4th Jul 2009, 08:19

I own a 2001 Toyota Sequoia that now has 153 k miles. Overall, the car is still in great shape, although we have had similar problems to those mentioned in other comments. Brakes whistle, probably need new pads, have replaced O2 sensor twice - once the dealer claimed that he could not get it out of the exhaust manifold and therefore I would need a new manifold at a cost of $900. After learning that the O2 sensor really doesn't do much, I told him to just forget it - guess what, suddenly he was able to get the sensor out of the manifold and it was replaced for $100.

Recently, the VSC and VSC off lights have been coming on and off. Dealer says I need a $1300 throttle body - owner's manual says it's okay to drive, but VSC isn't working (so I guess I can "lay a scratch" in my driveway if I want).

14th Jul 2009, 23:45

2001 Limited bought in Dec 00. 133K.

No problems except High Beam indicator, Park and Drive lamps burned out.

AC running warm at idle, fine on highway in Dallas.

Will recharge this week.

Leather seat giving out. I weigh 175.

Hate rear window. Has a mind of its own, but found any pressure on rear door stops the window from functioning. Hate the ease with which the key fob activates in my pocket.

VSC Brake light on? Add Brake Fluid.

Check brakes as the caliper travel distance is tied to fluid level and the brakes travel.

Trim around window coming unglued.

Have maintained exceedingly well as the two 4 Runners (one at 360K)

We shall see...

15th Jul 2009, 09:25

I currently own a 2007 4 wheel Drive Limited Sequoia. I traded my 2006 for this one and it also suffered from the transmission bump, which is corrected by lubing the trans-axles which is a temporary fix. The 07 seems to be plagued with the same problem, but worse. Sometimes it does it a few seconds after I stop, and it is more consistent than with the other truck. I even had the dealer lube the transaxle, which normally resolves the issue. Not sure what to do about it. All I can think of sooner or later this will cause a transmission problem.

The driver side seat tends to lose its memory setting, even though the mirrors don't.

The front tires were wearing on the outer edge, and it was deemed an alignment was in order and it resolved the issue. There was a re recall on the 06 model, which required the ball joints to be replaces and once they completed the work the alignment was off. I knew this because the tires squeaked when I turned the corner in my parking structure.

The back window would not roll down when I picked it up from the dealer. It started working on its own, and now if it's not working the defroster and the rear wiper doesn't work either. Since this is an intermittent problem, it has yet to be serviced.

My brake light just came on last week after my week vacation and lots of driving. The VCS and ABS lights are on as well, but I have not checked the fluids as one owner suggested. I will check all of the fluids today once I get home, and hopefully that's the reason for the transmission issue as well.

Now at about 30 thousand miles + I did not expect to have any issues. Since I have my oil changed at the dealership, I will have all off this investigated.

26th Aug 2009, 20:23

I have a '03 Sequoia.

I was having a problem with all my brake lights coming on (VSC, etc.) and just paid $800 to replace the sensor--just last month. Now my brake light is coming on randomly, and goes off when I start and re-start the car. I'm just going online to investigate this now, and I'm seeing that a lot of people have the same problem.

Does anybody have any suggestions? I was going to bring the car in tomorrow for yet another check, but am really not interested in dumping another several hundred dollars.

30th Aug 2009, 00:35

I recently bought a so called clean 2001 Sequoia Limited. I also experienced the same severe front brake vibration (FBV) problem as everyone else after a while. I found a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin BR005-2) regarding this issue with Sequoia. The front rotors, calipers, and bearings need to be replaced with larger size parts. Apparently the original design is under sized for this large vehicle, and in the newer models Toyota has changed the design using the larger size components. For this reason the original rotors warp and the brake pads wear unevenly severely -- hence the seveer vibration.

The reason for VSC light-on issue is low brake fluid. Because of warped front disks, the caliper may eventually get damaged and leak fluid. At least that was the case with my vehicle. The cost for this replacement was $1800 at a third party Toyota vehicle specialist. It would be probably higher if you take the vehicle to the dealer.

I called Toyota customer relation department, but they do not acknowledge the design issue (the defect) and do not take any responsibility. I took the car to a nearby dealer; the service manager indirectly acknowledges the issue, but told me that they cannot do anything about it. The owner has to pay for the repair.

Today was a hot day in San Francisco Bay area and I had a short drive to the nearby shopping center with the AC on. The vehicle overheated and the temperature gauge climbed up all the way to the red marker. I suspect a stock thermostat, and hope that it is not another costly repair job.

The engine has recently started an unpleasant ticking noise (sounds like bad valve lifters).

Apart from these problems, the vehicle has a pleasant ride, partly due to the new Michelin tiers. Overall I like this SUV, but will probably take a loss and replace it with a new full size American SUV soon. I can put up with any problem but a ticking V8 Toyota engine. American V8 engines are usually very smooth and have a pleasant feel.