Toyota Sequoia

oac3 · July 2003

either this truck has nothing to talk/complain about, or owners are not just into talking about their truck, hence the snooze around here....

Now which is it ???

ps: mine has nothing to complain about. 30 months, 43K miles, 3K oil change intervals, brake job at 25K miles, new brake pads (front) w/TSB, and new snickers (Michelin M/S). Phew ! I just wish all vehicles are this reliable !!!

toyo6 · July 2003

I've had my '03 4WD Limited for 3 months now. Some observations:

#1) Too much drivetrain vibration--I think mine has the well-documented front differential problem. Funny thing is I was looking for this problem in the test drive and didn't detect it. When it's warm out it's easy to mistake the vibration for road noise. And Toyota's still not owning up to the problem from what I've heard (no TSB).

#2) Poor interior plastics...they scratch really easily. Thankfully I knew about this too ahead of time from reading edmunds. Still, how could this have gotten by Toyota? Surely they must have a design/specification quality assurance team.

#3) The onboard computer lies about the actual gas mileage. There is no use in having this feature if it is not accurate to one-tenth of a MPG over a full tank of gas.

#4) No heated leather seats in the SR5 models unless you go aftermarket.

In spite of those things, I really do like my truck. It is versatile--I can haul lumber on the roof rack very nicely. The 3rd row seats are heavy but once I get them out, there is a LOT of room. The vehicle drives and handles better than other vehicles of that size I have driven.

If it just had the 4 things above corrected, the Sequoia would truly "be there". (I haven't given up on #1).

arslan · July 2003

For an SUV that's built on the Tundra platform, I was suprised by the Sequioa's car-like drive. The middle and third row seats are very comfortable, just as you said. It's so comfortable, I may have my elderly parents drive me around town in my new SR5 4WD. LOL!!!

Thanks for the advice.

ronstoy · July 2003

I have a problem of my interior plastics coming off. Any one else have this problem? Mostly trim pieces that cover seat anchors, even the whole plastic cover on the driver side came off, the one with the power seat buttons. Not impressed at all.

PS where has Cliffy1 gone?

stever · July 2003

Must be a long fishing trip. Haven't seen him for over a month.

About the plastic, there seems to be more complaints about Toyota interior rattles in general in the past few months. Maybe that's related to your problem?

Steve, Host

raddboy41 · July 2003

He's a great resource! Hope he's still around. 2002 Sequoia SR5 with no problems. Now being used a lot to tow our 24' camper. Works just fine!

petro33 · July 2003

Just got back from a two week trip. We went from Sacramento to Las Vegas to Graceland to Nashville to Springfield to Home. The trip took two weeks visiting relatives and 5,000 miles. I could not be more pleased with the seq performance. I averaged 17 MPG on the trip. Thats pretty good considering the milage drops considerably when you are going high speed (75-80) along interstate 40, with the air going. I use mobil 1 oil and changed it just before I left. I did not use a drop of oil the whole trip. If I had to make a complaint it would be the cruse control when going up low hills. It tends to be too aggressive in keeping up speed and kept shifting down to lower gears. I finally shut it off on those type of hills. It rode great, smooth and no problem with using other gas. Seems like the octane rating of regular gas in the mid west is two or three notches lower than in California. It did not make any difference when I used it.

It was also nice to have a car that would accommodate everyone when visiting relatives. Fitting eight people in the car was no problem.

My job this week end is to try and get the bugs off the front bumper. Two weeks worth of east coast bugs is incredible. They sure come out in the evening and morning!

