owners of 2017–2018 Toyota Highlanders and 2017–2018 Siennas are experiencing serious transmission issues—including high-pitched whining, erratic shifting, clunks, hesitation, and premature failure. My 2017 Toyota Sienna has the UA80 8-speed automatic transmission at issue and started whining upon acceleration in March/April 2026 timeframe. It has always had the clunking and hesitation problem. According to Gears Magazine, the issue stems from a flawed assembly process involving the counter drive gear support. A locking tab meant to secure a vital retaining nut was not bent properly during factory assembly. This leads to gear movement, internal wear, whining, and eventually failure. Unknown to me, in 2019, Toyota had acknowledged the problem in Technical Service Bulletins T-SB-0160-18, T-SB-0008-21, which only go to dealers, and implemented a limited Customer Support Program (CSP ZJC)—but only offered coverage to a narrow group of VINs, not to all VINs for model years that have these transmissions. My car is experiencing these same symptoms. My Toyota Dealer confirmed this problem and recommended a transmission replacement for $11,000 including labor. They said my VIN was not included in the Customer Support Program. Driving with a failing transmission is highly dangerous. A bad transmission can cause sudden power loss causing the car to halt to a sudden stop, unintended acceleration, or my car might get stuck in neutral while driving. I could lose control or be unable to get to the shoulder on the highway, cause a rear-end collision, or get stuck in busy traffic. DESIRED OUTCOME REQUEST: My VIN should be covered under the Customer Support Program in the category of cars that are “less than 10 years old regardless of mileage” or a full recall of all VINs of these model years with these transmissions should be executed. Thank you.
Since owning my 2018 Toyota Sienna, I have experienced hesitation and erratic shifting with my transmission. I have the UA80E transmission which upon research others are experiencing issues with as well. It appears Toyota is not fully acknowledging the problem. The problem is a safety issue as sometimes when you go to quickly accelerate (merging, making a turn while starting from a stop, etc) the transmission hesitates and doesn't engage for a few seconds. This is an ongoing problem with the transmission. Toyota really needs to fix these transmissions!
I am writing to report a safety defect regarding the 8-speed automatic transmission in my 2017 Toyota Sienna. The vehicle exhibits severe hesitation during acceleration, harsh shifting, and a high-pitched whining noise, specifically consistent with the 'whine of death' described in Toyota's Customer Support Program ZJC and related Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0160-18.Despite these identical symptoms, my vehicle’s VIN is not included in the coverage list. This hesitation during acceleration creates a serious safety issue, as the car fails to accelerate unexpectedly when attempting to merge or cross traffic. My vehicle is equipped with the UA80F/E transmission, which is documented to have a faulty assembly (improperly bent washer tab). I request that the federal safety agency investigate the exclusion of my VIN from this program, as the defect poses a significant risk to passenger safety and the safety of others on the road.
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH and ascending a hill, the vehicle started making an abnormal whining sound and hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly hesitated before shifting hard into gear. The contact stated that after the failure, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to provide a specific diagnosis for the cause of the failure; however, the contact was informed that there were known issues with the transmission of similar vehicles. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the Customer Support Program Bulletin: ZJC. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Transmission Whine and Hesitation. Low gear it will hesitate from stop. Know issue with this transmission. There should be a recall on all ua80 transmissions.
When accelerating, both from a stop and/or at speed, there is a definite hesitation. When gas pedal is pressed down, there is a noticeable pause before acceleration begins. This causes safety issues especially when accelerating to merge with moving traffic. Have owned this van since Oct 2021, and it has always been an issue. Possible fuel filter problem. Have not reported issue to dealer. Currently under extended warranty.
Car was recalled for fuel pump and I repaired in 8/2020 with approximately 11,190 miles. I had complained that car, since time of purchase and had 4662 miles when I insisted Toyota fix this, (hunted for gears, hesitated, lagged when accelerator pushed, and had poorer gas mileage than expected). The car now has 34,875 miles on it and is doing the same thing, hesitating, lunging between gears. Our mechanic confirmed this and stated worse when using a.c. Called Toyota Customer Service and they said the car was out of warranty for the pump repair, but perhaps not the power train, transmission, etc. Have not gotten back to me yet, but has not been one working day after spending 2.5 hours on the phone with them yesterday. This is a safety issue, I press on the gas to make a turn and it lags leaving me in traffic. My 2007 Sienna, which is still running for my daughter, never did this and has full power when called upon. Toyota needs to repair the entire fuel system, transmission, if they cannot fix this. There are no warning lights when this happens & it is happening more frequently. Dealership told me they could not put another pump on car and to contact Toyota Customer Service and gave me the number. When we had the car for about a month, dealership said we were just not used to driving a car with this type of transmission and car was low on oil, we added oil and dealership said we used the wrong type, but we figured some oil was better than no oil. We are boomers and have been driving cars for decades, with clutches and without and we know how to drive a vehicle.
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Sienna. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the "Pull Over - Take to Dealer" message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in Customer Support Program: ZJC (Coverage for UA80 Transmission). The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2005-2007 and 2009-2010 Toyota Sienna vehicles. In the affected vehicles, due to a problem within the shift lock assembly, the shift lever may be moved out of the 'Park' position without depressing the brake pedal.
- Risk
- If the shift lever can be moved from the "Park" position without depressing the brake pedal and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle may roll, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shift lock solenoid and reapply the grease, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0V. Vehicles that were previously recalled under campaign 13V‑429 are not affected by this recall.
Recall number 17V657000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Sienna vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, through June 24, 2014. The affected vehicles have a transmission shift control cable whose protective cable sleeve may have been damaged during assembly. This could cause the control cable to bind or separate during gear shift operation causing incorrect gear selection. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect."
- Risk
- If the transmission shift cable separates while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the 'PARK' position, the transmission may not be in 'PARK.' If the vehicle is not in the 'PARK' position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the transmission shift control cable, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in early August 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 14V414000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2005 Sienna vehicles manufactured January 10, 2003, through August 10, 2005; and model year 2007-2009 Sienna vehicles manufactured February 20, 2007, through December 12, 2008. In the affected vehicles, due to a problem within the shift lock solenoid, there is a possibility that the shift lever could be moved out of Park position without depressing the brake pedal.
- Risk
- If the shift lever is moved out of the Park position without the brake applied, the transmission will either engage a drive gear or Neutral, increasing the risk of a backover or roll away crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will mail interim notifications to owners beginning in late October 2013. When parts are available, owners will be sent a second notice and dealers will replace the shift lock solenoid, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 13V429000 · Recall details
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2011 venza and sienna passenger cars manufactured from march 7, through march 10, 2011. There is a possibility that the front, right, drive shaft may break due to insufficient heat treatment.
- Risk
- Should the drive shaft break during vehicle operation, the vehicle will lose power without prior warning. Loss of motive power without warning may increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners and dealers will inspect the drive shaft, and, if the drive shaft is identified as one that may not have been correctly manufactured, it will be replaced with a new one at no charge. The safety recall began on june 22, 2011. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 11V306000 · Recall details
Questions about the Toyota Sienna hesitation
Which Toyota Sienna years have hesitation when accelerating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2004 (41 complaints), 2008 (10 complaints) and 2005 (9 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix hesitation when accelerating on the Toyota Sienna?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $725 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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