Toyota Sequoia Transmission Problems

sk1128

hi, I have a 2005 sequoia limited 4x4, on stop & go condition, everytime I release the brake, car jerks on first gear, especially when going down hill or with air conditioning on and driving with low gears are pretty rough. I took the car to the dealer with this problem and the dealer said everythings ok, but I believe it has some type of problem either on transmission, or brake or somewhere... so if anybody is experiencing the same problem, or if anyone has any idea what is the problem, please help.

Thank you for any help in advance.

drfill

I have recently purchased an '05 Totota Sequoia, and the first thing I noticed was the jerking you mentioned when the brakes are released after a rapid deceleration. I would like to know the answer also. Please let me know if you find anything out. I will do the same.

harryliuusa

This is considered "normal" for this truck.
Nothing unusual to mine and a lot of others based on what I heard!

unhpytoyowner

yes, many Sequoia owners are experiencing this problem. Just go to Google and search on "Toyota Sequoia problems" and read all the postings. If Toyota knows what's causing the problem, they are not admitting to the fault. Most postings indicate the service department states no problem found... funny how this is being reported across the nation and everyone is having the same "no problem found" problem.

kimmi3

I have an '04 Limited 2WD..first start is fine peppy -auto shifting, I park and go off again and it's like it starts off in a higher/lower gear...engine revs high and not so peppy at first & doesn't seem to shift right away.....takes a mile or so down road and seems to adjust back to normal. Is this normal? Does it have to do with Trac system? Or the iForce system?

lorihall

I had an 05 Sequoia for almost 2 years. I had problem after problem. It seems once they tied to fix 1 thing they something else went. My problem started when I would stop. While stoped it would feel as if I was hit in the rear. Guess what, the dealer said this was normal. To make a long story short. I got Toyota Corp. involved due to all of my problems, my torque converter had been replaced, trans. was worse than when they started. drive shaft replaced, slip yoke, universals 3 times. You name it, it was replaced,
When they took the car back 1year9 months later it still had problems with the trans it had rear bearings bad. The sequoia is a very nice ride, I loved the car but hated the problems. I now own a Nissan Armada. The only complaint I have is it rattles. Between the 2 suv the sequoia body int and ext are a much better design.

ripplefct

I dont really think its a problem. More of a comfort thing. feels weird to have it do it. My Tacoma does the same thing. From what I can tell, its the tranmssion shifting back into 1st gear. It could also be the trans shifting its self out of over drive. I pushed the overdrive button to dissengauge it and the problem went away.

petro33

The problem you described is a common one on the seq. Mine ('01 2wd) will do it some times, and yes, it does seem to catch you by suprise if you have not expierenced it before.

kkritch

When attempting to shift the transmission into gear via the shift lever on the steering column we're having difficulty putting the vehicle into gear. In particular when attempting to return the lever into "Park". If the lever isn't "forced" into park prior to the car being shut off it will not start without repeated efforts of trying to move the shift lever, which is difficult to move since the steering column locks. If the car determins that the vehicle is not in the appropriate gear it will not turn over. We have to make sure to push the shifting lever all the way up and away from you to try and get it into park to see the "P" indicator light come on. At times, its not an easy task. We've had similar problems with other gears and the sensor reading which gear is engaged. When describing this issue to the dealer they say it just normal wear and tear and the only solution is to replace the entire steering column. Has anyone experienced similar symptoms and resolved this issue. Can the shift lever mechanism just need adjusting/tightening because it appears loose?

I'd appreciate any info that can be shared.

Th, KDK

jackpc

Yeh...My 2001 Sequoia broken down in Manchester NH returning to NY. It turned out that the whole transmission was trashed. I had to wait in hotel for 4 days to get a new transmission from Toyota. The car only has 43,000 miles. The problem started about 1 1/2 years ago - it was difficult to shift gears and it had to be pressed. There were times when driving on highway the gear would not kick in to the next higher one although the car is automatic transmission.

Anyhow, the Russell Auto in Manchester fixed my car and I got to tell you they are bunch wonderful people and very experience in transmission. The mechanic told me that it was a small piece of metal broke down inside the transmission and over the last year and half it messed up the transmission! The mechanic said the metal is inside the case and it's impossible to detect without taking out the entire transmission. I had the car checked before and no one was able to tell me the problem. In fact, we were driving it for over a year and half!

