To whom it may concern, we are the original owners of a 2003 toyota sequoia. The vehicle has developed considerable frame rust damage over the years rusting through and creating a dangerous situation and has been deemed unsafe to drive by the toyota dealer and other mechanics who have worked on the vehicle. Recently, I took it to penn toyota, 2400 northern blvd, greenvale, ny 11548 for an oil change and the service manager there refused to put the vehicle on a regular lift because of fear of the frame collapsing (see attached service receipt). This is a family vehicle we use with our 3 kids and we are extremely concerned for the safety of our family when driving it. The corrosion is so bad that areas of the frame have crumbled off and there are significan holes and cracks along the driver side of the frame including frame brackets and support sections. We have reached out to toyota and they tell us there was no recall for this specific vehicle. However, there have been other frame recalls for similar models (see attached copy of warranty enhancement letter csd limited service campaign (lsc) csd certain 2001 through 2004 model year sequoia vehicles frame inspection). We need to resolve this issue as soon as possible and are looking to toyota for some assistance with this most important matter. We have been loyal toyota customers and have enjoyed our sequoia experience over the years and look forward to staying loyal customers and able to drive our car for many more years to come provided this issue is resolved to our satisfaction. Please see attached photos of the rusted frame. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated. Warm regards
2003 Toyota Sequoia body complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 98, newest first, as owners wrote them.
To whom it may concern, we are the original owners of a 2003 toyota sequoia. The vehicle has developed considerable frame rust damage over the years rusting through and creating a dangerous situation and has been deemed unsafe to drive by the toyota dealer and other mechanics who have worked on the vehicle. Recently, I took it to penn toyota, 2400 northern blvd, greenvale, ny 11548 for an oil change and the service manager there refused to put the vehicle on a regular lift because of fear of the frame collapsing (see attached service receipt). This is a family vehicle used with our 3 kids and we are extremely concerned for the safety of our family when driving it. The corrosion is so bad that areas of the frame have crumbled off and there are significan holes and cracks along the driver side of the frame including frame brackets and support sections. We have reached out to toyota and they tell us there was no recall for this specific vehicle. However, there have been other frame recalls for similar models (see attached copy of warranty enhancement letter csd limited service campaign (lsc) csd certain 2001 through 2004 model year sequoia vehicles frame inspection). We need to resolve this issue as soon as possible and are looking to toyota for some assistance with this most important matter. We have been loyal toyota customers and have enjoyed our sequoia experience over the years and look forward to staying loyal customers and able to drive our car for many more years to come provided this issue is resolved to our satisfaction. Please see attached photos of the rusted frame showing the damage. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated. Warm regards
I received a recall notice from toyota for my '03 sequoia limited and took it to kolosso toyota (appleton, wi) for frame inspection and application of a material that prevents corrosion, due to a recall, in 2014. I called kolosso to schedule my truck to be seen well before the due date of 7-31-14, in june 2014. Kolosso said it had to order the special "kit" to apply material to my frame and scheduled my inspection and application for early august 2014, after 7-31-14 (due date). They said the kit wouldn't arrive until august and there was nothing anyone could do. Everything would be fine because the kit wouldn't even be available until august 2014. I received a frantic call from kolosso on 7-13-14 while I was working literally 2 hours away in milwaukee, wi that my truck had to be inspected in appleton that day in order for the recall to be valid. Kolosso said it was their fault for scheduling me in august 2014 but toyota suddenly deemed 7-31-14 the absolute deadline for the recall. So I had to leave work unexpectedly to drive 2 hours away for inspection. An extreme inconvenience! The dealership did not compensate me in any way for my upset. They placed all blame squarely on toyota. I said, as a customer, I had done everything the dealership said and I had done nothing wrong. This argument was between kolosso and toyota but I was penalized. As of this date, 2 years later, kolosso has still not applied the special coating to my frame to prevent corrosion. I have never received a call from them to schedule this.I feel this is illegal. I complied fully with the recall by the deadline. I have received no indemnification in any capacity. And since that time, I've gotten recall notices for other things but if kolosso won't help me, what am I supposed to do? They're a toyota dealership. I am a completely disgusted toyota victim with a body frame that is likely corroded.
