1999 Toyota Sienna Minivan Review | Edmunds.com
Home / Toyota / Sienna / Minivan / 1999 Sienna Minivan

1999 Toyota Sienna Minivan

Edmunds Review (51) MPG

We didn't find any results. You can try changing your zip code, or check another model year.

We found matches for you!

View All Matches ()

How do you feel about these results?

Anything else you'd like to add? We're listening.

Contact Me No Thanks
Toyota Sienna Features and Specs

Features & Specs

  • Engine 3.0 L V 6-cylinder
  • Drivetrain Front Wheel Drive
  • Transmission 4-speed Automatic
  • Horse Power 194 hp @ 5200 rpm
  • Fuel Economy 16/22 mpg
  • Bluetooth No
  • Navigation No
  • Heated Seats No
See All Features & Specs

Review of the 1999 Toyota Sienna

  • Info is not yet available.

  • Safety

  • Pros

    A safe and dependable minivan from a company that knows how to build quality vehicles.

  • Cons

    Unlike the Camry, this Toyota faces the already established might of Chrysler's minivans plus a newly redesigned Ford Windstar.

  • What's New for 1999

    Entering its second full model year of production at Toyota's Kentucky plant, the Sienna minivan gets a right-side power-sliding door. An engine immobilizer system has been added to the keyless-entry security system and all Siennas will be equipped with daytime running lights. Selected models have a full-size spare tire and Woodland Pearl replaces Classic Green Pearl as an exterior color option.

What Others Are Saying

Customer Reviews

  Average Consumer Rating (61 total reviews)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good engine/trans, body hardware weak

by on
Vehicle: 1998 Toyota Sienna

bought car brand new. did standard maint. car still runs strong and quiet. now at 150K I did do the timing belt/hoses at 75k. The A/C stopped working 3 years ago. Recharged with sealant fixed it! Interior passenger door handle broke twice... cracking AGAIN! Struts seemed okay, but replaced at 120K due to slick salesperson at tire place. Car runs like NEW. The car had LOTS of short trips, and had many hours run time in crazy long traffic. Now giving it to my son to drive until it dies. Best $22K I ever spent on a car. Previous van Dodge caravan sport SE, just about fell apart at 150K, many repairs and extra maint! (But the dodge looked nicer ;-) ).



Dependable toyota

by on
Vehicle: 1998 Toyota Sienna

I have owned my 98 Sienna for 10 years and am very pleased with it. I drive it to and from work daily (40 miles round trip). Bought it with 60,000 miles on it and currently it has 158,000 and counting. Problems: exterior door handles breaking (common on these models); one interior door handle break; rear intake gasket leak; power window switch. Also had the rack and pinion replaced recently. Otherwise it has been only routine maintenance required. Another dependable toyota product and can't wait to see how many miles I can get out of it.



Long live my car!

by on
Vehicle: 1998 Toyota Sienna

My mom bought this car new and I inherited it at 16. I keep saying I'll get a new car when it dies - but it just won't die! The sliding doors stopped working almost immediately (5 years). One won't open at all and the other child locks itself every time it closes. I had them fixed once, but that only lasted about a year before they quit again. At about the 10 year mark, my AC went out. After that things have started to fall apart slowly. I've replaced the battery twice in the last 4 years, had to have a new radiator put in, had an oxygen sensor go out, the thermometer broke, and my armrest regularly breaks. For a 15 year old car though, she's sure still kickin (almost 200,000 miles now)!



Still going strong in 2012

by on
Vehicle: 1998 Toyota Sienna

I've owned this Van since 2006. This van has run everyday for me. There are issues with weak door handles, and Rear AC issues, but for a 14 year old van she's still holding up.


1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Where do i start?

by on
Vehicle: 1998 Toyota Sienna

Shortly after we bought this car the transmission died. We replaced it with another sienna tranny, then that died. So we got another one, and by 170,000 miles it was on its way out, refusing to leave 1st gear until 40mph. As other users have stated, the exterior door handles break off. Our interior handles (backseats) died around 170,000 miles, so I rigged up the trunk to open from the inside. The window motors died by 100,000 miles, and the radio and AC died around the same time. The engine only had about 4 of the 6 cylinders working when it finally died. Despite all of these things, the car held up in my family for 13 years and 4 different drivers, and with care, treated us well.



Best decision i made

by on
Vehicle: 1998 Toyota Sienna

2004 we bought this used - I knew the only major issue was the sliding door handles *might* break. Yes, they did - and we've had to replace them. We've put on 100k miles in the past 7 years and it's made tons of 24-hour roundtrip roadtrips over the past few years. Great van but we have had to take it in the shop a few times (replaced alternator, other stuff I've forgotten but no transmission/engine major stuff).


Full 1999 Toyota Sienna Review

What's New for 1999

Entering its second full model year of production at Toyota's Kentucky plant, the Sienna minivan gets a right-side power-sliding door. An engine immobilizer system has been added to the keyless-entry security system and all Siennas will be equipped with daytime running lights. Selected models have a full-size spare tire and Woodland Pearl replaces Classic Green Pearl as an exterior color option.

Introduction

Toyota's new minivan sits in sharp contrast to the one it replaces. Whereas the Previa was a study in minivan abnormalities, with rear-wheel drive, a midship-mounted supercharged engine, and a shape that looked like the droid escape pod from the first Star Wars movie, the Sienna is a model of suburban respectability.

That doesn't, however, mean that this minivan is boring. Resting under the hood is a powerful, 3.0-liter V6 engine that was stolen from the Camry parts bin. The engine isn't the only piece of equipment pilfered from the Camry; the Sienna rides on a stretched and modified Camry platform and uses much of the Camry's interior switchgear. Appropriately referred to internally at Toyota as "The Camry of minivans," we can only assume that the company expects this creation to be as popular as their hot-selling sedan.

In order to harness the 194 horses at work under the hood, engineers put antilock brakes at all four wheels of every Sienna. Other safety equipment includes dual airbags, side-impact protection that meets future federal standards and seatbelt pretensioners for both front seats. Last year the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted an offset crash test of the Sienna and called it "the best performing vehicle in the history of the test."

Interestingly, Toyota was able to talk rivals General Motors and Chrysler into lending a hand on the Sienna's manufacturing process. Not used to making such a large vehicle, Toyota had questions about how to deal with the interior assembly of this van which has well over 130 cubic feet of cargo space.

In the end, General Motors and Chrysler may be sorry that they offered to help Toyota figure out some of its manufacturing logistics. Toyota has been able to successfully capture the midsize sedan market with its excellent Camry. If this truly is "The Camry of minivans," GM and Chrysler better watch out.

Talk About The 1999 Sienna

Gas Mileage

EPA-Rated MPG

  • 16
  • cty
/
  • 22
  • highway
Calculate Yearly Fuel Costs

Other Sienna Years

More on the 1999 Sienna