Page 2 of 2 · complaints 51–67 of 67

2008 Toyota Sequoia complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2008 record →

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Jun 23, 201010,000 milesMD

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR UNKNOWN SERVICE IN MARCH 2010 AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER, HE NOTICED OIL LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE OIL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS RELEASED TO THE CONTACT YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER A THIRD TIME AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE O-RING. THE FAILURE STOPPED HOWEVER WITHIN SEVERAL DAYS, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED TAKING THE VEHICLE TO A DIFFERENT DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 10,000.

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed May 24, 201029,500 milesCA

2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER ON THE FREEWAY THEN THE CAR LOST ALL POWER, EVEN TO STEERING. TECH SAID IT IS NOT BATTERY, STARTER, ETC... *TR

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal
Filed Apr 7, 2010TN

LTR FWD FM (TN) RE SAFETY RECALL FOR HIS 2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR-AOA-ACCELERATION PEDAL REINFORCEMENT BAR INSTALLATION, REPLY TO KNOXVILLE, OFC (ATTN: ELIZABETH HOWELL ENVELOPE ONLY) *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE SAFETY ISSUE RESOLVED. ONLY AFTER THE WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED WAS THE CONSUMER INFORMED THAT ONLY SOME OF THE REQUIRED REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED, BECAUSE SOME OF THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR ALL THE REQUIRED REPAIRS. THE SERVICE ADVISOR COULD NOT TELL THE CONSUMER WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BE AVAILABLE. *JB

Unknown or Other
Filed Mar 25, 201031,000 milesCA

WE OWN A 2008 SEQUOIA. ON 3/13/10 THE LOCAL 1-10 TOYOTA DEALER IN INDIO, CA DID THE INITIAL "RECALL FIX" ON OUR SEQUIOA. MY HUSBAND WORKS IN ANZA, CA. ON HIS WAY HOME FROM WORK HE WAS DRIVING DOWNHILL ON ROUTE 74 (A VERY TREACHEROUS MOUNTAIN ROAD) AND THE RPM'S ON THE TOYOTA INCREASED AND WHEN HE SAW THEM GET OVER 3000 RPM'S HE TRIED TO BREAK. THE BREAKS DID NOT WORK AND THE RPM'S KEPT RISING. HE HIT THE BREAKS AGAIN AND THEY STILL DIDN'T WORK. HE LAID ON THEM THE 3RD TIME AND THEY FINALLY KICKED IN. WHEN HE GOT HOME HE TOLD ME WHAT HAPPENED. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY ADVISED ME TO BRING THE CAR IN FIRST THING THE FOLLOWING DAY. WE RAN INTO SEVERAL BAD EXPERIENCES WITH HOW THE DEALER HAS HANDLED US DURING THE WEEK. THEY STILL HAVE THE VEHICLE AND TODAY IS 3/25/10. WE ASKED THEM FOR A FULL PEDAL REPLACEMENT AS WE RESEARCHED IT ON LINE AND SAW THAT WE WERE NOT ALONE IN EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM EVEN AFTER THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR INITIAL "RECALL FIX". WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SEVERAL ISSUES. OUR PRIMARY CONCERN IS THAT MY HUSBAND CAN NO LONGER TRUST DRIVING THIS CAR BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. WE FEEL WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TRUST DRIVING IT EVEN AFTER WE GET IT BACK SINCE THIS IS THE 2ND FIX THEY HAVE DONE ON IT. WE ALSO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE RESELL VALUE OF OUR VEHICLE AS WE HAVE SEEN ARTICLES STATING THAT KELLY BLUE BOOK IS CONFIRMING THAT THE RESELL VALUES ARE BEING EFFECTED. COULD A LAWYER POSSIBLY NEGOTIATE WITH TOYOTA ON OUR BEHALF TO REDUCE OUR LOAN

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Mar 16, 201015,000 milesUT

ENGINE OIL SEEPAGE (OR SLOW LEAK) AT THE CAM HOUSING AND ENGINE HEAD CONNECTION (GASKET SEAM) AREA, ABOVE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD, ON THE RIGHT-HAND-SIDE ENGINE CYLINDER BANK. OIL FIRST DETECTED AT 9,000 MILES (VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW). CONCERN: POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE IF THE OIL SEEPAGE BECOMES WORSE OVER THE COURSE OF ADDITIONAL MILES DRIVEN. OIL SEEPAGE SHOULD NOT OCCUR IN AN ENGINE THIS NEW - ESPECIALLY IN AREAS NEAR A HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. OTHER SIMILAR TOYOTA V8 ENGINES APPEAR CLEAN AT THE SAME AREA - NO OIL RESIDUE APPARENT IN OTHER TOYOTA V8 5.7L ENGINES OF SIMILAR SPECIFICATIONS. THIS APPEARS TO BE A MATERIAL SURFACE MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN MY VEHICLE'S ENGINE. ENGINE INFO: TOYOTA 5.7L V8 CORRECTIVE ACTION: I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA DEALER TO REPAIR THE SEEPAGE OR LEAK TO AVOID A POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE (AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE), AND DEALER TOLD ME I HAD TO CALL TOYOTA. I CALLED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER 1-800 NUMBER AND THE RECORDING STATED I WAS NOT ABLE TO SPEAK TO A TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE AND I SHOULD CALL BACK LATER. I HAVE NOT BEEN HAPPY WITH TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE. WHEN I ASKED A SERVICE MANAGER AT A DEALER ABOUT GETTING THIS REPAIR DONE UNDER WARRANTY, HE RESPONDED BY SAYING "I CAN'T DO THAT TO TOYOTA." IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT TOYOTA VALUES ITSELF MORE THAN IT VALUES CUSTOMERS. *TR

