Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
2011 Toyota Sequoia — Known Issues & Recalls
Complaints from Jan 2026 to Dec 2011
The most reported issue is unknown or other problems (2 complaints). 1 complaint involved crashes.
Open Safety Recalls (7)
NHTSA Campaign: 14V743000
Component: SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
NHTSA Campaign: 16V396000
Component: SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:SEAT HEATER/COOLER
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
NHTSA Campaign: 15V689000
Component: VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.
Risk: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.
NHTSA Campaign: 13V014000
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
NHTSA Campaign: 11V148000
Component: TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 FJ CRUISER, LAND CRUISER, TACOMA, SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)." WHEN FACTORY-INSTALLED WHEELS AND TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH TOYOTA AUTHORIZED ACCESSORY WHEELS AND LT TIRES PRIOR TO FIRST SALE, THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS WERE NOT RE-CALIBRATED CORRECTLY AND THEREFORE DO NOT START ILLUMINATING THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING TELLTALE AT THE REQUIRED MINIMUM ACTIVATION PRESSURE.
Risk: FAILURE TO WARN OF TIRE DEFLATIONS IS A NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS 138 AND COULD LEAD TO TIRE FAILURE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Fix: FOR THE LAND CRUISER, SEQUOIA, TACOMA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES, THE DEALER WILL RE-CALIBRATE THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM ON AFFECTED VEHICLES AND INSTALL AN UPDATED TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION LABEL AT NO CHARGE. FOR THE FJ CRUISER VEHICLES, THE TPMS CANNOT BE RESET SO THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) FOR THE TPMS WILL BE REPLACED. TOYOTA IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING THE REMEDY ECU. IF AN OWNER IS NOT CERTAIN WHETHER HIS OR HER VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH THESE ACCESSORIES, PLEASE CONTACT ANY TOYOTA DEALER FOR AN INSPECTION AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 31, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA Campaign: 21V920000
Component: STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2022 Sequoia and 2007-2021 Tundra vehicles. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB10 and 21TA10.
NHTSA Campaign: 21E103000
Component: STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain JTEKT power steering gear assembly service parts for 2007-2021 Tundra and 2008-2022 Sequoia, part numbers 44250-0C160, 44250-0C131, 44250-0C170, and 11250-0C121. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.
Risk: An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 17, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 21TH01.
Owner-Reported Issues (17 of 17)
Unknown Or Other →2 issues
Your sunroof glass suddenly shattered and exploded outward while you were driving at 50 MPH, even though a luggage carrier was covering most of it and no objects struck it. You heard a sudden loud bang and had to pull over to assess the damage. The sunroof glass will likely need to be replaced, which may involve removing the luggage carrier and inspecting the sunroof frame for any underlying issues.
Parts you may need:
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Your rear window suddenly shattered while driving at low speed (10 mph) with no prior damage or warning signs. The rear defroster was on at the time, and it was winter weather. You've noted that other Toyota owners have reported the same problem and that Toyota issued a recall for this issue on some RAV4 models.
Parts you may need:
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Engine And Engine Cooling →2 issues
Your vehicle's air pump has failed and needs replacement along with the air pump driver module, which the dealer estimates will cost $2,643 before taxes. The dealer suspects water may have gotten into the system and caused the failure. Repairs will involve replacing both the air pump and its electronic control module.
Parts you may need:
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Your Sequoia has a slow oil leak coming from the front passenger side of the engine, near the exhaust manifold. The dealer identified it as a leaking camshaft oil seal and is offering to repair it. You're concerned about potential reliability issues after the engine work, especially on a car that's only 6 weeks old. The fix will involve disassembling part of the engine to replace the faulty seal.
Parts you may need:
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Seats →2 issues
Your third-row seat has manual controls that your child can operate while sitting in a booster seat. Your child accidentally pressed the seat adjustment button, which caused the seat to move and trap your other child's head between the seats. Unlike the window controls, there's no way to disable the seat adjustment buttons to prevent children from accidentally operating them while riding in the back.
Parts you may need:
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Your third-row headrests don't adjust properly — the outer seats' headrests are either too low or too high, and the middle seat's headrest stops halfway up. This means children and adults can't get proper neck and head support as recommended in your manual, which could be unsafe in a crash. Your previous 2006 Sequoia had multiple adjustment positions in the third row, but this 2011 model doesn't offer the same flexibility. A fix would likely involve replacing the third-row headrest assemblies with units that have multiple adjustable height settings.
