11th Aug 2010, 07:20

I have a 2001 Sequoia Ltd, which I bought in early 2001. I've got 134,000 miles, changed the transmission at 105,000, lights burnt on drive, VSC warning light comes on and off.

My latest problem is the door locks; it locks and unlocks by itself. I have to try it a couple of times and make sure that the door is locked before I leave the car. It's annoying...

18th Aug 2010, 17:48

Bought my 2001 Limited with 62,000 miles on it back in 2004. I have toted Boy Scouts across VA, towed 16' and 21' powerboats on 700-mile round trips, four-wheeled from Hatteras Point in the Outer Banks to the mountains of the Blue Ridge. Love this car. Now driving it with 210,000 miles!

That said, here's my take on the damn annoying stuff:

Drive light and high beam lights were out when I got it. Still are.

Had to replace manifold because of ticking by 78,000 miles.

Rear lift handle has broken three times now. This is very, very aggravating, especially last week when it broke as we arrived with a very full car at our vacation destination. Looking for the metal replacement handle this time!

Check engine light came on during trip from VA to the FLA Keys in April 2009. Catalytic converter gone, along with the O2 sensor. The dealer in Palm Beach told me it would cost $3,400 to fix. I told him to give me back the keys. The car wasn't worth that much at that point. The light is still on 16 months later, but no problems so far.

Rear window has a mind of its own. Doesn't work now, but might next week!

Fuse keeps burning out that connects the dome lights, radio antenna and clock. Dealership told me it would cost $100 to determine the problem, but the auto parts store has #10 fuses for about.24 each. A hundred dollars buys a ton of fuses, so I just keep replacing that one fuse.

Overall, though, these are relatively minor irritations. My 1996 Suburban was a nightmare! I replaced transmission, fuel pump, cooling system, air conditioning and pretty much every handle on board at one time or another, plus the leather wore out so quickly I had to replace the seat covers. By the time it was time to get rid of it, I had so much invested that I kept it and made my kids drive it. And it's only on 180,000 miles!

I'll buy another Toyota. I did my homework, having never bought a used car with mileage above 25,000 in the past. This one was nearly half the cost of a new one at 62,000 miles, and it's been a great investment.

1st Sep 2010, 22:17

I have a 2001 Sequoia that has just recently started with the Trac off dash light coming on. It only comes on with sudden unexpected braking. Never lights up with normal breaking.

Any ideas as to the cause of this?

19th Oct 2010, 07:25

We have a 2001 Sequoia Ltd which we purchased as soon as it was available.

I have to say we have been very happy with the service we have received from this car, but will not buy another Sequoia. Too large & do not like the design! Our current mileage is 202,000 miles and it runs very well.

After reading all the comments available I start to wonder about the items that were fixed at our expense.

1) Just over the warranty period our rear window would not work, Toyota did replace at no cost to us.

2) Replaced both left and right catalytic converters at about 75,000 miles.

3) Replaced the window control on the front passenger door as it would not work, the drivers side has been making a horrible sound when opening and closing, just a matter of time I was told by the dealer.

4) Changed all belts hoses and water pump twice.

5) My latest issue is the VSC light comes on when the vehicle is completely stopped, then trying to drive off, I have to take my foot off the brakes and the gas for a few seconds then it clears up. It will cost approximately $1,200 to fix I was told.

Overall it is a very good car and some of the items are definitely related to wear & tear. We plan on keeping it for sometime. Wish I could find a later year of this body style.

3rd Aug 2011, 12:47

Realizing this post is from 2008, I am still hoping that you may be able to shed some light on my problem. I too own a 2001 with the exact same problems that you have mentioned. Before I spend more money with no results, I was wondering if you were ever able to detect and solve the problem?

11th Sep 2011, 17:29

We have owned a 2001 Sequoia since November 2000. It is a LTD 4X4. We too had the front brake problem, and I found the TSB on line and got the dealership to replace with larger rotors and calipers.

Since then, we had to replace the rear door handle twice (not that hard, did it myself), one radiator (found on-line and shipped to me for $184 - installed myself), one front speaker, one automatic side mirror motor, and three batteries. This is the most reliable SUV of any of my friends and family. Best vehicle I've every owned (except for my 1982 Corolla with 315,000 miles). Our Sequoia has 150,000 on it in eleven years.

Here's the kicker, we have done all the scheduled maintenance at the dealership. I mean the 30K, 60K, 90K with timing belt, and 120K. Toyota's are the best vehicle on the market! I also own a 2009 Camry.

12th Sep 2011, 20:08

We test-drove a Toyota Highlander SUV in 2003. It was the most poorly built of the 8 SUV's we drove. It had interior trim pieces literally falling off in our lap, defective brakes and was the most under-powered vehicle we drove.

We opted for a smooth, very powerful and solidly built GMC Envoy. That vehicle just turned 9 years old and hit 100,000 miles. It has yet to have one single repair. Even the original brake pads are good for another 15-20,000 miles for the front pads and probably another 50,000 miles at least for the rear pads. The total expense for upkeep in the time we have owned the car is one set of tires ($635) and two batteries (about $80 each). GM SUV's have real steel timing chains, unlike the flimsy rubber bands used on Toyotas, so that won't require attention for another couple of hundred thousand miles.

Our past experience with imports was so bad we were hesitant to even look at the Toyota, and we did pass over the Honda because of the massive transmission failures they were having. We are pleased with our solid and reliable domestic, and in the future will totally avoid looking at any of the "Recall King's" offerings.