1.6

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
102,360 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #29

Feb 042013

Sequoia

  • 58,530 miles
In 2002, I complained of rust rapidly accumulating on the vehicle. I was told by the dealer that rustproofing came on the vehicle and they would reach out to Toyota directly to get an exclamation. They inform me that Toyota confirmed that statement the rustproofing was provided. In 2013, I received what was called the 'limited service campaign' stating that the incorrect rustproofing was applied to the vehicle for cold weather states that use salt in the winter. At that time was severe corrosion in the body that was separating from the frame. I wrote a letter to Toyota CEO and the us office intercepted the letter to communicate with me. I requested the replacement of my vehicle from Toyota. In 2017, I wrote a letter to the CEO's office in Japan and the matter was sent back down to the same office in the us. There is severe corrosion all over the body rust breaking through corroding all components. Toyota then requested all records related to repairs associated with vehicle. I was sent a denial to my request for another vehicle with a suggestion to communicate to national center for dispute settlement but was not return the document copy highlighting the determination of damage as a result. I'm very dissatisfied and concerned with the way this was handled because I informed Toyota during the first-year ownership of the problem, told 11 years later that I was correct, and then treated as if I'm trying to get something out of the company after I have been a customer of Toyota for over 25 years. Every component exposed to the air outside of the replaced frame rotting away and has caused significant repair bills in damage. The file(s) that I'm going to upload does not include all repair bills because of the file size limitation by your site. I'm available for discussion and will submit additional records if requested.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #28

Jul 242017

Sequoia

  • 247,823 miles
In July, '17 I was told the frame of the vehicle has penetrating rust. This was not supposed to happen since Toyota put corrosion resistant compound on it during the service campaign. The vehicle was inspected for rust in early June/ late may and I was told there were no penetrating rust areas. In June and July I put over $2,000 in repairs into this vehicle as I planned to drive it for several more years. I have since learned that applying the crc is a band-aid and will not stop rust once it has started. I believe Toyota did not address this limited service campaign properly. I believe all vehicles in this campaign should have had total frame replacement rather than relying on visual inspection and using a "band-aid" approach.

- Minnetonka, MN, USA

problem #27

Jul 222017

Sequoia

  • 250,000 miles
I brought my 2002 Toyota Sequoia to my mechanic for an issue and he told me that my vehicle has severe rust on the frame and is not safe to drive. I called Toyota and was told that they can not help me. My mechanic said that Toyota have a problem with this issue and his 2005 Tacoma was repaired through a class action suit. I am terribly disappointed that Toyota will allow their customers to drive an unsafe vehicle. I have been researching on line and have found that indeed this is a problem. I hope that enough people complain so that and Toyota is forced to fix this problem before someone gets seriously injured.

- Cheshire, CT, USA

problem #26

Jul 102017

Sequoia

  • 180,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that the vehicle's suspension detached from the vehicle due to severe rust on the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the Toyota of grand rapids dealer who stated that they previously repaired the vehicle by replacing the frame. The contact called the manufacturer and was informed that the vehicle was previously included in an unknown recall regarding the same failure and had already been repaired. The manufacturer opened case number: 1707172761. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

- Holland, MI, USA

problem #25

Feb 192017

Sequoia

  • 245,000 miles
Holes in the frame and excessive rust in the lift gate. This is a 2002 Sequoia which was in the rust belt from 2002 to 2011. In 2011 moved to Louisiana. I had rust issues since I purchased the vehicle in 2002. In 2006, the lift gate window rusted out and could no longer use the lift gate window. Since then, more rust was developing in the lift gate and elsewhere. In 2013, I received the recall for the spare tire cable. The Louisiana dealership identified that the mechanism was rusted and no longer functional. They ordered the replacement unit to install. In the meantime, I told them about the severe rust issues in the car. They did a rust inspection and said it passed. In 2014, I returned to the same Louisiana dealership for the takata recall. At that time, I told them my concern regarding the rust, especially since the vehicle was in the rust belt atm least 4 months a year. They said the frame passed the rust inspection and provided me with an "operational flowchart" for frame rust. They also said that if I find a hold in the frame larger than 10mm, it would be taken care of. In 2015, the vehicle was in the rust belt about 7 months. That year I had to install 2X4 supports to hold up my lift gate window. In 2016, the vehicle was in the rust belt about 5 months. In February 2017, I found at least 1 rust hole in the frame as per their operational flowchart. When I asked the dealership about the rust hole, their comment was the recall was completed and there is nothing you can do. I spoke to Toyota and they stated that the recall was completed. I am totally disappointed in the ability of this vehicle to withstand rust. I am also driving a 1998 Ford that was in the rust belt longer than the 2002 Sequoia with no frame rust. The frame on this vehicle should not be rusting and needs to be properly repaired. See the attached photo.

