2008 Toyota Sequoia

THE REAR LIFTGATE EXTERIOR HANDLE LITERALLY MELTS IN THE SUMMER AND FREEZES IN THE WINTER. IT MAKES IT SO THE REAR LIFTGATE DOESN'T OPEN AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T CLOSE. I RECENTLY GOT A RECALL NOTICE FOR EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES NOT OPERATING DUE TO THE ABOVE DESCRIBED MANLFUCTION BUT HALEY TOYOTA IN MIDLOTHIAN VIRGINIA SAID IT'S NOT COVERED. THEY SAID IT'S OVER $400 TO FIX.

THE REAR LIFT GATE HAS AN ELECTRONIC BUTTON THAT YOU PUSH TO OPEN. THIS IS COVERED BY A RUBBER THAT DEGRADES AND MELTS OVER A SHORT TIME, EXPOSING THE ELECTRONIC SWITCH WITCH HAS CONSTANT POWER, RESULTING IN WHAT COULD BE A FIRE HAZARD. IT ALSO FREEZES AND BECOMES INOPERABLE AT TIMES DURING COLD WEATHER AND THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO OPEN THE HATCH. IN THE SUMMER, IT BECOMES STICKY AND A MESS. I REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EFFECTS OF COLD TEMPERATURES. IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR USED. I HAVE NOTICED IT IS A POPULAR ITEM ON MANY TOYOTA WEBPAGES, AND NOT SPECIFIC TO JUST THE SEQUOIA MODEL.

THE 2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA ONLY HAS 35,300 MILES ON IT AND WHILE IT WAS IN FOR OIL CHANGED AND ON THE RACK, THE MECHANIC NOTICED A SEVERE RUSTING ISSUE ON THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE HAS SEVERE RUST ON THE FRAME IN PARTICULAR THE REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING THE WELDS THAT HOLD THE FRAME TOGETHER. I AM VERY CONCERNED WITH THE ISSUE OF THE ROADS AND STRESS OF POTHOLES THAT THE FRAME AND WELDS COULD BECOME SEVERELY DAMAGED AND POSSIBLY BREAK OFF ON THE ROAD IN PARTICULAR AT HIGH SPEEDS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN RUSTING THIS BAD SINCE THE AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRIES USE OF RECYCLED METALS. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE USE OF THIS VEHICLE TO TRANSPORT MY FAMILY.

I WAS DRIVING IN RAIN GOING ABOUT 35-40 MPH ENTERING A CURVE WHEN I SAW A CAR STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME TURNING INTO A DRIVEWAY. I TRIED TO HIT THE BRAKES BUT MY CAR ACTUALLY ACCELERATED TO 55-60 MPH HITTING THE VEHICLE FROM BEHIND. IT THREW THE CAR I HIT OVER 100-200 FEET OFF THE ROAD INTO A TREE. MY CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND FINALLY STOPPED 1-2 FOOTBALL FIELDS' LENGTH UP THE ROAD. I HAD OVER $23,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR INCLUDING A CRACKED FRAME. IT TOOK OVER 6 WEEKS TO GET MY CAR FIXED BECAUSE THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP KEPT FINDING MORE DAMAGE AS THEY WORKED ON IT. IT WAS NOT TOTALED EVEN THOUGH I HAD INSURANCE THAT WOULD HAVE TOTALLY REPLACED THE CAR WITH A NEW ONE IF IT WERE TOTALED. I FEEL THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE. I SUSTAINED SHOULDER, NECK, BACK, AND R KNEE INJURIES WHERE I KEPT TRYING TO HIT THE BRAKE TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. WHEN THE POLICE ARRIVED I TOLD THEM THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP BUT ACTUALLY ACCELERATED WHEN I TRIED TO HIT THE BRAKE. I REPORTED THE ACCIDENT TO CORPORATE TOYOTA BUT THEY NEVER GOT BACK WITH ME. SOON AFTER THERE WAS A RECALL WHERE SOMETHING HAD TO BE REPLACED ON MY ACCELERATOR. I WAS VERY UPSET THAT I NEVER GOT ANY RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA ABOUT MY ACCIDENT. *TR

WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THE LEFT REAR "VENT" WINDOW HAD ITS GLASS COME COMPLETELY OUT OF THE CHANNEL WHICH HOLDS IT, AND WAS DANGLING BY JUST A BOLT. UPON INSPECTING THE WINDOW, I FOUND THAT THE WINDOW'S ADHESIVE HAD COMPLETELY FAILED. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, AND EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN WARRANTY, THEY REFUSED TO REPAIR IT WITHOUT CHARGING ME THE FULL REPAIR PRICE. THE RISK OF A GLASS WINDOW FALLING OFF OF A VEHICLE AT HIGH SPEED SEEMED VERY HIGH TO ME, BUT THE DEALER SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR SAFETY PROBLEMS. *TR

2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA, PRIOR TO NATIONWIDE RECALL I HAVE COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA CONCERNING UNRESPONSIVENESS OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AS WELL AS OTHER DEFECTS IN VEHICLE AND I CONTINUE TO BE IGNORED BY BOTH MANUFACTURER AND DEALERSHIP, WITH DEALERSHIP MAKING EXCUSES BY SAYING THINGS LIKE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY WHERE MADE IN DIFFERENT FACTORIES CAUSING THERE TO BE VARIANTS IN THE COLOR OF THE VEHICLE BUMPER FROM THE REST OF THE BODY, AND THAT THEY ARE NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH THE NEW MODEL SEQUOIA SINCE THEY HAVEN'T HAD THEM IN THE SHOP YET (EXCUSE MADE IN 2009). I MADE A WRITTEN REQUEST IN NOVEMBER IN REGARDS TO WHAT I CALL UNRESPONSIVENESS OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, WHEN I PUSH THE PEDAL SOME TIMES THE CAR WILL ACCELERATE RAPIDLY OTHER TIMES IT WOULD DO NOTHING THEN JUMP AND ACCELERATE WITHOUT ME PUTTING ACCESS PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL. I ALSO REPORTED ON DEFECTS IN LEATHER SEATS AND BODY COLOR WHICH IS TWO TONED BY DEFECT TO NAME A FEW OF THE ISSUES. THE MANUFACTURER CALLED ME, REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AGAIN THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE ISSUES AS MINIMIZES THEM. HERE WE ARE IN 2010 MY CAR STILL ACCELERATES WHEN IT WANTS TO INSTEAD OF WHEN I WANT IT TO, I STILL HAVE A CAR WITH EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR DEFECTS AND POOR WORKMANSHIP. AND WAS INSULTED WHEN THE ONLY THING I HAVE RECEIVED FROM TOYOTA WAS A POST CARD ASKING ME TO PAY OVER $200 FOR A DVD TO UPDATE MY NAVIGATION CENTER, WHICH IS ADDING SALT TO THE WOUND THAT TOYOTA HAS DUG IF ANYTHING TOYOTA SHOULD BE DOING MORE THEN A TEMPORARY FIX FOR CUSTOMERS AND MAKING US PAY MORE MONEY TO FIX THEIR ISSUES. THE UNPREDICTABLE ACCELERATION IS NOT FROM A STICKY PEDAL I BELIEVE ITS ELECTRICAL, POSSIBLY FROM OTHER ELECTRICAL DEVICES, SUCH AS CELL PHONE, GARAGE DOOR OPENER REMOTE, GATE REMOTES OR DOOR ACCESS REMOTES, ALL WHICH I CARRY FROM TIME TO TIME IN MY VEHICLE, HOWEVER I CANT PUT MY LIFE IN DANGER TESTING OUT MY THEORY. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE SOON, EITHER REPLACE THE CARS OR PAY UP. *TR