2002 Toyota Sequoia Body & Structure Problems

Component/System Failed: The frame of my 2002 Toyota Sequoia has severely rusted, resulting in a gaping hole. It is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: The rusted frame jeopardizes my safety and renders the vehicle unsafe for use. Confirmation: A mechanic has confirmed the rust issue. Manufacturer Inspection: Toyota has not inspected my Sequoia’s frame. Warning Signs: There were no warning lamps or messages related to frame rust prior to the failure; it became evident during my recent inspection. The gaping hole in my Sequoia’s frame is not due to normal wear and tear but rather Toyota’s poor manufacturing practices. Shockingly, Toyota issued a “limited service campaign” for similar rust issues in other vehicles, but I was never informed. This lack of transparency is unacceptable. It is clear that Toyota’s decision to implement a limited service campaign, rather than a comprehensive recall, reflects a blatant disregard for the safety and satisfaction of its customers. By prioritizing cost-cutting measures over ethical responsibility, Toyota has failed to uphold its duty to consumers and the people who sustain its business. Toyota’s actions have revealed a disturbing trend of prioritizing profits over people. The company’s failure to adequately address known issues with rusted frames speaks volumes about its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Despite numerous complaints and documented cases of frame rust, Toyota’s response has been inadequate. I urge Toyota to take immediate action. Inspect and replace my Sequoia’s frame promptly. Prioritize consumers over profits. Restore my faith in the brand that I once trusted.

Advance rust on car frame

The frame and attached components of the 2002 Sequoia are rusting at alarming rates. Seemingly surface quickly turned into structurally penetrating rust (I.e. holes in the frame rails). Additionally rocker panels and wheel arches show signs of significant penetrating rust. Pieces of rusted metal were found under the car on my driveway recently.

I WENT TO THE MECHANIC TO HAVE MY WHEELS ROTATED; HE SAID THE ENTIRE FRAME IS RUSTED OUT AND MAY BE A DANGER TO DRIVE. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO AS THERE ISN'T AN EASY FIX TO REPLACING THE FRAME. THE MECHANIC SAID THE ONLY FIX IS REPLACING THE FRAME. I HAVE A FAMILY OF 8 PEOPLE WHO DEPEND ON THIS VEHICLE

My vehicle frame was cracked and very unsafe to drive. My inspection cannot passed until I fixed the crack developed on the frame. Inside the car the weather strip is cracked all side.

VEHICLE BODY (UNDERSIDE) WHICH ONLY HAS 130000 MILES IS TOTALLY RUSTING OUT. CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED. TOYOTA REPLACED THE UNDERCARRIAGE IN THE PAST DUE TO RUST ISSUES BUT THEY HAVE RETURNED AND CORROSION IS EXCESSIVE. *TR

SUNROOF GLASS FLEW OFF MY VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY SPEED 65-70 MPH. I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5. I PURCHASED A GLASS AND WHICH WAS MUCH LARGER THAN THE VEHICLE HAD REORDERED ANOTHER GLASS AND RECEIVED THE SAME THING. WHEN DOING A BIT OF RESEARCH FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA SR5 DON'T COME WITH A SUNROOF (BOUGHT VEHICLE 2011) I WAS UNAWARE SINCE IT WORKED PERFECTLY FINE. WHEN I FOUND THE PRODUCT MANUFACTURER AND SEARCH ONLINE FOUND THAT HOLLANDIA 700 BY WEBASTO COMPANY HAVE A RECALL FOR THAT MODEL. SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS MODIFIED WILL I BE HELPED OR ASSISTED IN ANY WAY? THANK YOU

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS EXTENSIVE RUST AND CORROSION ON THE ENTIRE FRAME, CROSS MEMBER, AND SUBFRAME. THERE WAS ALSO THE PRESENCE OF HOLES AND WARPING OF THE COMPONENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME, SUBFRAME, AND CROSS MEMBER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 190,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE PERFORMING MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRAME HAD HOLES AND WAS RUSTED UNDERNEATH. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,607.

