Toyota Sequoia

gkatz1

If you keep your trucks a long time then there may not be that big an issue, Suburbans are decent. But, think about this. Two years ago I paid $34.8 for my Sequoia. They're giving me $29.7 for trade on an 04. I'm not sure how good a Suburban hold value but I was impressed. A similiarly equipped Tahoe will get you less than $24K, ouch. And they're not much cheaper new. Certainly not $11,000 cheaper! Just something to think about.

stevek80

watchdog3 - If I could only buy one vehicle I would buy the Suburban for the extra space. Actually I think we would buy the GMC Denalli XL. Just this past weekend we made an overnight trip to the relatives. Put up the divider to keep the dog in the back and then had separate room for luggage and presents behind the second row of seats. I asked my wife if we would have taken her Sequoia (if we had it) and she said we could.. we would just have to put some of the luggage around the kids.. then said, probably not. Couple weeks ago we made a ski trip to Vermont. With the ski's which fit in the back, ski clothing, boots, etc.. sleeping bags and non ski clothes I remember saying, "How does a family with kids live without a Suburban". Yea, I know.. use a roof carrier (which we have too.. just too lazy to put it on..) I feel we will always have a Suburban or Yukon XL in my family.. Now on the other hand.. The service manager and parts manager at the local Chevy dealer know me by name. I've been in several times for small problems but with over 103K miles the space makes up for the inconviences..

brianparris

Finally got a chance to drive my Sequoia in the snow for the first time, and I'm happy to say that it does a great job. I can't wait to get some BFG KO's on this truck. Well, it's still snowing here around lake michigan so I'm gonna go play some more.

FYI, for those that figure out how to disable trac and vsc, this thing does a hell of a donut.

toyotatoys

My 01 Seq now has 51,000 miles and is soon due for a tire change. It actually looks like it can still go for another 5K, but I am not taking chances.

I noticed that most people who switched to 275/70/16 used the LTX M/S. Will the 275/70/16 Cross Terrain fit as well into the wheel well?

Please share your experiences. Thanks.

kelly523

We recently had the same tire question and chose the Cross Terrains. Our driving is primarily city/highway, and the higher mileage warranty was a deciding factor. That, and the fact that the CT's were only $5 more per tire (Discount Tire) when we bought them. By the way, I highly recommend Discount Tire - excellent service, their pricing is the best in our area, and they have the Hunter balancing machines. We stuck with the 265/70/16 size, but were told the 275/70/16 would have worked as well. Hope this helps.

watchdog3

Man you both make good points. Gkatz, did you trade an 02 for an 04 and how many miles did you have? Also did you get close to invoice for the new one or did they play the MSRP game. If you upswing was only $7K for new a new SR5 that is awesome! $3500/ year cost for driving a Sequoia is a real deal. I see these thing hold value like crazy.

SteveK80 On the other hand, if I go with a used 2001 Sub they are all over the place for mid $20's. And I do like the extra space. People say they have some problems....but I think it is a hit and miss deal. Some I know have had zero problems since new other quite few.

I will have the second child in a month. So I need to decide soon and get rid of the Landcruiser.

Thanks for the feedback.

gkatz1

My 02 has a little over 17,000 miles on it. As far as the trade, it's pretty much a done deal. I'm waiting for the call to pick up the 04 and sign all the paperwork. The numbers we agreed on were 29,700 for my truck and 41,600 for the new Limited (Loaded SR5's are hard to find). That's everything but DVD. The only thing I couldn't see on Edmunds was the advertising charge that every manufacturer comes up with. I've never been successful getting anyone to drop that. Anyway, when everything shakes out I should be within a couple hundred of invoice. The dealer will surely make money on mine, certified it books for 34,000. Used Sequoia's sell fast.

stevek80

What part of the country do you live in and which dealership did you work with?