I purchase this 2003 toyota sequoia in 2003 brand new and at the moment the frame is rusting at an alarming rate. I would like to know if the manufacturer (toyota) is making any plans to rectifying this problem?
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota sequoia. While the vehicle was at a dealer for routine service, it was discovered that the frame was rusted and there were five holes in the frame. The vehicle was no longer able to be driven. The manufacturer was notified if the failure. The failure mileage was 108,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota sequoia. The contact stated that the undercarriage was corroded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician verified the failure and sprayed with lubricated substance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not provided. The failure mileage was 98,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota sequoia. The contact stated that there were chunks of undercoating falling from the vehicle onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an annual inspection. The technician informed the contact that there was a foot long hole located on the driver side frame rail, which caused the vehicle to fail the inspection. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under a voluntary recall regarding subframe corrosion. The dealer was expected to clean the frame and spray an undercoating to prevent the failure from recurring; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 123,000. The VIN was unavailable.
2003 toyota sequoia (and a number of toyota mini-vans) are plagued with a defective and costly repair associated with the rear hatches on a number of toyota vehicles. The handle that operated the hatch is very fragile and breaks frequently. This plastic handle breaks on a 1-2 year basis and the repair cost is over 400 dollars to replace the handle. Opening the hatch is not possible when this breakage occurs and anything that was placed in the rear of the vehicle will be difficult or impossible to retrieve. Also, when the hatch is closed and the latch is broken, none of these vehicles can gain access to their spare tire which is located underneath the vehicle and is removed using a tool that is only accessible when the hatch is open. So, when the hatch breaks, you are stuck on the road if you have a flat. This is completely unacceptable and seriously dangerous. It is one thing to change a tire - it is another to not be able to change a tire due to toyota's ignorance. I have had 4 handles that have broken to the tune of 1600 dollars for a 1 dollar piece of plastic. Someone needs to slap toyota around and get this on a recall list. Various u-tube and other forums go into the toyota hatch problem. Please consider contacting toyota and requiring them to fix their time bomb just waiting to either hurt or leave buyers on the side of the road for a cheap piece of plastic. Thanks for your assistance.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota sequoia. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, a loud banging noise emitted from the front end of vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician stated that the front passenger chassis was rusted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
Received toyota factory recall for corrosion-resistant compound due to excessive frame rust. Called local dealer and also factory toyota for appointment. Took the vehicle in to the dealership. One day later received phone call that my vehicle was safe and that they had sprayed this coating on the vehicle. I picked up vehicle and this corrosive chemical is dripping of the vehicle and is not drying. Concerned for environment and also, I have no idea of how vehicle was inspected assuring that the frame is safe.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota sequoia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH, the rear door latch opened independently. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnosis or repair. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 165,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota sequoia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the brakes failed to respond as the vsc and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a private mechanic where it was advised that the entire underbody carriage was rusted, resulting in diminished braking capability. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 140,000.
When you grab the rear handle to open the rear hatch, the handle assembly becomes disengaged from the assembly inside the door. This is the second time this has happened. When you google the following, "sequoia rear latch" or "sequoia rear latch cable" or "sequoia rear larch problems" or "sequoia rear hatch problems" you will get hundreds of hits. This appears to be an ongoing problem. Sequoia inside door handles also repeatedly break. Every time there's a break with the rear latch, it's a $500 fix.
The rear window motor and window tracks have rusted completely. The motor has failed and the window tracks are completly rusted away. The window is not unoperable. There is a short in the o2 sensor wiring underneath the vehicle. There is currently a recall on the above vehicle regarding frame rust. I believe that the above complaints are directly related to the rust issues that this vehicle has.
