Car Defect Radar
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Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated October 26, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.
Confirm 7 recalls before you buy.

Ask the seller for proof the repair was completed, or run the free VIN check. Recall repairs are done at no cost by a dealer.

Recalls

7 total · 7 to confirm

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

Steering recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21E103000 · Dec 2021

An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 17, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 21TH01.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Steering recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 21V920000 · Nov 2021

An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB10 and 21TA10.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 16V396000 · Jun 2016

If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Body & glass recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 15V689000 · Oct 2015

If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Safety recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 14V743000 · Nov 2014

Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

Remedy
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Airbags recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 13V014000 · Jan 2013

If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

Remedy
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Tires recall

Confirm it was repairedRecall 11V148000 · Mar 2011

FAILURE TO WARN OF TIRE DEFLATIONS IS A NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS 138 AND COULD LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy
FOR THE LAND CRUISER, SEQUOIA, TACOMA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES, THE DEALER WILL RE-CALIBRATE THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM ON AFFECTED VEHICLES AND INSTALL AN UPDATED TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL AT NO CHARGE. FOR THE FJ CRUISER VEHICLES, THE TPMS CANNOT BE RESET SO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) FOR THE TPMS WILL BE REPLACED. TOYOTA IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THE REMEDY ECU. IF AN OWNER IS NOT CERTAIN WHETHER HIS OR HER VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THESE ACCESSORIES, PLEASE CONTACT ANY TOYOTA DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Status
Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
What to do
Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.

Owner complaints by system

17 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Minor
4

Most reports here involve fluid leaks.

fluid leaks 3sudden stalling 1
A recent report: The vehicle fuel tank was punctured and then patched with JB Weld Epoxy. This vehicle was sold to me by a private owner that did not disclose this information to me. The safety of my family as well…
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The vehicle fuel tank was punctured and then patched with JB Weld Epoxy. This vehicle was sold to me by a private owner that did not disclose this information to me. The safety of my family as well as thousands of others were at risk as the vehicle was parked in several parking garages of large buildings. The fuel tank and fuel pump has been replaced by Lewis Toyota of Topeka, KS. Several occurrences of a strong fuel smell had taken place for the two week time frame from the previous owner selling it to me. A fuel smell was present at inspection before purchase, however the owner stated that he had spilled fuel.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11710632 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Minor
1

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 1
A recent report: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DIGITAL SPEED READER WAS PROVIDING A DIFFERENT READING FROM THE SPEEDOMETER READING. THE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DIGITAL SPEED READER WAS PROVIDING A DIFFERENT READING FROM THE SPEEDOMETER READING. THE DIFFERENCE WAS APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH GREATER ON THE SPEEDOMETER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS ACCORDING TO THEIR SERVICE MANUAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND SENT AN ENGINEER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINEER DETERMINED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS WORKING AS DESIGNED AND A DEFECT WAS NOT FOUND WITHIN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #10441332 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
3

Most reports here involve rollaway. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

rollaway 1unintended acceleration 1premature wear 1
A recent report: PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW. BRAKE ROTORS SEVERELY WARPED AT12,572 MILES CREATING SEVERE VIBRATION/SHAKING THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. PROBLEM IS PARTICULARLY SEVERE WHEN UTILIZING…
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PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW. BRAKE ROTORS SEVERELY WARPED AT12,572 MILES CREATING SEVERE VIBRATION/SHAKING THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. PROBLEM IS PARTICULARLY SEVERE WHEN UTILIZING BREAKS ON A DOWNHILL GRADE. THE SEVERE VIBRATION CREATED A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD AS IT IMPAIRS BREAK PERFORMANCE PARTICULARLY WHEN ROADS ARE WET OR ICY. CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. TOYOTA'S SOLUTION WAS TO RESURFACE/GRIND THE ROTORS BACK TO SMOOTH. UNFORTUNATELY THIS PROCESS REMOVES METAL, AND MASS, FROM THE BRAKE ROTORS WHICH EXACERBATES THE PROBLEM. LESS MASS, LESS ABILITY TO DISSIPATE HEAT. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AT 22,391 MILES. DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE VIBRATION. RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP AT 24,564 MILES. DEALERSHIP NOW ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AS IT WAS SO SEVERE IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE. ONCE THE PROBLEM WAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THE ROTORS RESURFACED AS THE CAR WAS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. INFORMED THEM I BELIEVE THIS IS A WARRANTY ISSUE AS IT STARTED DURING THE WARRANTY, BUT WAS INFORMED THEY LOOK AT THE ROTOR ISSUES AS INDIVIDUAL OCCURRENCES. ROTORS ONCE AGAIN TURNED, FURTHER REDUCING MASS AND FURTHER EXACERBATING PROBLEM. NOW A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL ISSUE RETURNS. BRAKE ROTORS ARE CLEARLY MADE OF MATERIALS INSUFFICIENT TO HANDLE THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. THIS ISSUE ALSO CAUSES SEVERE TIRE WEAR, FURTHER IMPAIRING STOPPING PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE TIRE WEAR CAUSED BY ROTOR ISSUE.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #10821007 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Minor
1