petro33

I switched from the stock tires to the cross terrain at 30K miles. I now have 61K miles and they show alomost no wear. I live in the central valley of California. Mainly city and freeway driving. Very stable tire. It handles excellent in the rain as well. My son has had it in the snow a few times and his opinion was it did fine, he had chains on at the time. They were expensive tires but it was a good choice for handeling in wet and dry weather and life of the tread. I only rotate them every 10K miles. Mine is a two wheel drive vehicle.

gkatz1

I'm in MA. Dealer is Acton Toyota. The other's I asked for quotes didn't want to talk price via email so I discounted them, what's the point of asking for a quote if they don't give you one?

watchdog3

Yep.....I heard the noise under the driver that several people have stated.

I tested a 2003 Limited with 36K miles. The highway we were on was course at first. I was surprised how trucky the vehicle felt. Delightfully smooth engine and transmission but the ride was not much better than my 01 Land Cruiser. Anyhow, I had the salesman with me and sure enough at 50mph I heard and sensed under my feet on the driver side a mild grinding noise. Kinda like the transaxle was not well lubricated?

It went away at 60 and the salesman had no idea what I was talking about.

robertbick

Just got back from a 300 mile trip with my 04 Sequioa and averaged 18.5 mpg. It was 90% highway with the cruise set at 73mph. How does this compare with everyone else? Are these on-board computers accurate?

kelly523

We've found that the MPG calculation in our 2002 SR5 has always been about 2 MPG higher than actual (when you divide miles driven by gallons to fill up). We've had this tool in 3 different cars, and they've always been 2-3 MPG high.

istargazer

My experience is also that the onboard computer is overly optimistic.

I do mostly city driving so my numbers aren't usually as high as robertbick's but I've been keeping track of my fuel consumption since I purchased my Sequoia and have been updating it here:

http://www.istargazer.ca/suv/sequoiafuel.htm

bcfan

Hello,

Does anyone care to comment on their experience in the carpool line with a Sequoia?

We are considering an 04 Sequoia SR5. My wife is concerned that our small children and their friends would struggle to get themselves and backpacks past the middle right seat and into the back, and then to pull the seat into upright so the middle passengers can get in.

Have you found that a child standing outside of the vehicle is able to release and fold up the middle seat from, or will my wife need to do it herself before getting into line? For morning drop-off, would a child sitting in the 3rd row be able to release and fold up the seat in order to get out?

Evidently, the carpool line at our school is a high pressure, teeth clenching race to load-em up, move-em out.

She's also concerned about the width of the passenger door (feet scraping against the door as children get out).

Our other choice, the 04 Quest SE, has great entering/seating conveniences but limited towing ability (we'd like to tow a small pop-up camper with the vehicle we eventually purchase).

Thanks!

gkatz1

Depending how small they are, it can be hard for them to fold that seat. My girls were 10 and 11 when I got my first Sequoia and they were able to do it. Younger kids will have trouble.

There really is no way to effectively release the second row while sitting in the third. But, usually if their in the third row then the ones in the second row would fold the seat on their way out.

If you're looking to move alot of small kids around a minivan is a better choice and most should pull a pop-up without much problem depending on its size. However, a Quest is not the greatest choice as the have been riddled with quality problems.

husky92

One final response on the MPG. I agree with Kelly523. It sucks that it's off so badly, but it really is predictably off by +2 MPG. That actually makes it useful. Also, has everybody else found that from the time the gas pump "clicks" off you can get almost exactly 3 more gallons in? It's generally an agonizing 5 minutes of topping off, but it's worth getting the damn tank full when you only get 14 miles to the gallon.

scoti1

Use caution in topping off the gas. I have read reports of people doing this and overflowing gas into the charcoal canister. This ruins the canister, causes the check engine light to illuminate, and is pretty expensive to repair (~$400). If you ruin it due to overfilling, it will not be covered under warranty, even the extended emission system warranties. I have not read of this yet in the Sequoia, but have in several other Toyota models. Pretty big problem with charcoal canisters in Corollas.