- Benton, LA, USA

problem #24

Mar 012014

Sequoia

  • 100,000 miles
In early 2014, we noticed significant rust issues on the frame and other areas underneath such as the spare tire holder, O2 sensor area, exhaust, and trailer hitch area. After receiving the Toyota recall campaign letter for repair or replacement of the Sequoia frames, we took it to our Toyota dealer in July 2014. The dealer said the rust was so bad after spraying it once, that they had to keep my truck an extra day to spray it again with another coat (on areas other than the frame as well). I called the dealer to see if the 2nd coating was sufficient and they said it was ready to be picked up and they would not be replacing the frame. Upon pickup, the coating was so thick it was dripping off in the parking lot. The dealer said it would take 30 days to "cure". of course, after those 30 days it was beyond the Toyota service campaign and there would be nothing that could be done by the dealer. The coating continued to drip for at least a week in our driveway and remained sticky to the touch. Now 1 year later, the coating is visibly bubbling & flaking off of the frame... this was a useless application and a waste of time and money under Toyota's service campaign.

- Boonsboro, MD, USA

problem #23

Aug 182015

Sequoia

  • 130,586 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced severe corrosion on the frame. The vehicle was taken to a dealer under a manufacturer warranty, which the lower front ball joints, wheel tire carrier, and an under coating of anti corrosive adhesive was applied to the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,586.

- West Henrietta, NY, USA

problem #22

Jun 192015

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 129,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. When the vehicle was taken in for a state inspection, the technician stated that the frame was severely corroded. The contact was advised by the technician that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and the frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was previously repaired under a recall two years prior; however, the dealer coated the frame with anti-corrosive lubricant. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The NHTSA campaign number was unknown. The approximate failure mileage was 129,000. MA 08/13/15 the consumer stated two independent mechanics advised that the recall was done incorrectly causing the failure. The manufacturer would not assist with repairs. Updated 12/1/2015

- Pottstown, PA, USA

problem #21

Jun 152014

Sequoia

  • 165,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that the frame on the rear of the vehicle was corroded. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. However, the contact stated that two weeks later, the tie rods fractured from the rear of the vehicle and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.

- Anitioch, TN, USA

problem #20

Oct 022006

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
During 2006, the rear liftgate window frame rusted causing the rear window to fall open. The dealer stated it would cost ~$1,600 to replace the equipment and associated parts. I decided not to replace due to the infrequent usage of the rear liftgate window. Around March 15, 2015, the rear window fell open due to complete destruction of the window frame and associated hardware due to corrosion. Also, in February 2015, noticed that the frame of the vehicle was "soft" while jacking the vehicle for brake inspection. The vehicle has the same frame as the Toyota Tacoma which was recalled by Toyota many years ago due to excessive corrosion issues. My vehicle is exhibiting the same problem.

- Benton, LA, USA

problem #19

Apr 272010

Sequoia

  • miles
My traction lights have been on and have remained on for several years now. My husband says my panel looks like a christmas tree. I have contacted the dealership to see if there was a recall but was advised there is not. I haven't had any issues, until this past weekend, other than not realizing I had engaged my emergency brake since the light constantly stays on. I nearly wrecked this weekend. It was dark and raining. I had to apply the brakes to miss another car, the brakes locked up and started sliding out of control. Luckily I was able to get it stopped in time to avoid another accident. My traction control doesn't work either, I guess it went out when all the other control lights went out. I just wonder if the airbags work, hope I don't have to find out the hard way. I keep reading numerous complaints on the 2002 model but haven't seen a recall. Appears there was a recall on the 2003 model for the same issues. My steering column is broken. I had it checked out several years ago. Apparently the main metal component is broken and therefore my gears engagement doesn't light up when I am in drive. If someone else drives my car, they don't know what gear it's in. I ready many complaints about the same but no recall. My rear hatch handle has broken 2 times now within a year of the other which costs me $100 to repair each time. It appears to be cheaply made and plastic and it can't be repaired without a lot of labor to dismantle the rear door plate on the inside to install a new handle. My main concern is the electronic stability control system.

- Lincolnton, NC, USA

problem #18

Mar 212013

Sequoia

  • 102,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an unrelated repair and they noticed that the entire frame was completely covered with rust. There was a limited service campaign issued by the manufacturer related to rust corrosion to the frame. The vehicle was not repaired because additional parts were required at the owner's expense in order to perform the remedy repair. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

- Forked River, NJ, USA

problem #17

May 082013

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
I received a recall notice from Toyota claiming there was a problem with the frame rusting on my 2002 Toyota Sequoia limited. I took the vehicle in for their required inspection and they said it needs a new frame. They are in the process of placing a new frame on the vehicle. I stated to the service department that I refuse to pay for any additional add on expenses as a result of there tampering. I also stated and filed a complaint with Toyota that the vehicle will not run properly because of the its age, mileage and working with corroded parts will not fit, seal and tighten properly. Toyota also stated that after the new frame is installed they will not service any problems with the vehicle if it is not directly related to the frame. Unacceptable terms. They should fix at their expense any problems encountered now andin the future as a result of this recall. They should also offer compensation as they previously had down with other makes and models several years ago.

