Toyota Sequoia

semantics

Are not impossible everywhere. That might be a regional thing for just where you are. That is not a problem everywhere. Don't let that dealer snow you.

kinnman

I think we've been down this road before, these vehicles are in different classes. I too was considering the Pilot, but you can get a lot more vehicle for the money with the Sequoia. I met with the Honda dealer in my area, Mpls MN, and he said they sell at MSRP, but they add $1500 in worthless accessories like $699 undercoating. "that's how we sell 'em". So the Pilot EX is $29,270 + $460 + $1500 = $31,230. Looks like I'm going w/ the SR5 (w/o L) for $34,250, ($3500 under MSRP). $3000 more for the Sequoia, so much more for your $! Perhaps the extra space isn't important to you, if not good luck with the Pilot. Hope the wait isn't too long fer yah, yah-no.

strager

I'm comparing the leather equipped Pilot EX-L ($1000 markup at local Honda dealer) with the Limited Sequoia, showing a minimum $8K price difference as I mentioned in post #5463. Certainly size is in the Sequoia's favor when transporting a full load of 8 people + cargo. For day to day driving, maybe the Pilot is easier to use with its shorter turning circle. The feature that's most important to me in both the Sequoia and Pilot is that you can seat 5 people without using the last row. The fact that one can fold the Pilot's third row seats flat really makes it easy to load cargo, have you considered that?

slackers

Appreciate the response. How far did you get into their products ? Seems like an inordinate amount of preparation before you even get to the wax ! What did you buy ?

2heeldrive

Thanks for the tip, but the only way I can get the DRL's to go out with the parking brake is to first shut the engine off, set the brake and then re-start it. You have to wonder what Toyota was thinking about to figure that sequence out. Talk about over-engineered and un-intuitive! I'll just keep them unplugged. In my opinion, DRL's waste fuel and are of questionable safety value. For example,in WWII a trick that fighter and bomber pilots used was to turn on their landing lights on a bright sunny day because it would actually make the plane LESS visible to enemy planes, ships, tanks, etc.

paisan

Have to agree, DRLs are actually dangerous on many levels:

1) VERY OFTEN I find that DRL drivers don't turn on their actual running/headlights when it gets dark, thereby making it more dangerous for everyone around them

2) Lack of responsibility on the part of the driver. Would you drive w/o a seatbelt? Same goes for lights on when needed. Dumbing down of America continues.

3) DRLs help you see and be seen from the front, but in sun-glare and dusk rear DRLs would be more helpful by far than front DRLs.

-mike

raddboy41

I know its just a matter of disconnecting a connector next to the battery....on a Tundra. But supposedly, it's different on the Sequoia. Has anyone actually disabled their DRLs yet?

devoke

I didn't do the prep. My first time with Zaino, I washed the car with their great car wash then polished it with their clearcoat polish (Z-2). It's easy and works GREAT! It really just wipes on and wipes off, no scrubbing or buffing required. Zaino recommends claybarring the car first, but I use the toyo guard regularly to get virtually anything off the Sequoia that's not supposed to be there, so I didn't do the claybar thing. Man, it would take all day on that big vehicle.

I just ordered the Z-1 which you use to "lock" the polish on before polishing with the Z-2. I use a waxmaster random orbital buffer so I can do the whole Sequoia in a fraction of the time it takes to do it by hand. I haven't used the Z-1 yet, but plan to next weekend. I'll let you know if there is a difference. As one of my co-worker's kids said the other day "it shines like a new penny." Each coat of Z-2 deepens the mirror shine. Maybe the Z-1 (don't wipe it off before applying Z-2) will make it even better. Take care.

devoke

I'd like to know the reference for WWII pilots turning their lights on NOT to be seen per the previous post. Please understand I'm not disagreeing or disputing this fact, but I am an instructor pilot and teach and have been taught to turn on my landing light even during the daytime so I can be seen better. I know it helps in my situation because when others do the same, I can pick them out of the sky much easier. Please give me more details or a reference so I can learn why what I'm teaching is possibly contrary to fact. Thanks.

