2001 Toyota Sequoia

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC TO BE INSPECTED AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS RUSTED, BUT MOSTLY AT THE REAR AXLE. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE FRAME WAS ONLY GUARANTEED FOR THREE YEARS, AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 186,000. UPDATED 01/10/12*LJ

UPON INSPECTION, MY MECHANIC NOTIFIED ME OF EXCESSIVE RUSTHROUGH ON THE REAR FRAME OF MY 2001 TOYOTA SEQUIOA. THIS RUSTTHROUGH HAS PERFORATED THE REAR FRAME AND THE TRUCK CAN NO LONGER BE DRIVEN. THE REAREND MAY SEPARATE FROM THE BODY DUE TO THIS EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THIS EXCESSIVE CORROSION IS THE SAME AS SEEN ON TOYOTA TUNDRA AND TACOMA WHERE THESE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND REPLACED AND OR REPAIRED. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND MANY OTHER SEQUOIA OWNERS HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS HERE AT NHTSA AND HAVE POSTED ON THE INTERNET. TOYOTA IS NOT HELPFUL AND WILL NOT REPLACE THE FRAMES FOR SEQUOIA OWNERS. MY SEQUOIA'S BODY IS IN GREAT SHAPE AND RUNS GREAT. NOW I CANNOT DRIVE IT AND ITS WORTHLESS. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE, AND SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR SAFETY. I COULD HAVE LOST MY REAR AXLE AND HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY, IF I WAS TOWING MY BOAT. *KB

FRONT BRAKES CAUSED VIOLENT SHAKING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. HAD PREPARED VEHICLE FOR LENGTHY HOLIDAY TRIP BY INSPECTING AND ROTATING TIRES, HAVING WHEEL ALIGNMENT, CHECKING BRAKE PADS, ROTORS, BLEEDING BRAKE LINES WITH NEW DOT3 BRAKE FLUID, ENGINE OIL CHANGE, COOLANT FLUSHED, ETC.... THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST INCIDENT, BUT DEFINITELY THE WORST. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX IT. HOW DISAPPOINTING. I RECENTLY FOUND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO ADDRESS. PEOPLE WILL DIE AS A RESULT OF THEIR RECKLESSNESS. DEFINITELY A TOYOTA PROBLEM DUE TO IMPROPERLY UNDERSIZED BRAKING SYSTEM. YOU MIGHT END UP BEING IN THE VEHICLE THAT ONE OF THESE SUVS REARENDS. *TR

I HAVE OWNED THIS 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SINCE 2009 WITH 178K AND THE FRAME HAD RUST BACK THEN. I RECENTLY HAD THE REAR TIRE REPLACE AND THE MECHANIC SAID I SHOULD NOT DRIVE IT BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE RUST IN THE REAR FRAME AND BRING IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER FOR A SAFETY CHECK. I AM CALLING THEM TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE RUST THIS FRIDAY, I DID SEE IT FOR MYSELF AND WONT DRIVE IT ANYMORE BECAUSE OF MY FAMILY'S SAFETY. I ALSO NOTICED THERE IS A RECALL OF THE TUNDRA TRUCK FRAMES BY TOYOTA AND ALSO NOTICED THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME RUST PROBLEMS OF SEQUOIA TRUCKS, IF THEY ARE THE SAME FRAME AS WRITTEN ONLINE WHY AREN'T THEY ALSO RECALLED? I CANT BELIEVE THIS IS RUSTING THIS BAD, ITS ONLY 10 YEARS OLD BUT ITS STILL IN SUCH GREAT SHAPE. *TR

SUDDEN LOSS OF ACCELERATION ON HIGHWAY. VSC AND TRAC LIGHT CAME ON, THEN COULD NOT ACCELERATE. HAD TO PULL OVER EXTREMELY FAST BEFORE GETTING REAR ENDED BY OTHER VEHICLES. CAN WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY HURT WITH ENTIRE FAMILY IN CAR. LUCKILY THERE WAS A SHOULDER TO PULL OFF ON, OTHERWISE, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. CAR WAS NOT SAFE AT ALL! TOYOTA NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS VSC ISSUE! *TR