- Latrobe, PA, USA

problem #16

Jan 012008

Sequoia

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that the rear plastic door handle failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for the failure and the latch was replaced each time, but the failure always recurred. The vehicle was not further repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 174,941.

- Smith Field , VA, USA

problem #15

Feb 132013

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 150,000 miles
This vehicle has a rusted frame which Toyota will replace. They will not replace without customer cost several parts affected by the frame replacement. This is thousands of dollars required by the customer that otherwise would not be required. I want Toyota to pay for the frame and the other required parts.

- Annapolis, MD, USA

problem #14

Jan 152013

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 140,743 miles
I have been a loyal Toyota owner and had 7 Toyota so far from a 1990 white corolla, 1996 white land cruiser, 2007 white rav4. I currently own a 2010 white prius, a 2006 white venza, a 2005 silver prius, and this 2002 black Sequoia limited. After spending almost $1500 to eliminate the shake @65 mph from a set of new tires, 1mags that is warped, and alignment to no avail, I research this site and found out that the extensive frame rust that I just paid my mechanic over $500 to chip and 3M rustproofed is a very common issue in this car. Initially, I found a 3"X1" hole in the front driver side frame and upon my investigation I was able to retrieve a 2"X1" rusted piece of metal inside the frame. Looks like they forgot to put a drain or Toyota used a sub-par frame. When my mechanic lifted the car, he showed me an extensive rust all over the underside of the vehicle. It really gave me chills seeing all the parts rusted and affected and felt unsafe driving the car. What I don't understand is if they recalled the similar framed Tundra NHTSA campaign id number: 09V444000, why didn't they included the Sequoia? Sequoia should have higher priority since it carries up to eight passengers and a much more expensive car. I thought Toyota cares and Sequoia is specially made to haul families...I took it to interstate Toyota where it was purchased and serviced all it's life and don the manager told me that there will be a recall coming soon. He told me that they will order the frame and to call after 2 weeks. I just called yesterday and he told me that it has not been approved yet by corporate. I'm asking everyone with similar Sequoia to check the frames and file your complaints here to speed up the process. Toyota, please restore my waning loyalty to your company and restore my trust in my Sequoia for my family's safety. I'm scared to drive it until it is fixed! help!

- Campbell Hall, NY, USA

problem #13

Dec 122012

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 112,000 miles
Over a year and a half ago my husband noticed rust developing on the frame of his vehicle. He repeatedly mentioned this to the dealership, whose response was there are no recalls so you should be ok. In December during the vehicle's maintenance the dealership informed my husband that the frame was rusting out. There was no proposed solution other than to scrap the thing. Two weeks later we received a letter from Toyota stating that they were conducting research regarding frames rusting out on like vehicle. We were instructed to take the vehicle to the dealership for inspection and possible frame patching or replacement. The dealership received the ok to replace the frame. However multiple parts around the frame are also rusted out. The cost for complete repair including the frame is 15K. We were told that we would not be responsible for the cost of the frame replacement, however we would have to pay for everything else, around 10K. It would seem if the frame has a known rust issue, other parts on the vehicle would have the same problem. Why would the company not be responsible to pay the total cost of the repair. We have contacted Toyota and are waiting to talk to a case manager.

- Annapolis, MD, USA

problem #12

Nov 192012

Sequoia

  • 76,115 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while having the tires rotated, the mechanic stated that the frame was rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the vehicle was unsafe to be on the road. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and they stated that they would replace the frame free of charge. The failure mileage was 76,115.

- Wynnewood, PA, USA

problem #11

Apr 242012

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 147,000 miles
I have had to replace the rear latch on my door 5 times. The body shop says that the rear door is so rusted out this time, that it cannot be fixed. This is a known problem to Toyota and they ignore it. I have seen many websites with the same complaint. It is a poor design and the door is rusting from the inside!

- Boyds, MD, USA

problem #10

May 172012

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 144,563 miles
Just purchased my 2002 Sequoia with 144,000 miles on the vehicle; noticed there was a bit of rust in the rear door jams next to the portion of the wheel well, not too terribly concerned as it seems to be just under the paint and in very small amounts. I have been reading on various forums of the Tundra rust issue and how this exists on the Sequoias as well without any recourse being available, so I took a look under my fresh purchase to find that I indeed had an alarming amount of rust on the undercarriage of the truck on the rear differential, weld seams and major portions of the frame; more than I would expect even for a Toyota. I don't quite know the details of exactly how similar this frame is to Tundra's but I would certainly like to think that there would be some sort of provision in place by now to sort this out as it is very similar to what Tundra owners are experiencing and judging by the amount of complaints I've been able to dig up thus far (9 for '03 my, 6 for '02 my and 12 for '01 my Sequoia) this really cannot be a coincidence. I bought this thing because my dad has had two 4runners that ran forever (his '97 is still going strong with almost 300,000 on it) but now I worry I'll barely be able to pay it off before it rots out from under me. What gives Toyota?

- Chester Gap, VA, USA

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