Parts you may need:
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Electrical System →2 issues
The power door lock actuators on all your doors have stopped working, so you can't lock or unlock the doors with the remote or key fob—only the driver's door can still be operated with the physical key. You can still lock and unlock the doors manually from inside the vehicle. Since the actuator is integrated with the door latch assembly, there's a concern that the actuator failure could eventually affect the door latch itself. Fixing this will likely require replacing the door lock actuator units, which are built into the door latch assemblies.
Parts you may need:
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Your speedometer and digital speed display show different speeds — the speedometer reads about 3 mph higher than the digital reader when driving around 70 mph. You took your car to the dealer for diagnosis, and they confirmed the speedometer is working within Toyota's specifications. A manufacturer engineer also inspected the vehicle and found no defect. Your car was not repaired because both Toyota and the engineer determined the speedometer is functioning as designed.
Parts you may need:
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Steering,service Brakes,engine →1 issue
While driving your 2011 Toyota Sequoia, the engine suddenly began bucking and knocking, dashboard lights flashed, and the vehicle stalled without warning—causing you to lose braking and steering control in traffic. A mechanic diagnosed a broken valve spring in cylinder #7 that allowed a valve to drop into the cylinder and strike the piston, which is considered catastrophic damage in this engine design. The repair required a complete engine replacement at a cost of over $10,000. The valve spring part number is reportedly the same part that was recalled in some Lexus vehicles but not in your Toyota.
Parts you may need:
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Latches/locks/linkages →1 issue
Your rear liftgate unexpectedly opened while you were driving at 60 MPH. A mechanic diagnosed the problem as a rusted liftgate latch assembly that needs replacement. This is a safety concern since the liftgate can open while the vehicle is in motion. The repair will involve replacing the latch assembly with a new one.
Parts you may need:
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Engine →1 issue
Your 5.7-liter engine has a faulty sealant on the camshaft tower that leaks oil toward the cabin. Because the engine is tilted back, the oil drips onto the heat shield and then onto the exhaust pipe, causing smoke that enters the cabin and produces engine fumes while driving or parked. This oil-on-exhaust condition creates a serious fire risk, and the repair costs over $3,000 and involves replacing the camshaft tower sealant with a newer, improved design.
Parts you may need:
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Vehicle Speed Control,fuel/propulsion System →1 issue
When you tried to brake while approaching a red light, your Sequoia accelerated forward instead of slowing down, causing you to hit the car in front of you. This unexpected acceleration resulted in a collision and damage to both vehicles. The issue may involve the fuel system or speed control system not responding properly to your brake input.
Parts you may need:
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Parking Brake →1 issue
Your parking brake failed to hold your vehicle on an incline—it continued rolling forward even when engaged. The dealer examined it and said the vehicle was working as designed and couldn't be repaired, so no fix was attempted. This is a serious safety issue since a parking brake that won't hold your car on a slope could allow it to roll into traffic or obstacles.
Parts you may need:
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Air Bags →1 issue
You may have concerns about your airbag inflators, specifically that the inflator cylinders could leak or fail to contain the pressurized gas properly in extreme temperatures. The complaint suggests that airbag deployment could occur unexpectedly or direct force toward soft tissue areas rather than away from them. A dealer inspection of your airbag system and inflators would be needed to assess the condition.
Parts you may need:
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Fuel/propulsion System →1 issue
Your fuel tank was punctured and temporarily repaired with JB Weld epoxy by the previous owner, who didn't disclose this to you. You noticed a strong fuel smell for two weeks after purchase, which could indicate a fuel leak posing a safety risk. The fuel tank and fuel pump have since been replaced at a Toyota dealership.
Parts you may need:
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Structure →1 issue
Your rear hatch has developed rust that has eaten through the metal near the latch, causing chunks of metal to break away. This rust damage may eventually cause the latch mechanism to separate from the tailgate, which could result in the hatch opening unexpectedly while driving on the highway and spilling your cargo. The rust appears to have started from water getting inside the tailgate frame, possibly due to improper welds.
Parts you may need:
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Service Brakes →1 issue
Your brake rotors warped at 12,572 miles, causing severe vibration and shaking when you brake—especially on downhill grades—which reduced braking performance on wet or icy roads. The dealership resurfaced the rotors multiple times, but this removes metal and makes the problem worse by reducing heat dissipation; the same issue recurred at 22,391 miles and again at 24,564 miles. The repeated resurfacing also caused premature tire wear that further compromised stopping ability. Fixing this issue will likely require replacing the brake rotors entirely rather than just resurfacing them.
Parts you may need:
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Related Vehicles
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