repaired · 2021 Q3
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
2003 Toyota SequoiaProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 565 owner complaints about the 2003 Toyota Sequoia, most often about the electronic stability control (esc). It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 18V-883 the manufacturer reports only 63% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 1, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2003 Toyota Sequoia has problems
565 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
158Electronic stability control (ESC)2 crash/fire/injury
98Structure
91Vehicle speed control5 crash/fire/injury
83Service brakes, hydraulic4 crash/fire/injury
66Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury
55Service brakes1 crash/fire/injury
51Traction control system1 crash/fire/injury
41Air bags
40Suspension
15619 other systems10 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic stability control (ESC) | 158 | 2 |
| Structure | 98 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 91 | 5 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 83 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 66 | 3 |
| Service brakes | 55 | 1 |
| Traction control system | 51 | 1 |
| Air bags | 41 | 4 |
| Suspension | 40 | 2 |
| 19 other systems | 156 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
6 recalls
2003 Toyota Sequoia recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2021 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2021 Q3
Air bags
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
repaired · 2021 Q3
Air bags
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
Show 2 more recalls
no report yet
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Risk. SHOULD THIS OCCUR, THE VEHICLE MAY NOT ACCELERATE AS QUICKLY AS THE DRIVER EXPECTS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
no report yet
Control arm: lower ball joint
Risk. THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.
Mileage at failure
When do electronic stability control (esc) problems start?
90kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 142 electronic stability control (esc) complaints. 59% were reported before 100,000 miles.
11under 30k miles84under 100k miles58100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Electronic stability control (ESC)
24 owners mentioned a cost$1,800median
Middle half: $1,150 – $2,200
Service brakes, hydraulic
14 owners mentioned a cost$1,600median
Middle half: $1,337 – $2,100
Electrical system
10 owners mentioned a cost$1,625median
Middle half: $1,200 – $1,767
Vehicle speed control
8 owners mentioned a cost$1,350median
Middle half: $1,065 – $2,000
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2003 vs. every other Sequoia year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sequoia median. How we score
'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2003 Toyota Sequoia safety ratings
2003 Toyota Sequoia 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
- Rollover: 3 stars (0.0% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
5 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2003 Toyota Sequoia, and the recalls they led to.
- ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROLLed to recall 10V-176
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 18V-023
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
- ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND/OR TRACNo recall
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 13V-172
In owners' words
What Sequoia owners report
Recent electronic stability control (esc) complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
I TOOK MY SEQUOIA TO HAVE AN AIRBAG RECALL FIXED AND A RECALL THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE SKID CONTROL MODULE BEFORE I TOOK IT TO HAVE THESE RECALLS DONE MY 2 VSC LIGHTS (VSC OFF LIGHT AND VSC TRAC LIGHT) ON THE DASH WERE ON AND SO WAS THE ENGINE LIGHT I THOUGHT MAYBE THE SKID CONTROL RECALL…
TRAC OFF VSC TRAC OFF LIGHTS ILLUMINATE. SEEMS TO BE FAULTY SENSOR. BRAKE LIGHT PERIODICALLY COMES ON WITH NO ISSUE WITH BRAKES. BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND EVERYTHING CHECKED. ON 2 OCCASIONS WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT IS ON, THE ANTISKID CONTROL ACTIVATES WHEN THE CAR IS GOING LESS THAN 30 MPH SLOWING…
MY VSC/VTC LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON SINCE I HAVE OWNED MY VEHICLE. I ALSO HAVE A BRAKE LIGHT THAT COMES ON CONSTANTLY. I AM ONLY ABLE TO RESET THE BRAKE LIGHT BY TURNING OFF MY VEHICLE AND RESTARTING. I HAVE REPLACED ALL 4 ROTORS, CALIPERS AND FUEL LINES MORE THAN 3 TIMES SINCE BUYING THE TRUCK NEW.…
Own a 2003 Sequoia?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.