I contacted TOYOTA and guess what they said to me...Sorry it's out of warranty! I am fuming. It cost me $3,600 and another $1,000 in hotel and rental car. I have 5 Toyota cars in the last 25 years and it really made me sick!

Best luck on your car.

jonswilson

Last November the transmission in my 2002 Sequoia totally quit. I had been experiencing a kind of jerky thudding sound from time to time but never get the Toyota dealer to experience it himself. Well, they towed the Sequoia into the dealership and the next day I was told that they have some bad news and some good news.....
Bad news was the transmission was shot but the good news was that Toyota was going to install a new transmission at no cost to me whatsoever. Pretty amazing given that the truck was out of warranty. Still with only 60K miles on it I'd expect a lot better life.
Toyota must know more about these transmissions and their problems if they are willing to replace them, free!
Otherwise, my truck has been fabulous for over 5 years.
By the way, it's a TRD Sequoia, supercharged with all the TRD goodies.
Hope that this may help others with sick transmissions.
Jon Wilson

jackpc

My is 2001 Sequoia. They told me the warranty is 5years or 50,000 miles. I had to pay out of my pocket!!! Is that the case? Thanks for info.

Jack

seanic

The same thing happed to my 2001 4WD Sequoia. Info will be appreciated. Thanks

yevo

Hi,
What you described in you e-mail is exactly what is happening to our Sequoia. Except, the hardware under the steering column cover actually broke. Did you ever find out if parts can be ordered to fix this or am I stuck having to have the whole column replaced.
I appreciate your response!

ronbarr76063

We are on our second sequoia. both had the same problem. short story, it's your transmission.
ours started with the lurch at stop lights etc. we also were told it was our air conditioner! the problem continued to get worse. it proceeded to a roaring when we were about 65mph, and the transmission started slipping then slamming into gear.

we had to have to the transmission replaced in the first one. when the same problem started to happen on the second sequoia, we took it to freeman toyota in hurst, tx. the service manager knew exactly what it was. i cannot remember the part, but they replaced ours and we have been fine since.

good luck!

atljamo

we just bought our used Sequoia, great vehicale, roomy powerfull etc...

driving down I75 pulling a yard trailer (low weight, just kids bikes) the tranny total died and rolled over to the shoulder on a very busy spring break vacation >>> of course it's raining like crazy so we waited outside for the wrecker to take us to toyota, nice poeple but hey for 3600 bucks they should be nice

I am going with the toyota tranny as opposed to the AAmco one, my guess is that there is some value in them doing it going forward

anyone have any thoughts??

gillyhb

This is normal for many SUVs and PICK UPs with two piece splined drive shafts verses the one piece splined to the transmission.
When there is hard braking the front of the vehicle goes down and the rear goes up. This action stretches the drive line causes the rear shaft to slide out of the front shaft according to design. When the brake is released this causes the shafts to contract,sliding back into place. This sometimes causes it to go beyond the normal contact area upon the rust spot.
To remedy that we would use emery cloth/sand paper to clean the area and apply some grease. So when I feel it when driving my 03 I just ignore it not a problem.

mtufenk

Thanks for the explanation. My 07 4x4 does the same thing. It seemed to get worse the further I got from the prior dealer service. Once I have it serviced, it goes away. It does sound like a lubrication issue.

elizablue

I have just had the transmission on my 2002 Sequoia fail. I called the 800# for customer service only to be told to try to make a deal with the dealership as my car was out of warranty.

I am very disappointed with the quality of Toyota. I have experienced two separate occasions where the coil packs had to be replaced. Now the transmission on a 2002. I am tired of hearing that this is not the norm for Toyota.

Every forum I go on I find at least 8-10 owners with this same problem. So one has to wonder why Toyota has not had a recall. My dealer is telling me it's going to cost about $5k to replace.

I just filed a complaint with the National Highway Traffic and Safety. I would suggest more of us do the same. Since Toyota is refusing to acknowledge they have a problem.

Many people are citing that debris from other mechanical parts that have failed such as the a/c housings got into the transmission and caused it to fail.

