Brake Disc Rotor Problems of Toyota Sequoia - part 1

Undersize brakes on this vehicle causes high heat and warping of the brake rotors resulting in violent shaking and possible loss of control.

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The brakes on my 2001 Toyota Sequoia shudder periodically, resulting in an uneasy feeling that the vehicle may not stop correctly.

I have 2002 Toyota Sequoia SUV and in 78,000 miles I have had to resurface or replace the front rotors six different times, which averages about 12,000 for each rotor failure. The failure is severe warping of the rotor which cause violent shaking and steering problems over 45 miles per hour. The dealership wants me to pay for it each time ( out of warranty)but I feel it is a design flaw and a safety hazard and am surprised they have not issued a safety recall.

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I have a 2002 Toyota Sequoia limited. I bought it used in sept/2004. In may/2005 at 29,000 mi I replaced the brake pads. In Aug/2005 at 32,000 I had the rotors resurfaced. In oct/2005 I had the rotors and brake pads replaced. The rotors were warped. Before all three repairs the car vibrated during braking on hills. Toyota dealer is giving us the same run around that I keep reading in other complaints on the internet. We're waiting to hear back from a Toyota rep about why they don't stand behind their vehicle when there are so many documented cases of brake problems on this truck.

In August, 2005 my Sequoia began to shake at the steering wheel. I took it in to a local repair shop. They replaced the front brakes. They informed me that the rear rotors would soon need to be replaced. In may, the rear rotors were and entire brakes and pads were replaced at a Toyota dealership. The Sequoia still shakes badly. I took it back to the first repair center, which has informed me that the front rotor needs to be replaced. The shaking is so bad that it is hard to steer. It has caused the tires to become out of alignment and I have since bought four new tires. I noticed that lots of tundra owners have the same problem and I have encountered two people in my town with the same problem with their Sequoia.

Squealing brakes and severe warped rotors causing vibrations while braking. Contacted Toyota and was notified that calipers and rotors are insufficient for the vehicle. TSB issued to repair if under warranty, otherwise cost is $2000. After one week of driving, following a replacement of the rotors and pads, notice an extreme vibration. Discovered that the rotors are heating up real fast. Notified that this condition could cause brakes to fail if not fixed properly. My safety could be jeopardized by this defect. Vehicle cost is $40k with additional costs to correct a known defect discovered after warranty expires. I expect more for my initial expense. Toyota should be responsible to correct these problems before there are any incidences of brake failure causing injury to anyone.

Problem with 02 Sequoia where brakes vibrate the car, and stopping ability is diminished. Problem to occurs when brakes become heated. (driving down a long hill in second gear, using the brakes to keep the vehicle under control when I would get to the bottom of the hill, the vehicle would vibrate and the brakes would loose some stopping ability. I would be unable to make an emergency stop in this condition. I took it to the dealer on 9/22/04 who stated that the rotors were warped & the pads bad. Not covered under warranty. I explained that this vehicle is for long trips & vacations. Little use of brakes in these driving conditions. I explained that I have another vehicle with over 236,000 miles, and that I know how to use my brakes. (95 Nissan pathfinder with original rotors) he then stated that the Sequoia is a much heavier vehicle and to compare them isn't the same, and it will take more to stop the Sequoia. I agreed but stated that the Sequoia should have a brake capable of stopping it, especially since I am supposed to be able to tow a load of up to 6000 lbs. I contacted Toyota corporate. The person there stated there was a TSB for this & the tundra concerning the brakes, and the dealer should have corrected it. I informed her that the dealer had written no TSBs on the workorder highlighted in yellow. She told me the dealer will correct the problem. After 3 days I contacted Toyota again, and they put me on hold. They said the svc manager had been out & would call later. Later the dealer called and stated that out of good will he would correct the problem. The following day I went in to have it fixed. Went from 4 bad rotors & brakes, to only 2 rotors were bad. They resurfaced the front rotors. After the repair was made, I took it to a hill that I have to drive down in 2nd gear, a few miles long. At the bottom of the hill, the brakes start loosing their stopping abilities. The vibrations were gone, but the heating & stopping problem remains.

Purchased 2001 sequioa approx. 7/2001 sloane Toyota- devon, PA. Approx. 13k car began to shudders when braking. Dealer advised needed new brakes reason "due to the size of vehicle, is not uncommon for brakes need replacing every 8-13k miles" was later advised rotors need grinding. Service guy said I must have "hit the brakes real hard. " no way. I baby this car. Dealer then advised rotor work was under warranty. Now life of rotors compromised. I was not advised about TSB rotors/ brake calipers. 7/28/2004 went for oil change. Was advised I needed brake pads =$250, vehicle now has 19k. Again I'm reminded " big cars need to have brakes replaced every 15 -20k if not sooner. " is apparent service people have been "coached" to follow script brake/ rotor probs w/vehicle. Found many posts on internet this prob. Dealers all over u. S. Feeding consumers same line. Is insanity to have consumers install brakes every 15k-20k miles (normal driving) and rotors gound every 13k. Also- tires that came w/car are bald/need replacing. Dunlops (sorry, don't have the model handy and I want post to go). Very low mileage on car, it should be "mint. " consumers apparently expected to replace brakes/ tires and have the rotors ground every 13k - 19k miles for life of vehicle. Considering cost of vehicle dealers should own up to the vehicle faults, advise consumers of current probs and "replace" (not grind) badly engineered parts, tires, etc. And eat those service costs. If it weren't for the fact that I am leaving for vacation in a few days, I would go right back with internet posts in handand press them for a good explanation and a refund for the brake work, get new rotors and calipers installed and be compensated for the lousy tires the vehicle came with. I researched SUV's for over 1. 5 years before deciding on the Sequoia, I wish it would live up to consumer expectations. Kirby mcghee paoli, PA. 19301.

