2003 Toyota Sequoia Limited from North America - Comments

Vibration in the transmission.

I have had the vehicle (Limited) for a little over 2 months now. The vehicle transmission has a vibration coming through the floor. It is worse at 35 miles an hour and is cyclical. It hums constantly when costing as 35 miles/hour. It is independent of whether you step on the gas or not. It is extremely annoying. I brought it in twice for this issue. The first time (1 week after I picked it up), the mechanic had no clue and nothing was done. The second time (2 months after I picked up), they said it was normal … yeah right. Toyota screwed up and they do not know how to fix it. The dealer said there were no bulletins on the issue, but customers have been complaining. No kidding... As far as I'm concerned, a vehicle with a sticker of $48,000 should be perfect. This is my fourth Toyota and it might be my last if they do not come up with something to fix this.

No car, at any cost, should be perfect. Your problem has likely not duplicated itself because it does not exist. In the two times you had the vehicle in the shop, did you ever road test it with the mechanic to isolate the problem? Did you ever ask to test it with a like vehicle to see if it really was common, or just in yours? Did you ever try another dealer to seek a better mechanic? I would suggest making more of an effort to rectify the "problem" before judging the product, since you did pay such a great sum of money for it.

I too have experienced that on my 2001 SR5 4WD Sequoia. At 45,000 miles, when the transmission shifts into to overdrive, coasting (warm) from about 25 MPH to 35 MPH, it would skip or hesitate and then, clunk into gear with a loud thud. I recently took it into the dealer and reported the problem and a noticeable humming or a grinding metal friction noise coming from the transmission. When I would deactivate the overdrive button, the sound would cease. The mechanic could not hear that. Nothing was done. When I took it home from the dealer, that night, it clunked into overdrive gear again at a slow speed coast, 35 MPH. Three days later; today, my wife and my self are unable to move the column shift into park or 2nd or low gear. What's going on!!!. I'm taking it back to the dealer first thing tomorrow. I'll let you know what the outcome would be. I had to start in neutral to park and depress parking brake for safety.

I'm talking it into the dealer.

I have had similar problems with the transmission and lots of problems with premature brake wear. I now have a vibration when applying the brakes that shake the entire vehicle. I paid almost $400 to replace front brakes. This will probably be my last Toyota. My other car is a Toyota Avalon. Numerous problems with it since 1997. Toyota is no longer building a vehicle that lasts with no problems, like it did in the past.

"No car, at any cost, should be perfect. Your problem has likely not duplicated itself because it does not exist."

This is a known problem by Toyota and it affects thousands of Sequoias. Toyota has openly admitted it on Toyota letterhead to at least one owner that I know of. My Toyota dealer admits to the problem, and also admits that Toyota has no intention of fixing it.

Vibration from floor boards on 2003 Sequoia is a front diff problem I had it replaced under warranty and it fixed the problem.