Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Takes just 10 min, suggest all Seq forum visitors with frame rot fill out a complaint. Chose BODY from the complaint drop down menu - there is NO selection for Frame, but the 40 items in the INCIDENTS selection you can search on are categorized under "Structure: Frame and Members". Bbe sure to put that in your complaint clearly.
I've been dealing with Toyota for the past 4 months about the RUST HOLES in my 2002 Sequoia, with a lot of run around and no resolution. I am absolutely discussed with Toyota, but will not stop the fight, until Toyota does the right thing. Please email me at cabin04@comcast.net to discuss our strategy. I look forward to hearing from Sequoia owners. Thank You.
I initially was on-line looking at Sequoia stuff because my headlight lenses are extremely blurry to the point where they are very dim. I have to double check that my lights are on. I was looking for new ones. Has anyone else had the lense of their headlight turn ridiculously blurry? I've owned other cars for many years and never noticed such a degredation of a headlight lense.
I've had the opportunity in the past 3 months to observe numerious 2001/02 Sequoias. All of these Sequoias have been driven in the Northeast for the past 10 or so years. And from my observation, it appears that these Sequoia frames are in one of two conditions. One being frames are still mostly black with the protective coating and only some rust. And then there are those that are covered with rust and some you can peel off the rust like an onion. As we beleive not all Sequoias have this serious "Frame Rot" problem, but the ones that do need to be addressed and corrected by Toyota. If your independent mechanic, who sees a lot of undercarriages, beleives your Sequoia frame appears to have more rust than other makes of trucks of similar age, then I would say your Sequoia falls into the "frame rot" category. Therefore, you need to keep after Toyota to address your premature frame rust/rot problem.
And regarding your headlight lense problem, I've owned cars with this blurry/degredation issue, but my 02 Sequoia lenses, are okay.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks again.
I installed my $23 headlights last night (Halogen bulb included). After the usual learning curve and a relatively small amount of cussing I got them in cleanly. I was joyous when I finally figured out how to adjust the vertical (There is a tunnel that leads down to the white "Fly-wheel" thing located on the back of the case. Insert the right size phillips head and turn.) They work great. Here's hoping that continues.
Other issues I've had with Sequoia include replacing the radio antenna twice, replacing the rear latch/handle assembly twice, and the air conditioning system disintegrated at 37,000 miles. The compressor blew and corrupted the entire system. The air conditioner needed complete replacement and I was out of warranty. Price quote was something around $2,500 to fix at Walser Toyota. Walser Toyota said they'd buy the parts. That didn't seem good enough so I said, Hey, if I lived in Florida this would have almost certainly burst before warranty and this simply isn't right. Considering that, along with the Tech Bulletin issued on Sequoia AC, they repaired it for $500. When i went to pay the guy running the register thought it was being done free. I told him we had agreed on $500. So I have always wondered if I'd kept pressing they'd have done the repair free.
To answer jtbass' question about what function I perform where I can physically see, view, and gather a great deal of information about Toyota Sequoia's, and 90% of the time speak directly with the owner: I'm a part-time "Event Parking Attendent", I'm the attendent that makes sure you are as close to the other vehicle as possible, and greets you as you get out of your car.
I welcome other Toyota Sequoia Owner stories, and look forward to hearing from you.
Thank You and have a Great Hoilday!!
I've read that it is fairly easy to replace the handle and latch, but has anyone had any hands-on experience of replacing the rear gate window rails?
I look forward to hearing from others. Thank you.
I look forward to hearing from others.
Thanks.
That being said, I don't know how to proceed from here. I pleaded with Toyota Corp to assist me in fixing the rusted frame. They asked me to take the vehicle to a Toyota dealership for a frame inspection which resulted in a report where indeed the frame is coming apart and I had already lost some components aside from having the transmission, the differential and the spare tire at risk of falling off the car. The report cost me $51.50 which I gladly paid. Toyota sent me a letter with a declined message. I filed a complaint with NHTSA and I called them to make sure it was filed under the correct issue. They said that all the complaints are read by the engineers and they are file accordingly.
