Toyota Sequoia

toyotatoys

Had 8 toyotas (and 1 Lexus SC300) in a row, and the same old "nuissance" - Cheap Plastics inside. I still cannot understand how Toyota can build very mechanically sound vehicles, and use plastics that fall apart. I have a 2001 Seq and I am experiencing the same nuissance as you do.

On a different thread, it's interesting how many of us are considering between the Accord Coupe and the Camry Solara. I always prefer higher torque and I don't like high revs engines, so this makes me lean towards the Solara for my wife (another Toyota?).

nomarian

I was just offered a 6 year, 100,000 mile warranty from my Toyota Dealership. They stated that they were going to sell it to me at cost and it is a Genuine Toyota Warranty. They said normal cost for customers is $1795, but they will sell it to me for $1295. Anybody have any comments?

slackers

See Cliffy.

jelhz43n

Check out
toyotawarranty.com

John

ar15

That TRD supercharger for the Sequoia should be sweet. However, for $4000 you can almost buy a whole engine. I'll leave that idea to the people with more money to burn than I have.

slackers

The more I look into the supercharger option, the more discouraged I get. Seems it creates multiple problems down the line involving gas leaks around the 9th fuel injector, ECU's that don't function in harmony with what the S/C would require to give maximum benefit,need to use high octane fuel and on and on. Couple all that with the price tag.....it's an easy decision.

stever

Comparison Test: Toyota Sequoia versus Nissan Pathfinder Armada

Steve, Host

marsimms

Please, please, please....someone help me. Purchased a 2003 Sequoia in July and my sunroof/headliner area squeaks incessantly! The worst part is that NO ONE from Toyota is willing to help us. Dealer has seen truck 4 times and Toyota's customer assistance center has been of NO assistance. They have been jerking me around for months! Anyone else have this problem???

pschreck

I don't have the problem. Have you tried a different dealer?

slcamt

I had the same thing on my 2002. Toyota is aware of the problem. The problem is on the sunroof lift arm. They replace some hardware where it hinges to the sunroof. Its a big job they remove the headliner to replace the harware. Find a different dealer. Mine knew about the problem and fixed it the first time. Good luck.

marsimms

How big is that job? (replacing the headliner). Every time I take it into my dealer, they screw something else up. Worst of all, no other dealer in the area will touch my truck since it has numerous complaints on it. Also, it must be the company's policy not to return phone calls. My dealer doesn't return calls, Toyota's Customer Assistance Center doesn't return calls and I sent a 5 page letter to the HQ that was never responded to. This is my 5th and LAST Toyota.

suv2004

A factory keyless entry come with my 2004 Sequoia. does anyone know how to disable the back window open/close button on the remote?

slcamt

They don't actually replace the headliner just remove it. The job takes about 6 hrs. I have been happy with the service. I did expect far better reliability from toyota though. I know the service writer by first name and have his number memorized. What else has gone wrong with yours?

marsimms

My problems are with both the dealership and Toyota Customer Service. Let's see...windows wouldn't go down on the way home from dealership (fuse), then every time they tried to fix it, they'd screw something else up (grease all over the interior of the car, gash in glove box, dented sunroof track, missing plug for headliner). The worst part is that the Toyota Customer Assistance Center won't help me, my dealership won't help me and no other dealer in the area will look at it since it is a heartbeat away from being a lemon law case. The people at Toyota HQ are just jerking me around. Also, I am not happy with the climate control system (what's THAT about? It just has a mind of it's own!) and the cheap interior plastics. I'm very disappointed thus far. What other issues have you had?

slcamt

Lets see: sunroof rattled, a/c compressor seized and required complete system replacement, rear axle seals leaked and ruined brake pads and rear parking brake shoes, vibrating front brakes. With the exception of the front brakes all have been fixed right the first time and a rental car supplied free of charge. I am going to wait on the front brakes until it is more obvious. As far as climate control leave it off of AUTO the system will do everything it can to get to the temperature you have selected. I can't believe another dealer will not look at the car. I think they are legally obligated to fix it as long as it is under warranty. Maybe its time for a lawyer.

petro33

Wow, Marsimms, I can't believe they are not interested in fixing these problems! I thought the dealer got paid by Toyota for fixing these problems under warrenty? It is a money maker for them.

Slcant, there is a TSB for the front brakes so they would probably fix it with no problem. That problem was discussed at length on this forum about 6 months ago.

