In August I towed a 2,900 lb rented travel trailer with my SR5 4 x 4. I travelled over several mountain passes on Hwy 3 in Southern British Columbia. I had rented the very same trailer a year ago and towed it with a 93 Isuzu Trooper 4 x 4. The Sequoia has far more power and it was therefore much easier to tow this trailer over the mountain passes. (e.g. 60 km/h up Anarchist Mountain with a 6 to 8% gradient at about 80 to 90 % power, i.e. not full throttle). The engine temperature gauge hardly moved when travelling uphill and having the dual air conditioning operating.
There was little affect from some significant wind buffeting.
A word of caution: keep a significantly greater distance from the vehicle in front of you. It takes a lot of room to stop a loaded vehicle while towing a trailer - particularly downhill.
I've posted on several occasion my experiences with towing. I have the Tundra but the towing characteristics are nearly the same. I tow a 4200 pound boat. It does extremely well. I turn off the overdrive (always do this), and run 65 to 75 down the interstate. Virginia doesn't have any real mountains but a good number of hills on I-95 and I can keep up with traffic with ease. Wind and big rigs don't phase me. It is very stable.
pdkeller, I am interested in your new brake set up! Did you have warping problems before you replaced them? How many miles did you get on your origional pads? Why did you decide to replace only the front rotors? Keep us up to date on their performance. I have 30K miles on my seq and about 10K on the second set of front pads. I don't know if it is resonable to replace the rotors now unless they are warped. What made you decide to replace them now.
At my 15K Service for my '01 Limited 4x4, I asked them to check the rotors as I was getting vibration, most noticeable while breaking on downhill situations. With 85% still on my front pads, it was obvious that I had not damaged the rotors. They replaced the pads and machined the rotors under warranty with no questions asked. I think it's critical that anyone experiencing this problem get the vehicle in while you have plenty of meat on those pads. I don't understand why anyone would pursue other products while you're under warranty, unless $$ is no object !
I, like many of you are probably drooling at those 17" wheels that are coming out on the '03 Sequoia. Question for anyone in the know: could us '01-ers and '02-ers buy those wheels and slap 'em on ? I think I heard that the overall dimension would be the same as the 16's, with a larger wheel and smaller (less rubber on the sidewall) tire. Will the lugs/studs be in the same position and would the speedometer/odometer readings be affected ?
Don't be led to believe that the Toyota dealer is doing you any favors by "turning" or machining your rotors. Yes, this will "true up" the rotor and probably eliminate the vibration during braking, but they've also just reduced the service life of your rotor considerably. Brake rotors can typically be machined only once before they no longer meet minimum thickness requirements and new ones must be purchased next time. Ideally, your brake pads will last anywhere from 20K-50K miles before requiring replacement. As you can see there is a huge variance in miles due to driving conditions and habits. At the end of original pads life, you should replace them and have the rotors turned to provide a perfect surface for the new pads to mate with which will then give you another 20K-50K miles of service. Again, this is an ideal scenario but all off my Toyotas in the past have had no trouble meeting or exceeding this life expectancy.
I had mine replaced at 25K miles ('01 SR5 2WD), and that included replacing the two front rotors to boot. Cost ca. $550 (brake pads + rotors). Now the wife drives the truck regularly, and I am hoping that since she drives far slower than I and far more defensively too, we probably won't need new pads for >30K more miles. Like raddboy said, it is all about driving habits.
Has anyone had problems with the wiper arm not sitting properly in the plastic holder? Mine constantly gets "caught" and consequently has actually torn the holder off. Dealer had 3 Sequoias in at the same time and none of them had a properly functioning rear wiper. I'm a little surprised nothing on the board to date. Any feedback?
My rear wiper on my 02' sequoia does the same exact thing it gets caught on the top of the holder there is a little separation between the window molding and the holder and the space is getting bigger. Yesterday I had it looked at and they are replacing the arm and the holding base. Have them call for the parts while you are there. They wanted me in on Monday to look at it then order the parts. Try to have someone look at it and order parts the same day. They have to remove the inside back part of the door to replace the parts. Good Luck!!!
