10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
91,390 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Toyota Sequoia brakes problems

brakes problem

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2004 Toyota Sequoia Owner Comments (Page 1 of 5)

problem #98

Oct 172020

Sequoia

  • 180,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Trac off light and vac trac lights on all the time! grinding noise when brakes applied at random times. Cause for concern! have had everything replaced that could cause this over the past 2 years and still having the same issue!

- La Mesa, CA, USA

problem #97

Mar 122020

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 240,000 miles
When turning left or right, and at low speeds, vts is turning on and causing the vehicle to lose power. This happens when pulling out in front of traffic and I cannot speed up until the vehicle is straight.

- Ooltewah, TN, USA

problem #96

Aug 112018

Sequoia

  • 126,000 miles
Vsc and trac light and check engine light on. These lights are always on. Occasionally brake will make a grinding noise and pedal will go to floor. This happens while trying to stop.

- Fountain Inn, SC, USA

problem #95

May 132018

Sequoia

  • 145,350 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

At on or about 7:30 pm on may13th 2018 our son was driving the families 2004 Toyota Sequoia northbound in 2 lane divided highway and no other traffic present. Weather was inclement, visibility clear but nothing out of the ordinary for Florida. He was traveling 41 mph in a 45 in the left lane. No sooner than he went through the intersection traffic light controlled, (he had the right of way) did he go through what the deputy said was a slippery section of the road way covered with standing water. He released pressure on the accelerator to diminish hydroplaning and no sooner than that instant the vsc lights (variable speed control) lights illuminated in the dash. He reported that the right front wheel locked up and created a pivot point for the car to spin around 180 degrees clockwise, now facing oncoming traffic as he was now in the right lane. He was frantically attempting to regain control over the vehicle by constantly depressing the brakes in order to stop the vehicles motion however unsuccessful as he was pressing on the braking pedal with no response, the car now still in motion, hit the curb, and left the roadway by going now backwards down a steep embankment of over 12 feet and came to a halt. Luckily, a sheriffs deputy was traveling in the opposite direction and had witnessed this and was able to save my sons life by his quick response. The car had to be extracted out of the culvert with recovery cranes. Our family is so grateful to the deputy and that we have our son alive and without a scratch. He is a bit worn for wear being shook up like that. The Sequoia has always been serviced by Toyota and we enjoyed years of trouble-free ownership until this incident.

- Fort Myers, FL, USA

problem #94

Jun 152015

Sequoia

  • miles
Was told by a repair shop that my ESC ABS and break computer are malfunctioning causing my my brake pedal to be hard when applied also ABS system operates while braking while in traffic at highway speeds and at normal speeds and city traffic during normal braking

- Minneapolis, MN, USA

problem #93

Aug 172017

Sequoia

  • 131,162 miles
I was driving my 2004 Toyota Sequoia, and it began to vibrate and shake left to right while braking. It also started making a loud grinding noise, and felt as if the truck was loosing acceleration. The skid control light appears on the dashboard sometimes when this is happening. This happens intermittently, and it is a bad unsafe feeling while driving. I drive the city streets daily and occasionally use the freeways. I was told that my truck has a defective skid control ECU. This should be a safety recall for consumers seeing that this can cause hazardous conditions on the road. I have researched and found that many other consumers have complained about this very issue. I also see that 2003 Toyota Sequoias have been involved in a recall for this same issue. This should have extended to later models of Sequoias as well. I definitely think a recall should occur, and customers who have had this issue taken care of in a dealership should be reimbursed for this defect. This is a very dangerous defect.

- Cypress, TX, USA

problem #92

Mar 012017

Sequoia

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Front suspension making humming noise all the time while in motion, and vibrstion is felt throughout vehicle, passenger side rear axle seal is leaking causing rotor to smoke. Front driver side caliper piston is jammed.

- Spring Hill, TN, USA

problem #91

Dec 022016

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 115,000 miles
The vsc trac vsc off sensor and brake light coming on, while driving on the freeway highway US26.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #90

Apr 012016

Sequoia

  • 155,400 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that the ABS, vsc, four wheel drive, and other brake system warning indicators illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic who contacted the dealer regarding the codes that appeared during the diagnostic test. The dealer was unsure of what the codes indicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 155,400. Updated 12/21/16 updated 06/25/18

- Chesterfield, VA, USA

problem #89

Jul 152016

Sequoia

  • 54,000 miles
I have to add my voice to the crowd. The vsc trac, vsc off, and ABS brake warning lights come on intermittently. Loses power. Toyota wants $1500+ to replace a computer and they don't guarantee a fix. This problem occurs while on the road and sometimes after just starting it up in the driveway. It's a known issue that Toyota should fix..

- Northpotomac, MD, USA

problem #88

Jul 132016

Sequoia

  • 159,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vsc trac, vsc off and check engine lights come on and will not go off. Have had this happen before years ago. Searched and this is a common problem that needs to be addressed. Lights came as vehicle was in motion.

- Little River, SC, USA

problem #87

Jul 032016

Sequoia

  • 153,000 miles
ABS and trac lights came on while driving approx. 65 mph. Alarm tone started, and car slowed with a pulsating braking action. After a short time alarm stopped and braking action stopped. Very scary...afraid to drive now.

- Scottsdale, AZ, USA

problem #86

May 122016

Sequoia

  • 161,000 miles
Vsc track sensor and engine check lights came on while driving at 40 mph in the city. I have noticed in the past two months that when I slow to make a turn the breaks lock up and grind, but not always. The safety break is also on. I have read that when the vsc lights do come on that you cannot go over 50 miles an hour or when on the highway the car will slow down to 50 and cannot go any faster. I'm afraid of this happening when traveling on the highway.

