The 2008 Toyota Sienna has 5 recalls, the most serious being a transmission shift lock failure that allows the gear selector to be moved out of Park without pressing the brake pedal, which can cause the vehicle to roll away or back over someone unexpectedly.
Two recalls address the same underlying issue with the spare tire's carrier cable, which corrodes from road salt exposure and can snap, sending the spare tire off the underside of the vehicle into traffic. These recalls apply to vehicles registered or originally sold in certain northeastern, midwestern, and mid-Atlantic states where road salt is common. There is also a seat heater concern specific to vehicles equipped with certain aftermarket heated seat accessories distributed through Southeast Toyota Distributors: the copper heating element inside the seat cushion can short circuit and start a fire. This recall covers a wide range of Toyota models sold through that distribution network, and only affects Siennas that have those particular aftermarket seat heaters installed.