So far mine has 55K on it and only repair was the front brake TSB. Yes the interior is cheap plastic and I have to watch myself when I close the back door, I replaced all tires at 40K with Michelin cross terrain, but thats it! Compaired to my old ford van this car is a dream.

I would be interested to hear if anyone has installed the supercharger?

Also if anyone has installed different brake rotors, ie. slotted, or drilled.

cliffy1

Dealers don't mind warranty work. They are paid less for warranty repairs than they are on COD work but that's not the point. It sounds like Marsimms just has a VERY inconsiderate or incompetent service department or there is a lot more to this story that we haven't heard.

ar15

I friend just traded his '02 Sequoia for an '04. Both Sequoias have the JBL "10 speaker" stereo. My friend says the '04 JBL stereo is much improved over the '02. He says they have increased the amp wattage and that it is s very noticeable improvement. Does anyone have the specifics on this

wwest

If you live north of the snowline, as I do, Seattle area, now would be a good time to think seriously about disabling your A/C compressor. On my RX300 I simply unplug the refrigerant pressure sensor switch just in front of the radiator. In older models I always unplugged the A/C compressor clutch circuit.

WHY ???

Most modern day automotive A/C systems, most especially those of the automatic climate control variety, will automatically engage the A/C system to help dehumidify the incoming airstream (you wouldn't DARE be in recirulate at this point!).

At moderately cool outside temperatures, down to about 45F, this can often be a great advantage. But below these temperatures the efficiency of the A/C to dehumidify the incoming airstream declines precipetously, until at just above freezing, ~35F, there is NO dehumidification capability whatsoever.

With outside temperatures below 45F your system should never be in recirculate, and should ALWAYS remain in the mode wherein outlet airflow is significantly heated and routed through the footwell outlet ducts, with a portion bled off to the windshield defrost/defog/demist ducts. This latter air flow is there, by factory design, to help (hopefully) keep the interior of the windshield above dewpoint, the point at which condensation begins to form.

If you have a manually operated system then it will be up to you to remember to monitor the outside temperature and be sure the system has the proper airflow routing, footwell only, as the outside temperature declines.

If you happen to have one of the automatic climate control systems designed or manufactured by NipponDenso in Japan, or Denso USA, in the US, Toyota and Lexus for instance, it will be "biased" toward "cooling" mode (airflow outlet to the face and upper body) regardless of COLD outside temperatures and your personal discomfort due to radiant "cooling" from the COLD surrounding landscape.

Again, it will be up to you, as the driver and therefore "protector" of yourself and your passengers, to be extremely vigilent and ALWAYS over-ride the system from "automatic" outlet airflow control mode, to footwell and defrost/defog/demist mode manually when outside temperatures decline below 45F.

Now.

If the outside temperature is below 45F and IF the interior of your windshield beings to fog over, even ever so slightly, you need to take IMMEDIATE action.

1. Turn the temperature control all the way UP, to MAX HEAT.
2. Turn the system Blower all the way to MAXIMUM speed.
3. THEN....
     Change the system outlet airflow mode to defrost/defog/demist.

So, why did this happen, why did the windshield start to fog over?

First, let's assume you followed the above instructions and the system was in heating mode, footwell and defrost/defog/demist airflow mode, and NOT IN RECIRCULATE!

At, say, 65MPH on a really cold day your windshield is being quite thoroughly chilled with the COLD airstream impinging on the outside at 65MPH even though there is a significant level of warming airflow from the system flowing its interior surface.

But now you just picked up two sweaty and wet snow skiers and you're headed back down the mountain. Or you were headed up to the slopes and your passengers became stressed out (sweating profusely) due to the ice and snow covered roadbed and the sometimes unavoidable side-slipping of the vehicle.

Moisture = higher humidity + a cool windshield surface = condensation.

Cracking a rear window slightly will almost always help move the cool dry air through the vehicle.

If you have not disabled your A/C for wintertime driving there may be yet another cause for the windshield fogging over.

Your A/C system was running but now isn't.

1. It may have shut down of it's own accord, automatically, a few moments ago, due to declining outside temperatures, 35F or below. Many modern systems will do this automatically, with no warning or obvious indication to the operator.

2. You may have just previosuly used the defrost/defog/demist mode, unaware that this mode automatically activates the A/C system to assist in dehumidification. Once you return the system to normal operation the A/C will shutdown provided you have used the control functionality to turn it off.