Most reports here involve airbags deploying unexpectedly.

airbags deploying unexpectedly 1
A recent report: AS EVIDENCED IN THE 11-9-11 NEW TOYOTA COMMERCIAL, THIS IS EXACTLY WHY TOYOTA WENT TO CONGRESS TO REMOVE 8 TO 10 LEAKING CYLINDERS OF TOXIC, FLAMMABLE INFLATORS VOLUNTARILY FROM THEIR VEHICLES. AS WE…
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AS EVIDENCED IN THE 11-9-11 NEW TOYOTA COMMERCIAL, THIS IS EXACTLY WHY TOYOTA WENT TO CONGRESS TO REMOVE 8 TO 10 LEAKING CYLINDERS OF TOXIC, FLAMMABLE INFLATORS VOLUNTARILY FROM THEIR VEHICLES. AS WE ALL KNOW ALL INFLATORS IN THE AIRBAG ARE MADE THE SAME, YOU SHOULD NEVER SEE A FOREIGN RECALL WITHOUT ITS AMERICAN MODEL. WITH THE NEW "UPPER CUT" DESIGN DISPLAYED IN THE COMMERCIAL, ALL THE PREVIOUS DEFECTS HAVE BEEN RECREATED IN THIS MODEL. THIS WILL MAKE "INSERT & DEPLOY" AND "BLOW IT OUT OF THE WOMB" WORSE. THIS MODEL WILL HIT THE SOFT TISSUE JUST UNDER THE PROTECTIVE RIB CAGE AND DEPLOY THE EXPLOSIVE UP INTO THE SPLEEN AND DIAPHRAM. IT IS STILL A "SOFT TISSUE ISSUE". THEY DESIGNED THIS FROM THE MODEL WITH CHAMBER BREACH WHILE A SOLID ROCKET GENERANT, NOW IT IS FILLED WITH GAS MIX UNIDENTIFIED. EVERY YEAR WE HAZ THIS PROBLEM, FROM OCTOBER TO JANUARY THEY DECIDE WHAT HAZ WHOOPING GAS THEY WILL FILL WITH IN THE NEW MODEL RELEASED IN JANUARY. NEXT THEY WILL DECIDE THE SOLID ROCKET GENERANT FROM JANUARY TO MARCH. AUTOLIV HAS INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE LEAKING CYLINDER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. AS TRENDED PREVIOUSLY, SIDE CURTAIN GUILLOTINES TRAP THE HEAD IN THE FORCE AND DIRECTION OF THE CRASH AND REPEATEDLY WHIP CUSTOMERS WHEN DOOR STRUCTURE HAZ BEEN COMPROMISED. THEY DO NOT TEST OR FILE MSDS FOR THE PROPRIETARY MIX. IN PREVIOUS YEARS IT HAZ BEEN ARGON, HELIUM, XEON, AND NEON. ALL TOXIC AND FLAMMABLE AS HELL AND MIXED TOGETHER WITHOUT REACTIVE TESTS PERFORMED OR TEMPERATURE TESTS PERFORMED. THESE MODELS HAVE RELEASED FROM THE PLANT YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH A 100% FAILURE RATE ON THE INFLATOR COMPONENT. THE CYLINDERS LEAK IN EXTREME TEMPERATURES IN WINTER AND SUMMER, AND THE INFLATOR CASINGS HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO CONTAIN THE SOLID LOAD. SPONTANEOUS DEPLOYMENT IS POSSIBLE 100% OF THE TIME IN BOTH SOLID AND GAS MODELS. THE INTERIM I LEFT WILL NOT WORK. INERT. *TR

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #10436894 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Minor
5

Most reports here involve corrosion.

corrosion 2
A recent report: The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the rear liftgate opened unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be…
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The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the rear liftgate opened unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the liftgate latch assembly was rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 178,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11520056 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
3

Most reports here involve corrosion.

corrosion 1
A recent report: 2011 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE AIR PUMP REPAIR PROBLEMS. *SMD THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW AIR PUMP AND A NEW AIR PUMP DRIVER AT A COST OF $…
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2011 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE AIR PUMP REPAIR PROBLEMS. *SMD THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW AIR PUMP AND A NEW AIR PUMP DRIVER AT A COST OF $ 2643 BEFORE TAXES. THE DEALER NOTED THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSE BY POSSIBLY WATER INTRUSION. *JB MA 10/21/15 UPDATED 10/12/2017*CN

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #10714829 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 17 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2011 and 2026, roughly 1 a year, which is fewer than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.

How does it compare with other years? The 2011 has 17 complaints on file, fewer than the 2010 (31) and fewer than the 2012 (20). Of the 7 model years of the Toyota Sequoia we cover, the 2010 has the most (31). Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.