Toyota Sequoia Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 269 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the Toyota Sequoia across 18 model years. The 2003 model year has the most (66). The words owners use most often: “vsc trac” (28% of reports).
- 269electrical system complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $2,550typical repair cost reported by owners
- 41%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Vsc trac: mentioned in 74 of 269 complaints (28%)
- Skid control: mentioned in 35 of 269 complaints (13%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the Toyota Sequoia at $2,550, and half of them between $1,450 and $3,350.
Based on 11 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2016), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 221 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 269 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Toyota Sequoia electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Sequoia | 7 | 35% | 459 |
| 2017 Sequoia | 1 | 14% | 6,200 |
| 2016 Sequoia | 3 | 27% | 129,483 |
| 2015 Sequoia | 2 | 22% | 11,000 |
| 2014 Sequoia | 2 | 12% | 3,071 |
| 2013 Sequoia | 1 | 8% | 50,000 |
| 2012 Sequoia | 5 | 25% | 27,500 |
| 2011 Sequoia | 2 | 12% | 66,500 |
| 2010 Sequoia | 4 | 13% | 60,081 |
| 2009 Sequoia | 1 | 17% | 72,000 |
| 2008 Sequoia | 5 | 7% | 140,000 |
| 2007 Sequoia | 12 | 9% | 99,000 |
| 2006 Sequoia | 17 | 8% | 75,000 |
| 2005 Sequoia | 34 | 10% | 83,000 |
| 2004 Sequoia | 34 | 9% | 73,615 |
| 2003 Sequoia | 66 | 12% | 60,000 |
| 2002 Sequoia | 42 | 6% | 119,000 |
| 2001 Sequoia | 31 | 6% | 105,028 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:software; air bags
Model years: 2018, 2019
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Avalon Hybrid vehicles. The air bag electronic control unit (ECU) may erroneously detect a fault during the vehicle start-up self check. If this occurs, the ECU may not deploy the airbags as intended, in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection," and 214, "Side Impact Protection."
Risk: If the air bags do not deploy as intended, it can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the air bag ECU, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0X. Note: 18V-122 was superseded by this recall. The software remedy also includes the updates to the software for 18V-122.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Toyota Sequoia. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 158,343, and at the time of vehicle registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 258,000.
The vehicle is a 2015 Toyota Sequoia with the 5.7L V8 engine and approximately 192,632 miles. The vehicle developed an abnormal internal engine/timing noise, especially when warm. An authorized Toyota dealer inspected the vehicle and diagnosed an internal engine/timing-related condition involving…
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…
I was driving my 2002 Toyota Sequoia on the freeway at approximately 65 mph on the [XXX] when suddenly the vehicle made a beeping noise and the VSC Light and TRAC Light came on. The vehicle suddenly lost control in the wheels and tires and suddenly decelerated out-of-nowhere. Due to the sudden…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2010 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 90,586, and at the time of checking…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Sequoias have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 269 owner complaints about electrical system for the Toyota Sequoia. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Toyota Sequoia electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the Toyota Sequoia?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,550 (half paid between $1,450 and $3,350), from 11 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the Toyota Sequoia?
The most frequent phrase is “vsc trac”, in 74 of 269 complaints, followed by “skid control” (35).
Other Toyota Sequoia problems
See all Toyota Sequoia problems.