2004 Toyota Sequoia suspension problems

“I own a 2004 Toyota Sequoia and have owned it since it was built by Toyota. In 2013 Toyota had a safety recall on the frame for that vehicle because in certain Northern states they are having issues with the frame rotting and braking. I brought my vehicle in May of 2013 and Carlson Toyota in Minnesota inspected. It said that it passed and they installed a corrosion kit. This vehicle has been meticulously cared for over the years and it still looks that way on the exterior and interior. I have always had this vehicle enrolled in a car wash club so it gets washed almost daily in the winter and has for its entire life. But the frame of this vehicle is to the point now where it shouldn't be driven. It is so dangerously, rotted and breaking apart. I had the vehicle in Florida for spring break and while I was driving it there it was making some weird clunking noises. So I took it to a repair shop and the frame repair shop said that the frame was beyond repair and probably should not be driven. But it was my only vehicle and I had no choice but to drive it back to Minnesota. Since then I've had several issues when taking off and stopping with loud clunking noises, but…”

“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…”

“I WAS SIMPLY PARKING MY 2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA IN PARKING LOT SPACE. LEFT FRONT TIRE FELL COMPLETELY OFF THE CAR WITHOUT ANY PREVIOUS WARNING OF PENDING PROBLEMS! BALL JOINT CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED! PRIOR RECENT NEW TIRES AND ALIGNMENT SHOWED NO PENDING PROBLEMS. DID A CHECK AND FOUND MANY PRIOR BALL JOINT ISSUES FOR THIS CAR AND A PRIOR RECALL YEARS AGO. TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN CAPITOLA CA. THEY REPLACED BALL JOINT AND RELATED PARTS. THEY CHARGED ME LOTS OF MONEY CLAIMING THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD "PREVIOUSLY BEEN RECALLED AND REPAIRED IN 2007 SO NO LIABILITY ON THEIR PART. I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND COMPLAINED AND WAS BOUNCED AROUND UNTIL A FELLOW NAMED "GARRET" TOLD ME THE BALL JOINTS HAD BEEN "FIXED" IN 2007 DURING A RECALL. GREAT. THEN WHY DO THESE ISSUES CONTINUE? MY CAR IS DRIVEN ONLY ON PUBLIC STREETS AND THERE WAS NO WARNING OF THIS IMPENDING FAILURE. THE BALL JOINT AND RELATED SIMPLY FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY. I TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF THIS VEHICLE AS I INTENDED ON KEEPING IT REGARDLESS OF MILEAGE. WHAT BS IS TOYOTA PULLING WHEN THEIR SEQUOIA (AND OTHER SIMILAR TOYOTA VEHICLES) CONTINUE TO CATASTROPHICALLY FAIL WITHOUT WARNING? I WONDER HOW MANY PEOPLE…”

“LEFT FRONT (DRIVERS SIDE) WHEEL BALL JOINT(S) FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY CAUSING WHEEL TO FALL OFF AND WEDGE UNDER CAR WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. NO PRIOR WARNING, NO PRIOR NOISE, NO PRIOR STEERING ISSUES, NO STRANGE TIRE WEAR (TIRES JUST REPLACED 6 MONTHS AGO). JUST INSTANT AND CATASTROPHIC FAILURE!”

“I HAVE A 2004 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF WITH NUMEROUS RECEIPTS TO PROVE IT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE, I HAVE OBSERVED A 'ROT' HOLE IN THE REAR PART OF THE FRAME. THE WHOLE IN THE FRAME IS APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF A DOLLAR BILL AND SPREADING. THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF THE FRAME THAT WILL NEED ATTENTION IN THE FUTURE. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED SEQUOIA MODEL YEARS 2005 AND UP AND HAVE NEGLECTED TO INCLUDE THE 2004. IT IS APPARENT THAT THE 2004 SEQUOIA IS SUBJECT TO THE SAME FAULTY FRAME MANUFACTURING AS OTHER MODELS/ YEARS OF NUMEROUS TOYOTA'S. MY VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 137,600 MILES ON IT. I HAVE MAINTAINED VEHICLES FROM FROM THE 90S THAT HAVE BETTER FRAME CONSTRUCTION THAN MY TOYOTA. I BELIEVE THAT THE FRAME ON MY 2004 SEQUOIA WILL NEED FRAME PATCHES IN THE FUTURE AS WELL AS MANY OTHER METAL COMPONENTS CONNECTED TO THE FRAME REPLACED.”

“WE BOUGHT IT IN 2014 WITH 76K AND THE FRAME HAD RECENTLY BEEN COATED. SUPPOSEDLY IT WAS FROM TEXAS, AND WE LIVE IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA. THE FRAME LOOKED GOOD AND SEEMED SOLID, BUT WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO ALL OF THE COATING FELL OFF REVEALING VERY RUSTY METAL. BY 3 YEARS (2017) THERE WERE HOLES IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME MAINLY BEHIND THE FRONT TIRES AREA, AND THE REST OF THE FRAME IS ALSO QUITE RUSTY. I HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT SWAY BAR END LINKS BUT THEY BROKE SOON AFTER AND KEPT BREAKING WITHIN A FEW MONTHS AFTER REPEATED REPLACEMENT DUE TO EXCESSIVE FRAME MOVEMENT. IT FEELS LESS SAFE WITHOUT A FUNCTIONAL SWAY BAR ATTACHED TO THE FRAME AND HAS MORE BODY ROLL WITH MORE RISK OF ROLLOVER. THE FRAME IS ROTTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT, AND THE RUST IS SPREADING LIKE CANCER IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS UNDERNEATH. THE BODY HAS ALMOST NO RUST AT ALL. I PARKED IT IN THE WINTERS TWICE NOW, HOPING TO BUY TIME. BUT I'M COUNTING THE DAYS THAT IT WILL BE UNSAFE TO DRIVE ANYMORE. I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHEN TO DETERMINE WHEN THAT WILL BE, AND AM HOPING IT DOESN'T HAVE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS LIKE OTHERS HAVE HAD WITH THE EARLIER SEQUOIAS. I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY WIFE AND PAID…”