2001 Toyota Sequoia

COMPONENT: STRUCTURE, FRAME. TOOK OUR CAR TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR ANNUAL INSPECTION. WE WERE TOTALLY UNPREPARED FOR THIS SHOCKING NEWS: IT WOULD NEVER PASS INSPECTION BECAUSE THE FRAME UNDERNEATH IS RUSTED AND HAS A HOLE THE SIZE OF A BASEBALL IN THE REAR PORTION NEAR THE SPARE TIRE. NOT ONLY DO WE SUDDENLY NOT HAVE A CAR TO DRIVE, IT'S WORTH HAS TOTALLY DROPPED TO ZERO. SHOULD THIS BE UNDER TOYOTA'S RECALL FOR TACOMAS WITH THIS SIMILAR PROBLEM? WE JUST RETURNED FROM A 1500 MILE TRIP AND I SHUDDER TO THINK OF WHAT MAY HAVE OCCURRED .

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH THE CONTACT HEARD A TICKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE HAD BEEN ON GOING SINCE 2002 AND IT OCCURRED DAILY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO ADVISED HER THAT IT WAS JUST A NOISY LIFTER AND NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT;HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL DEALERS AND MECHANICS WHO WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. DURING STATE INSPECTION SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THE MANIFOLD CASKET WAS WARPED AND THAT CARBON MONOXIDE WAS ENTERING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AGAIN WHO STATED THAT THE MANIFOLD CASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $2,300. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000. THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

VSC, ABS, TRAC, AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ALL ON CONSTANTLY. WHEN FIRST OBSERVED, ONLY OCCURRED DURING COLD WEATHER. LIGHTS DID NOT COME ON WHEN WEATHER AND CAR WAS WARM. STARTING 2010, THESE WARNING LIGHTS HAVE CONSTANTLY BEEN ON. TOYOTA DEALER SEEMED UNSURE OF PROBLEM, BUT SUSPECTED THAT VSC COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $2500. *TR

2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA REAR TRUNK LATCH BROKEN. APPARENTLY THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE SEQUOIA. ONCE LATCH IS BROKEN, REAR TRUNK CAN NOT BE OPENED. YOU CAN NOT OPEN IT FROM THE INTERIOR SINCE THERE IS NOT MECHANISM TO DO SO. COST TO REPLACE THE BROKEN LATCH IS COSTLY TO CONSUMERS. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR SEQUOIA, BUT WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY COMPLAINTS. I DID A WEB SEARCH AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS WHO HAVE ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM. THEREFORE, IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY OR RECALL. BAD DESIGN AND CHEAP MATERIAL USED BY TOYOTA. FAR AS SAFETY, YOU CAN NOT HAVE ANY PASSENGERS IN THE THIRD ROW SINCE THE BROKEN LATCH DOES NOT PERMIT OPENING OPERATION SHOULD ONE NEED TO GET THOSE PASSENGERS OUT. DIFFIDENTLY A SAFETY HAZARD AND POTENTIAL ENTRAPMENT FOR THOSE IN THE REAR SEATS. PART IS AVAILABLE AT A MODEST COST, BUT HAVING DEALING INSTALL IS COSTLY. *TR

I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. I GOT MY SEQUOIA BRAND NEW AND NOW HAS OVER 88,000 MILES. MY SEQUOIA BEGAN TO GIVE ME TROUBLE ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO EVERYTIME I TRIED TO PUT IT INTO GEAR. THE GEAR FELT TIGHT ALMOST DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO GEAR. ON A RECENT TRIP TO SAN FRANCISCO, I BEGAN TO ALSO NOTICE A "BUZZING" SOUND ON THE GAS PEDAL. AS I WAS DRIVING UP THE GRAPEVINE ON INTERSTATE 5, MY TRANSMISSION "POPPED" AND I HAD NO POWER. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE DRIVE PIN BROKE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION AND CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGED TO THE TRANSMISSION. AT THE TIME THIS HAPPENED MY WIFE AND TWO YOUNG KIDS WERE WITH ME. WE WERE EXTREMELY LUCKY WE DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS MAJOR BREAKDOWN. I HAVE COME TO RELY ON MY VEHICLE AND HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD AT KEEPING IT TUNED AND GETTING THE REQUIRED SERVICES TO KEEP MY CAR IN SHAPE. MY CONCERN IS, HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE WHO OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA? IF NOT, CAN IT HAPPEN AGAIN? THANKS NHTSA.