I RECENTLY WENT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR RADIATOR AND EXHAUST SYSTEM EVALUATION AND POSSIBLE REPAIRS AND WAS BY ADVISED THAT THE FRAME ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE HAS MAJOR RUST PERFORATION PROBLEMS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE DEGREE OF RUST THRU WAS SIGNIFICANT AND MAY CREATE A SAFETY HAZARD. A FRIEND LATER ADVISED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN WIDESPREAD REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE WITH OLDER SEQUOIAS. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR SOME MODELS A FEW YEARS AGO. I DON'T RECALL RECEIVING A RECALL NOTICE, BUT IN REVIEWING MY SERVICE RECORDS I SEE THAT ON APRIL 23, 2013 MY FRAME WAS INSPECTED BASED ON THE FOLLOWING SERVICE NOTATION: "COD RECALL - OPEN RECALL FRAME INSPECTION AND SPARE TIRE FUNCTIONAL AND VISUAL CHECK - REPLACED SPARE TIRE CARRIER - REMOVED RUST - CLEANED FRAME WITH NO RUST PERFORATION FOUND - CRC APPLICATION BY OUTSIDE SHOP." I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE SINCE 2003 AND HAVE HAD IT SERVICED AT THE SAME DEALERSHIP FOR 15 YEARS, USUALLY GOING THERE SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR FOR MAINTENANCE, OIL CHANGES, ETC. NO MENTION OF ANY RUST PROBLEMS OR THAT THIS COULD BE A MAJOR ISSUE. NOT SURE WHAT TO DO NOW; WOULD LIKE TO KEEP MY CAR, BUT WANT IT REPAIRED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE SERVICE, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE SIDES AND REAR OF THE FRAME WERE CORRODED. THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TEMPORARY WELDED THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178,000.

THE UNDERCARRIAGE FRAME IS RUSTING OUT WHICH IS SAD BEING THAT I RECENTLY JUST PUT A COUPLE GRAND INTO RESTORING AND LABOR SERVICE ON MINOR ISSUES LIKE STEERING RACK AND PINION, BREAKS, TIRE RODS.

IN JULY, '17 I WAS TOLD THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE HAS PENETRATING RUST. THIS WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN SINCE TOYOTA PUT CORROSION RESISTANT COMPOUND ON IT DURING THE SERVICE CAMPAIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED FOR RUST IN EARLY JUNE/ LATE MAY AND I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO PENETRATING RUST AREAS. IN JUNE AND JULY I PUT OVER $2,000 IN REPAIRS INTO THIS VEHICLE AS I PLANNED TO DRIVE IT FOR SEVERAL MORE YEARS. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT APPLYING THE CRC IS A BAND-AID AND WILL NOT STOP RUST ONCE IT HAS STARTED. I BELIEVE TOYOTA DID NOT ADDRESS THIS LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN PROPERLY. I BELIEVE ALL VEHICLES IN THIS CAMPAIGN SHOULD HAVE HAD TOTAL FRAME REPLACEMENT RATHER THAN RELYING ON VISUAL INSPECTION AND USING A "BAND-AID" APPROACH.

I BROUGHT MY 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA TO MY MECHANIC FOR AN ISSUE AND HE TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE HAS SEVERE RUST ON THE FRAME AND IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. I CALLED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY CAN NOT HELP ME. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT TOYOTAS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS ISSUE AND HIS 2005 TACOMA WAS REPAIRED THROUGH A CLASS ACTION SUIT. I AM TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTED THAT TOYOTA WILL ALLOW THEIR CUSTOMERS TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING ON LINE AND HAVE FOUND THAT INDEED THIS IS A PROBLEM. I HOPE THAT ENOUGH PEOPLE COMPLAIN SO THAT AND TOYOTA IS FORCED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED.

