AI Damage2003 Toyota Sequoia SR5: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Toyota Sequoia SR5 filed 107 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electronic stability control and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 107
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Electronic stability control 33% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 27% of all complaints
- 3 Service brakes 26% of all complaints
- 4 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 8% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 7 Suspension 5% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- Electronic stability control: 35 complaints (33% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 29 complaints (27% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 28 complaints (26% of all).
- Electrical system: 9 complaints (8% of all).
- Structure: 9 complaints (8% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 107 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electronic stability control | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 29 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Lost steering, brakes and any control of the vehicle at this time. The vehicle skid into the guard rail spinning it around and sliding until it came to a stop. The arm came directly off the vehicle and is still attached to the wheel.
No headlights remained, all windows were gone, the dash, hood and roof collapsed in on me. It took me five weeks to get behind the wheel again after feeling such helplessness. Last week I received a post card about toyota recalls that involved my sequoia so I decided to look it up. I got ver
I then continued to drive and later as I got up to about 60 vehicle started shaking violently. I pulled over and checked under heath and the frame had separated due to rust at the stabilizer bar for the rear passenger side frame.
It broke because it rusted in half.this could of killed me.luckily no one was coming on the other side of the rd. My mechanic said the frame rusted in half. I bought this vehicle in 2015 im the second owner.
Vsc, vsc traction, check engine light stay on. No other problem to drive. Lights seen from 89000 mile. Changed brake system on 75000 mile including router and works fine.
Brake light, vsc light &trac light constantly are on & now on several occasions going only 10 mph brakes are affected where there is a loud grinding noise & brakes don't function properly.
The chassis is very rusty and I want to change the shocks but I don't want to damage the car because I believe that chassis have to be fixed first and I don't know how much that cost or where to go to fixed
2003 toyota sequoia. Consumer writes in regards to remedy not available in a reasonable period of time to repair front passenger airbag inflator recall notice.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 3,417 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
What to check before buying
- Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Toyota Sequoia SR5?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electronic stability control, vehicle speed control, service brakes. Total complaints: 107. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (31%), rust, corrosion (11%), knocking, grinding or other noise (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 Toyota Sequoia SR5?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2003 Toyota Sequoia SR5 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2003 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.