2008 Toyota Sequoia

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED IN MAY 2011 WITH 60,000 MILES ON IT. IT CURRENTLY HAS 100,440 MILES ON IT.. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE FROM A DEALER, AN UNDER CAR INSPECTION INDICATED NO VISIBLE RUST TO SPEAK OF AND PAINT/FINISH WAS STILL PATENT ON REAR SUSPENSION, AT THE LAST OIL CHANGE OIL CHANGE, THE TECH NOTED THE EXTENSIVE RUST ON THE REAR SUSPENSION AND COMMENTED THAT HIS TOYOTA TUNDRA A FEW YEARS OLDER HAD A RECALL FOR SEVERE RUST AND REPLACEMENT FOR THE SAME THING, AND THAT THIS WOULD LIKELY BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL TOO IN TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TOYOTA DEALER TODAY FOR A FRAME INSPECTION UNDER THE EXTENDED FRAME WARRANTY AND THE FRAME WAS DECLARED FAULTY FOR A SMALL RUST THROUGH AREA AND WILL BE REPLACED. HOWEVER THE ENTIRE REAR SUSPENSION AND CROSS FRAME WERE SEVERELY RUSTED THROUGH AND CRUMBLING, WHICH THEY SAID WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE FRAME WARRANTY. THIS PRESENTS A SEVERE SAFETY SITUATION SINCE THIS SUSPENSION COULD FAIL AT ANY TIME CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. SINCE THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED IN THE PAST ON TOYOTAS AND RESULTED IN A RECALL, IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AGAIN FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL. AT NO TIME DURING OUR OWNERSHIP HAS IT BEEN IN OR NEAR SALT WATER, NOR EVER SUBMERGED IN FRESH WATER. IT'S STORED OUTSIDE ON AN ASPHALT DRIVEWAY YEAR ROUND AND USED PRIMARILY AS A BACK UP FOR OUR MAIN VEHICLE. UNFORTUNATELY THE DEALER REMOVED IT FROM THE HOIST BEFORE I COULD GET A PHOTO OF IT IN CURRENT CONDITION.

THE REAR LIFTGATE ON OUR 2008 TOYOTA SEQUOIA STARTED ACTING UP LATE MAY 2016. THE LIFTGATE LOCK ACTUATOR BEGAN GETTING STUCK AND VERY DIFFICULT TO OPEN. NOW IT CANNOT BE OPENED BY NEITHER THE POWER LIFTGATE BUTTON NOR MANUALLY WITH THE HANDLE. WE CAN SEE THAT THERE IS EVIDENCE OF EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE ACTUATOR. IT HAS SEIZED AND ARE NOW VERY CONCERNED THAT IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ESCAPE THROUGH THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SHOULD ALL OTHER EXITS ARE BLOCKED. NOT EVEN THE REAR WINDOW IS WORKING AND BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A DEFECT AFFECTING THE COMPONENTS INSIDE THE LIFTGATE ITSELF. UPON RESEARCHING THE MATTER WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE. WE FEEL THIS WARRANTS AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TO FIND OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THE EXCESSIVE RUST/CORROSION AND MECHANICAL FAILURE.

I WAS DRIVING ON I-15 IN UTAH WHEN MY PASSENGERS HEARD HONKING AND LOOKED AROUND. SUDDENLY A WHITE CAR SWERVED CLOSE TO ME AND CUT ME OFF. THE DRIVER WAS LOOKING DOWN AND CONTINUED TO SWERVE AROUND. THEN SLOWED AND PUT ON HER FLASHERS. SHE CONTINUED TO SWERVE AND THEN FOLLOWED US OFF THE FREEWAY. SHE STOPPED AT THE STOP LIGHT AND SAID WE HAD HIT HER. I SAID THAT WAS A LIE AND SHE HAD BEEN SWERVING INTO MY LANE AND PEOPLE WERE HONKING AT HER. WE DROVE TO IKEA AND SHE DID NOT FOLLOW. THEN I FILED THIS COMPLAINT. I AM CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF ME AND MY PASSENGERS. SHE WAS NOT FRIENDLY. I ATTACHED HER LICENSE NUMBER.

THE REAR LIFTGATE EXTERIOR HANDLE LITERALLY MELTS IN THE SUMMER AND FREEZES IN THE WINTER. IT MAKES IT SO THE REAR LIFTGATE DOESN'T OPEN AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T CLOSE. I RECENTLY GOT A RECALL NOTICE FOR EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES NOT OPERATING DUE TO THE ABOVE DESCRIBED MANLFUCTION BUT HALEY TOYOTA IN MIDLOTHIAN VIRGINIA SAID IT'S NOT COVERED. THEY SAID IT'S OVER $400 TO FIX.

THE REAR LIFT GATE HAS AN ELECTRONIC BUTTON THAT YOU PUSH TO OPEN. THIS IS COVERED BY A RUBBER THAT DEGRADES AND MELTS OVER A SHORT TIME, EXPOSING THE ELECTRONIC SWITCH WITCH HAS CONSTANT POWER, RESULTING IN WHAT COULD BE A FIRE HAZARD. IT ALSO FREEZES AND BECOMES INOPERABLE AT TIMES DURING COLD WEATHER AND THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO OPEN THE HATCH. IN THE SUMMER, IT BECOMES STICKY AND A MESS. I REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EFFECTS OF COLD TEMPERATURES. IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR USED. I HAVE NOTICED IT IS A POPULAR ITEM ON MANY TOYOTA WEBPAGES, AND NOT SPECIFIC TO JUST THE SEQUOIA MODEL.

ON 12/20/2016, I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO BILL WRIGHT TOYOTA AND HAD IT SERVICE. ALSO, I HAVE INFORMED BILL WRIGHT TOYOTA ADVISOR ABOUT THE MIDDLE ROW SEAT ARE MOVING. AFTER THE SERVICE, THE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THE WELDING ON THE SEAT FRAME ARE BROKEN AND NEED TO BE REWELD. I ASKED THE ADVISOR IS THIS TOYOTA MANUFACTURING ISSUE AND ADVISOR GAVE ME THE NUMBER TO CONTACT TOYOTA DIRECTLY. AFTER CONTACTING TOYOTA DIRECTLY AND SPOKE TO YASMIN, AND SHE SAID THIS IS NOT COVERED BY TOYOTA. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT TOYOTA RESPONSIBLE SINCE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. BEST REGARDS,