HOLES IN THE FRAME AND EXCESSIVE RUST IN THE LIFT GATE. THIS IS A 2002 SEQUOIA WHICH WAS IN THE RUST BELT FROM 2002 TO 2011. IN 2011 MOVED TO LOUISIANA. I HAD RUST ISSUES SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2002. IN 2006, THE LIFT GATE WINDOW RUSTED OUT AND COULD NO LONGER USE THE LIFT GATE WINDOW. SINCE THEN, MORE RUST WAS DEVELOPING IN THE LIFT GATE AND ELSEWHERE. IN 2013, I RECEIVED THE RECALL FOR THE SPARE TIRE CABLE. THE LOUISIANA DEALERSHIP IDENTIFIED THAT THE MECHANISM WAS RUSTED AND NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. THEY ORDERED THE REPLACEMENT UNIT TO INSTALL. IN THE MEANTIME, I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE SEVERE RUST ISSUES IN THE CAR. THEY DID A RUST INSPECTION AND SAID IT PASSED. IN 2014, I RETURNED TO THE SAME LOUISIANA DEALERSHIP FOR THE TAKATA RECALL. AT THAT TIME, I TOLD THEM MY CONCERN REGARDING THE RUST, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE RUST BELT ATM LEAST 4 MONTHS A YEAR. THEY SAID THE FRAME PASSED THE RUST INSPECTION AND PROVIDED ME WITH AN "OPERATIONAL FLOWCHART" FOR FRAME RUST. THEY ALSO SAID THAT IF I FIND A HOLD IN THE FRAME LARGER THAN 10MM, IT WOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF. IN 2015, THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE RUST BELT ABOUT 7 MONTHS. THAT YEAR I HAD TO INSTALL 2X4 SUPPORTS TO HOLD UP MY LIFT GATE WINDOW. IN 2016, THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE RUST BELT ABOUT 5 MONTHS. IN FEBRUARY 2017, I FOUND AT LEAST 1 RUST HOLE IN THE FRAME AS PER THEIR OPERATIONAL FLOWCHART. WHEN I ASKED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE RUST HOLE, THEIR COMMENT WAS THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO. I SPOKE TO TOYOTA AND THEY STATED THAT THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED. I AM TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED IN THE ABILITY OF THIS VEHICLE TO WITHSTAND RUST. I AM ALSO DRIVING A 1998 FORD THAT WAS IN THE RUST BELT LONGER THAN THE 2002 SEQUOIA WITH NO FRAME RUST. THE FRAME ON THIS VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE RUSTING AND NEEDS TO BE PROPERLY REPAIRED. SEE THE ATTACHED PHOTO.

TERRIBLE RUST ON THE FRAME, AND UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA EXTENDED THE RUST THROUGH WARRANTY, BUT DIDN'T REPAIR THE ISSUE SINCE THERE WAS "NO RECALL". THIS APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM FOR A NUMBER OF PRODUCTION YEARS FOR TOYOTA AND THEIR FRAMES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IN 2013, THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER TO INQUIRE ABOUT AN UNKNOWN RECALL REGARDING THE FRAME CORROSION. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT AN UNKNOWN RECALL REPAIR WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE. TWO YEARS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS CORRODED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CALLED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT AN UNKNOWN RECALL EXPIRED IN JULY OF 2014. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 102,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SEVERE CORROSION ON THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER UNDER A MANUFACTURER WARRANTY, WHICH THE LOWER FRONT BALL JOINTS, WHEEL TIRE CARRIER, AND AN UNDER COATING OF ANTI CORROSIVE ADHESIVE WAS APPLIED TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,586.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR A STATE INSPECTION, THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE TECHNICIAN THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL TWO YEARS PRIOR; HOWEVER, THE DEALER COATED THE FRAME WITH ANTI-CORROSIVE LUBRICANT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 129,000. MA 08/13/15 THE CONSUMER STATED TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS ADVISED THAT THE RECALL WAS DONE INCORRECTLY CAUSING THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH REPAIRS. UPDATED 12/1/2015 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH OVER A BUMPY ROAD, THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRAME RUSTED OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.