2012 Toyota Sequoia — Known Issues & Recalls

Your door lock actuators have failed multiple times, leaving your doors unable to lock or unlock automatically and preventing you from opening the doors. This creates a safety concern because in a crash, you wouldn't be able to exit the vehicle quickly. The repair typically involves replacing the faulty door lock actuator mechanisms.

Rodents chewed through the wiring in your vehicle, and the side airbags were also damaged by the chewing. Your dealer found that the wiring contains soy-based materials that attract rodents and determined the wiring needs to be replaced. This is a serious issue since damaged wiring can affect multiple electrical systems and compromise airbag safety.

All four of your door locks have failed and won't respond to the key fob or interior switches. Toyota replaced two under warranty but charged you for a third and refused to fix the fourth. Now your driver's door lock has failed again, leaving you unable to lock or unlock either the driver's door or rear driver's side door with the fob or any interior control. The issue prevents you from using the fob to access the vehicle at all. This will likely require replacement of the faulty door lock actuators in those doors.

Your car's ignition key occasionally gets stuck and won't turn or pull out smoothly. The dealership diagnosed that your ignition switch needs to be replaced. The manufacturer agreed to cover 50% of the repair cost. The issue occurred at around 15,000 miles on the odometer.

Your car's traction control, vehicle stability control, and slip indicator lights turn on together while driving, causing the car to lock up and emit a beeping noise. This has happened about 7 times since August. Toyota recalled the 2003 model for the same issue but didn't include your 2002 model, despite multiple complaints. This could be dangerous if the brakes lock unexpectedly while driving.

Your vehicle shakes violently when braking downhill at highway speeds (60-65 mph), a problem that started at just 15,000 miles. The Toyota dealer identified warped brake rotors as the cause, though they consider the brake wear normal and say you need a brake job. The shaking is severe enough that you're concerned about losing control of the vehicle.

Your vehicle shakes violently when braking downhill at highway speeds. This started at 5,000 miles, and after the dealer machined the rotors, the problem returned by 16,000 miles. You're concerned about losing control due to the severe shaking, especially since the brakes are failing repeatedly on a nearly new vehicle. The issue will likely require replacing the brake rotors and pads.

The paint on your 2012 Toyota Sequoia is peeling and flaking off in multiple areas—including the roof, hood, and rear panels—exposing primer and bare metal underneath. This is a known manufacturing defect affecting Blizzard Pearl and Super White painted vehicles due to poor adhesion between the paint layers. Toyota previously offered a Customer Support Program to fix this issue, but the program ended in December 2022 and the company has refused to help, citing the expiration date. Repainting the affected areas and addressing any rust that has developed will be needed to restore the paint protection.

Your liftgate latch became corroded and stuck, preventing the door from opening even though the power motor kept trying to lift it. This caused the left hinge and mounting area to bend, and the liftgate had to be disassembled from the inside to get it open. The repair ended up costing significantly more than expected due to the damage caused by the stuck latch.

Your rear hatch has been rusting since 2019, particularly around the wiper assembly and latch area. Even after one repair, the rust has gotten worse. This appears to be a recurring issue affecting multiple owners of this model year.

The lower ball joint on the driver's side of your vehicle broke off completely. This is a critical suspension component that connects your wheel to the steering and suspension system, and losing it can make your car unsafe to drive.

Your vehicle experienced unexpected acceleration and deceleration issues where pressing the brake pedal caused the car to speed up instead of slow down, and pressing the accelerator caused it to slow down instead of speed up. A dealer diagnosed that your throttle body had failed and replaced it to fix the problem. This happened at around 65,000 miles.

Your child accidentally held down the rear passenger window switch while you were outside the vehicle, and the window began closing on your other child's head. When your wife tried to override it from the driver's seat, the rear switch prevented her control from working — the driver's switch couldn't stop the window motor. Your child was briefly injured before releasing the switch. You're concerned the window motor applies too much force and that the driver's master switch should override all rear switches for safety.

Your new 2012 Sequoia has been experiencing rough idling, unpredictable acceleration, and erratic transmission downshifting since purchase, causing the engine RPM to surge and fluctuate in ways that make the vehicle difficult to control and stop safely. The dealership has confirmed the problem exists but says it's a design characteristic related to how the fuel system and transmission work together, not a defect they can repair. They've indicated the issue might be addressed through a software update if Toyota receives enough complaints from other owners.

Your fuel pump failed in February 2020 and had to be replaced, but your vehicle wasn't included in Toyota's 2020 recall. Now you're experiencing similar fuel pump problems again — your engine is stalling intermittently, not cycling fuel properly, and has left you stranded on multiple occasions. While your car sometimes starts normally, the recurring issue suggests the fuel pump may need inspection or replacement, and you believe your vehicle should be covered under the January 2025 fuel pump recall.

Your engine is leaking oil from the camshaft housing area onto the exhaust manifold, causing a strong burning smell while driving. This is a known issue on 5.7L V8 engines where insufficient silicone sealant was applied during manufacturing. The oil leaking onto the hot exhaust poses a potential fire risk. Fixing this will likely require resealing or replacing the camshaft housing gasket and sealant.

Your anti-slip brake warning light and brake warning light came on while driving on a dry, straight road with no reason to trigger them. The brakes worked normally, but resetting steps from your owner's manual didn't help. The dealership found the anti-skid brake control module had failed—you can still drive, but you've lost anti-skid technology that helps during emergency braking or slippery conditions. The repair costs around $3,000 and involves replacing the anti-skid brake control module.

Your Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Check Engine lights stay on constantly, and you've already spent significant money replacing oxygen sensors, mufflers, and hoses trying to fix them. When you brake, your wheels vibrate excessively, making the car harder to control—you believe this is related to the VSC system. Additionally, your car stability light turns on and off every time you accelerate. Diagnosing and repairing the VSC and engine control system will likely involve scanning for fault codes and replacing any faulty sensors or control modules.

Your traction control warning light turns on randomly at different times, but you can't figure out what causes it or reproduce the problem. The light comes on without any obvious pattern. A mechanic will need to scan your vehicle's computer to identify what's triggering the warning.

After your dealership performed a software update during your oil change, your Sequoia now makes a loud noise and thumping sound when you turn off the engine—noises that weren't there before. Toyota says this is normal and related to the air injection pump, but they won't provide you documentation about the recall or update that caused the change. You're concerned because the vehicle is behaving differently than when you purchased it, and you want it restored to its original condition.