hockeymom5

Hi, Sequ. owners. I'm up to 17,000 miles since December '01 in my Limited, and I'm still very happy with this Sequoia! I have been driving through snow and rain and traffic and highway, and find that the vehicle performs well in all circumstances. I figured out the front hood rattle. It isn't the front hood area at all, it is a loose fastener up on the roof rack that made a racket in the wind and at high speeds. Just tightened it with my hands and voila, quiet again. I hit a safety pylon going seventy on Saturday (was sleepy), and it connected with the right wheel well hood cover and little runner things on the side of the car- no dents or scratches, just needed to wipe off some orange plastic. Smooth, quiet ride and nice pick up if I need it, seems so much more aligned and less truck like than my Yukon was, and it is a dream to drive in comparison.

Rollover tests are in and Seq. has a three star, verify here:. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/testing/ncap/Cars/2002SUVs.html

I'm trying to figure out the safest car in the universe that is $10K to $20K for my soon to be 16 year old to drive in 6 mos. Any ideas? I like the Seq., so I was thinking a stripped, used Tundra with side airbags and a roll bar (still too expensive, I think), a used Passat, a used Volvo seems so small despite the statistics. A big old used Mercedes may be safe, but not as many airbags because it would have to be pretty old to be $10K. The Saturn coupes are inexpensive but so small, the Saturn SUV Vue seems small, too. Hondas seem so little too despite nice stats, 4runners are only two star in the rollover, RAV4s too small. I will not look at Chev, GM or Ford, otherwise an old Crown Vic or boatlike Lincoln or something might be good. The kid is very responsible, I'm just concerned about the safety issues. Thanks so much for the advice. Hockey Mom.

cliffy1

How about a '95 Avalon? Good safety ratings, very reliable and dependable. They can also be found around $10K in good shape.

pschreck

cliffy is probably on the money. The Volvos are built like tanks, but I'm not so sure about reliability. That is paramount to me considering my GM experiences. It doesn't sound like you would stick him/her with a Yukon. You must love him/her. Good luck.

slackers

devoke: Thanks again for the Zaino information. Will wait to hear if that Z1 made a difference before I order.
hockeymom: Bought my kids a '96 Volvo 850 a couple years ago. Got a real good deal on it, or I wouldn't have gotten them something that sporty. Runs great and is indeed a tank....something I want my kids in. If that soon to be 16 year old is a male......the stats are high for an accident, as was the case with my son with a car prior to the Volvo. My girls are accident free. Good Luck. Think tank.

devoke

Hockeymom, how about a Jeep Wrangler? They scored well on the NCAP ratings, fit your price range and have tons of cool factor for the 16 yoa. I recommend this only if this kid is pretty responsible as you said. . . . 'cause the fun is definitely built in and "chicks dig 'em."

oac3

I am sure you have received quite a few ideas on vehicle for your 16 yo. My 9 yo already thinks a Honda Civic is "cool" and she's got her eyes set on owning one someday. Methinks a Civic is cool too. It is good on gas, low cost of maintanance, can get some fairly cheap if you are patient and look real good, and it certainly can hold its own in reliability. PLUS, chicks dig them too... if that matters to your son (which should to any teenager)

just another idea to throw in the pot for you....

lbimike1

Some guys had posted requests to me concerning some information on the Sequoia AC problem I had experienced and information on the resolution.

First, the AC problem is that during very hot days or extreme AC loads the compressors will seize because of a design flaw with the orginal lubrication lines going to the compressor. The lines diameter is not great enough, thus the compressor will seize. Indications are the AC light will begin to blink, and in my case I could smell a rubber burning smell, which was the fan belt going around the seized compressor. The "burning hair" smell when doing hard acceleration I think is something different, since I as well have noticed that even with my AC off. Has anyone else come across this problem?

Once the compressor seizes, it has to be replaced as well the the retro kit (new lubrication lines) has to be installed in the truck to overcome this problem in the future.