UPON HAVING VEHICLE INSPECTED BY ASE-CERT. TECH., I WAS INFORMED THAT 18"-24" OF THE VEHICLE'S LEFT MAIN FRAME RAIL WAS ROTTED/RUSTED THROUGH ALONG THE BOTTOM SURFACE. THE ROTTED SECTION IS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE TRANSMISSION CROSS-MEMBER ON THE LEFT SIDE, AS WELL AS SMALLER PERFORATIONS ON THE RIGHT MAIN FRAME RAIL IN THE SAME LOCATION (TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBER). ALSO, THE FRAME RAIL IS ROTTED THROUGH AT THE JUNCTION WHERE THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER SUPPORT IS WELDED TO THE FRAME. TECHNICIANS HAVE ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE IS DEFINITELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AS FRAME IS IN DANGER OF COLLAPSING, AS WELL AS SPARE TIRE FALLING OFF VEHICLE WHILE IN OPERATION. ITS BEEN BROUGHT TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR FURTHER ASSESSMENT. FACTORY "TRUCK FRAME TEAM" WAS CONTACTED TO DISCUSS REPLACEMENT OF FRAME, AS DONE IN RESPONSE TO THE RUSTED FRAME EPIDEMIC ON TUNDRAS. THIS PRODUCED NO RESULTS OTHER THAN TOYOTA STATING THAT "THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS WITH SEQUOIA FRAMES", AND "THERE IS NO PROGRAM TO REPLACE THEM". TOYOTA WILL *NOT* REPAIR OR REPLACE THIS FRAME, NOR OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE WITH VEHICLE THAT IS IN OTHERWISE EXCELLENT CONDITION, WITH A BOOK VALUES OF $9000.00-$10,000.00, NOW MADE WORTHLESS AND UN-DRIVABLE DUE TO THE RUSTED FRAME. THERE ARE MANY DOZENS OF OTHER IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS REGARDING DANGEROUSLY RUSTED/ROTTED FRAMES ON 2001-2003 SEQUOIAS WITH RUST DAMAGE ALL IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATIONS, ON THIS NHTSA WEBSITE (SEE LISTINGS), BUT TOYOTA WILL NOT ADMIT TO THIS OBVIOUS DESIGN/MATERIAL DEFECT, AS THEY HAVE WITH THE TUNDRA, WHICH USES A NEARLY IDENTICAL FRAME FROM SAME MANUFACTURER AND ASSEMBLED IN THE SAME FACTORY. NEITHER HAS THE NHTSA YET INITIATED ANY SORT OF INTERVENTION ON BEHALF OF CONSUMERS. EARLY SEQUOIA OWNERS IN NORTHERN US/CANADA WOULD BE WELL ADVISED TO HAVE THEIR VEHICLE FRAMES INSPECTED BY QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN, AND REPORT THOSE FINDINGS IMMEDIATELY. *TR

VSC/TRAC CONTROL SYSTEM ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING ON SMOOTH DRY ROAD AT 70 MPH. VEHICLE BEGAN TO LURCH AND BRAKE, HAD TO GUIDE TO SIDE OF ROAD. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. TURNED VEHICLE OFF, RESTARTED, VSC OFF LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WERE ON. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE, WITH TOYOTA INDICATING THAT VSC COMPUTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR $1200+. *TT

2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA HAS ONLY 88,000 MILES AFTER TEN YEARS. RECENTLY FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO ROTTED, RUSTED FRAME AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL CASING. MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE FRAME FAILURE BY PRESSING FINGER THROUGH RUSTED METAL. VEHICLE NOW REQUIRES FRAME STRENGTH ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE IF IT IS SALVAGEABLE. VEHICLE HAS SAME FRAME AS RECALLED TOYOTA TUNDRA. *TR