slackers

I found the same thing early on. I top off with 2.5 gallons to avoid the spillage. Love driving for a while without that gas gauge moving ! And yes.....agonizing......need to develop that fingering technique.......

hxzz

For the same amount of money, which one shall I pick? PFA-LE 4WD or Sequoia Limited 4WD.

stevek80

NEVER buy a first year anything.. Just my opinion..

ar15

The trip computer in my SR5 will say I have almost zero miles till empty, yet I am only able to pump nearly 24 gallons. So, either the computer is wrong, or I'm not filling the tank completely as it's supposed to be a 26 gal tank.

aggiedog

Probably a little of both. I think their point is to not have anyone riding around on fumes or running out of gas completely.

ssavage

I just bought a 2004 Ltd. I live in New England (cold now !!) and was wondering if you can you fit these into a normal size garage ?

gkatz1

Fits in mine.

stevek80

<>

You just bought a 2004 and NOW your asking if it fits into a normal size garage? Don't you think you should have checked first? 8-)

What part of New England do you live? Where did you buy your truck? I'm in Connecticut and I agree.. it's VERY COLD..

ssavage

Yes, I like the Sequoia so much I didn't really care about fitting in garage, until the recent sub-zero weather. I drove an Armada as well, I did not like the interior, and exterior even larger. I need the larger size SUV with 3 kids.

I live in MA, it is actually much warmer today ! Just in time for big game tomorrow, yahoo...

slackers

Wish I had a problem to report but my '03 just keeps humming along with zero defects. Just eager for Spring so I can clean it up........just no point during these dreary wet months in Seattle. Still toying with getting an extended warranty, but have 20K miles to go before I have to commit to that. Eager to see what the 2005's will offer before making that move as well.....actually love mine and hope the redesign will suck !(yawn).........take care..................

sunz

I'm new to the boards, would like to hear experiences of those people who tow larger boats or trailers with their Sequoia. My hub and I want to tow our 25ft. 6,500lb boat and at other times, a 26ft travel trailer that we want to buy eventually. How does your Sequoia handle pulling the boat out of the water at the docks? Also, how does it do on road trips when pulling a trailer and going over the 45mph recommended speed? We cant travel across the country at 45mph, obviously. Did you use a sway bar? My hub doesn't seem to think any of this will be a problem, but I'm concerned. thanks very much for your input.

cliffy1

I've got a Tundra and a 4200 pound boat. Not exactly what you've got, but close. Pulling from the water is a breeze and you should have no problems with your Sequoia. If needed, you can always use the "low" range of the 4WD.

Highway driving might present a challenge. Not a horrible one, but one you need to be aware of. I drive up and down Interstate 95 in VA with my rig and do so at 70 to 75 MPH. I do this with the overdrive off. This is CRITICAL! Yes, I'm driving at higher RPMs (about 3000 give or take) but it keeps the transmission from heating up. The only challenge you really have is that your vehicle weighs more than mine to start and your boat/trailer combo is 2300 pounds more. I'm guessing 60 is going to be about the extent of things.

I hope this helps, even if it doesn't answer everything.

gkatz1

To be honest, I would look at something a little more substantial. It would be OK if you weren't going far, but I would rather see you with a heavier truck. The Sequoia is an awesome truck, I love mine, but I don't think I'd want to tow that much with it.

guo5598

I had a 02 Sequoia SR5 with all possible options. The car has 21k mile now which I had no problem at with. In Seattle winter the gas had something added according to the government regulation so I lose some horse power. Is there anybody had their Sequoia exhaust system modified to either TRD or Borla? what the your feeling about the power with the new exhaust, do you feel increase of the 9 horses(TRD) or 15 of the Borla. Thanks alot.

watchdog3

Can someone confirm if a Sequoia can be custom ordered right of the option list??? After considering the chaff from the wheat I wanted to order a stripped down 4X4 version with Sunroof. It appears: Different regions have different Options packages. You take what you can get, which comes closet to what you want! To get a sunroof you have to buy the #2 wheel package and other stuff which adds up to about $3K more. The stripped 4X4 SR5 with upgraded stereo retails for about $37K vs. $41K for the package with the sunroof and upgraded stereo.