I have a 02' Seq. And last week I went to the dealer to get to know the service dept. I asked the manager about getting oil changes at another place not toyota. He said that if there was a problem or I was in an accident and they saw that I didn't have Toyota oil filter on that they could void my warrenty if they believe it caused the problem or contributed to the problem. IS he full of @#$% or not?
Also does the wind deflector/bug deflector need any major drilling or service to install? Of course they said to schedule an app. to have it put in.
Where can I get a wind/bug deflector cheaper? The dealer gave me a price of $175.00. I thought $80.00 was expensive for my past Explorer( which was traded for the Seq.)Thanks for any help.
csd2...you dealer is absolutely full of sh*t. Do it yourself or have someone else do it, but keep the dated receipts and records. That's all you need, period! It is absolutely against the law for an automotive manufacturer to REQUIRE you to use there products or services in order to keep the vehicle under warranty.....as long as the parts you are using meet or exceed OEM specs! That being said, every oil filter you find on the shelf at your local parts dealer DOES meet or exceed them. Personally, if you're doing it yourself, it's not a bad idea to pick up a Toyota filter and Mobil 1 5w30 synthetic. 5,000 miles between oil changes should eliminate ANY questions!
Greetings all. I was just reading a post on the Toyota Sequoia vs Cadillac Escalade vs Lincoln Navigator vs GMC Yukon Denali vs Chevy Tahoe board in which the poster is claiming to have had two short blocks replaced because of piston slap. Has anybodyelse heard of a problem with piston slap that went to this extreme? Another poster claims that Toyota knows of and is hiding the problem from owners.
While my 02 Sequoia remains at the dealer for the 10th day I stopped by to get an update on my 3rd brake/rotor repair in 22 months. Good news is I should have it on Monday afternoon as they are awaiting arrival of a part unrelated to the brakes. While there I talked to not only my service advisor but the technician responsible for my vehicle.
He has seen many Tundra's and Sequoia's come through the shop with brake troubles. He said Toyota is finally addressing the issue and says he was told by Toyota that a fix should be available from engineering hopefully by November 2002. It would be retro for any previous Tundra/Sequoia's, which is encouraging. Whether or not it will be addressed as a recall or warranty repair was unclear.
He (technician) seems to think that the brake/rotor issue is due to what he referred to as a "bias" with the front/rear brakes. In another words, too much brake is applied to the front vs the rear. He also agreed that it appears that the brakes are too small for such a large vehicle.
Anyway if this information is indeed true it is somewhat encouraging but should not have taken over two years to address.
Will this update by on the 2003's arriving dealer lots soon....don't know yet!
Very interesting, Sequioasaurus and it makes sense. My front rotors are blued from heat stress and the rears look like new. The rear rotors are vented and should be doing more of the work. I hope it's a simple upgrade.
I am a new owner of an '02 SR5. Have had the vehicle for two weeks and love it but have one question.
Is it normal to feel the engine vibrate when stopped in the Sequoia? I am simply not familar with a V8 motor and my expectations for a quiet ride are high. It is nothing major but there definately is a slight vibration at idle. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Camshaft not balanced!? Come on, if you mean crankshaft, then.....well....maybe. A camshaft doesn't have enough mass to cause a vibration. Jump into a different one at the dealer and see if it feels the same. Also, the idle might just be set low. Try turning the A/C button on and off to see if that makes a difference.
Good point regarding the idle. When in gear and stoppped, it is idling right at 600 RPMS. I do not know if that is normal but I will confirm with the service department.
