2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA Complaints

IN AUGUST, 2005 MY SEQUOIA BEGAN TO SHAKE AT THE STEERING WHEEL. I TOOK IT IN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THEY REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKES. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE REAR ROTORS WOULD SOON NEED TO BE REPLACED. IN MAY, THE REAR ROTORS WERE AND ENTIRE BRAKES AND PADS WERE REPLACED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THE SEQUOIA STILL SHAKES BADLY. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE FIRST REPAIR CENTER, WHICH HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE FRONT ROTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE SHAKING IS SO BAD THAT IT IS HARD TO STEER. IT HAS CAUSED THE TIRES TO BECOME OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND I HAVE SINCE BOUGHT FOUR NEW TIRES. I NOTICED THAT LOTS OF TUNDRA OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND I HAVE ENCOUNTERED TWO PEOPLE IN MY TOWN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR SEQUOIA. *NM

I AM A POLICE OFFICER AND PURCHASED A NEW 2002 SEQUOIA WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS. SHORTLY AFTER MY PURCHASE I NOTICED THAT SOMETHING FELT LOOSE IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHENEVER I SHIFTED THE GEAR HANDLE. THE DEALER SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. THE DEALER ALSO FAILED TO DOCUMENT MY CONCERNS INTO MY VEHICLE'S SERVICE RECORD HISTORY. SINCE THAT TIME, THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER RECEIVED ANY MECHANICAL DAMAGE OR HAD ANY TYPE OF WORK OTHER THAN ROUTINE MAINTENANCE DONE TO IT. NOW, HERE I AM WITH A TOYOTA VEHICLE WITH ONLY 40,000 MILES AND A PIECE OF METAL HAS SNAPPED INSIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE DEFECTIVE PARTS FAILURE HAS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO OPERATE AND THE SLIGHTEST BUMP TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION TO AND FROM DIFFERENT GEARS WHILE OPERATING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED UNDER THE 5 YEAR WARRANTY AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AND IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED, BUT THAT THEY WOULD DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO HELP ME OUT WITH THE PROBLEM. I INFORMED THE DEALER TO SAVE THE DEFECTIVE PART, BECAUSE IT NEEDED TO BE EXAMINED FOR MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. AT NO TIME DID THE DEALER EVER MENTIONED, MUCH LESS OFFER TO HAVE TOYOTAS ENGINEERS EXAMINE THE DEFECTIVE PART. I SHOULD BE RECEIVING THE DEFECTIVE PART WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS PROBLEM WAS STRICTLY DUE TO A MANUFACTURERS DEFECTIVE PART, YET TOYOTA REFUSES TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN TOYOTA'S LACK OF QUALITY AND ESPECIALLY IN IT'S LACK OF SERVICE COMMITMENT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA PRODUCT AND WILL DEFINITELY SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT TOYOTA'S REFUSAL TO WARRANTY AN OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE PART. *JB UPDATED *JB0 6/01/06

2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA POWER ANTENNA PROBLEM. ANTENNA WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY EXTENDING UP AND DOWN, ALONG WITH A MIDDLE ROW SEAT BELT RETRACTION PROBLEM AND THE PLASTIC CAR HINGE PROTECTORS ALWAYS POPPING OFF WHEN ONE FOLDS UP THE RIGHT MIDDLE SEAT. I WENT TO ROSEVILLE TOYOTA TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD REPLACE THE ANTENNA FOR APPROX $200, BECAUSE THE GROOVES WERE WEARING OFF, AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE MANUFACTURER TO ADDRESS IT BECAUSE OF HAVING TO PAY $200. HAVING ONLY HAD THIS "FAMILY" CAR DRIVEN AROUND TOWN FOR 2 YEARS, I DIDN'T THINK A TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE THIS PROBLEM, THUS THAT'S WHY WE KEEP BUYING TOYOTA. THE MANAGER OFFERED TO FIX IT FOR $60. I RELUCTANTLY AGREED AND FELT THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO ACCOMODATE ME. THREE MONTHS LATER, IT'S NOT OPERATING PROPERLY AGAIN. WE BROUGHT IT TO ROSEVILLE TOYOTA AGAIN, ALONG WITH A MAJOR SCHEDULED $600 TUNE-UP, AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS TIME, THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, COSTING $325! HOW CAN A POWER ANTENNA HAVE THIS MUCH PROBLEMS ON AN EXPENSIVE CAR LIKE THE SEQUOIA? WE BOUGHT IT AS A FAMILY CAR EXPECTING NOT TO KEEP SHELLING OUT MONEY FOR A 2 1/2-YEAR-OLD CAR. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP PAYING LITTLE FIXES LIKE THIS FOR A CAR WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS A QUALITY BUY. WE EXPECTED PAYING FOR THE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, BUT ITS PRECISELY AVOIDING THIS "MISC FIXES" IS THE REASON WE BUY TOYOTA. NOW WE HAVE TO KEEP PAYING FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD NOT REALLY KEEP BREAKING DOWN BECAUSE OF THE IMPLIED QUALITY. THE SIGN OF A GOOD QUALITY CAR IS THE AMOUNT OF LITTLE FIXES THAT NEED TO BE DONE WHICH SHOULD BE NIL. WE HAVE HAD OTHER MANUFACTURERS BEFORE AND KNOW THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT CAN ADD UP BECAUSE OF THESE "FIXES." I SINCERELY HOPE THAT TOYOTA CAN ADDRESS THIS TYPE OF COMPLAINT AND SHOW THAT THEY ARE A RESPONSIBLE COMPANY THAT ADDRESSES THEIR CONSUMER NEEDS. *NM *TR

THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN FLASHING INTERMITTENTLY FOR FOUR MONTHS. I HAVE TAKEN TO TOYOTA FOR REPAIR THREE TIMES AND STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY A TOYOTA SERVICE TECH THAT WHEN THE LIGHT IS FLASHING IT SHUTS THE AIRBAG SYSTEM DOWN. *NM

2002 SEQUOIA REAR LATCH DOES NOT WORK. THIS CAUSED REAR DOORS NOT TO LOCK. *TS *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED RECALLED WORK WAS NOT PERFORMED IN WHAT THE CONTACT CONSIDERS A TIMELY MATTER. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE RECALL; HOWEVER COULD NOT WORK THE VEHICLE INTO THE SCHEDULE FOR 2 WEEKS. THE RECALL NOTICE RECEIVED WAS NHTSA # 05V225000, CONCERNING THE LOWER BALL JOINTS. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT WAS JACKING UP THE VEHICLE AND THE HOUSING AROUND THE JACK FRACTURED AND BROKE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND SUGGESTED REPLACING THE JACK.

REAR DOOR (HATCH) WILL NOT OPEN. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THREE OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME VEHICLE AND THEY ARE OR HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE LOCKING MECHANISM SEEM TO RUST OUT AND THIS IS SUPPOSE TO BE A SEAL COMPARTMENT, THE COST OF THE REPAIR IS ABOUT 500.00. THIS LOCK IS IN A PLACE WHERE YOU AS A OWNER HAS NO CONTROL OVER IT NOR IS THERE A WAY FOR YOU TO MAINTAIN IT OR DO PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE. ON IT. THIS PROBLEM JUST HAPPENS WITH NO WARNING, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE FIRST TIME AND THEY FIX IT SO IT WOULD WORK AND IT DID FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS THEN IT FAIL AGAIN THIS WHEN THE DEALER INFORM ME OF THE COST OF THE REPAIR. IS ABOUT 500.00. THE NEXT TIME I WENT TO THE DEALER FOR THIS PROBLEM I WAS CHARGE 59.00 JUST TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM, WHEN THE DEALER INFORM ME OF THE COST OF THE REPAIR. ABOUT 500.00 YOU NEED THIS LOCK AND HATCH TO WORK BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE A FLAT TIRE THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO THE SPAR TIRE IS TO OPEN THE REAR HATCH AND CRANK THE SPARE TIRE DOWN. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE RECALL REPAIR WORK PERFORMED. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP IT STARTED MAKING NOISES. AS THE VEHICLE INCREASED IN SPEED THE NOISE BECAME LOUDER COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP , WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WE PRUCHASED THIS 2002 TOYOTA SEQUIOA IN 8/2001 WE HAD THE TRUCK FOR ABOUT 6 MTHS AND THEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT THE DEALER REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. IN 4/05 THE RIGHT REAR AXLE SEAL WAS LEAKING CAUSE US TO REPLACE THE SEAL. NOW 12/05 THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAS LOCKED UP AND THE TRUCK IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY CAUSING US TO PAY FOR REPAIR OUT OF POCKET. WE DEALER HAS REFUSED TO COVER THE COST FOR ANY OF THE REPAIRS. *NM

AUTOMOBILE STOPS OPERATING WITHOUT NOTICE OR WARNING. WILL NOT START AGAIN. *NM