I am thinking of purchasing a base SR5 with:
1) steel wheels (upgraded on my own)
2) no running boards ( nerf bars instead )
3) no trailer hitch ( will do myself )
4) no sunroof ( I will live without )
5) other stuff.

Any thoughts on this being a hassle vs. spending the extra $3-4K?

petro33

If you do a search of the site there are many old posts on towing. I have a 01 limited and pull a 21 foot trailer with gross weight of 6500lbs. It usually weighs around 58-6000lbs when I tow it and I have no problems. I have towed the trailer from Sacramento to Yellowstone and back, and many trips to the Sierras and the Oregon Coast. It handles very well at highway speeds. HOWEVER as others have said it is not a good idea to tow 100% of the capacity of your vehicle. A rule of thums is tow 85% of your vehicles capacity. My logic is that I only tow 3-4 times per year and cannot afford another vehicle just for towing. There is some special maintenance for vehicles when you tow them, like change the differential fluid every 5K miles. Not a big deal.

cliffy1

You may have a hard time getting a dealer to order one like that. I can't tell you how many times I've seen customers get tired of waiting and buy something else or change their mind after 3 to 4 weeks. If you do that, the dealer is going to be stuck with a virtually unsellable vehicle. Expect the dealership to expect a premium price if they do order due to their increased risk should you back out.

mr21

Where do you live?
I just picked up my Sequoia SR5 (4x2) two days ago. I special ordered it from a dealer on 12/3/03. Some dealers special order but most don't.
In Southern California all of the SR5's only come with cloth seats. I didn't want the aftermarket so I special ordered mine with leather. It was worth the wait to me. I only had to put $100 down on my credit card. The fleet salesman told me that if the buyer changes their mind it's not a big deal becasue then they will just sell it off their lot.

kinnman

I have an '02 Sequoia w/ 22k miles and I've noticed the so called "hum" noise. It's not extremely noticable - it's like when you drive too close to the shoulder and your tires hum from the warning bumps, however it's about 1/4 as intense. I tried a search for past messages and the topic seemed to have dissappeared last spring. In one message, the dealer said it was due to the tires. I don't think it is the tires, because it pulsates every 2 - 3 seconds. It seems to be more noticable when the car is cold. I know other's have experienced - has anyone got a straight answer?

wwest

No longer own any 4X4, closest is an AWD RX300, but....

Be sure and put the Sequoia in low range 4WD before backing down that boat ramp, loading or un. The only time the center diff'l is locked is with the shift in 1st gear position and low range.

Bad timing to start pulling up the ramp and discover the brake apportioned AWD isn't quite up to the task.

As too running with overdrive disabled to prevent transmission overheating I would think it to be the other way around. In overdrive the "locked" torque converter isn't doing any work at all whereas with the extra load and not in overdrive it will be doing LOTS of work.

husky92

I've tried to revive that thread as well with no luck. I posted a message a couple weeks ago on the "Problems ..." message board and got no response. I believe it has been established that it is not the tires and I saw some posts from people that complained a lot and actually got it fixed. The last post I saw mentioned that Toyota was looking into it and that possibly a TSB would follow, but that was months ago.

kinnman

thanks Husky92, sounds like some people actually got the differential replaced. Still seems to be speculative - would be nice to get some answers as to the exact problem. I'll check with my service dept an see what they say. It's not that noticeable, but appears to getting worse with age. I first noticed it at about 18-19k. Mechanically, everything else with the vehicle has been flawless.