I expediated the resolution process by sending certified letters to Toyota USA (California), my dealer and Local NE Toyota Regional Office. I don't have addresses with me, but Toyota USA address you can find in your warranty book, as well as via their 800 Number. The Regional office is something Toyota does not like to give out, and I found that address through my states consumer affairs office. I also recommend you file a arbiration case with NCDS which is a national organization that acts as an arbitrator. The information on these steps is also contained in your Toyota Warranty Book which came with your truck. You need to send them a letter stating your problems and concerns, and fill out a form. They will notify Toyota of your wishes to seek arbitration. Depending on your state, you wil have certain steps to take concerning seeking arbitration through government channels. I recommend getting in touch in regional Toyota folks,since in my case they did more to move my situation along than anyone. I also recommend opening a case with NCDS since this helps motivate Toyota in getting your situation resolved. Good luck and sorry for late replies.

BTW---My truck was purchased in January 2002 with a build date of December 2001.

csd2

I have a 02 Seq. Can the dealer replace the AC problem before it goes or is it just a wait and see if you are one of the unlucky ones.

Is this problem nation wide or is it more to the hotter climates. I live in PA.

lbimike1

There is a TSB on the AC Problem. The dealer should be able to install the retro kit with the same AC compressor. I live in NJ and mine failed during those hot days back in April. As I told the Toyota Rep, why is Toyota not telling owners to bring in the trucks for the kit. He said they feel that it will not affect all Sequoia's, but I disagree. Why wait till you destroy a $1000 compressor. Just makes no sense on Toyota's part. I think what they are playing a wait and see game. If I were you I would call the dealer and tell him you want the TSB (AC001-01) performed on your truck. You might have to wait a few weeks for parts, but you still have a funcitional truck.

cliffy1

The idea of a TSB is to fix a known issue *if* it happens on a particular vehicle. Problems do not universally exist on all vehicle.

raddboy41

The problem DOES universally exist on all Sequoias produced before the retrofit! It is a design flaw with a failure just waiting to happen. How would you feel if you're family drove 5-6 hrs to the beach only to have the compressor seize mid-trip? EGADS! Who wants to wait until it happens? Not me!

raddboy41

Okay, I've got most of the install completed! This is on my '02 Sequoia. To see pictures, you can go to:

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/photopost/index.pl?user=5564&cat=500&thumb=1

It took about 2 hrs. to install the first Clarion 7" monitor in the headrest, the next one took only an hour. The DVD unit is a Pyle PLDVD99 and it's AWESOME! Fit's perfectly in the center console and has MANY features including a 3D sound effects that gives you the most amazing sound, even through a simple FM modulator. Selectable Wide-Screen, 4/3 or PanScan output too! The remote IR eye mounts neatly in the front tray. I have NOT yet installed the Hi-Fi VCR in the rear compartment but will simply route the outputs from it into the inputs of the DVD to pass through to the monitors and speakers. I'll post pictures of that when it's done. Any questions? You can email me directly at klhawkins @ vfc.com .......removing the spaces, of course.

cliffy1

So, you have information that all Sequoia compressors will fail? That's a pretty bold assessment. You will note that my response was only intended to tell people what a TSB means, not to get into unfounded accusations or posts titled "Come on Cliffy". Relax dude.

raddboy41

I'm as relaxed as they come buddy, and you are correct in defining the intention of a TSB. However, the TSB refers to a "DESIGN FLAW" that does exist in most Sequoias and that design flaw predisposes the compressor to failure. In light of Toyota's recent "request" for owners to be more diligent and proactive in the maintenance of their vehicles (sludge issue) I found it funny to see your post(a Toyota employee) trying to head off our rush to proactively fix our A/C systems before failure. And you know, I've read my previous post over again and I just don't see an accusation in there...can you clarify? BTW - you're an extremely valuable resource on this (and several other) board and I always appreciate your contributions.

slackers

I too am concerned. Will Toyota replace my compressor after my warantee runs out and the sucker seizes.......probably not. Is there such as thing as a pre-existing condition that extends a warantee ? Probably not. I think it would be wise to request this kit before you're stuck with a $1000 repair down the road. Make sense ?

2heeldrive

Sorry, but I have no idea where I heard about the landing light trick, probably on the History Channel. I think that the technique was used in the Pacific when attacking surface vessels, and was thought to be esp. effective when the attack was coming out of the sun, or against a clear blue daylight sky.

I am not a pilot or involved in aviation in any way. I just thought it a bit of interesting trivia and have no idea if it was effective, or just gave the pilot a 'psychological' boost. I would not presume applicable to any current general aviation procedure or rules.