Have been wondering about Toyota's Extra Care service coverage....What have other's done??? Did you buy it??? This is our first toyota product. My thoughts are the First 100k should be OK with Toyota, its the Second 100k that things will go wrong, right? Please give your feedback. We just bought a SR5 on 8/30 with now 650 miles. the Dealer is offering 7years/100k extended coverage at $1,450.00. I will await your answers to make my decision....Thanks in Advance
asked the question in the problem and answer forum but here seems to have more readers (thanks raddboy41 for previous responds anyway)
is replacing the suction tube a big deal? my dealer offered me to replace the whole ac unit of my 02 sequoia, but it sounds a bit scary. i was thinking asking them to replace just the new suction tube to save me a peace of mind, my ac works fine so far but I'm just afraid it may break down on a long trip to some hot weather. (i checked with toyota my tube is the old type.) right now it's still under warranty, 11000, should I wait for another 10k to see if replacing suction tube is a big thing.
That is a decent price for that warranty. It is $200 of the MSRP. By e-mailing other dealers you should be able to get it less that that by a couple hundred. It is no secret that I am a fan of the Toyota Platinum warranty plans. I sell them on 45-50% of the deals I settle because I really do believe they are a good value because of the level of equipment it covers.
If he's got it in stock and is willing to do it.....JUMP ON THE OPPORTUNITY!!!!Many have waited weeks to have this TSB installed on their FAILED systems. I also believe that he is wrong in his statement that the compressor is a problem. A quick comparison of the one he has to the one on your vehicle should reveal the SAME compressor! The compressor was a problem because it failed due to the lack of lubrication (in the freon) supplied by the suction tube. So yes, every AC unit that required the new suction tube required a new compressor, because a failed compressor was the first indication of the design flaw. I don't imagine that they have preemptively replaced many suction tubes BEFORE the compressors failed. Replacement should be as easy as evacuation and recovery of freon, replacement of suction tube line, recharging of the AC system.
This site below has Toyota platinum warranties for a discount. Cliffy, does this look like the real deal? Once I have a platinum warranty, I believe that I can use it at any Toy dealer. I'm looking at getting a 6/100 for my Prius and and 7/100 for my Sequoia. $1015 for the 6/100 and $1180 for the 7/100, both with $50 deductible. Zero deductible is $50 more...great if you think that you will need the warranty more than once.
Please don't take offense at this next comment. I will not tell you to buy a product from a competing dealership. That web site is simply a dealership in the mid-west who has discovered how to use the web to sell the same things I do. Kudos to them. I think they have done an excellent job, but don't ask me to endorse a competitor.
In answer to the question about where it can be used, the genuine Toyota Platinum warranty is good at any dealership in America.
thanks for the advice, may be i should change just the suction tube. some people said to me if my ac works fine i'm crazy to get it changed. they feel that dealer is not very trust worthy, they may mess up factory system. but if the suction tube isn't a big thing, i guess i may just take your word and jump on it. it only took them two day to get that and they need my car overnight.
Do you see brake improvements on 03 Sequoias coming in? Also,your feelings on aftermarket leather (local dealer inst.)... ...am getting close to purchase. thanks
After 21K miles, I had to replace my brakes and have the rotors machined. It cost $275. Since a few of you had this done under warranty I asked the dealer and he said my problem was normal wear and tear. My brakes was at 17%.
Most of my miles are city miles. Do I have a case to have this covered under warranty?
Also, my rear stabilizer bolt came off and I needed the rear stabilizer bar, bracket and bushing replaced all under warranty.
I just had my 01 Seq returned yesterday from having the third set of brakes/rotors. All three times were covered under warranty. My dealer even told me about the possible brake update coming in mid Fall. I would highly recommend that you have your service advisor get in touch with Toyota Engineering whom is very farmiliar with this problem or go to another dealer. I don't believe that brakes/rotors are supposed to fail at 21K miles and you dealer knows this too.
All of my driving, well about 90%, is in town and stop and go traffic. I have ~26K miles as of today.
Once again I'll say that I love my Sequoia but this brake issue has got to be fixed and fixed soon!
Buying the extended warrantee is a personal choice. If you are on the east coast, I would recommend that you speak with Cliffy off line to discuss price. I did my research and found cliffy to be well informed and price competitive.