Love those lightning bugs, I have never seen them before!!

slackers · July 2003

Yeah, petro33, just finished cleaning off the bugs from mine, and that was only after a 600 mile round trip from Seattle area into eastern Washington. That flat front bumper sure collects 'em. My Phantom Gray Sequoia handles the bug scene a lot better than my previous white one.
On my son's advice (he's got a Prelude and uses Chevron premium)I filled up with Chevron premium and seemed to get home (300 miles) on just over a half tank of gas (I do top off as it seems I can always get 2 extra gallons in after it clicks off), as compared to 3/4 tank used getting out there. I don't rely on the Sequoia's computer read-outs on mpg for reasons already stated on this board. Many swear by that Techron additive in Chevron products. Anyone out there have any wisdom on that ? I usually fill up with Arco regular, as cheap as I can get it.

slcamt · July 2003

I have to agree with you on the low rolling hills. We have our share here in the west. I usually just switch off the overdrive when I go through a bunch of hills. I think the cruise is a little too accurate. It stays right where you put it. Good luck with the bugs. I would recommend a good coat of wax before you leave to help with the cleanup. Zaino is my personal favorite. My paint feels like silk.

petro33 · July 2003

I agree with your opinion of the on board computer readout. It is usually 1-2 mpg over what I actually get. BTW I use Zaino and it really does make the finish smooth. I know the bugs will come off easier because I used it but still, it looks pretty bad.

I am not sure on the wisdom of using premium gas when the manual calls for regular. I have been reading at some other sights where the continues use of higher octane gas (over what is required) actually does harm to your engine and catalic converter.

2heeldrive · July 2003

Petro:

The only thing you'll hurt using premium fuel is your budget.

Some cars (like the Honda V6) are designed to run better with premium fuel and will put out a bit more horsepower (about 3%-5% more). Unfortunately, I don't think the Sequoia V8 gains any extra power from premium... at least it's not documented in the manual. It is interesting however, that the Lexus LX470 (same engine as the Sequoia) requires premium fuel and makes 5 FEWER horsies and 5 more foot pounds of torque.

mboudoin · July 2003

Is there a place to get current and future service bullentins for Sequoia's? Thanks

stever · July 2003

We have summaries that we get from the NHTSA:

The Edmunds Maintenance Guide

You can get full text from alldata.com, but you have to pay for it ($20?).

Steve, Host

pschreck · July 2003

Never saw lightening bugs? I had no idea they were just a east coast thing. The things you don't know until you talk to people from the other side of the country are amazing. How about Hogmaw? You guys have that out west?

petro33 · July 2003

What is hogmaw? a restaurant? a plant? another east coast coast bug?

I guess we don't have any!

stever · July 2003

Is that the same thing as jowls? I grew up in the South, so I know about chittlings and lightning bugs.

One thing we have out West that's kind of neat are mountains. (Clingman's Dome notwithstanding; my ski hill 25 miles away is higher than that). No humidity in lots of places either.

Even further west than here in Boise are these amazing huge trees. They call them Sequoias :-)

Steve, Host

pschreck · July 2003

It's a pig stomach stuffed with potatoes and beef and spices. I'm not sure if it's an Amish, German, or just a local thing. Darn good though.

petro33 · July 2003

the stuffings sound good but I have grave reservations about the packaging!!

chinee · July 2003

I see your profile lists a QX4 as your daily driver; is that the vehicle you're extending your oil drains on?

I currently have an '02 Seq and an '03 G35 that I running Mobil 1 with planned 7500 mile ODI's (up to about 6.5K on each right now).

Where will you be posting your oil analysis results? I'd be very interested in seeing it; I'm planning on changing my oil and performing analyses on both cars' oil at 7.5K.

bigorange30 · July 2003

I will post it for you on the sythetic oil board tonight. I posted my first on there last year. It was at a 6800 mile interval and looked good but the engine was still in the break-in cycle. This one is at 8660 and appears to be about as far as it should go in this engine with my driving habits and in my envrionment. The TBN shows the additives are getting low at that interval.

pschreck · July 2003

Yeah, I avoid that. At least it's not headcheese or tripe (sp).

quesera1 · July 2003

While at my local auto parts store I noticed a Haynes maintenance manual catalog with a listing for 2001-2 Sequoia #92078. They didn't stock it and when I checked on the haynes.com website there was no listing so I emailed them and they confirmed that they have indeed published said manual. I don't know if anyone has one yet but I find them entertaining and even occasionally useful. i'm ordering mine!

costtoomuch · July 2003

Does the Sequoia have the equivalent of a limited slip differential?

wwest · July 2003

Virtually.

l1011tristar · July 2003

I'm about to order an '04 Sequoia, and was wondering what the best floor and cargo mats are. I've heard a lot about Weather Tech brand mats, but have not seen them in person. Does anyone have any experience with that or any other brand?