Recalls/Defects | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) | U.S. Department of Transportation

joslyn7

Hi I have a 2001 Sequoia please give me info on transmission I am having problems with overdrive please give me a contact # so I may be lucky like you and get a new one. Please help thanks.

joslyn7

please find out the name of the part that was replaced. I think I have the same problem thanks.

ronbarr76063

slip ring, or slip yolk

ronbarr76063

freeman toyota in hurst texas

kattoy2003

My 2003 SR5 just started having the jumpy shifting. It waits a very long time before shifting, and then jumps to the next gear. I have 95,500 on it. It just started wtihin the last 4K miles or so.

thoughts?

sequoia4

Today while driving my Sequoia would be slow on accelerating from a stop. It was like it was "fighting" to get into gear. Slowly it would reach about 35 mph and then jerk into gear. Any ideas?

kids14719

I have a 2004 Sequoia with 132k miles. Starts fine but won't shift into any gear; message on dashboard is "A/T P". Anyone seen this? Taking to dealer on Monday morning but just wondering if anyone has experienced same..

dxy

I have a brand new 2010 sequoia limited less than 200 miles, I noticed something weird though not sure if they are problems.

1. When I brake in low speed in parking lot, from time to time, I felt the car "jump" forward a little bit. It seems like I wrongfully step on the gas instead of the brake, of course, I am sure I stepped ed the brake. The problem, however, is not repeatable.

2. If I push down the gas pedal very gentle, the transmission gear shifts, the rpm stays around 2000 and the speed goes up. If I push down the gas pedal in medium hard steadily, the gear shifts to the second or third, and will not shift to upper gears. What I see are: the rpm goes up higher and higher to 3500-4000 and the speed goes up to 50+ miles/hour. (I didn't try longer and/or harder.)
However, if I release the gas pedal and push the gas pedal again, the gear shifts, and rpm goes down to 2000.

Are these problems? Many thanks,

hapa777c

Did you find out what the problem was? My wife's 06 is doing the same thing? It only has 37,000 miles on it!

sequoia_01

I have 2001 limited edition sequoia with 165,000 miles. In month of October, My car engine died at the intersection so I put car into Park gear and started right up but when shifted to any gear R,D,2,1 engine will die right away, I was stuck at the intersection. so called towing truck and hauled it to dealer in town that evening, next morning I went to dealer lot and started, tried gear, same will not move and engine will die. I had service department trouble shoot this issue, left car there for three days, then I got a call, they did not have any problems with this vehicle so I told them to keep it for few more days. I got the vehicle with out any bill, so that was good but my sequoia was not reliable vehicle for family trips anymore (what if)
Now 11-20-09 My overdrive is used to eliminate noise from engine while on the road, it sounds like as if stick shift gear is in high gear at low speed. pushing od button kills the sound and run normal and it happens during 30~75 miles.
Google search refers ths issue to Transmission problems. Feed Back Please!

luweegy

My 2002 Sequoia shifter was getting sloppy and would only shift from park- neutral-drive.140k miles. Now it won't even come outa park. What parts do I need to fix this?
Thanx.

janh1

I also have a 2006 w/ 72k doing the same. Any luck with yours?

gregb10

Hi Eliza,

We have a 2002 Sequoia with 122K miles. Our transmission went costing us approx. $4600.00. I have been researching this issue online and found others have the same issue as me/we do. Now this truck cost between 42k to 48k or so and 8 years later I am changing the freakin trans. How the HACK(used lightly), does Toyota or any other auto maker get away with this stuff. I also have been researching to see how we could get Toyota held responsible for this piece of SH@T trans.

I will continue to research and blog here until I am satisfied with an response from the CEO. If you can do the same in addition to telling everyone who you come across who has the same problem and tell them to go to EVERY website and complain like us. If you want to discuss further please contact me.

cwfeldon

we own a 2001 limited edition sequoia, with appx 145,000 miles. took it in for a check-up a week before we left on a road-trip to california. no problems. two miles into our trip, i heard a sound that i can only describe as gears slipping, or having a hard time catching. this would happen at low rpm's. once i got the rpm's above 2000, all sounded normal. then, a couple more miles down the road(about 2), we lost ALL acceleration & i had to pull off the road, have a tow truck get us & now i find out that the transmission is shot. OUT OF NOWHERE! its sitting at the shop waiting for me to decide what to do. the bill is $4000.00. Anybody with any info??????????