7 years 100,000 miles, parts are very expensive, it's a hedge against the possibility and a security for some. "imagined" there's an interesting stir-the-pot word...xy--Z71, you don't own a Denali do you?
So, you think that you might spend $1200 on repairs between 60 M miles and 100 M miles? Warranties are also very specific about what they cover. They don't cover every part. People are often surprised about what the don't cover and often find out when they go to get the repairs done. Remember this is a Toyota. It just won't need that many repairs.
I got the typical response from Toyota that brakes are not covered under warranty. I would like to get in contact with your technician to speak to him about my situation. You are saying that after 21000 miles I should not have this problem. They are saying that it is normal. Maybe if I get something from Toyota that I can present it would help.
Any of the advisors at Allen Toyota will be glad to help call them at (228) 896-8220. I believe my technician's name was Mike.
When you saw "typical response from Toyota" do you mean the dealer or Toyota itself? Two different entities.
Brakes should not have to be replaced on any vehicle in 21,000 miles unless the abuse on them warranted that. Do you do a lot of towing? If so this may be the cause of early wear too.
Just returned from the dealer where my 2001 Seq. needed an oil change and state inspection. It has 18,300 miles. They come out about halfway through and tell me that they recommend I perform the "fuel injector cleaning" for $110 which will take about 30 more minutes. I say no and leave. When I got home, I checked the maintenance schedule and the owner's guide to see if I could find anything about this since I've never heard of such a thing. Of course, it's not mentioned in ANY of the maintenance guidelines. Anyone hear of this or just another dealer ripoff?
I don't do any towing or off-road driving. My response came from Toyota. The dealer stated the same thing. Below is my response.
Thanks.
Recently you contacted Toyota National Customer Assistance Center. Below is a summary of your contact message and our response. Response (Angelina) - 09/18/2002 07:24 PM
Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
We apologize for your brake concerns with your 2001 Sequoia.
Brakes are a maintenance item and typically not covered under warranty. Our dealership technicians are professionally trained to identify warrantable conditions and handle appropriately. For an explanation of your vehicle diagnosis we recommend you consult with the Customer Relations Manager at Darcars Toyota.
Your email has been documented at our National Headquarters under file #200209181462. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to <a href
contact us
National Customer Relations
Customer (James Barnett) - 09/18/2002 06:54 PM I have a 2001 Sequoia with 21,000 miles. Recently my car started vibrating when applying the brakes. The dealer told me I needed new brakes and my rotors needed machine/turned.
My question is should this be under warranty. On the Sequoia owners board I have seen many other owners with the same problem. Most of the time the work is done under waranty. So why does my dealer charge for this when so many other dealers are replacing the pads and rotors (or turning the rotors) under warranty?
I was even told that Toyota is aware that the brakes have a bias to the front and that the front brakes and rotors wear out much faster than normal. Who would my dealer contact to ensure that this is warranty work?
Seqlady: You were smart to refuse the 'fuel injector' cleaning. It's not part of any Toyota recommended maintenance that I know of. Sounds like your dealer has figured out a high margin service to sell. If you were complaining of rough idle, poor performance, hard starting, stalling etc. then it might make sense if everything else checked out. But for routine maintenance on a low mileage vehicle.... no.
I, too, have the weak volume on rear speakers. I have 02' SEQ 4x4. Someone posted earlier that thers is a TBS (AU001-02) out. My question is: how should I have the speakers problem fixed? Should I call the dealership? What am I supposed to tell me? Also, post this one before but did not get an answer, what does SR5 stand for?
2001 - 2002 model year Sequoia vehicles built before the VINs listed below.
Sequoia Front Amplifier - 5TD#####2S067029
Sequoia Rear Amplifier - 5TD#####2S077332
Repair Procedure
If the customer complains of a pop noise when cycling the ignition key, replace only the front amplifier for vehicles before the VIN break shown. If the customer complains of insufficient sound from the rear speakers, then replace the rear amplifier for vehicles before the VIN break shown. If the customer complains of excessive or booming bass, replace both the front and rear amplifier based on the VIN information. If the VIN is after the front amplifier amplifier implementation but before the rear amplifier implementation, only replace the rear amplifier.
