Problems · NHTSA complaints
2008 Toyota Sequoia problems
Owners filed 67 complaints about the 2008 Toyota Sequoia with NHTSA between Jul 2008 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is structure (16).
Complaints
67
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Structure16
- Vehicle speed control9
- Power train7
- Engine and engine cooling6
- Seat belts5
- Electrical system5
- Suspension5
- Engine3
- Service brakes3
- Seats3
- Tires3
- Service brakes, hydraulic3
- Electronic stability control (esc)2
- Equipment2
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
7
9
4
3
2
5
3
2
6
6
3
3
2
3
2
2
0
3
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2009 | 7 |
| 2010 | 9 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 | 3 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Structure
16 reports1 crash
“The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the independent mechanic for an oil change, the mechanic informed her husband that the chassis was severely rusted. The dealer and other unknown dealers were notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not repair the vehicle under Toyota Campaign Number: ZH7 because the campaign had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed the assessment from the dealers. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. The VIN was unavailable.”
Vehicle speed control
9 reports1 related recall
“While accelerating to pass a vehicle that was signaling and operating well below the speed limit, my vehicle experienced sudden and continued unintended acceleration. I was able to bring the vehicle to a stop while fighting against the engine within an intersection but the engine continued building revs, bouncing off the limiter while my foot was entirely removed from the accelerator pedal and fully applied to the brake. During this time I had moved the gear selector to neutral, only furthering the engine's revs, and attempted to place the vehicle into park without success, before having to reach beneath my dashboard, foot still on the brake, to pull the accelerator pedal up. I verified both visually and by feel that the pedal was stuck in it's position entirely on it's own, there was no outside object or floormat inhibiting it's ability to return.”
Power train
7 reports2 crashes
“Tony Divino Toyota, a Toyota Motor Company dealership, sold me this vehicle sight unseen knowing I would immediately be towing a boat trailer 350 miles at highway speeds through construction zones on I-80 with children and our dog onboard. I was told it had passed a "160 point inspection" and was "in great condition". However, when delivered to me the dealership knew it was not road worthy and in fact illegal to drive on public roads due to missing a third brake light, bad rear brakes were bad, the transmission had failed, the battery had failed, the shocks/struts had failed, and a live shotgun shell was rolling around under the drivers seat. Both Toyota Motor Corporation and the dealership refused to address or correct these vehicle defects which could have resulted in a disastrous crash with injury/death to myself and children. This systemic Toyota disregard for used vehicle quality creates a national safety issue with all cars processed through the Toyota Motor Company network.”
Engine and engine cooling
6 reports
“AT 66,000 MILES MY SEQUOIA HAD ENGINE PROBLEM, ( THAT'S WHAT TOYOTA PEOPLE SAID ) I TOOK MY TRUCK FOR MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGE IF I SEE THE LIGHT IS ON FOR MAINTENANCE. FRIDAY SEPT 16, 2011 I TOOK IT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR OIL CHANGE AND BRAKE PADS DONE, WED THE 21 OF SEPT, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND IT JUST STOP! I WAS DEVASTATED BECAUSE, THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAVE CAUSED IT, PLEASE HELP! *TR”
Seat belts
5 reports
“I have been having a problem with the seatbelts on this Sequoia for many years and I have had to go into the dealership several times to get help with stuck seatbelts, seatbelts that didn’t retract and seatbelts that weren’t tight enough. I was told after a service visit that Toyota approved a rear middle row seatbelt replacement, but started having other mechanical issues and never scheduled the repair. After getting help for the last time I instructed my kids to be very gentle with the seatbelts and that seemed to help for a long time. They weren’t tight enough, but they were retractable if pulled slowly and carefully. They did get stuck again, but I carefully fed them back into the tract. Well, now I have a seatbelt that will not retract and that Is fully pulled out and not functioning at all, which is a serious safety risk for my daughter and any other passengers that may be in my vehicle. Toyota is now claiming that they have no case file about this issue and that I’m out of luck and will need to pay for the repair myself. It’s terrible that Toyota can hide serious safety design flaws, fail to input claims as promised, not input complaints when you visit…”
Electrical system
5 reports
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Toyota Sequoia. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 143,000. It was later discovered, when the contact received the Title, the mileage was 248,000.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.