I urge any Sequoia owner to do the same. On my part I am trying to bring awareness in my community about this issue. I have printed flyers and I am looking at other ways to advance our cause. If anyone have suggestions on how to achieve this please post.
I hope this posting is not violating any rules.
Thank you
Octavio
Worcester, MA
You should contact your local Toyota dealership and have them conduct an undercarriage inspection. At the same time file a formal online consumer case with the NHTSA, so that your case is added to the national database.
If Toyota rejects you case, file an online formal complaint with your state Attorney General's Office and they will send a letter to Toyota Motor Sales USA in California and follow-up.
Please notify me if you have any questions and/or require further detail.
Thanks.
Next I file a complaint with the NHTSA. They said they will file the complaint in their archives for future used if they have enough complaints to warrant and investigation. I also filed a complaint with my estate Attorney General.
They did forward the complaint to a local consumer agency that works with them in trying to mediate my complaint with Toyota. The agency call me back and asked a few questions. I faxed them the Inspection report, the declined letter and a estimate I got from the dealership to replace the frame. The said they will send a letter to TMSUSA for a response. TMSUSA have 10 days to respond. If they don't, the agency will contact them by phone. That's where I am at right now. After that I my next step is to contact my lawyer and file a lawsuit against TMSUSA and have them defend their denial in a court of law. It may cost me some money but is will be an investment, sometimes you win sometimes you lose. The key is to spread the word to other Sequoia owners that may have the same problem. Some already know their frames are failing but there are thousands and thousands that may be at risk or already have their frames rusted through and don't know.
I have joined a couple of forums to see if this problem is widespread and it seems to be. Some forums are sponsored by Toyota and their administrators will shut you down for bringing the issue up. Beware!
Wishing you good luck, let me know how it go for you.
Good luck!
Yes, we need to continue to spread the word about this serious "Frame Rot" problem to those Sequoia owners who are not even aware they have a problem.
Keep the communications flowing.
Thanks again.
1aauto also has a video on how to replace the rear latch.
The liftgate trim can be removed from inside. Start removing the trim from the top then right side then left side. You can then remove the main liftgate trim which will expose the panels you need to remove to open the liftgate and then change the latch. Latch is about $50.
I can't do anything with this VSC problem until something is done with my rotted frame, which is currently more critical. I'm hoping that my VSC problem is really a bad sensor, and not the computer. My VSC problem only occurs when I have passengers in the 2nd or 3rd row seats.
The Toyota dealership should be able to read the codes which should point to the cause of the VSC going off. It's either a bad sensor or the computer that controls the VSC.
When the VSC, skid indicator, and audio alarm all go off, indicating a skid, and the computer takes over and controls the engine and brakes, the only way I can get it to stop is to stop the Sequoia, turn off the egnition and turn the vehicle back on again. The vehicle will run okay until you go around another curve in the road.
Has anyone else out there experienced their Sequoia thinking it's in a skid when it's not??
In Texas, we use sand, not salt for road clearance and rust generally is not a problem. Also, I have lived in cold weather country (Northern Virginia). We just took the vehicles to the car wash, which had an under-carriage rinse facility...usually about once a month was all it took. No problems and this was mid-1980s before improved rust proofing.
Most of the affected vehicles are from northern states where winter is most prevalent and many states uses a mix of sand and salt to treat roads, a practice that have been going on for over 40 years. Manufacturers knows of this practice and install the frames with anti-corrosion coating. Somehow Toyota overlooked this condition and put these defected frames on the affected vehicles. I have read post of other states having the same problem but not as extensive as Snowy states. Other makes of vehicles are not experiencing the same rate of deterioration as the Toyota Sequoias, Tundras and Tacomas. Salt is not affecting all the vehicles the same. There are vehicles on the road with 15, 20 years and longer where their frames are still solid with just minor surface rust even though these vehicles are in the same states that uses salt. This salt issue is the argument Toyota and their defenders want to use to deny any responsibility. They already accepted and recognized that the Tundras and Tacomas had "prematurely rusting" frames. The Sequoias should be at least considered for a more in depth look at the condition of frames and determine is not all but some of the vehicles were built with this defective frame.