Thanks for the help.

coupedncal · July 2003

Anyone here knows when is the next generation model scheduled to be released ? The current first generation Sequoia has now been around going on four years and I'm curious to know if the next one is in the works.

wwest · July 2003

PAN-AM or Delta?

Gone, either way.

slcamt · July 2003

Try www.romaniatoyotaparts.com their all weather mats are very nice. Don't get the Toyota carpet mats they are not worth the money. You won't use them once you put in the all-weathers.

It takes a special person to love an L-1011. God bless ya or is it yall.

gkatz1 · July 2003

I have the weathertech cargo mat that covers from the back of the second row to the cargo area. You have to cut the mat to use the third row but it's already outlined. I like it.

l1011tristar · July 2003

My favorite was the Eastern 1011 with the hockey stick livery on bare metal - very classy on a pretty aircraft! I think that the 1011 is one of the nicest looking jetliners made.

How are the Weathertech all weather floor mats? I know that you can buy Toyota all weather floor and cargo mats - does anyone have any idea how they compare to Weathertech's mats?

wwest · July 2003

friend of mine was captain on PAN-AM 747, finally down to navigator/engineer (turned 60+) on 1011. Biggest complaint I heard was inability to pressurize the aircraft due to too many "leaks".

Delta sold the last 1011's which put him in three crew 727.

jmayhall · July 2003

I am being offered a 42 month lease on a $46,600 (full list) Sequoia LTD.

The best offer so far is $1,500 down @ $652/month. Mileage is 12K per year. I am thinking this is a pretty solid offer - any opinions?

wwest · July 2003

anyone who doesn't include the final buyout when asking this question....

gedmundsc · July 2003

Tried the Eagle 1 on the my 2001 SR5 rims and it does take the brake dust off, especially the black pitting. You still have to use a scrub brush but it quickly removes it. I've tried several different kinds of cleaners and lots and lots of scrubbing, but the Eagle 1 really did work. Be carefull it does discolor the tires when it runs off the rim, leaving a whitish color. This could be due to the fact they are brand new tires I just installed. I think the whitish marks will wash of with soap & water. I read an article that said to wax the rims to prevent the black pitting, article said it is actual acid etching that is occuring. I'll let ya know if the wax treatment worked.

gedmundsc · July 2003

Well my 2001 SR5 finally needed new tires, after 39K, so i tried the Toyo M410's. Well, they ride different, a little bouncy, i think it is because they require 44lbs of pressure per tire vs the 35lbs of the Dunlops. Other than that I haven't noticed any considerable difference. I'll have to wait for the first snow to see how they perform. The tread appears more aggressive. Had no problem with them in wet conditions, including down pours. I've been pulling a camper the first 4k with them, so they are being subjected to some additional loads. I'd like to see 50k out of them instead of 39k.

gteach26 · July 2003

My suggestions:

To really find out if you're getting a good deal call your sales person and - despite their assurance that "you really don't need to know this" - ask him for the following info:

*Cap Cost (what the actual sale price of the truck is)
*Money Factor (.000???)
*Residual Value

Then post this info along with what you posted above on the "lease questions ask here" board. Over there Carman will give you a good idea if your payment is fair.

My only other real advice would be to not lease this truck (or any other car) over the manufacturer warranty period (36 months, 36K miles). Otherwise, if in month 36+ of your lease your truck needs a major repair, you'll have to pay to fix it AND then turn it in to the leasing company! Yuck.

Good luck shopping!!

stever · July 2003

I don't understand what you mean by "they require" 44 pounds. The recommended tire pressure for your SUV is listed on a label from Toyota - the label may be in your glove box, A pillar or gas cap lid.