tidester

I didn't check it but there's still an active Toyota Sequoia Owners: Problems & Solutions discussion in Toyota Owners Clubs.

tidester, host

2heeldrive

The transmission torque converter is designed to lock up in third (Drive) and fourth (Overdrive). The reason the trans will get hotter in overdrive is that when pulling a grade and and trying to maintain road speed, the trans will first unlock the converter (creating lots of heat) and then may even downshift to third (where the converter can lock up again), depending on the load and grade. The unlocking, locking and shifting puts a huge heat load on the trans. With the overdrive locked out, the trans stays in third where the converter is more likely to stay locked and cooler. It takes a heck of a grade for the converter to unlock and or downshift to second when in third (Drive). You can test this for yourself. When in Overdrive and pulling a grade on the highway, slowly push the gas down until you feel a subtle surge of acceleration and an slight increase in engine speed, that is the converter unlocking. Keep pushing the gas and then you will feel the transmission shift down out of overdrive and into Drive, this is, of course, very obvious and will cause a big increase in engine speed (and road speed). When you slowly lift off the gas, you will notice what feels like 2 shifts, D to OD and then a smoother drop in rpm when the converter locks up.

sequoiasoon

The owners manual also says not to have the OD on when towing. It seems the OD is a weak link in the tranny according to many posts. Many people with Tundra's also had the same issue when towing. If it's a known weak link but there is no issue with the OD off why put your tranny at risk of failure?

wwest

My point was not regarding if it's a good idea to not use OD when towing, it is. My point was that a locked torque converter would generate LESS heat in the tranny than otherwise.

And I have never heard of a torque converter being locked except in OD when the tranny output shaft is turning faster than the engine.

watchdog3

Kinnman I have not purchased the Sequoia yet but will shortly. However, I have tested many while on the road for travel. I guess I am salesman's nightmare. Ever since I read about this issue I have sensed it in almost everyone I have driven, used or new. I have experienced at low speeds and higher speeds. I think they must all have it. Most people would never notice it. I cannot put my finger on it. I can feel the hum/vibration under the driver's side along the tunnel.

So you are not alone if you have also experienced it.

cliffy1

It WILL heat up the transission if you leave the OD on and drive up any kind of a grade. Ask me how I know.

cliffy1

Let me guess. It only happens when it is cold. It only happens when you are driving less than 40 MPH and it sounds and feels like you are driving over evenly spaced rumble strips.

Its your front differential. Toyota knows about this. Have your dealer contact its regional office and ask them about it. You'll most likely be given a choice of an arbitration hearing where you'll probably be offered a buy back, or they might want a chance to replace your differential first.

It isn't the tires. Ask me how I know.

raddboy41

I pull a 24' travel trailer at around 5800 lbs. and it does fine. However, I feel that it's nearing the capabilities of my 2WD Sequoia especially in mountain regions. On flat land however, you can feel good all day and not worry about it. A 26' travel trailer, with a slide-out, will more than likely be nearing the upper limits of the Sequoias towing abilities. Sway control and weight distibution hitch are a MUST at these weights!! You would be putting yourself and those around you at serious risk without it!

wwest

Okay, I'm asking.

With the torque converter locked the converter isn't doing ANY work and unless the bands or clutches in the transmission are slipping it seems unlikely that the tranny would overheat of itself.

Just so you know from where I'm coming I would NEVER run in OD with any indication that the engine is "lugging", even slightly, to get the job done.

cliffy1

I know because I've done it. On a hot August day several years ago, I was towing my old boat and every time I went up a hill, my "A/T OIL TEMP" light came on. It wasn't until I got to my boat dealer and mentioned the problem to them that they asked if I was using overdrive. They laughed and told me to read the manual. They also pointed out that thier Chevy and Ford trucks do the same thing.

Oh, and I did have a T100 at the time and it did come with a transmission oil cooler.

I don't know the mechanics behind it, but I know the results.