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2004 Toyota SequoiaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 380 owner complaints about the 2004 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.

2004 Toyota Sequoia
46
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.2× the Sequoia median · #4 of 15 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 63%Owner complaints38027 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage88kElectronic stability control (ESC), median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 6, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2004 Toyota Sequoia has problems

380 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electronic stability control (ESC)982
Structure770
Vehicle speed control531
Service brakes502
Suspension478
Service brakes, hydraulic390
Electrical system340
Traction control system310
Air bags244
17 other systems9412

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2004 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.

65%repaired · 2021 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 19V-741 · Oct 17, 2019 · 928,220 vehicles · 600,429 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

63%repaired · 2021 Q3

Passenger side: inflator module

Recall 18V-883 · Dec 12, 2018 · 168,993 vehicles · 107,096 repaired

Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

70%repaired · 2021 Q3

Air bags

Recall 15V-285 · May 13, 2015 · 1,973,468 vehicles · 1,376,847 repaired

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

65%repaired · 2021 Q3

Air bags

Recall 15V-286 · May 13, 2015 · 1,069,055 vehicles · 698,627 repaired

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
–no report yet

Control arm: lower ball joint

Recall 07V-013 · Jan 19, 2007 · 533,124 vehicles

Risk. IN EXTREME CASES, IF THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUOUSLY OPERATED IN THIS CONDITION, THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE AND COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Control arm: lower ball joint

Recall 05V-225 · May 17, 2005 · 768,379 vehicles

Risk. THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

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?

88kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 92 electronic stability control (esc) complaints. 57% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
6under 30k miles52under 100k miles40100k 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)

15 owners mentioned a cost

$1,600median

Middle half: $1,450 – $1,850

Service brakes, hydraulic

8 owners mentioned a cost

$2,000median

Middle half: $1,500 – $2,433

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

2004 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

2004 Toyota Sequoia safety ratings

2004 Toyota Sequoia 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2004 Toyota Sequoia frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2004 Toyota Sequoia, and the recalls they led to.

  1. LOWER BALL JOINT FAILUREEA06014 · closed Feb 28, 2007
    Led to recall 07V-013
  2. Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA15001 · still open
    Led to recall 18V-022
  3. Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureEA21002 · still open
    Open
  4. Air Bag Inflator RupturePE14016 · closed Mar 2, 2015
    Led to recall 14E-073
In owners' words

What Sequoia owners report

Recent electronic stability control (esc) complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TRAC OFF LIGHT AND VAC TRAC LIGHTS ON ALL THE TIME! GRINDING NOISE WHEN BRAKES APPLIED AT RANDOM TIMES. CAUSE FOR CONCERN! HAVE HAD EVERYTHING REPLACED THAT COULD CAUSE THIS OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS AND STILL HAVING THE SAME ISSUE!
Complaint 11365155 · Oct 19, 2020 · 180,000 miles
WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT, AND AT LOW SPEEDS, VTS IS TURNING ON AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER. THIS HAPPENS WHEN PULLING OUT IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC AND I CANNOT SPEED UP UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS STRAIGHT. *TR
Complaint 11325005 · May 18, 2020 · 240,000 miles
VSC AND TRAC LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. THESE LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS ON. OCCASIONALLY BRAKE WILL MAKE A GRINDING NOISE AND PEDAL WILL GO TO FLOOR. THIS HAPPENS WHILE TRYING TO STOP.
Complaint 11119325 · Aug 11, 2018 · 126,000 miles

Own a 2004 Sequoia?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.