2001 Toyota Sequoia

I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION AND THEN RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE OLATHE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP INDICATING MY VEHICLE WAS UNFIT TO DRIVE DUE TO RUST DAMAGE ON THE UNDER-CARRIAGE. THEY INDICATED THE TRANSMISSION CROSSMEMBERS HAS A 12-INCH LONG SECTION OF RUST AND THERE ARE SOM SMALL HOLES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE FRAME IS WEAK AND POTENTIALLY UNSAFE. I UNDERSTAND TOYOTA HAS RECALLED THE 2000-2003 TUNDRAS AND POSSIBLY TACOMAS FOR THIS RUST DAMAGE. IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, THE SEQUOIA IS BUILT ON THE SAME FRAMEWORK AS THE TUNDRA SO I WOULD ASSUME A RECALL ON THE SEQUOIA'S WOULD BE NECESSARY AS WELL. I WOULD NORMALLY NOT CONSIDER BUYING A 10-YEAR OLD VEHICLE BUT DUE TO THE FACT IT WAS A TOYOTA AND THEY ARE KNOWN FOR LONG-LASTING VEHICLE LIVES, I HAD NO CONCERNS. NOW IT SEEMS I MAY HAVE A $13K INVESTMENT THAT IS A DANGER TO MY FAMILY AND WORTH NEXT TO NOTHING BASED UPON THE RUST DAMAGE AND SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS IT COULD CAUSE. *TR

THE "VSC OFF" AND VSC SKID LIGHTS CAME ON AND HAS REMAINED ON TO THE PRESENT DATE. WHEN THE LIGHTS CAME ON ALL VSC FUNCTIONS STOPPED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. REPAIR WAS NOT UNDER ANY WARRANTY. AN ESTIMATE OF APPROXIMATELY $2200 WAS GIVEN TO REPLACE THE VEHICLES ECU. NO REPAIR WAS MADE. OCCASIONALLY THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER UNDER MODERATE ACCELERATION FOR A BRIEF PERIOD (USUALLY LESS THAN 2 SECONDS) AS IF SOMETHING HAS CUT POWER 20-30%. I SUSPECT IT WAS THE VSC SYSTEM TRYING TO CUT ON OR ENGAGE. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED FOR SOME TIME. VEHICLE NOW HAS 178000 MILES. *TT

LOCAL MECHANIC SAID THAT THE FRAME IS BADLY RUSTED NEAR SPARE TIRE CARRIER AND CROSSOVER BEAM IN REAR AND NEAR FRONT BUMPER MOUNT AREA. HE SAID IT WAS MUCH MORE RUST THAN SHOULD BE EXPECTED IN A 10-YEAR-OLD VEHICLE. CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE. THEY SAID THERE ARE "NO CURRENT PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS SEQUOIA RUST ISSUES". CALLED LOCAL DEALER. THEY SAID THERE ARE "NO CURRENT PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS SEQUOIA RUST ISSUES". SOUNDS LIKE A CANNED ANSWER TO ME. THIS VEHICLE IS OF THE SAME VINTAGE AND HAS THE SAME FRAME SETUP AS THE RECALLED TUNDRA AND TACOMA MODELS. TOYOTA DOES NOT SEEM TO BE INTERESTED IN CORRECTING THIS KNOWN ISSUE. UPDATED IVOQ 02/08/12 *TR

I WAS JUST LIKE TO ISSUE A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME OF MY 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. IT IS ALMOST TO THE POINT WHERE I WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I WAS CHECKING BREAK WEAR WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE SWAY BAR ON THE LEFT FRONT OF MY VEHICLE WERE RUSTED IN TWO. I HAVE ORDERED NEW SWAY BARS. MY SEQUIOA WAS EQUIPED WITH THE TOW PACKAGE BUT AM AFRAID TO PULL MY BASS BOAT WITH IT IN FEAR THE HITCH WILL BE PULLED LOOSE FROM THE FRAME BECAUSE OF ALL THE RUST. I HAVE NOTICED RECALLS ON THE TUNDRA FOR RUSTY FRAMES AND WHY I WOULD LIKE KNOW WHY THE SEQUOIA ISN'T BEING RECALLED SINCE THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON THEME AMONGST OWNERS OF 2001 & 2002 SEQUOIA OWNERS.