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Mar 7, 2010MD

2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA, PRIOR TO NATIONWIDE RECALL I HAVE COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA CONCERNING UNRESPONSIVENESS OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AS WELL AS OTHER DEFECTS IN VEHICLE AND I CONTINUE TO BE IGNORED BY BOTH MANUFACTURER AND DEALERSHIP, WITH DEALERSHIP MAKING EXCUSES BY SAYING THINGS LIKE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY WHERE MADE IN DIFFERENT FACTORIES CAUSING THERE TO BE VARIANTS IN THE COLOR OF THE VEHICLE BUMPER FROM THE REST OF THE BODY, AND THAT THEY ARE NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH THE NEW MODEL SEQUOIA SINCE THEY HAVEN'T HAD THEM IN THE SHOP YET (EXCUSE MADE IN 2009). I MADE A WRITTEN REQUEST IN NOVEMBER IN REGARDS TO WHAT I CALL UNRESPONSIVENESS OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, WHEN I PUSH THE PEDAL SOME TIMES THE CAR WILL ACCELERATE RAPIDLY OTHER TIMES IT WOULD DO NOTHING THEN JUMP AND ACCELERATE WITHOUT ME PUTTING ACCESS PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL. I ALSO REPORTED ON DEFECTS IN LEATHER SEATS AND BODY COLOR WHICH IS TWO TONED BY DEFECT TO NAME A FEW OF THE ISSUES. THE MANUFACTURER CALLED ME, REFERRED ME BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AGAIN THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE ISSUES AS MINIMIZES THEM. HERE WE ARE IN 2010 MY CAR STILL ACCELERATES WHEN IT WANTS TO INSTEAD OF WHEN I WANT IT TO, I STILL HAVE A CAR WITH EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR DEFECTS AND POOR WORKMANSHIP. AND WAS INSULTED WHEN THE ONLY THING I HAVE RECEIVED FROM TOYOTA WAS A POST CARD ASKING ME TO PAY OVER $200 FOR A DVD TO UPDATE MY NAVIGATION CENTER, WHICH IS ADDING SALT TO THE WOUND THAT TOYOTA HAS DUG IF ANYTHING TOYOTA SH

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Feb 24, 201015 milesMO

I BOUGHT A 2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA AND THE PEDAL HAS BEEN FIXED. SOMEHOW, OCCASIONALLY I AM STILL EXPERIENCING "SUDDEN ACCELERATION". RECENT ARTICLE EXPLAINS THE PEDAL FIX DOESN'T COMPLETELY FIX THE "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" PROBLEM THAT IS DUE TO ELECTRONIC DEFECTS AND THAT EXPLAIN WHY I AM STILL EXPERIENCING SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM. THE CAR JUST JERK FORWARD FOR NO REASON. PLEASE HAVE TOYOTA FIX THE PROBLEM ASAP OR WE CAN RETURN THE CAR. *TR

Steering
Filed Feb 11, 20105,000 milesCO

SEVERE FRONT WHEEL SHIMMYING ON BRAKING WHEN TOWING A TRAILER. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. DEALER HAS BALANCED FRONT WHEELS AND TURNED THE FRONT ROTORS BUT CONDITION CONTINUES.. *TR

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Nov 3, 20096,000 milesMA

MY 2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA STARTED TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP( WITH MY FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKE) WITHOUT PRESSING ON THE GAS. IT TOOK BOTH FEET STANDING ON THE BRAKE TO TRY AND STOP MY VEHICLE. IT PUSHED MY VEHICLE INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. MY TIRES WITH SCREECHING AND MY VEHICLE WAS PUSHING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. IT FINALLY STOPPED AFTER A FEW SECONDS AS I WAS GOING TO TRY AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK OR NEUTRAL. MY FLOOR MAT WAS IN CORRECT POSITION- NOT JAMMED AND MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS HAPPY TO HAVE WITNESS WITH ME AS NO ONE WOULD HAVE BELIEVED ME. *TR

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Sep 12, 20097,000 milesCA

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARPED THE ROTORS ON THE TRD BRAKE KIT TWICE IN 27000 MI. THESE BRAKES WERE OFFERED AS A MANUFACTURER OPTION. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ROTORS AND THE CALIPERS AT 7000 MI. NOW AT 27000 MI THE ROTORS ARE WARPED AGAIN. THE DEALER SAYS IT WILL TAKE APROX 30 DAYS TO GET THE PARTS AS THEY ARE BACK ORDERED. IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS AN EXCESSIVE HEAT PROBLEM. DEALER STATES THAT THERE IS 20% REMAINING ON FRONT BRAKE PADS. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE. *TR

