2001 Toyota Sequoia

BADLY DECOMPOSING FRAME SINCE PAST 5 YEARS, CAN POKE A FINGER THROUGH FRAME RAILS, COMPROMISING SUSPENSION ATTACHMENT POINTS/WELDS. 229,000 MILES, GARAGED 100%, 11 YEARS OLD. TOYOTA CLAIM FILED, CASE 1111161824. TOYOTA IS TELLING DIFFERENT CLAIMANTS DIFFERENT THINGS, TOLD ME THE TUNDRA IS THE ONLY VEHICLE EFFECTED AND THAT FRAMES ARE BEING REPLACED. ON EDMUNDS.COM/SEQUOIA FORUM/ I SEE THAT TOYOTA IS REPLACING SEQUOIA FRAMES OR BUYING VEHICLES ABOVE KELLY BB PRICING. THEIR REPRESENTATIVE WHO HELPED ME FILE THE ABOVE CLAIM TOLD ME, AND I QUOTE "TOYOTA HAS NO CURRENT COMPLAINS ABOUT THIS SEQUOIA FRAME ROT PROBLEM". THAT IS AN OUT AND OUT LIE. ONE TOYOTA MECHANIC ADVISED ME TO NOT DRIVE MY VEHICLE AND ESPECIALLY NOT TO TOW ANYTHING WITH IT, AND THAT THE TUNDRA FRAME IS THE SAME AS SEQUOIA - SAME PLACE OF ASSEMBLY TOO?. EFFECTIVELY, TOYOTA HAS MADE MY INVESTMENT IN THIS VEHICLE WORTHLESS AS I CANNOT SELL IT, NOR WILL IT PASS INSPECTION, DESPITE THE INTERIOR AND DRIVE TRAIN BEING VERY SERVICEABLE. A FAILURE AT SPEED OF THIS FRAME OR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS BY UNAWARE OWNERS CAN CAUSE CATASTROPHIC RESULTS. TOYOTA OWNS ITS OWNERS 1. AN ALERT ABOUT POSSIBLE DANGERS 2. A CONSISTENT RESPONSE, ONE THAT DOESN'T MUDDY THE WATERS WITH ACCUSATIONS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SUBJECT TO ROAD SALT. 3. A REMEDY FOR OWNERS SO THEIR INVESTMENT IS NOT REDUCED TO ZERO AND THEY HAVE ALTERNATIVES FOR SAFETY. I WILL BE CONTACTING A LAWYER AND THE LOCAL TV STATION. I HOPE WE CAN RELY ON THE NHTSA TO TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION: 1. START A SERIOUS INVESTIGATION ABOUT THIS SAFETY DEFECT; MANY EFFECTED VEHICLES ARE NOT NEARLY AS OLD AS MINE, NOR FROM NORTHERN STATES WHERE ROAD SALT IS USED 2. ADD A SELECTION FOR FRAME DEFECTS IN THIS COMPLAINT WEB PAGE - CURRENTLY YOU HAVE JUST BODY. THANK YOU *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC TO BE INSPECTED AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS RUSTED, BUT MOSTLY AT THE REAR AXLE. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THE FRAME WAS ONLY GUARANTEED FOR THREE YEARS, AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 186,000. UPDATED 01/10/12*LJ

UPON INSPECTION, MY MECHANIC NOTIFIED ME OF EXCESSIVE RUSTHROUGH ON THE REAR FRAME OF MY 2001 TOYOTA SEQUIOA. THIS RUSTTHROUGH HAS PERFORATED THE REAR FRAME AND THE TRUCK CAN NO LONGER BE DRIVEN. THE REAREND MAY SEPARATE FROM THE BODY DUE TO THIS EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THIS EXCESSIVE CORROSION IS THE SAME AS SEEN ON TOYOTA TUNDRA AND TACOMA WHERE THESE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND REPLACED AND OR REPAIRED. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND MANY OTHER SEQUOIA OWNERS HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS HERE AT NHTSA AND HAVE POSTED ON THE INTERNET. TOYOTA IS NOT HELPFUL AND WILL NOT REPLACE THE FRAMES FOR SEQUOIA OWNERS. MY SEQUOIA'S BODY IS IN GREAT SHAPE AND RUNS GREAT. NOW I CANNOT DRIVE IT AND ITS WORTHLESS. THIS IS A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE, AND SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR SAFETY. I COULD HAVE LOST MY REAR AXLE AND HAD A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, ESPECIALLY, IF I WAS TOWING MY BOAT. *KB

I HAVE OWNED THIS 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SINCE 2009 WITH 178K AND THE FRAME HAD RUST BACK THEN. I RECENTLY HAD THE REAR TIRE REPLACE AND THE MECHANIC SAID I SHOULD NOT DRIVE IT BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE RUST IN THE REAR FRAME AND BRING IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER FOR A SAFETY CHECK. I AM CALLING THEM TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT THE RUST THIS FRIDAY, I DID SEE IT FOR MYSELF AND WONT DRIVE IT ANYMORE BECAUSE OF MY FAMILY'S SAFETY. I ALSO NOTICED THERE IS A RECALL OF THE TUNDRA TRUCK FRAMES BY TOYOTA AND ALSO NOTICED THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME RUST PROBLEMS OF SEQUOIA TRUCKS, IF THEY ARE THE SAME FRAME AS WRITTEN ONLINE WHY AREN'T THEY ALSO RECALLED? I CANT BELIEVE THIS IS RUSTING THIS BAD, ITS ONLY 10 YEARS OLD BUT ITS STILL IN SUCH GREAT SHAPE. *TR