3. You may have just noticed that the temperatures have declined and manually turned off the useless A/C.

But why would any of these actions lead to windshield fogging to the point of being a real safety issue??

Long story, but first a short version.

When the A/C is operating it will almost always "gather" airborne water vapor onto the evaporator vanes. As more and more moisture accumulates it will eventually become dropletts large enough that gravity overcomes viscosity and then run down the face of the evaporator and out the drain provided for this purpose.

When the A/C compressor is first shut down the temperature of the evaporator surfaces will begin to rise. And remember ALL system inlet airflow, fresh and recirculated, comes through the evaporator. So that thin film of moisture, the film of moisture that had not yet gained enough mass to overcome viscosity, will begin to evaporate into the atmosphere within the passenger cabin.

BINGO!

Cold windshield, high atmospheric humidity.

The windshield begins to fog over!

Modern day exacerbating circumstances...

1. New, less efficient refrigerant.

With the advent of the use of the new less efficient refrigerants automotive designers were fored to come up with ways to make up for the loss of efficiency.

The most obvious way, and the one most often chosen, was to make the evaporator itsself a lot more efficient. The evaporator in my 1984 T-bird had about 2500 square inches of evaporator cooling surface. The one in the newer vehicles is more typically in the range of 10,000 square inches.

More evaporator surface area = more moisture left over to humidify the passenger cabin once the A/C is turned off.

2. Reduce the cabin atmosphere's "exhaust" outflow.

On a minute by minute basis, the less "conditioned" air that leaves the controlled environment the less incoming airflow that must be cooled.

3. Lower the system blower speed.

The slower the airflow moves through the evaporator vanes the more "heat" it gives up. A lower blower speed also results in even less exhaust outflow due to blower induced pressure differentials.

The Lexus car series is very well insulated for sound deadening and wind noise. MY 92 LS400, in fully automatic mode, could be using recirculate for 90% of the flow in the winter or summer, with the indicator light showing "fresh" mode.

fanman8

Cliffy1? Has anybody had any experience with Toyota of Iowa City with regards to extended warranty's? Are their extended warrantys Genuine Toyota Platinum Plans? One other question for anyone that has used a Genuine Toyota Platinum Plan: Must you obtain prior authorization from the plans administrator before proceeding with the necessary repairs? Is this common practice? I have an 01 Sequoia that is nearing its 36 month factory warranty and I am undecided. Genuine Toyota Factory warranties are not available in the Gulf States region is what I have been told.

suv2004

Where are the exactly location of those 10 speakers? My car have jbl 10 speakers system, but all i could found are 6 speakers around my car.

slackers

wwest: That's the funniest thing I've seen on this board in two years ! Do you have a PhD. in climate control ????? Disconnect my A/C....I don't think so. -a fellow Seattlite

slackers

suv2004: Do a search on this discussion. That question has been raised and answered about every other month ! (PS...there are 10 in there somewhere)

tidester

That's the funniest thing I've seen on this board in two years !

It's Willard's annual event - don't know how you missed it before! :-)

tidester, host

bluestar1

If Toyota or dealer won't help any longer, then demand for a new car or a refund, or better yet get an attorney and go after them. Someone is responsible and it ain't you, if your story is on the up-and-up. In any case, looks like you should be talking to a lemon lawyer. Maybe zeus (he must be lurking somewhere on edmunds) can help out with ideas on what you can do in such circumstance. But, it has all the elements of a lemon written all over it.

wwest

Seattle. Just remember the recovery instructions when the day comes, if it ever does, that your windshield starts to quickly fog over spontaneously.

marsimms

Believe me everyone, what I am telling you is only the half of it. Perhaps if I had a dealership that knew what they were doing, I could have avoided all these problems. I am afraid to even bring it back there because they always screw something else up. The customer assistance center is a joke. Goes something like this...you call, you tell them your whole story, they apologize profusely and tell you someone will get back to you, then you wait, and wait, and wait....I'm still waiting. I've called them 6 times in the last 2 weeks. I've also sent a 5 page letter to the Toyota Complaints and Letters department, which they received on October 3rd and haven't gotten a response. The guy from the factory who is supposed to look at my truck is on vacation. He's supposed to call us back but I'm sure he won't. No one ever does.