The frame is rusting out I had the rear bearings replaced and they where rusted out too. All most all of the bolts on the frame are rusted cant change any parts on the frame do to the rust my wife will not let the kids ride in the truck iam thinking about calling the local news and have them do a story on it I think they should have a recall and fixes the problem.
Received a letter from toyota for a limited service campaign, for rusting of the frame. I took my toyota to koons toyota in annapolis, md. They called me the next day and said it failed for rust. There was a hole in my frame and toyota would replace the frame at no cost to me. Then they called me to tell me it would cost $6,400.00 to replace everything under the vehicle, because it was so rusted out that when they took the parts off they would crumble. Two days later they called and told me it would cost $6,900.00 to replace parts. They called last night and said it would cost me $7,845.00 and they could not guarantee the price would not be higher.they sent me pictures of my frame and there is a large hole in the frame. My question is shouldn't I get my truck back in working condition without me paying for anything? I contacted toyota in ca. And talked to the rust specialist, and he said they would not pay for my parts. My husband and I are retired and live on a fixed income. We can not afford to pay for the parts. The truck has been paid for once, why should I take out a loan for a truck that has been paid for. The dealer also asked us to come pick up my truck if I would not authorize to pay for the parts. When I picked up my truck today, they said if anything happened to the truck while I was driving it home, they would not be responsible, because I didn't get it fixed. Please make toyota recall these rusted trucks back. The rusted frame also includes tundras, because they use the same frame. Thank you.
Every interior door handle has broken at one time or another. I have had all of them replaced at least once (at a cost of $175.00 per handle) and I have to replace one for a second time. The handles are made of plastic that cracks easily and eventually breaks. All of the handles were broken during the course of normal use. No undue or excessive force was exerted when the handles were broken. When the handles are broken, it is impossible to exit the vehicle unless someone opens the door from the outside. If my family and I were involved in an accident and needed to get out of the vehicle quickly, they may not be able to get out in time. This is not only expensive, frustrating and inconvenient, it can lead to a deadly situation. There is no reason that equipment as important as door handles should ever break under normal circumstances.
Frame is completely rusted and cracked in various areas.
I took the sequoia to a mechanic to repair a clunking noise in the front and squeaking noise in the back. Upon examination, the mechanic noticed unusually advanced rust and corrosion for a vehicle of its age. For safety reasons, the mechanic warned against driving the vehicle until repairs were made. Mechanic had to cut out front passenger control arm bolts, rear shock mounts, and other hardware due to the corrosion. Mechanic noted that future repairs will require the same cutting and replacement of new hardware. This corrosion issue may be related to the 2000-2003 toyota tundra recall of 2009, since the sequoia shares the chassis and manufacturing facility with the tundra.
While driving my 2003 sequoia on vacation, a part fell off from the bottom of the car. We took the car to a local mechanic who raised it on a lift and said that the part was the protective plate covering the gas tank. It had eroded off. He said worse than that, the entire frame was rusting and rotting out and felt that the car would be unsafe within the next year or 2.
We had intermittent off/on of interior lights while driving, but only during left turns. There was no (important) "door ajar" alert which normally would present as a red icon warning on the dash, there was no warning light. I worked as a mech. Engineer and tested all doors for "play", how tight the door closed. The right front passenger door was loose. I opened the door, checked if the seatbelt was shut-in with the door but all was normal. I wiggled the latch which is screwed in by 2 large star/allen screws. That was it, it was very loose, it took 5 turns to tighten each one. I checked the other doors, all were just fine. The door would have opened if this latch came all the way out, even belted in, a person could be injured.
There is an extreme amount of rust on the frame of my wife's 2003 sequoia. The rust is just flaking off in huge chunks which is more than just the under coat of paint, its actual chunks of disintegrated/corroded metal. I can not believe the tundra frames which were produced on the same manufacturing line and used the same metal as the sequoia were recalled but the sequoia's are not. Most of the frame damage seems to be isolated to the rear of the car.