2heeldrive

This is what used to be called a silent recall. Ford, for example had a problem with vibration on the 91-94 Explorer that they would fix only IF the owner complained and IF the warranty was still in effect. Otherwise they would be happy to sell a kit to you for $800 (parts only). GM had the same thing with ball joints years ago and with oil consumption now. Almost every manufacturer plays this game. Mercedes, for example had a design problem on the old 124 diesel that was costing them a lot of new turbochargers ($5,000 each!) they finally got smart and issued a recall so they could re-route exhaust to eliminate the problem. When I got the notice, the car was 10 years old and had 140,000 miles on the clock. Got a new turbo and exhaust system stem to stern, courtesy of MB at no cost to me -- they even paid for the tow. Now that's standing behind your product. I expect that if Toyota decides that it will be less expensive to install the retrofit instead of a compressor they will issue a general recall. I agree that it sucks, and would be a major problem if the A/C failed on a trip -- Murphy says that's when it will happen to me!

snsn

Murphy's law says it will more than likely happen to me too! We are planning a road trip from Florida to Texas in June. I'm taking my Sequoia in for the 15,000 mile maintenance pretty soon and will be sure to mention it to the service dept!

By the way, any good suggestions on a portable mobile entertainment system?

csd2

I was the one who asked about fixing the problem before it happens. I will call the dealer this week to get a feel for the fix on the AC.

Can Someone give me a good guess of when this compressor might go. Is it running the AC for an extended time 2-3 hrs or is it running for short periods. I'm just trying to have the AC throughout the summer. I have a 02 seq with just over 2000 miles. Should I be worried?

Can someone tell me what the TSB is again.

lbimike1

The TSB is AC0001-01. My failure was at 2300 miles, initially while the car was in park, but failed completely while on highway. Car was only running around 20 minutes at the time. The failure happened on a 90+ degree day, and Toyota told me they feel problem will happen during very hot days or extreme AC compressor load. My truck was built in December 2001 , and purchase in Jan 2002. With your low miles, I can only assume your truck was purchased in March or April, so I am not sure if Toyota had already retro fitted your truck at factory. You need to speak to them and give them your VIN, so they can see if your OK.

henryf

lBimike1-How's it going out there, gonna try this out. Will the resolution process & filing for arbirtation help with a dealer problem? Toyota customer support says they can't help with my incident and will have to take legal action. What is NCDS?

chzbrg

ok, i own a 2002 SR5 Sequioa just bought it the beginning of may, how can we tell if this retrofit has already been done. If not how can we tell from VIN when are truck was manufactured.
THANKS

oac3

It has been interesting reading about this a/c problem. So far there has been 2 people here with this problem out of maybe hundreds of owners (some who post and others who simply lurk). For what it's worth, some of us on this forum has been here since day 1 and have owned our Sequoia's for upwards of 18 months with tarry an issue on the a/c.

I bought my SR5 '01 model in December 2000. Thus far, I have put on >26,000 miles. I also live in California (San Diego). Temperatures here can sometimes go high, maybe not in the 90's, but can be high too. Have I had any a/c problem to date ? Nope. Should I worry about having an a/c problem now ? Nope. If this a/c problem were to occur later after my warranty expires, would Toyota fix it for free ? Of course, I fully expect so as long as this issue is well familiar to Toyota PRIOR to the expiration of my warranty.

One can easily get carried away with this "problem". So far there has been only a small percentage of people with this issue. Let us be careful not to create an atmosphere where everyone starts calling their dealership to ask for a retrofit to their a/c compressors even when it currently works perfectly.

So I ask: Is this problem confined to the '02 model or what ?

fanman8

oac, I purchased my Sequoia back in November 2000 and I have not had any problems at all with my air conditioner either. I am in southern Florida and it gets into the 90's quite a bit. From May till October it's always in the 90's here and mine blows ice cold air with no problems. It appears to be few that have experienced problems and it does not look like that is the norm. If a significant amount of people fall prey to this abnormality I am quite sure that all on this board will find out shortly if it is a few or a widespread issue.

minuteman26

but I wonder if it has anything to do with use of the rear air conditioner unit?

csd2

I asked the Question a few days ago about the AC problem and getting it fixed before any issue starts. It was suggested to go to the dealer to ask some Questions. Well I went yesterday to the dealer and got plenty of attitude!