If anyone has had this problem, and their dealer fixed it, could you please email me the name of your dealership??? (marsimms@aol.com) It would be helpful if I could give this guy the name of someone who's fixed this problem and knows what they're doing. My next step is the 9 page arbitration form from the Atty General's office. If they can't or won't fix it, it's a lemon and I want a new car.

Thanks for all your postings! I'll keep you up to date on what happens.

cliffy1

Spontaneous fogging? Disconnecting AC systems? We went through this last year didn't we? Well, since then, I lived through one of the coldest winters in the history of the Washington DC area. We had several days where the high temp didn't hit freezing. My pipes froze in an interior wall! It was REALLY cold. In one storm, we had 2 feet of snow. Strangely enough, I had no catastrophic fogging incidents. Furthermore, the AC functioned properly as a dehumidifier. I just followed the instructions in the owners manual and kept it out of recirc mode and let the thing do its job.

Man this cracks me up!

slackers

Don't know how I missed last year's edition as I read this board all the time. I'll definitely remember your instructions when I fog spontaneously Willard. Do you have anything for senior momments ?

wwest

Well, at least someone is making money off the effect of "left-over" evaporator surface moisture.

http://www.airsept.com/eed.html

cliffy1

You post a link to a site that sells something to prevent mold in warm climates as verification that you need to disconnect your AC compressor in cold weather? I don't get it.

Here is a quote from that site, "Even after the A/C system has shut down, condensation continues to form in the evaporator if the ambient temperature is above 60° Fahrenheit."

Wouldn't that indicate moisture does NOT continue if the temp is under 60?

Wait a sec... nevermind. I don't want to get you riled up again so we can spend 2 weeks and 300 posts discussing a problem that only you seem to be aware of.

deviyiya

SUV2004:
Here are the positions: 2-tweeters (those black ones on the driver and passenger side pillars), two speakers per door. This makes 10. Unfortunately, there is no sub woofer.

wwest

Paxil, doesn't happen.

The evaporator operates, typically, just a tad above freezing. What Airsept is saying is that the evaporator will continue to "gather" moisture until it rises to a temperature very close to local ambient.

But the point of my reference to their ad was to verify my position that the evaporator vanes retain a significant level of moisture long after the A/C compressor has ceased operation.

And absent a purging device think about what might happen to your windshield surface about five miles down the road on a cold morning drive.

slackers

...errrrrr...spontaneous fogging ?

sequoiasoon

Send Cliffy an e-mail (address is in his profile). You can buy the Warranty from any dealer up to right before your 3/36 expires. I contacted Toyota Financial and got that info from them. I dealt with Cliffy and got a 7/100 Genuine Toyota warranty for about half the cost that the NY dealers were quoting for ones administered by other. I actually went to his dealership (it happened to be on the way home to NY from North Carolina where I bought my Sequoia). You can also do the whole transaction by phone and internet. One of my friends just got shafted on his extended warranty for his '99 Suburban because the company is bankrupt and being liquidated. Check www.warrantynews.com and http://webreprints.djreprints.com/835401484368.html for the info. After reading this I'm real glad I went with Genuine Toyota......THANKS Cliffy!!!!

oac3

After much hooing and hahing, I have decided to keep my '01 Sequoia, instead of trading up to the LX470. I'll like to finally put in the rear entertainment DVD. Just need help from anyone here, preferably in So Cal.

Know any place I can get this done for under $2,000. That's my budget. I want a reputable place that can find a way to get a screen into the largest of the 5 roof-mounted cupholders. I'll appreciate any help out there. Need to get this done soonest.

Thanks and muchos gracias...

gkatz1

I've never seen roof mounted cupholders! What I have seen is the screen mounted at the rear of the overhead console. This necessitates trimming the rear of the console off right behind the last compartment and removing the dome light. The bezel from the new unit is wrapped with matching headliner material and then mounts flush with factory console. Most screens come with dome lights so losing the stock ones won't matter much.

cliffy1

The company you are talking about must be Warranty Gold. We had a customer in here two weeks ago who had one of these plans. They refunded him $1200 of the original cost he paid for his warranty as part of their bankruptcy. Unfortunately, the guy had 48K on his Prius and was looking at a $4200 repair bill. I felt really sorry for the guy but there was nothing I could do to help at that point.

By the way... glad you're still happy with the Sequoia.

rugeti

OAC: I got a top quality system installed by a great shop in Orange County for just slightly over your budget. It's worth paying a little extra when it comes to doing this. Trust me, there are a lot of cheap systems out there and bad installers doing them.