2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. ATTORNEY WRITES ON BEHALF OF CLIENTS IN REGARDS TO FRAME CORROSION *TGW THE DEALER PERFORMED A 21 POINT INSPECTION AND NOTICED TWO HOLES CAUSED BY THE CORROSION ON THE FRAME, ONE IN THE REAR AND THE OTHER IN THE FRONT. ALSO, THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES TO HAVE THE LATCH REPLACED IN THE REAR OF THE TRUCK. *JB

TOOK THE SEQUOIA TO THE BODY SHOP FOR MINOR REPAIR - THE BODY OF THE CAR LOOKS ALMOST NEW - NO RUST - A VEHICLE TO BE PROUD OF... BUT... THE REPAIR MAN CALLED ME AND SOUNDED VERY CONCERNED. JUST LIKE TACOMAS AND TUNDRAS, THIS VEHICLE HAS SOME OF THE WORST FRAME RUSTING HE HAS SEEN ON A VEHICLE ITS AGE - ESPECIALLY FOR THE LACK OF RUST ELSEWHERE. TOLD ME HE HOPED IT WAS ALL PAID FOR BECAUSE I SHOULD JUNK IT. 10K FOR A NEW FRAME AND THE CAR IS WORTH LESS THAN 9K. I TOLD HIM I STILL OWED 8 THOUSAND ON IT. HE SAID TO CALL TOYOTA. SAID HE WORKS ON 20 YEAR OLD TRUCKS ALL THE TIME WITH NOWHERE NEAR THIS TYPE OF FRAME RUST. KEPT REMARKING HOW HE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT... SAID IT JUST FLAKES APART WHEN YOU TOUCH IT. HE STRESSED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE MY CHILDREN IN THAT VEHICLE. MY FAMILY VEHICLE. I CALLED TOYOTA COMPLAINTS DEPT. THE REP TOLD ME HE WAS THE SENIOR REP THERE AND THAT HE HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING ON A SEQUOIA. TOLD ME THAT LOTS OF TRUCKS OF ALL MAKES HAVE FRAME RUST PROBLEMS. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER DID TO THE VEHICLE - WHETHER HE DID ANY UNDERBODY MAINTENANCE (HE SUGGESTED THAT CAR OWNERS GENERALLY RINSE THE UNDERCARRIAGE AFTER DRIVING IN THE SNOW). HE EVEN SUGGESTED THAT "..FOR ALL WE KNOW, THIS VEHICLE COULD HAVE BEEN IN A FLOOD." DOES A FLOOD CAUSE AGGRESSIVE FRAME RUST BUT LEAVE THE REST OF THE VEHICLE IN MINT SHAPE? SAID THERE WERE NO "PROGRAMS" FOR ME AT THIS TIME AND SUGGESTED I CALL NHTSA. II HAD TO ASK - WILL NHTSA WILL HELP ME BUY A VEHICLE TO DRIVE MY KIDS TO THEIR FUNCTIONS WITHOUT RISKING THEIR LIVES? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, I CANT AFFORD ANYTHING ELSE. I HAVE A LOAN ON THIS CAR. CALLING TOYOTA WAS 100 PERCENT POINTLESS. *TR

I AM EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ON MY 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. UNEXPECTEDLY, SOMETIMES AT HIGH SPEEDS, THE TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVATES AND CAN SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT STEERING AND BRAKING WHILE DRIVING DUE TO STRONG GRINDING FEELING DURING THE TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGEMENT. AGAIN, THIS ACTIVATION HAS NO APPARENT CAUSE AS IT OCCURS ON FLAT DRY PAVEMENT AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. LUCKILY, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DESPITE THE SIGNIFICANT EFFECT THIS ENGAGEMENT HAS ON THE VEHICLE. AT A MINIMUM, THERE SHOULD BE A LONGER DELAY BETWEEN AN INITIAL WARNING LIGHT AND THE ACTUAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE SYSTEM. THERE IS NO TIME TO REACT WITH THE CURRENT DESIGN. ON MY SECOND TRIP TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, THEY HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE YAW RATE SENSOR SHOULD BE REPLACED. DURING MY FIRST VISIT, THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AFTER PLUGGING THE CAR INTO THEIR COMPUTERS. I PAID THE DIAGNOSTIC FEE AND HOPED IT WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. OF COURSE, IT HAPPENED AGAIN ABOUT A WEEK LATER (DECEMBER 22, 2010 TO BE PRECISE). I'M CURRENTLY WAITING FOR THE PART (YAW RATE SENSOR) TO COME IN AS I MUST GET THE VEHICLE FIXED. *TR

2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA VSC TRACTION INADVERTENTLY TURNED ON WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT AWAY HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ABRUPTLY PULL TO THE RIGHT, ALMOST CAUSING A CRASH. LUCKILY I PULLED THE STEERING WHEEL AND CAR BACK INTO MY LANE AND THEN EXITED AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED A TERRIBLE CRASH AND ROLLOVER. IT WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE FOR ME AND THE 7 WITNESSES IN MY CAR!!!!! *TR