I live in SE Pennsylvania and went to the dealer where I bought the 02 seq. I asked the service dept manager about any issues with the AC compressor and he said that there is a TSB out but he could not tell if my vehicle is one of the one already retro fitted because there is no range on the TSB for the VIN numbers. This is when the attitude started. He asked what type of problems I was having, right now none but I wanted to get more info. He said to just drive it and if I hear a Metal grinding or banging sound then I could bring it back to get looked at. He said that the warrenty is good anywhere in the U.S.A. A lot of help if it goes on Vacation with my one and four year olds. He also blamed the internet for all of these worries, Even though I never mentioned the internet once. He did mention before I left, there could be a general recall in the future but only if you have dual zone which I do.

I guess I will just worry about it if it happens!!

paisan

There should be a ton of Yoda dealers in SE PA/Philly area. I wouldn't put up with an attitude like that. Or take it up with the general manager of the dealership.

-mike

raddboy41

OAC3 certainly seems to be expressing a voice of reason here! It is VERY easy for small problems to be blown out of proportion when viewing a discussion board and I'm as guilty as anyone here. Cliffy tried to intervene as well to put some perspective on this issue, but I interjected more urgency into the problem. OAC3 is right. There have only been a few failures of the compressor and I feel confident that Toyota will step in and replace mine if necessary. Sure, it might cause some inconvenience if it happens while on a trip but at least you can get the vehicle home. It's funny how we fret over the possibility of a small component problem with our Sequoia while owners of other brands of full size SUVs are discussing engine/transmission problems and replacements. As Cliffy had previously suggested, I will now relax. :^)

paisan

. It's funny how we fret over the possibility of a small component problem with our Sequoia while owners of other brands of full size SUVs are discussing engine/transmission problems and replacements.




This has come up time and time again over at the Trooper board. We fret over which tires to buy and which shocks to replace the stock ones with, while the Big-3 guys are getting engines and trannys replaced.

-mike

raddboy41

Here is a picture of the replacement part for the AC001-01 TSB so you can tell if your Sequoia already has the new suction tube for the compressor. http://www.kevinhawk.com/toytsb.jpg

lbimike1

The AC problem involves 2001 and early 2002 Sequoia's with dual zone AC. The Toyota Rep told me however it is difficult for them to determine which vehicles will be affected, so that is why they are waiting for a failure and responding with the fix. Not sure why, although he too was concerned on the amount of failures that took place in NE in April when we had 95 degree heat for three days. That is when my AC failed.

devoke

Thanks for the great information on the AC problems. Hopefully, there will be no one else with these problems, but at least we can be better "armed" in the event the problem does occur. It is a shame the one person had to resort to arbitration to get the results they were looking for.

By the way, for the record, my '01 Sequoia ltd (all options) has 21k miles now and "knock on wood," couldn't have been a better purchase. No problems, and it is quiet and very comfortable and still attracts lots of attention even though there are many Seq on the road now. There are very few things that I would change on it. But, anyone (like me) or any company should strive for constant improvement, so here's my suggestions for the '03 model.

I would like:

- Passenger electric seat to be able to tilt like driver's seat. It sits a bit flat and while still comfortable is less comfortable than the driver's side on long trips.

- Stereo controls on the steering wheel. The stereo is pretty far away and adjusting it can be a distraction in traffic at highway speeds.

- Memory seat positions. My wife and I are very different in sizes. She is as far forward as possible and I am as far back as possible, so switching drivers takes a moment of reposition followed by a "fine tune."

- Moveable brake and accelerator pedals. This is something for my wife. She is only 5'2" tall and has to sit very close to the airbag. She could sit further away with moveable pedals adjusted to the full aft position. We had this feature on a Grand Marquis rental and she loved it.

- An option for a better stereo. The JBL stereo is okay, especially when played loud, but I think we all agree it could be improved. The Lexus version of this stereo in the LX470 is awesome. I would like that option.

- A better closure on the small cargo area door in the back. That thing pops off pretty often. I might have too much stuff in there . . .