Both amplifiers are ordered through the JBL exchange program by calling 1-800-456-4265.
I was in the market for SUV’s back in ’01 and I researched and comparison shopped for a long time between the Sequoia, ML320 and MDX. I ended up with the ML320 mainly because I was able to get it for below invoice and that my wife refuses to drive the Sequoia due to its size. Now as we are expecting our second child, I wish that I had bought the Sequoia instead.
In any event, don’t buy the MDX because: 1. Way over priced (I would not pay MSRP for any thing.) 2. Cheap interior quality (fake luxury, fake wood). 3. Engine is NO WHERE near as smooth and powerful as the sequoia. 4. Too much wind noise. 5. Ride is terrible as compared with Sequoia. 6. Almost non-functioning 3rd row seats 7. Smaller than the Sequoia.
Although some what pricey, Sequoia is the best full size SUV period. Anyone out there wanna trade one for my ’01 ML320??
I have shopped Toyota on my last 3 Vehicles - ended up not buying because -IMO they are over priced. I saved over $12K up front - factor in the higher resale value, lower operating cost and no need to buy an expensive extra warranty and I will save enough so the 6th truck will be FREE.
Comments
There was little affect from some significant wind buffeting.
A word of caution: keep a significantly greater distance from the vehicle in front of you. It takes a lot of room to stop a loaded vehicle while towing a trailer - particularly downhill.
Guess the answer is ADN (any day now).
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Any feedback?
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2003/toyota/sequoia/index.html
Also does the wind deflector/bug deflector need any major drilling or service to install? Of course they said to schedule an app. to have it put in.
Where can I get a wind/bug deflector cheaper? The dealer gave me a price of $175.00. I thought $80.00 was expensive for my past Explorer( which was traded for the Seq.)Thanks for any help.
-mike
He has seen many Tundra's and Sequoia's come through the shop with brake troubles. He said Toyota is finally addressing the issue and says he was told by Toyota that a fix should be available from engineering hopefully by November 2002. It would be retro for any previous Tundra/Sequoia's, which is encouraging. Whether or not it will be addressed as a recall or warranty repair was unclear.
He (technician) seems to think that the brake/rotor issue is due to what he referred to as a "bias" with the front/rear brakes. In another words, too much brake is applied to the front vs the rear. He also agreed that it appears that the brakes are too small for such a large vehicle.
Anyway if this information is indeed true it is somewhat encouraging but should not have taken over two years to address.
Will this update by on the 2003's arriving dealer lots soon....don't know yet!
Is it normal to feel the engine vibrate when stopped in the Sequoia? I am simply not familar with a V8 motor and my expectations for a quiet ride are high. It is nothing major but there definately is a slight vibration at idle. Any feedback would be appreciated.
is replacing the suction tube a big deal? my dealer offered me to replace the whole ac unit of my 02 sequoia, but it sounds a bit scary. i was thinking asking them to replace just the new suction tube to save me a peace of mind, my ac works fine so far but I'm just afraid it may break down on a long trip to some hot weather. (i checked with toyota my tube is the old type.) right now it's still under warranty, 11000, should I wait for another 10k to see if replacing suction tube is a big thing.
thanks in advance,
http://www.toyotawarranty.com/
In answer to the question about where it can be used, the genuine Toyota Platinum warranty is good at any dealership in America.
Also,your feelings on aftermarket leather (local dealer inst.)...
...am getting close to purchase. thanks
Most of my miles are city miles. Do I have a case to have this covered under warranty?
Also, my rear stabilizer bolt came off and I needed the rear stabilizer bar, bracket and bushing replaced all under warranty.
Any comments?
All of my driving, well about 90%, is in town and stop and go traffic. I have ~26K miles as of today.
Once again I'll say that I love my Sequoia but this brake issue has got to be fixed and fixed soon!
Why then would you also feel that you need to buy an extended warranty?