UPON HAVING VEHICLE INSPECTED BY ASE-CERT. TECH., I WAS INFORMED THAT 18"-24" OF THE VEHICLE'S LEFT MAIN FRAME RAIL WAS ROTTED/RUSTED THROUGH ALONG THE BOTTOM SURFACE. THE ROTTED SECTION IS LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE TRANSMISSION CROSS-MEMBER ON THE LEFT SIDE, AS WELL AS SMALLER PERFORATIONS ON THE RIGHT MAIN FRAME RAIL IN THE SAME LOCATION (TRANSMISSION CROSS MEMBER). ALSO, THE FRAME RAIL IS ROTTED THROUGH AT THE JUNCTION WHERE THE SPARE TIRE CARRIER SUPPORT IS WELDED TO THE FRAME. TECHNICIANS HAVE ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE IS DEFINITELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE, AS FRAME IS IN DANGER OF COLLAPSING, AS WELL AS SPARE TIRE FALLING OFF VEHICLE WHILE IN OPERATION. ITS BEEN BROUGHT TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR FURTHER ASSESSMENT. FACTORY "TRUCK FRAME TEAM" WAS CONTACTED TO DISCUSS REPLACEMENT OF FRAME, AS DONE IN RESPONSE TO THE RUSTED FRAME EPIDEMIC ON TUNDRAS. THIS PRODUCED NO RESULTS OTHER THAN TOYOTA STATING THAT "THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS WITH SEQUOIA FRAMES", AND "THERE IS NO PROGRAM TO REPLACE THEM". TOYOTA WILL *NOT* REPAIR OR REPLACE THIS FRAME, NOR OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE WITH VEHICLE THAT IS IN OTHERWISE EXCELLENT CONDITION, WITH A BOOK VALUES OF $9000.00-$10,000.00, NOW MADE WORTHLESS AND UN-DRIVABLE DUE TO THE RUSTED FRAME. THERE ARE MANY DOZENS OF OTHER IDENTICAL COMPLAINTS REGARDING DANGEROUSLY RUSTED/ROTTED FRAMES ON 2001-2003 SEQUOIAS WITH RUST DAMAGE ALL IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATIONS, ON THIS NHTSA WEBSITE (SEE LISTINGS), BUT TOYOTA WILL NOT ADMIT TO THIS OBVIOUS DESIGN/MATERIAL DEFECT, AS THEY HAVE WITH THE TUNDRA, WHICH USES A NEARLY IDENTICAL FRAME FROM SAME MANUFACTURER AND ASSEMBLED IN THE SAME FACTORY. NEITHER HAS THE NHTSA YET INITIATED ANY SORT OF INTERVENTION ON BEHALF OF CONSUMERS. EARLY SEQUOIA OWNERS IN NORTHERN US/CANADA WOULD BE WELL ADVISED TO HAVE THEIR VEHICLE FRAMES INSPECTED BY QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN, AND REPORT THOSE FINDINGS IMMEDIATELY. *TR

2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA HAS ONLY 88,000 MILES AFTER TEN YEARS. RECENTLY FAILED INSPECTION DUE TO ROTTED, RUSTED FRAME AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL CASING. MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE FRAME FAILURE BY PRESSING FINGER THROUGH RUSTED METAL. VEHICLE NOW REQUIRES FRAME STRENGTH ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE IF IT IS SALVAGEABLE. VEHICLE HAS SAME FRAME AS RECALLED TOYOTA TUNDRA. *TR

AFTER A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AT MY TOYOTA DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THAT MY 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA HAS A RUST HOLE IN THE FRAME ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED BY THE CURRENT TUNDRA RECALL, BUT THEY ARE SEEING IT FREQUENTLY WITH SEQUOIA'S AND 4RUNNERS. THE DEALER IS FRUSTRATED WITH TOYOTA, WHO IS REPLACING THE FRAMES ON AFFECTED TUNDRA'S, BUT WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN OTHER VEHICLES. THE SEQUOIA IS BUILT UPON THE SAME FRAME PLATFORM AS THE TUNDRA, IT WOULD STAND TO REASON THAT THE SAME PROBLEM AFFECTING TUNDRA PICKUPS WOULD ALSO BE PRESENT IN SEQUOIA SUVS. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT I CALL TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE TO LODGE A COMPLAINT, WITH A HOPE THAT WITH ENOUGH PEOPLE SPEAKING UP THE SEQUOIA WILL BE RECALLED. I DID THIS IMMEDIATELY, AND SPOKE WITH A VERY POLITE REPRESENTATIVE WHO SAID THERE WAS NOTHING TOYOTA WOULD DO, AS THERE WAS NO RECALL IN PLACE. THIS IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE FROM THEIR OWN DEALERS, AND ARE JEOPARDIZING THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS BY FAILING TO ACT. PLEASE HELP! UPDATED IVOQ 10/18/11 *TR

EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST/ROT THIS WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE TUNDRA AND TACOMA FOR THE SAME MODEL YEAR. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO REPORT THIS ISSUE AND HAVE THEM EVALUATE THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE IF IT IS SUBJECT TO THE SAME DEFECT AS THE OTHER MODELS TO WHICH THEY HAVE REFUSED??!! I BELIEVE CERTAIN SEQUOIA'S SHARE THE SAME ISSUE HOWEVER TOYOTA IS NOT FORTHCOMING ON ADMITTING THIS NOR ARE THEY EVEN WILLING TO EVALUATE THE VEHICLE. THE REST OF THE VEHICLE, BODY, INTERIOR ETC, IS IN GREAT SHAPE AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED. I AM NOT ENTERING THIS COMPLAINT AS I STUMBLED OVER SEVERAL OTHER 2001 SEQUOIA OWNER WHO ARE REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. THIS, IN MY OPINION, CONFIRMS MY ORIGINAL SUSPICION THAT IT IS RELATED TO THE TUNDRA/TACOMA RECALL AND TOYOTA IS NOT WILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ISSUE. *TR