- Some type of backup sensor system. The mirror system on the Sequoia is well done, but no mirror can see anything that is directly behind the vehicle and shorter than the considerably high off the ground back window. There are a few after market products available that I am looking at, but this would have been a nice factory option. I believe most of the big 3 come with this system now and I know some of the Lexus cars and BMW's have it as a cheap, like $75, option.

That's my list. What say you?

raddboy41

My Sequoia has a sunroof, so this isn't an issue with me but the multiple number of sunglass holders and compartments in the overhead is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen! Some company could come up with a replacement overhead system and sell thousands!! Toyota could even offer it as a port installed option!

gregfocker

raddboy41 - I couldn't agree with you more. In fact, my wife and I have never use sunroofs in our past vehicles but were adamant about optioning for it with our Sequoia just to get rid of the (IMO & IMwifesO) ridiculous looking overhead sunglass holders. If someone sold a nice looking replacement overhead console for $500 I would have purchased it and not optioned for the sunroof.

Other things: Memory seats, steering wheel radio/temp controls, wider/more aesthetic looking center console storage box (like Ford Expedition's) and adjustable pedals.

The lack of steering wheel audio/temp controls puzzles me. It is not just a Toyota thing but a Lexus thing as well. You can drop a ton of cash on a Lexus as well and they still don't offer the steering wheel audio/temp controls (ie. IS300, ES300, GS300, GS430 (I believe as well) and RX300). In my opinion this is completely unacceptable since Lexus is deemed a luxury brand but doesn't offer one of the most useful (and least expensive) luxury type features that even the Ford Explorer has.

I still purchased the Toyota Sequoia because of it's rideability and (hopeful) reliability. However, Toyota/Lexus needs to wake up and become more competitive feature-wise with their higher cost vehicles.

oac3

i have been looking to replace my '96 Maxima with a Lexus sedan. I tried the LS forum for advice on the year model I was interested in. Not a single response from anyone on that board. Seemed to me you have to be "rich" or pretend to be rich for anyone to listen to you on the LS board. Just my opinion tho'... So I decided to turn to this forum and ask anyone with an LS story to help me out.

Any issues you know of on the LS 400 ? Personal or third-party related will be appreciated.... I am looking to buy a '99 model with the Navigation and ca. 50K miles. What should be the most concern on such a vehicle ? High miles, floaty brakes, hum-hum steering, soft-suspension, .... ? I have looked everywhere and I can't get much info on these issues. CR rates them very good but does not describe any known issues...Is the car that "perfect" or are owners simply not fessing up to problems on them ??? Any site I can get information on ?

I'd appreciate any input from anyone willing to help. Thanks

thirdsuv

I installed a supposedly high-end microwave based
backup system from Rostra. It sucks, big time.
False senses in every concievable situation except maybe a perfectly flat and empty stadium sized parking lot (but of course then you don't need a backup sensor).

Jim

paisan

Just get used to your vehicle and you'll be able to back it up w/ease. People have been driving burbans and other large SUVs for nearly 1/2 a centry w/o these sensors. Just another dumbing down of America I love to put electrical tape over the sensors on Explorers the people go nutz when it keeps beeping

-mike

gregfocker

That's funny!

paisan

Friday fun for yah.

-mike

minuteman26

I lasted all of one week trying to maneuver my new Sequoia in some very tight parking lots before
going to the local Toyota dealer who recommended an aftermarket installer for such things. They have worked fine ever since, with the exception being one day I was parked on a military installation near a communication center. When I threw it in reverse to leave, the backup sensors started beeping morse code.

devoke

I do have one more change I would want. I would want the armrest on the seat to be about 2 inches longer. I tend to have to rest my arm in one place (armwrest sorta poking into the back of my arm) and it gets numb on a long trip. I used to have a BMW 525i and it had armrests on the seat which were longer and could lock in any position from about 20 degrees below the 90 degrees position to the full up position. I could change positions during long trips and it made the armwrest much more comfortable. Of course, I do have the option of putting it full up and stretching out my arm. It is certainly better than no armrest at all and I do like it for short trips and around town. We are going for 100% the best vehicle on the road here with our changes anyway, aren't we?