I just purchased an 03 toyota sequoia and was unaware of a problem that is very known by many sequoia owners. I was let known about the severe undercarriage rust problem these trucks have by someone at a gas station who owned one and had to get rid of there's because they were scared for the safety of there family while driving the truck. When I looked at my trucks undercarriage I could not believe the amount of rust that I saw. I did some research and saw some of the pictures of other sequoia owners and was shocked at what I saw. Another thing that shocked me was that people were saying that when they went back to toyota and told them of the problem they said that there's nothing that they can do. Until someone gets killed! There are quit a bit of important components that are rusting under my truck. The rear axel, all the bolts are completely covered in rust. Transmission mounts, suspension parts. I bought this truck thinking it was a safe and reliable truck. I hope this matter will be investigated as to why all of these trucks have the same problems.
The frame on my vehicle cracked, and this caused the top of the strut to come up through the floorboard. The toyota dealer, body shop, and independent insurance appraiser say that this was not caused by an accident or other impact. They said the frame had metal fatigue and simply failed. This poses a serious hazard if a lightly driven vehicle such as mine, well-cared for and driven in a suburban setting, the frame would crack in 8 years. I saw online that there was a frame recall for 2001-2003 tundras and sequoias (which share the same frame). The recall was for only 18 states where there is heavy snow, causing the frames to rust through. Toyota was forced to replace the entire frame. I believe that the frames were faulty from a manufacturing defect for this to occur. I want to make sure that you have this information as it may be part of a more wide-spread problem that toyota is not telling anyone about.
Toyota sequoia (2003): january 2012 we attempted to have our 2003 toyota sequoia with 75,000 miles inspected here in maine. It failed due to holes in frame. Amazing issue is the body has no rust at all! None, yet the frame is swiss cheese. Our winters are harsh, and so is the salt our state dumps on the roads, however, I just retired my 1990 toyota p/u in 2010 with 220,000 miles due to rust (20 years), and we traded our 1992 toyota privia van in 2009 with 225,000 mi. For a vehicle with double the fuel economy....again no rust issue in 17 years. It is quite clear toyota did not treat the metal on the frame properly or used inferior materials to begin with. The toyota tacoma and tundra of the same year both had massive rusting frame issues which have had recalls for repairs, recoating, and even entire vehicles purchased back by toyota. The sequoia with practically the same frame as the tundra has not been recalled to date likely due to the smaller numbers of sequoias sold making this vehicles safety not as important to toyota and the federal safety agency as the others. My main objection to this theory is I believe the people in these vehicles are as important and deserve the same treatment and resolution. Caution: your toyota sequoia may be very unsafe if involved in an accident with this condition.
Anti sway bar cannot be connected back to frame since the frame is rusted. I was told that in order to fix it, I would need my entire frame replaced and that none of this was covered under any warranty or recall. Estimated cost of repair is estimated to be at least $13,000. The vehicle is not safe to drive. Since the sequoia has the same frame as a tundra, why isn't the sequoia frame rust problem also being recalled like the tundra?
The frame on my 2003 sequoia is rotting.
The undercarriage on my sequoia has much rust. It is an '03 that has been garage kept since new. My husband has an '03 acura with absolutely no rust... Yet has faced the exact same conditions. I saw the recall for tundra undercarriage rust and wondered why the sequoia (which is basically the same frame) wasn't included. I've read about many sequoia's that won't pass inspection due to undercarriage rust.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota sequoia. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken in for a routine maintenance when she was advised that the front frame was rusted, corroded and exhibited a hole in the frame. The dealer then advised the contact that the vehicle was unsafe to operate. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who offered her a credit to purchase another vehicle but the contact declined. The failure mileage was 81,903. The consumer stated the check engine, vsc and trac lights illuminated. Updated 06/05/12
Brought vehicle in for service/schedule maintenance which was not completed; was advised by service technician that there was a hole rotted in the frame behind the driver side front wheel. Was advised to call customer experience center & open a case number with them. Was advised similar problem with the tundra & tacoma models.
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