2001 Toyota Sequoia

I BOUGHT MY TOYOTA SEQUOIA IN 2001 WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT. I DRIVE THE SUV IN THE NORTH EAST (CT, NY, NJ) AREA GENERALLY AND IT NOW HAS ABOUT 75,000 MILES ON IT. AFTER ABOUT 4 YEARS I NOTICED RUST UNDER IT AND EVERY TIME I TOOK IT FOR ANY SERVICE THEY REPORTED RUST. LAST WEEK THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING LEAKED AND I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA TO GET A REPAIR ESTIMATE. THEY COMMENTED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS VERY HEAVILY CORRODED (RUSTED) TO THE POINT THAT EVEN IF THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING WAS REPLACED THAT THE SUV WOULD BE VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS THE RUST WAS EVERYWHERE UNDERNEATH. THEREFORE I DECIDED NOT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED SINCE THE COST TO MAKE IT SAFE ENOUGH TO DRIVE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THAN REPLACING THE DIFFERENTIAL HOUSING THAT HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT WITH HOLES IN IT. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT OTHER DAMAGE ATTRIBUTED TO RUST. THE VEHICLE IS STILL DRIVABLE BUT IT IS NOT BEING DRIVEN SINCE IT WOULD DAMAGE THE DIFFERENTIAL SINCE IT HAS LESS LUBRICATION WHICH IS CONTINUALLY LEAKING. SO FAR NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE AND SEVERAL OPTIONS ARE BEING LOOKED INTO. *TR

I OWN A '01 TOY SEQUOIA WITH 60,000 MILES. DURING A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE APPT MY MECHANIC DISCOVERED A MASSIVE RUST PROBLEM THAT EXTENDED FROM THE FRONT TO THE REAR OF THE FRAME OF MY VEHICLE. HE HAS EXPLAINED THAT IT IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING HE CAN DO TO REPAIR OR PREVENT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS SO BAD THAT HE WAS ABLE TO FLICK OFF PIECES OF RUSTED FRAME USING ONLY HIS SMALL FINGER. I AM VERY WORRIED AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE, AND THEY SAID THERE ARE NOT CURRENT RECALLS ON THE SEQUOIA AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP ME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WAS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE UNDER CARRIAGE FRAME AND STEERING RACK WERE RUSTED CAUSED THE STEERING RACK TO FRACTURE FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPLACED TWO FRONT SWAY BAR LINKS AND THE POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED A RECALL DID NOT EXIST FOR THE VEHICLE AND WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 155,000. UPDATED 10/27/10*LJ UPDATED 01/13/11*LJ UPDATED 04/01/11

I HAVE A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA (SUV). I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC OVER THE WEEKEND TO HAVE THE BRAKES FIXED. THE MECHANIC WARNED ME THAT THE CAR FRAME WAS RUSTED OUT AND NOT STRUCTURALLY SAFE TO DRIVE. THIS CAR WAS BUILT ON A TUNDRA FRAME WHICH HAD A STRUCTURAL RECALL (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE09049) FOR FRAMES BUILT IN 2000 AND 2001. I HAVE A DAUGHTER AND PREGNANT WIFE AND THIS CAR IS NO LONGER SAFE. I SPOKE WITH TOYOTA (CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE) AND THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND I DON'T WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO BE AT RISK OF DANGER. MY NUMBER IS [XXX] IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE EXAMINING THE UNDER CARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT NOTICED EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SERVICED BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE LATCH FOR THE LIFT-GATE HAS CORRODED AND BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 135,000. SM.

I TOOK MY 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA TO BE INSPECTED TODAY. WHEN THE MECHANIC LOOKED UNDER THE TRUCK, HE SAW THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND SAID THAT IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I WAS TOLD IT WAS SO RUSTED THAT THE TIRE MIGHT FALL OFF. I CALLED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT BECAUSE THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY COMPLAINTS. CLEARLY, OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND I HOPE THAT TOYOTA LOOKS INTO THIS ISSUE WITH THE FRAME ON THE 2001 SEQUOIA IMMEDIATELY. *TR

TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR STATE INSPECTION, WAS TOLD THAT FRAME WILL PROBABLY NOT PASS NEXT YEAR. SEVERE FRAME RUST IN (DOCUMENTED BY DEALER) LEAVES ME CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO TOW WITH. ALL FRAME COATING HAS FAILED AND IS KEEPING WATER AGAINST THE METAL. IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE FROM INSIDE OF BOXED FRAME. VERY CONCERNED SINCE FRAME WAS BUILT AT THE SAME TIME AS DEFECTIVE TUNDRA AND TACOMA FRAMES AND IT IS BASED ON THE TACOMA FRAME.

THE CAR SLOWED DOWN TO 40MPH WHILE I WAS DOING 65. MECHANIC SAID THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I ESCAPED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS WHILE I WAS DRIVING, THE BRAKES HAD BECAME LOOSED, AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO HANDLE. THE CAR STARTED JERKING, AND ALMOST RAN OVER. I WENT TO LLEHMAN TOYOTA ON 441 NORTH MIAMI BEACH, THEY CHARGED ME 1800 DOLLARS TO FIX THE CENSOR, AND THE STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY. NOW, THE SAME PROBLEM REPEATS. *TR

IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V444000, TOYOTA RECALLED MODEL YEAR 2000-2003 TUNDRA VEHICLES DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION OF THE REAR CROSS MEMBER THAT MAY CAUSE THE SEPARATION OF THE SPARE TIRE. THE 2000-2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA VEHICLES SHARE IDENTICAL FRAME CROSS MEMBER AND SPARE TIRE MOUNTING ARRANGEMENTS IN WHICH EXCESSIVE CORROSION IN THE REAR FRAME CROSS MEMBER AND SPARE TIRE MOUNTING LOCATION CAN CAUSE SEPARATION OF THE SPARE TIRE STOWED UNDER THE REAR CARGO LOAD FLOOR WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A ROAD HAZARD. THIS SEPARATION OF THE SPARE TIRE OR MOUNTING BRACKET COULD CAUSE A CRASH. ALSO, CORROSION OF THE REAR CROSS MEMBER COULD AFFECT THE REAR BRAKE LINES AND THE PROPORTIONING VALVE, RESULTING IN DIMINISHED BRAKING CAPABILITY. ANY SEPARATION OF THE SPARE TIRE AND/OR DIMINISHED BRAKE CAPACITY COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH TO AFFECTED VEHICLE AND/OR A ROAD HAZARD TO THOSE TRAVELING NEARBY. *TR

I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA AND HAVE JUST BEEN ADVISED BY MY LOCAL DEALER THAT THE FRAME IS RUSTED AND THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE 01 SEQUOIA IS BUILT ON THE SAME FRAME AS THE 2001 TUNDRA YET TOYOTA IS WILLING TO DO NOTHING FOR ME. THEY ARE PUTTING TUNDRA OWNERS IN RENTAL CARS AND REIMBURSING THEM, WHY NOT THE SEQUOIA. I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO DRIVE MY CAR EVEN THOUGH IT HAS BEEN DEEMED UNSAFE. I SHOULD THINK THAT TOYOTA WOULD WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THIS BEFORE IT BECOMES A REAL PROBLEM. *TR