- Rockwall, TX, USA

problem #85

Apr 292016

Sequoia

  • 155,600 miles
I am the original owner of this vehicle, it currently has 155,600 miles on it. I have been very happy with Toyota and this vehicle until my recent incidents involving inability to stop while at slow speeds, followed by a loud noise and shaking and three lights illuminate when this occurs: Brake, vsc, and trac control. After reading the many reports, I realize that this is quite common and am upset that Toyota has done nothing about it! I had my car towed to the dealer after the first incident as it was so frightening that I would not drive it. The sensors were no longer on and Toyota told me there was nothing wrong (my front brakes and rotors were replaced by them a few months prior). It happened again a few weeks later, this time I turned the car off and back on and got the lights to go off, then I drove it directly to my mechanic. He found three error codes associated with the ABS system. He said it's expensive to replace so he reset the system and we decided to see if that works. Now, a week or so after the reset, it happened to me again in traffic. After reading all of the other very similar reports, I no longer feel safe to drive my car! please make Toyota be responsible for their negligence to their customer's safety! I found reports on this dating back to 2004 and I know there was a recall done on the 2003 models.

- Boca Raton, FL, USA

problem #84

Oct 232015

Sequoia

  • 160,000 miles
ABS/ trac/skid light come on at different speeds and brakes jerk you back and forth on road. If someone were next to you, you would hit them. SUV make ABS grinding sound when this happens. The truck acts like it is in nutural, wont move. If you turn SUV on off a few times, its start acting normal again. My teen age daughter was jurked of road into grass 2times this mth. Bought SUV new.

- Severna Park, MD, USA

problem #83

May 202015

Sequoia

  • 158,000 miles
I bought my car used two weeks ago from an individual. I noticed on my way home that the seatbelt light would come on and then go back off while I was driving, even though I was wearing my seatbelt. A few days later, as I was pulling into my daughter's driveway, the brake light came on. I turned the car off, and the next time I started up, the light didn't come on. It came on again several days later while my husband was driving the car. The next light to come on was my fuel light. The gauge said my car was on empty, and I knew I had at least half a tank of gas. I began to grow concerned with the vehicle, so I took it to my Toyota dealer yesterday. They told me I needed a new seatbelt clip and a fuel sensor, which are "minor", but that I also needed a new master cylinder, brake pads and rotors, and several other brake-related issues, plus there is a problem with the skid control - all to the tune of $5,900. I decided to get a second opinion, but in the meantime, in researching this particular vehicle, I saw many people have posted comments regarding the skid control/brake system on 2002-2004 Sequoias. Apparently a recall was issued for the model year 2003, but nothing has been done to help owners of 2004 models, and I am wondering why.

- Greenbrier, AR, USA

problem #82

Mar 152009

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
Upon leaving my driveway multiple times car starts beeping and lights flashing and finally corrects itself. In 2010 I had "yaw rate sensor" replaced at a cost of $511. Then the brake light on the dash continued to come on. I finally took it in to the Toyota dealer and they told me I needed the "skid control ECU" replaced at a cost of $907 plus tax. I refused this because they assured me the brakes are still working fine. There have been numerous complaints to Toyota on this model and similar model Sequoias. Tsb's have been issued but no recalls. Please help us get this problem addressed with Toyota.

- Little Rock, AR, USA

problem #81

Feb 162015

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 82,000 miles
I have a '04 Sequoia 4WD ltd, my vsc trac, vsc off and ABS lights come on and stay on, they never go off. The visit to a dealer ended with them stating that they could not read any codes, so the vsc computer needs to be replaced, about $1,500 total. The car is not experiencing any problems, but, the lights stay on.....Sequoia has 83K miles. Anyone offer any advice or help to solve the problems?

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #80

Nov 122014

Sequoia

  • 98,000 miles
Sequoia vsc trac sensor lights turning on and off. This problem affects Toyota Sequoia from 2003 - 2005. There is a recall for 2003 model but not 2004. Other drivers report a loss of power (total loss of power - the vehicle shut off) while the car in driving. Here is the recall for the 2003 model: Recall id # 68549 - electronic stability control plus recall date: Apr 30, 2010 model affected: 2003 Toyota Sequoia summary: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2003 Sequoia passenger vehicles manufactured from April 1, 2002 through April 17, 2003. The center position of the steering angle sensor (SAS) may not be stored correctly due to improper logic of the skid control ECU programming. The vehicle stability control (vsc) system could activate at low speed for a few seconds during acceleration from a stopped position. Consequences: Should this occur, the vehicle may not accelerate as quickly as the driver expects, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will re-flash the ECU. If the re-flash cannot be completed on a particular vehicle, the ECU will be replaced with a new one. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on June 11, 2010. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Potential units affected: 50000.

- Mequon, WI, USA

problem #79

Sep 172014

Sequoia 8-cyl

  • 130,000 miles
At apparently random times the ((!)) light indicating a problem with the brakes will turn on. Sometimes without warning the brakes will lock up at low speeds for a split second locking up the wheels. A little research showed that the 2003 of the same make and model had a recall (10V176000) that describes my problem in detail. I think this recall should be extended to 2004 model. I post on a forum got a lot of action with people having the same issue. This is very dangerous and since I regularly tow 5000lbs I would hate for this to occur then. The replacement part is available only from Toyota and at a serious price tag.

- Norfolk, VA, USA

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