TRUCK HAS VERY RUSTY FRAME, SPECIALLY THE BACK PORTION AND THE MIDDLE, INCLUDING THE REAR WHEELS, BREAK SECTION, REAL AXEL, FULL WITH THE RUST, EVEN WHILE TRYING TO CLEAN ONCE BUT STOPPED DUE TO REALIZING THAT, BIG PIECES OF METAL WAS COMING OF LIKE PAPER AND START LEAVING HOLE IN THE FRAME, AT FRONT, AROUND INSIDE THE WHEELS, FRAME IS REALLY RUSTY, AND SEEM SOMETHING IS GOING TO BREAK ANYTIME, ITS WELL MAINTAIN TRUCK, ALWAYS BEING MAINTAIN BY TOYOTA DEALER, HAS ALL THE RECORD. ALSO HAVING ISSUE WITH MANIFOLD LEAKED, REPLACED THE PASSENGER SIDE, PAYING $1200 AND BEEN TOLD DRIVER SIDE NEED TO REPLACE TOO, HAD FOUND ON LINE THAT SEQUOIA 2001 HAS PROBLEM WITH MANIFOLD TOO. RECENTLY REPLACED ONE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER COSTING $1000 PLUS, WHICH BREAK DUE TO RUSTY UNDERNEATH, CALLED TOYOTA BUT NO SATISFACTORY ANSWER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE WAS ROTTED. THE CONTACT'S MECHANIC AND THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE FRAME WAS ROTTED FROM FRONT TO REAR. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE REGARDING THE FRAME. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 155,000. UPDATED 02/03/12*LJ

BADLY DECOMPOSING FRAME SINCE PAST 5 YEARS, CAN POKE A FINGER THROUGH FRAME RAILS, COMPROMISING SUSPENSION ATTACHMENT POINTS/WELDS. 229,000 MILES, GARAGED 100%, 11 YEARS OLD. TOYOTA CLAIM FILED, CASE 1111161824. TOYOTA IS TELLING DIFFERENT CLAIMANTS DIFFERENT THINGS, TOLD ME THE TUNDRA IS THE ONLY VEHICLE EFFECTED AND THAT FRAMES ARE BEING REPLACED. ON EDMUNDS.COM/SEQUOIA FORUM/ I SEE THAT TOYOTA IS REPLACING SEQUOIA FRAMES OR BUYING VEHICLES ABOVE KELLY BB PRICING. THEIR REPRESENTATIVE WHO HELPED ME FILE THE ABOVE CLAIM TOLD ME, AND I QUOTE "TOYOTA HAS NO CURRENT COMPLAINS ABOUT THIS SEQUOIA FRAME ROT PROBLEM". THAT IS AN OUT AND OUT LIE. ONE TOYOTA MECHANIC ADVISED ME TO NOT DRIVE MY VEHICLE AND ESPECIALLY NOT TO TOW ANYTHING WITH IT, AND THAT THE TUNDRA FRAME IS THE SAME AS SEQUOIA - SAME PLACE OF ASSEMBLY TOO?. EFFECTIVELY, TOYOTA HAS MADE MY INVESTMENT IN THIS VEHICLE WORTHLESS AS I CANNOT SELL IT, NOR WILL IT PASS INSPECTION, DESPITE THE INTERIOR AND DRIVE TRAIN BEING VERY SERVICEABLE. A FAILURE AT SPEED OF THIS FRAME OR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS BY UNAWARE OWNERS CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. TOYOTA OWNS ITS OWNERS 1. AN ALERT ABOUT POSSIBLE DANGERS 2. A CONSISTENT RESPONSE, ONE THAT DOESN'T MUDDY THE WATERS WITH ACCUSATIONS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SUBJECT TO ROAD SALT. 3. A REMEDY FOR OWNERS SO THEIR INVESTMENT IS NOT REDUCED TO ZERO AND THEY HAVE ALTERNATIVES FOR SAFETY. I WILL BE CONTACTING A LAWYER AND THE LOCAL TV STATION. I HOPE WE CAN RELY ON THE NHTSA TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION: 1. START A SERIOUS INVESTIGATION ABOUT THIS SAFETY DEFECT; MANY EFFECTED VEHICLES ARE NOT NEARLY AS OLD AS MINE, NOR FROM NORTHERN STATES WHERE ROAD SALT IS USED 2. ADD A SELECTION FOR FRAME DEFECTS IN THIS COMPLAINT WEB PAGE - CURRENTLY YOU HAVE JUST BODY. THANK YOU *TR