Tire makers don't make this recommendation - all they do is stamp the maximum allowable pressure on the sidewall.

No wonder you are bouncing - it sounds like your tires are over-inflated!

Steve, Host

oac3 · July 2003

When I first had my Michelin replacement, the tires were inflated to 42Ib each. It bounded all over the road. Now at 35Ib, it rides pretty quiet with tarry a bounce at all. You definitely need to set the tire air down way below 44Ib. The difference in ride will be very noticeable.

flabchbum · July 2003

I, like some of the others who own the 2001 Sequoia, are facing the tire replacement issue. My Sequoia which I purchased in June 2001 has about 34,000 miles on it. I'm wondering if anyone has had any exposure to the Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo (size: 275/70-16 SR rating). I have seen some positive comments at some other sites.

gedmundsc · July 2003

Thanks Steve on pointing out the tire pressure. I did notice when the tires were initially installed at 35 psi, they appeared signifiantly under inflated to the point they looked like they were going flat. The Dunlops never looked like this @ 35psi. I'll take them down to 40, then 38, but at 35psi the tire is actually starting to bulge on the ground like it is going flat.

gedmundsc · July 2003

Two years ago when I purchased the 2001 Sequoia SR5, we did a cross country trip pulling our camper. I posted to this msg board on the Sequoia's performance towing the camper and gear in excess of 3K lbs. I was averaging 15.5 mpg across the mid and southwest US. This year we went North to Niagara Falls and then East to Nova Scotia pulling the camper again. I notice my mpg's were now 12.5 to 13.5. Any idea why the mpg's would fall off by 2 to 3 mpgs. Is this normal for a vehicle to drop mpg's as the engine components wear down?

wwest · July 2003

The goal is to keep the tire tread "flat" (across the tire) with the roadbed. Some tire sidewalls are designed to have bulge at this inflation level"

stever · July 2003

Something sounds off - most people experience increasing mpg as their cars break in.

Of course, you were driving uphill for this year's vacation.... j/k

Steve, Host

wwest · July 2003

15.5 MPG for a Sequoia towing a camper sounds VERY "off" to me. I'd sooner believe the latest figures.

stever · July 2003

That 15.5 was for the downhill leg Willard!

Are you calculating the mpg manually or relying on a trip computer? The EPA estimates are 14 mpg/17 mpg (18 for the 2WD) and that's without towing.

Steve, Host

gkatz1 · July 2003

I went on a road trip on tuesday and recorded 17 mpg. This is pretty much the highest I've gotten so far in my SR5 4x4. I usually average about 14-15.

oac3 · July 2003

We average 15.5 mpg on our 01 SR5 2WD. As my wife's daily driver, it covers about 80 miles combination city/hiway each day. Fill-ups average 6X every month.

gedmundsc · July 2003

Thank you to all - I am taking them down from 38 to 35psi.

MPG:
There were many more hills on this trip then on the Grand Canyon, so that may explain the MPG difference. I was basing the miles on the trip computer so it was apples to apples.

Now nobody will believe this, but when i first purchased the 01 SR5 4wd - I followed the directions for break in and drove under 55mpg for the first 500 miles. Why - Because i was going to be pulling the trailer, i followed the guidelines of the manual. Without the trailer i was able to hit 24mpg pretty consistantly on highway - rte 80, rte 78, garden state parkway and 287 outside of the rush hours. I had to do laps at night to get the miles up before a left with it for the Grand Canyon.

So it is possible to see 24-25mpg, but you have to run at 55 consistantly - don't know anyone who does that though. Normal I see 17-18, but I have a lot of highway in achieving these numbers (w/o trailer.

Thank you all for the feedback on the tires and mpg.

rugeti · July 2003

I realize that nobody really knows yet, but based on the recent changes in the Land Cruiser and 4Runner, there is a lot of potential for changes in the 2004 Sequoia:

1. DVD Navigation
2. 5 Speed trans
3. Suspension

Any thoughts?

stacy · July 2003

Anyone know if they plan to offer an XL type version of this truck to compete with the Suburban?

Toyota Sequoia

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