Go to http://www.rosenentertainment.com/. Rosen is regarded as the best manufacturer for these systems. They have a link to a list of dealers as well.

fanman8

Does your service agreement application say Toyota Financial Services at the top to the page? I was told mine was a Genuine Toyota service agreement I bought 7yr75k for $875 Platinum Plan. Why 75K instead of 100K? I only have 14,000 miles on my 2001 and will most likely will never reach the 75,000 miles before the 7 years. I would have purchased from Cliffy if I knew how to reach him first. What did you pay for the 7year100k policy? I understand I can cancel my policy before 30 days for a $25.00 processing fee.

cliffy1

Your warranty is on a 4WD? If so, you got a pretty decent deal. Shopping around might have been able to save you a little, but not very much. That is a lower price than most dealers would ever consider taking on that plan.

oac3

Muchos muchos gracias to you gentlemen for your quick response.

rugeti:

I checked out the link, and called. The company don't do retail. BUT, I got a list of names of vendors local here in San Diego. So I'll be sure checking these out. Yes, I am willing to pay a little extra for peace of mind.

gkatz:

I laughed at myself - roof-mounted cupholders. Bah ! I meant roof-mounted sunshade holders. Well, I am sure you know what I meant. I won't feel bad if I gotta lose my stock dome light as long as the replacement fits snugly. Thanks for the help.

ar15

For what these installed DVD players cost, you could buy several portable systems that you could use somewhere else besides your Sequoia. Or, you could play DVD's on a notebook computer. I think these installed DVD players will eventually go the way of the installed cell phones.

Same thing with the navigation systems. I'd rather have a portable system I can use in OR out of the vehicle and for a fraction of the cost.

gkatz1

Good point, mito corp makes a mounting bracket that fits Panasonic DVD players. It allows you to use the player in other places, not just the car. Mito Corp

jj35

We opted for the sunroof instead of the DVD player. We have a 9" portable TV/DVD player ($199 Toshiba from Best Buy) and a carrying case (from Target or Walmart) that allows the TV to be strapped in the space between the front seats - it is sort of suspended from the headrests and is also fastened at the bottom. It keeps the TV secure so that it does not become a projectile in an accident or during sudden stops. It is easily removed to carry inside so it comes in very handy when traveling. At home, we can use it as an additional DVD player when the kids can't agree on which movie to watch. When in the car, it sits high enough between the seats that it can be easily be viewed from the third row seats.

slackers

After 5" of Seattle rain yesterday, I can report that my cabin moisture defogging regulator system kicked in when neeed most. I followed this complicated scenario, by approaching the console instrumentation with great forethought, preparation, and anticipation. Factoring in all that wwest has offered to this forum over the years, here's what seemed to do the deed: I boldly pushed the defroster button. Thanks wwest. Couldn't have done it without ya . We're still above sea level last time I checked.

wwest

Worried about needing them at the office yesterday. Now maybe those sockeye will head up bear creek to spawn.

rshe

First point. The portable Navs are no where near as accurate as a factory system.. The factory system has all of the , maps, waypoints,info on one DVD Rom. Portables you have to download info for each trip, unless of course you vacation at the same location each year.

Second point--I've seen the portables and I have never seen one that puts the cursor on the road you are on, it is typically 1/4 to 1/2 inch off of where you are really at. Picky but true..

Last point about portables can be summed up in one word... Projectiles. In an accident.

ar15

The factory DVD Navs are cool no doubt, but do nothing you can't do with a laptop for a fraction of the cost. Now, if money is no consideration to you , go for it.

I can add a GPS to my Pocket PC and have a great system. I can even load the hole of my favorite golf course and it will tell me how far from the pin I am. The golf course might get upset if I pull my Sequoia out into the fairway.

Both are good options. The factory units are way overpriced and will add little to the resale when you sell. Like all high tech electronics these days, they will probably be obsolete in less than 2 years anyway.

rgh69

I just purchased a 2001 Sequoia for my wife. I would like to add a NAV system, a couple of headrest screens (with DVD player for the kids), and convert the headlamps to HID's. Can anyone suggest the right system(s) for this vehicle and where in Houston I should get everthing installed. I would also appreciate any links ya'll might have that point to pictures of Sequoias that have these modifications.

Thanks,
RGH