I got the typical response from Toyota that brakes are not covered under warranty. I would like to get in contact with your technician to speak to him about my situation. You are saying that after 21000 miles I should not have this problem. They are saying that it is normal. Maybe if I get something from Toyota that I can present it would help.
Thanks
When you saw "typical response from Toyota" do you mean the dealer or Toyota itself? Two different entities.
Brakes should not have to be replaced on any vehicle in 21,000 miles unless the abuse on them warranted that. Do you do a lot of towing? If so this may be the cause of early wear too.
Keep me updated.
I don't do any towing or off-road driving. My response came from Toyota. The dealer stated the same thing. Below is my response.
Thanks.
Recently you contacted Toyota National Customer Assistance Center.
Below is a summary of your contact message and our response.
Response (Angelina) - 09/18/2002 07:24 PM
Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
We apologize for your brake concerns with your 2001 Sequoia.
Brakes are a maintenance item and typically not covered under warranty. Our
dealership technicians are professionally trained to identify warrantable
conditions and handle appropriately. For an explanation of your vehicle
diagnosis we recommend you consult with the Customer Relations Manager at
Darcars Toyota.
Your email has been documented at our National Headquarters under file
#200209181462. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to <a href
contact us
National Customer Relations
Customer (James Barnett) - 09/18/2002 06:54 PM
I have a 2001 Sequoia with 21,000 miles. Recently my car started vibrating when
applying the brakes. The dealer told me I needed new brakes and my rotors
needed machine/turned.
My question is should this be under warranty. On the Sequoia owners board I
have seen many other owners with the same problem. Most of the time the work is
done under waranty. So why does my dealer charge for this when so many other
dealers are replacing the pads and rotors (or turning the rotors) under
warranty?
I was even told that Toyota is aware that the brakes have a bias to the front
and that the front brakes and rotors wear out much faster than normal. Who
would my dealer contact to ensure that this is warranty work?
Thank you for a quick answer.
Nope, this is an obvious ripoff by an unscrupulous dealer.
Also, post this one before but did not get an answer, what does SR5 stand for?
Appreciate for any feedback.
What am I supposed to tell the dealer?
2001 - 2002 model year Sequoia vehicles built before the VINs listed below.
Sequoia Front Amplifier - 5TD#####2S067029
Sequoia Rear Amplifier - 5TD#####2S077332
Repair Procedure
If the customer complains of a pop noise when cycling the ignition key, replace only the front amplifier for vehicles before the VIN break shown.
If the customer complains of insufficient sound from the rear speakers, then replace the rear amplifier for vehicles before the VIN break shown.
If the customer complains of excessive or booming bass, replace both the front and rear amplifier based on the VIN information. If the VIN is after the front amplifier amplifier implementation but before the rear amplifier implementation, only replace the rear amplifier.
Both amplifiers are ordered through the JBL exchange program by calling 1-800-456-4265.
I was in the market for SUV’s back in ’01 and I researched and comparison shopped for a long time between the Sequoia, ML320 and MDX. I ended up with the ML320 mainly because I was able to get it for below invoice and that my wife refuses to drive the Sequoia due to its size. Now as we are expecting our second child, I wish that I had bought the Sequoia instead.
In any event, don’t buy the MDX because:
1. Way over priced (I would not pay MSRP for any thing.)
2. Cheap interior quality (fake luxury, fake wood).
3. Engine is NO WHERE near as smooth and powerful as the sequoia.
4. Too much wind noise.
5. Ride is terrible as compared with Sequoia.
6. Almost non-functioning 3rd row seats
7. Smaller than the Sequoia.
Although some what pricey, Sequoia is the best full size SUV period. Anyone out there wanna trade one for my ’01 ML320??
I have shopped Toyota on my last 3 Vehicles - ended up not buying because -IMO they are over priced. I saved over $12K up front - factor in the higher resale value, lower operating cost and no need to buy an expensive extra warranty and I will save enough so the 6th truck will be FREE.