reggie6

Did you ever resolve your problem with your Sequoia? I am considering purchasing a new 2010?

sykomom

I have a 2002 Sequoia with transmission problems also...we think. It started recently, I have 115,000 miles only. When I put it in drive, it's like it's in Neutral, won't accelerate. You can drop it in low then back up to drive and it runs. Toyota said needed new transmission, had it replaced, continue to have same problem. But now Oxygen sensor out too....go hand in hand?? Amazes me that even Toyota can't seem to pinpoint the problem...nothing shows up when they hook it up to the machines to check it. Of course not, it's not electrical but they won't admit Toyota could be defective!!!

willisk

You probably have the lever in the middle column on "N." Just put the car into neutral while you're parked with your foot on the brake and pull the lever down to H. It probably just got knocked into neutral by an object.

cheche

I am currently having some of the same issues with my 2002 Sequoia limited with slightly under 100K miles that some of you have had with your transmissions. When the car gets up to 35mph it starts making a loud humming type sound.....at 50mph there is a what I can best describe as a jolt or a kick when the car is going into what would be a 4th gear or overdrive.........What were some of the outcomes of these problem? I called Toyota Customer Service but today is a holiday, so I called the dealer I purchased the car from, they say bring it in for an inspection. I hesitate to take it to the dealer as I have had a couple of bad experiences with the service departments.....overpriced and under qualified.......any input would be greatly appreciated.

ace1469

i have a sequoia sr5 4x4...does anyone know what the rpms are supposed be while in overdrive....say at about 65 to 70 mph?

campy99

I assume by now you have had your transmission either replaced or rebuilt. I just went through this experience myself. I had mine rebuilt at a cost of $3100. My '02 Sequoia has approximately 89K miles and was never used to tow anything. Most of the problems I have read about on-line from other 2001-2002 Sequoia owners has happened to my vehicle (air conditioning system had to be replaced at around 60K miles, front brake rotors warp over time and need replacing, power antenna stops working...). In your case, the humming noise coming from your transmission was most likely the overdrive gear getting ready to go out. If you disengage the overdrive, the humming stops. Not much you can do at this point other than to take it in to a mechanic to have your transmission fixed before you get stuck on the road somewhere.

motorman64

As several others have indicated, the 2006 Sequoia has a drive-train related problem. After coming to a stop, several seconds later I experience a lurch or clunk that literally feels like another vehicle just bumped me from behind. Has anyone been able to get this fixed permanently? Toyota has lubricated something, but the problem never really disappeared, just less noticeable. This "behavior" started when the vehicle was about 2 years old and under 20k miles. It now has 48k miles and is still not resolved. Toyota dealers say they can not isolate the problem and they do not know of others with this issue...Right.

dwolfgang

I'm having the same issue you have described. I have 97K miles and have recently changed front/rear differential fluid as well as transfer case fluid. This has not helped. I'm interested to know what it was the dealer lubricated to help the issue. Please let me know if you are able to resolve this issue. Thanks!!!

moahunter

We all know 00-02 sequoia trans r junk and do not want to rebuild mine , 03-04 trans were upgraded and look the same , but r they completely compatiable with a straight change out ?. And if they r different what r the changes .

dwolfgang

Sequoia transmission problem: The Sequoia comes to a stop and as you let off the brake it feels like the vehicle had dropped into neutral. After a few seconds you feel a “kick” like someone has hit your vehicle. Once the “kick” has brought you back into gear you are able to accelerate and drive normally with the exception of some odd rpm and shifting issues.

Possible solution: Check your transmission fluid level. If you’re looking for a dipstick, it’s not there. The Sequoia has a sealed transmission and the fill cap needs to be removed (24 MM socket) in order to add fluid. The fill plug is located on the passenger side of the transmission toward the rear of the transmission. Basically the transmission fluid is low and when you come to a stop or take a sharp turn the fluid sloshes to the side and as the filter is trying to suck fluid it loses pressure. After a few seconds you feel the “kick” and the pressure is restored.
At this time you may want to drain the fluid, drop the pan and change the filter. You should have 3.2 quarts drain from the pan, if you don’t then you know it was low. Replace the filter, put on a new gasket, torque the pan back into place along with the drain plug and fill with 3.2 quarts of the correct transmission fluid. Please give it a try and let me know if it helps.