Wheels
Filed Sep 12, 2009CA

FULL SIZE SPARE TIRE DOES NOT FIT OVER FRONT WHEELS IF VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THE OPTIONAL TRD BRAKE PACKAGE BECAUSE THE CALIPERS ARE LARGER. TOYOTA STATES THAT IN THE EVENT OF A FRONT FLAT, THE SOLUTION IS TO REMOVE A REAR TIRE, PLACE THE SPARE ON THE REAR THEN REMOVE THE FLAT FRONT TIRE AND REPLACE IT WITH THE REAR TIRE. TOYOTA REFUSED TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL SPARE WITH ONE THAT FITS ON THE FRONT. *TR

Engine and Engine Cooling
Filed Apr 1, 20094,399 milesNY

AFTER 4,399 MI. THE LEFT EXHAUST MANIFOLD CRACKED AND PRODUCED A TICKING SOUND ON ACCELERATION AND EXHAUST FUMES CAN BE SMELLED THROUGH THE VENTS WHEN FAN IS ON. AS PER DEALERS ADVICE, IT'S OK TO USE VEHICLE PENDING REPAIR. IT'S BEEN 5 DAYS AND THE PART HASN'T ARRIVED YET. CONTACTED DEALER FEW TIMES TO FACILITATE REPAIR. *TR

Steering
Filed Mar 18, 2009763 milesHI

WHILE TRYING TO ADJUST MY STEERING WHEEL, I PULLED THE LEVER AND A PIECE FELL ON TO THE FLOOR THE SIZE OF A HALF DOLLAR. NOW MY STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT LOCK WHILE I DRIVE. THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT I NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, WHICH NONE ARE AVAILABLE FOR 2-3 WEEKS. THEY SUGGESTED I GO BACK HOME AND MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND WAIT. I WAS ONLY 2 MILES FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHEN THIS HAPPENED, SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN, AND TOLD THEM THEY ARE KEEPING THE CAR UNTIL IT IS FIXED. I AM GLAD I WAS ALONE, AND NOT DRIVING AT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS OCCURRED. *TR

Unknown or Other
Filed Mar 5, 2009MO

2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA PLATINUM HAS A DESIGN DEFECT WITH THE DASHBOARD MOUNTED CONTROL SWITCH FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE WINDOW. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED MOMENTARY CONTACT WITH THE SWITCH CAUSED THE REAR WINDOW TO LOWER COMPLETELY. THE SWITCH WAS LOCATED WHERE THE HIS RIGHT KNEE INADVERTENTLY MADE CONTACT WHEN THE SEAT WAS IN THE FORWARD POSITION . *JB

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System
Filed Jan 18, 20091,000 milesCA

WHENEVER I DRIVE UP HILL OR JUST SPEED UP, THE BAD SMELL OF ROTTEN EGGS COMES INTO THE VEHICLE INTERIOR EVEN WITH THE WINDOWS ROLL UP AND WITH THE RECALCULATING VENT BUTTON ON. *TR

Power Train
Filed Dec 30, 200884,000 milesNJ

THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE DIFFERENTIAL ACTUATOR IS BAD AND CAR WILL NOT ENGAGE IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE. *TR THE CONSUMER STATED THE NEXT DAY THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 02/13/09. *JB

Tires
Filed Jul 17, 20081,000 milesOH

2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA WAS PURCHASED WITH TIRES INSTALLED WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND AND SIZE FROM THE SPARE. SPARE CAN ONLY BE USED FOR SHORT TIME EMERGENCY USE UNDER 50 MILES AN HOUR. IF A TIRE FAILS ON A TRIP ON AN INTERSTATE AND SPARE IS INSTALLED VEHICLE WILL NOT HANDLE OR PERFORM 100%. THIS PLACES DRIVER AND PASSENGERS AT RISK. NOT ALL PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS RISK AND THE OWNERS MANUAL EXPLAINS THIS POORLY. MOST PEOPLE WILL CHANGE THE TIRE AND DRIVE ON THE SPARE NORMALLY. ALL VEHICLES SHOULD BE EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME BRAND AND SIZE OF TIRE. IF THE SPARE NOT HAVING A TPMS INSTALLED IS THE ISSUE THEN SHOULD INSTALL A SENSOR IN THE SPARE OF OFFER TO INSTALL ONE FOR THE OWNER. MY LEXUS HAD 5 TIRES ALL INCLUDING THE SPARE WAS THE SAME BRAND, SIZE AND HAD TPMS SENSORS INSTALLED IN ALL TIRES. SOME HOW TOYOTA IS SAVING MONEY INSTALLING TWO DIFFERENT BRANDS AND SIZES OF TIRES ON THEIR VEHICLES. *TR

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2008 Toyota Sequoia → · Every Sequoia year → · How the figures are calculated →