After reading some posts on here I went out and looked at the frame under the engine compartment and noticed 2 small rust holes the size of a dime each. Other than that though my frame doesn't even show signs of rust. We live in Michigan, so it see's its fair share of salt. Before we bought it I brought it to my friends garage and he put it on the life and everything, frame looked good on the bottom. Should I be concerned with only 2 small spots?
File your complaint with the NHTSA and with your state AG. Be prepare to hire a lawyer to represent you in court. Take pictures of your vehicle to show the condition of your car as a whole and the frame rust. Edmunds.com could also help by forwarding threads like this to the proper authorities if Edmunds.com is interested in addressing some of the safety issues we are all experiencing. What about this Edmunds? are you willing to help us?
For whatever it's worth, file formal online consumer complaints with the NHTSA and your State Attorney General's Office. I am extremely disappointed in the lack of support from both our Federal and State governments. I've had a couple conversations with the NHTSA and they have no plans to even start an investigation regarding this serious Toyota Frame Rot problem, even though they have a database full of complaints. And my State AG's Office says they have NO authority to even get Toyota to respond to my case. Therefore, what's the purpose of these agencies.
Media coverage of this serious problem will probably be the only way to get Toyota to do the right thing and/or a class action lawsuit. Taking legal action on your own against Toyota won't get you enough money to even pay your lawyer.
We should all be fighting for a "buyback" option and not just a frame replacement.
From what I've heard from Toyota Tundra owners who had their frames replaced, had nothing but problems afterwards. And many ended up just getting rid of the truck to stop the headaches.
I will try to contact Toyota again to see if they have a change of heart. It seems that there is no recourse unless individuals are willing to take it a step further. The NTHSA and the AG are of no help although they know the problem exist and is real. Please let us know how you got to convince them to do the right thing.
Thanks for your advice, I appreciate it.
File a complaint with the NHTSA at this site: http://www.nhtsa.gov/
Also, file a complaint with your Attorney General.
If you read past posts there is more info there.
Good luck.
I just took my 2001 in for an Oil Change and rear door handle and the dealer told me about a 4 inch hole in the frame due to rust and that it is unsafe to drive. Contacted Toyota and got the "There are no recalls to address this issue..." My dealer contacted Toyota directly to open a case with them. I have taken my vehicle to the same dealer for service ever since purchasing it used. It now has 255k+ miles and runs great. No major problems until today.
I have filed a complaint with NHTSA already and hope others do as well. Hopefully Toyota will issue a recall at some point. After all, my understanding is that the Tundra is based off the same frame and there is a recall for the Tundra frame issue.
Victor.
My Sequoia recently started making another noise after those clicks, it sounds like a puff of air coming from somewhere under the dash on the driver's side. This didn't start happening until after we got it back from the dealer for service on the ABS computer system.
Any ideas what this could be? Something I can simply fix or do I need to call the dealer again?
Thanks!
I'm trying to track down a diagram of the engine compartment to determine exactly what caught on fire, but I'm assuming its the VSC computer or something else brake related. It was a box located in the far left corner of the engine compartment, right up against the fire wall.
If someone could help identify this for me before I head to the repair shop where it was towed, that would be helpful so i can do a little research. From what I've read on here tonight, there have been plenty of issues with the VSC computer and possibly even a recall or two. Any chance this repair will be covered by Toyota? If not, and because it involved a small fire, will my insurance be able to cover the repairs or am I looking at a pretty hefty out-of-pocket expense?
oxygen sensor (high priority) - $600
power steering fluid, dirty and leaking from both lines (high priority) - $1158
timing belt
induction service (clean carbon out of upper intake and throttle body) - $169
transmission fluid cleanse - $110
brake fluid cleanse - $130
corroded battery cleanse - $65
coolant flush - $80
spark plugs - $284
brakes @ 30% - brakes and roters - front=$606, rear=$653
Your thoughts???