mikehorton

Motorman64 (or anyone else)
Did you get this resolved? I'm on vacation right now, and am having the identical problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated. email me directly michael.horton@ge.com - Thanks

jsequoia

Thanks for the suggestions on the transmission issue regarding the fluid. I have an '06 Sequoia (110K miles) as well and am experiencing exactly the same symptoms. This has been a fairly recent development and seems to be getting worse. Has anyone found this suggestion to address the problem for sure? I'm a little reluctant that the dealer will automatically tell me the whole transmission needs to be replaced when a much smaller/less $$ fix may do the trick.

bobbybarge

Have a 2002 Sequoia with merely 71K miles on it. Bought the car new and took good care of it with regular scheduled maintenance. Love the car but last week the car just suddenly acted weird by stalling when I shifted into gear. I brought the car to the dealer, Toyota Universe in Little Falls, NJ. The service associate broke the news with the transmission needing rebuilding at 5K. I was shocked! I could not believe it costs that much. Not sure if this is the correct pricing as I've never dealt with this before. But from reading on the posts here, I've learned it only cost $3100 to re-build a transmission. I'm aware there are some variance based on the garage/dealers you go to but does it stretch that far? The question is: what's the range price with rebuilding transmission? Thanks and I really appreciate any feedback...

gdgrace2

Recently traded in a 2002 Toyota for a 2008 Kia Sorento with 36K miles. After driving 10 days starting having transmission problems. Took back to Dealer, after 2 weeks found no Problem!! Drove another 2 weeks, transmission problems again! This time dealer said Control Cable from transmission was over heating & lost connection. Drove for another 9 days, problems again! This time dealer finally decided something wrong with Transmission. Wife does most of the driving, driving 40 miles round trip daily. She wants a AWD for winter driving in snow and ice. We have been doing research on AWD,s, and found out most have some kind of Transmission problems. Looked at the Kia Sportage & the Toyota RAV4 for 2008 or 2009 years. Our 2002 gave us good service with 130K miles. In your opinion which would be the better buy with less maintance cost? My Brain is about fried trying to make a decision!

sequoia06

I just bought a 06 with 49k on it from a Toyota dealership has warranty and lifetime engine warranty and it's jumping and when I come to a stop so when I take it in should I tell them to use synthetic transmission fluid

mimechanic

I didn't realize I was one of the lucky ones. My transmission went out at 150k miles. Before the trans went bad we experienced the vehicle lurching during a stop and the engine roaring at highway speeds. I decided to have a known and trusted mechanic rebuild this transmission instead of a Toyota transmission swap. Toyota already had one opportunity when they built the transmission I was not going to trust them - pay them for another questionable transmission. My mechanic tore down the trans. and informed me that this A340F trans. was originally designed for a 4 cylinder postal jeep. How did this get installed behind a 240hp, 4x4, 4500lbs. Sequoia? This vehicle has been down over 6 months and now the dealership has made accusations that someone has installed a Tundra transmission into it. Their Sequoia part# for the ring gear did not match the ring gear that was removed from the Sequoia. However, the ring gear from a Tundra matched my part. Funny that the Sequoia and Tundra both have transmission issues? No wonder if you use the A340F trans in this type of application!

chimon1

I have a toyota sequoia 2006 and am experiancing a similar situation that i have been reading about auto trans.
My vehicle would experience an after-stop sound that seems like a thud as if somebody rear ended you.
It seems that what ever is happening is inside the transmission.
My understanding is that auto Transmissions have friction plates that drop into place automatically as you accelerate while driving.
As you come to a stop all these plates do not make a smooth turn by turn---last in --- first out.....sequence but wait for some god foresaken reason to return to their usual stop position all together after hesitating initially.
I think Toyota needs to analyze this thoroughly and see if the use of a certain transmission oil is contributing to this phenomenon.
I have a strong urge to use ordinary cooking oil to replenish the transmission oil as i did with my washing machine 2 years ago and it seems to perfporm better now and is also very quiet

dwolfgang

Please reference post #44. Bottom line, your fluid level is too low. It worked for me. Good luck!!