The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while completing an inspection and emissions test on the vehicle, the mechanic informed the contact that there was severe rust on the rear subframe of the vehicle, near the control arm, and several other areas on the subframe. The contact stated that there were several holes on the subframe caused by the extreme rust. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 203,000.
Toyota Sequoia ball joint problems
98 of the 3,065 owner complaints about the Toyota Sequoia describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 2004 model year.
- owner complaints
- 98
- worst model year
- 2004
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 130,000
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Grinding brakes 6Check engine light 3Brake failure 3ABS 3Power steering loss 2Tire blowout 1Pulling 1
Trouble codes mentioned
C1231 1C1203 1
What owners say
My wife pulled out of a parking lot and there was a loud noise and the vehicle began to shudder violently. Approximate speed was 10 mikes an hour and she was able to stop. The drivers side rear suspension airbag had broken through the lower control arm, and was under the rear driver side tire. It appears some frame members are cracked as well. Had this happened at highway speeds, it may have resulted in a catastrophic accident. Writer contacted Toyota, as I do not recall being notified of their ZH9 frame replacement program that resulted from a class action settlement, and the rear of the frame is horribly rusted. Vehicle probably would have qualified at that time to be fixed, but am now out of the window. Manufacturers should be made to notify via certified mail, so they know their customers received notifications like this.
Complete failure and separation of the lower ball joint. Caused the wheel to fall off, damaging the front fender and jamming the front door making the door stuck closed. Fortunate we did not crash into anything and kill anyone. A very close call.
car is not recalled yet the same model year is recalled from 2007, this problem effects my car as well as cars made earlier in the year. The suspension is unstable and joints are worn in many places ball joints and other steering effecting joints. The car makes sudden side movements like the wheel is about to fall off or the tire fell off the time but the tires are properly inflated. Repair estimated are atleast $600 possibly $1200 as it is worn in 2 places The problem is on the passenger side front. The car has 114000 miles. There is no recall on this car but other Sequoias made the same year are recalled This is pretty obvious the problem was in the design and not the date of manufacture.
Lower ball joint on drivers side sheared off.
On parkway 50 to 55 mph driver side ball joint broke. Truck could of flipped or hit another vehicle. Could of caused damage to my body or death. No warning of impending breakage. I do have pics of broken balljoint and it did cause damage to driverside fender. Frame is rusting. Worried about frame unsafe could brake at any time. Toyota refuses to check and replace.
I was on the freeway driving and out of nowhere the body started swaying and bobbing with no control. Was informed by the tow truck driver that i could have rolled the vehicle easily and the consequences would have been serious. The frame is so rusted out that the tie rod and sway bar assembly are completely detached from the frame and hanging loose. Upon further inspection at the auto repair garage there are rusting issues throughout the frame. The frame needs complete replacement.
I was simply parking my 2004 toyota sequoia in parking lot space. Left front tire fell completely off the car without any previous warning of pending problems! Ball joint catastrophically failed! Prior recent new tires and alignment showed no pending problems. Did a check and found many prior ball joint issues for this car and a prior recall years ago. Towed to toyota dealership in capitola ca. They replaced ball joint and related parts. They charged me lots of money claiming that this vehicle had "previously been recalled and repaired in 2007 so no liability on their part. I called toyota corporate and complained and was bounced around until a fellow named "garret" told me the ball joints had been "fixed" in 2007 during a recall. Great. Then why do these issues continue? My car is driven only on public streets and there was no warning of this impending failure. The ball joint and related simply failed catastrophically. I take excellent care of this vehicle as I intended on keeping it regardless of mileage. What bs is toyota pulling when their sequoia (and other similar toyota vehicles) continue to catastrophically fail without warning? I wonder how many people died on the freeway etc because of this? I have personally owned and/or family, friends etc. Many cars, trucks etc. Ball joints like brakes, tires hoses etc wear out slowly and give ample warning when they need replacement ie tire wear is increased, steering difficulty etc. Not in toyota's case. There was no warning at all before the wheel just fell off the vehicle. These catastrophic failures of wheels falling off without warning at any moment are horribly dangerous and yet common knowledge including prior recall(s) and yet they still are allowed to continue. This is ridiculous!
Left front (drivers side) wheel ball joint(s) failed catastrophically causing wheel to fall off and wedge under car while pulling into a parking space. No prior warning, no prior noise, no prior steering issues, no strange tire wear (tires just replaced 6 months ago). Just instant and catastrophic failure!
Pulled out of driveway and drove 30 feet towards a stop sign going 15 MPH and ball joint broke and car fell to driver side.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks and mini vans, due to possible improper finishing of the front suspension lower ball joint, some ball joints may experience an incidental deterioration of the internal lubrication. This may cause the ball joint to wear and loosen prematurely, which could result in increased steering effort, reduced vehicle self-centering, and noise in the front suspension.
- Risk
- In extreme cases, if the vehicle is continuously operated in this condition, the lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle and could cause a loss of vehicle control.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints. The recall began on february 28, 2007. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 07V013000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles, due to a manufacturing issue in the front suspension lower ball joint, there is a possibility that the surface of the ball of the joint may have been scratched. The ball joint may eventually experience excessive wear and looseness, resulting in increased steering effort.
- Risk
- The lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle causing loss of steering control and a crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints free of charge. The recall began on july 5, 2005. Owners may contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 05V225000 · Recall details
Questions about the Toyota Sequoia ball joint
Which Toyota Sequoia years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2004 (22 complaints), 2002 (20 complaints) and 2001 (17 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix ball joint or control arm failure on the Toyota Sequoia?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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