Problems · by component
2004 Toyota Sequoia service brakes problems
50 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2004 Toyota Sequoia cite service brakes, 13% of all 380 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
50
13% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Description of the Safety Crash/Informed Incident: Vehicle Information: 2004 Toyota Sequoia (VIN: [XXX]) Incident Date: [XXX] Location: [XXX] Police Agency: California Highway Patrol (Report #:[XXX]) Speed at Incident: Highway speeds (~65 MPH) Description of Defect/Failure: Structural mechanical failure leading to sudden, catastrophic wheel separation at highway speeds. Nine days prior to the incident, on [XXX], the vehicle underwent a comprehensive brake, rotor, and tire rotation service at a certified Toyota dealership (Toyota of Chula Vista, Work Order #[XXX]). While traveling on the interstate, the right rear passenger wheel assembly completely detached from the moving vehicle. As a result, the wheel flew off crossing several traffic lanes, traveling over a jersey wall on the freeway shoulder, landing into a nearby drainage ditch. The vehicle dropped onto the remaining brake/rotor assembly, generating extreme sparks, causing an immediate loss of braking pressure, and creating an imminent threat of a rollover or multi-vehicle fatal collision. Subsequent post-incident inspection on a maintenance lift revealed that all wheel studs on the right rear hub were…”
“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.”
“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…”
“THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY THEN THE GEARS WERE MOVED WHILE HAVING FOOT ON BRAKES HOWEVER THE BREAKS WERE STUCK AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE STOPPED CAUSING IT TO RUN INTO THE HOUSE WHICH HAD CAUSED UNBELIEVABLE DAMAGE. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.”
“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”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING CONSOLE ILLUMINATED AND THE BRAKES SHOOK. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000.”
Showing 6 of 50 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.