2001 Toyota Sequoia - I have the same problem as hundreds of other Toyota tundra and Sequoia owners: early warping of the front disc rotors which results in severe brake vibrations and loss of stopping power. On two occasions I have lost control of the vehicle. I have had Toyota and independent brake specialists turn the rotors and replace the brake pads on an average of once every 4000 miles since owning the car and now am on my second set of rotors. I was told there was no solution. My warranty expired without Toyota informing me of a service bulletin recommending replacement during my service calls which would mandate replacement of the brake calipers. Now, after the expiration of my warranty they inform me of a TSB that would have replaced it under warranty, but now I have to pay $1400. Several other consumers on mycarstats. Com relate that the replacement calipers do not solve the problem. Toyota is trying to avoid responsibility. It is obvious that this is a faulty brake system. Not a faulty radio or a faulty dome light. People will die. It is your responsibility to do recall this vehicle and mandate Toyota to enact a proper and safe solution now.

Failure: rotor, pads, & calipers. E bought the Toyota Sequoia in 2001 new and within a years time we had to replace the brakes. A year later our Sequoia started to vibrate, and thats when our neighbor told us that they had a TSB on the Sequoia. We took it in and had the rotors, pads, and calipers replaced at no charge. We have had this vehicle for 2 1/2 years now, and the brakes started grinding and the vehicle started vibrating. We took our vehicle back to the dealership and now they are saying its normal wear and tear.

I purchased a used 2001 Toyota Sequoia on 09-30-2002. Since owning the vehicle the parking brake never remains taunt despite 5 visits in the last 18 months. Also the brakes have been replaced due to excessive wear noted by vibration no less than 3 times according to all the documentation that I have. I have all the previous owner's service records as they were diligent about having the work performed by the dealership, as am I. The vehicle now has 65k miles and the dealership has graciously agreed to replace all pads & rotors at no charge. I have had the other noted problem with the vsc light and brake light comming on intermetantly for no appearant reason.

I have a 2001 Toyota sequioa that has a vibration that comes through the entire front dash especially during downhill braking. The TSB is supposedly for cars under factory warranty only. However, mine was out of warranty when they issued the TSB. I also have been experiencing the the vsc trac lights coming on for no reason at all. Also, the foglight in the front bumper has moisture inside of it that cannot be removed. The last thing is the feeling that someone has just bumped you from behind while sitting at a traffic light.

I have a 2001 Toyota Sequoia that I have replace the brakes on 3 times in 3 years because of a vibration problem when braking on hills and at freeway speeds. This is dangerous for my wife to drive as she feels like she might lose control of the vehicle when the vibrations are strong enough.

We have a 2002 Sequoia. I have had the rotors replaced three time at 18,277, 28,460 and now at 42,463. The first time the car was vibrating a little, each time the sound and noise get worse.

The front brakes seem to wear out at an excelerated rate. I had the front rotors replaced when the vehicle had under 30,000 miles, do to gouging of the rotors. The vehicle is now just over 30,000 miles and the vcs light comes on, and anti-skid activates, and when I press on the brakes there is horrible vibrations and grinding.

2001 Toyota Sequoia, v-8, 2wd. Vehicle vibrates when braking due to warped front rotors. Rotors have been turned, but warp soon after due to heat buildup. The problem has been recognized by Toyota and included in TSB-br000r-02, TSB-br001-03). New rotors and calipers are needed, but dealer will only replace for a fee as my vehicle is out of warranty.

Rotors have excessive vibration, despite good pads. Turning and replacing do not help--problem appears associated with poor design--rotors and pads are simply too small for SUV.

See all problems of the 2003 Toyota Sequoia 🔎.

2001 Toyota Sequoia has brake problems since we purchased it. We have the brakes replaced once and they need to be replaced again. The rotors have been replaced a few times. The vehicle shakes and vibrates when braking. We have been told that there is a problem with the size of the rotors which is causing this. We now have had the rotors shaved down to help with the problem. It is a quick fix for the problem, but always returns after a few weeks.

Front disc brakes wear out prematurely, and dealer did not inform the consumer that there was a service campaign for the front brake actuator upgrade at the time of repair. Now several months later, dealer tells the consumer that the repair must be done by 36,000 miles. This service bulletin is a "product improvement campaign" which means that the front brakes do not work correctly, and newer, improved components will solve the brake problem. The brakes wear out prematurely, now viberate violently, and it is now difficult to stop the vehicle from rates of speed of 50 mph. This must be a safety issue!.

Bought a 2001 Sequoia from dealer in March 01. Started having brake problems within 5000 miles. Took it to the dealer who claimed nothing was wrong, and proceeded to charge us over $500. 00 for brake pad replacement. The truck now has about 50k on it and is not driven hard at all. Front brake pads have had to be replaced about every 10k miles. Now, the front end vibrates all over the place when coming to a slow stop. It does not vibrate as badly when stopping more suddenly.

When braking get vibration and was told by Toyota dealer rotors are warped and need to be changed. Car has approximately. 26k miles and was told Toyota warranty does not cover which seems strange to me. I have noticed seems to be a problem based on internet searches.

2001 Sequoia brakes shudder and worn out at 25,000 mi. Rotors warped. Dealer initially did not agree to install Toyota's rotor upgrade per service bulletin (br005-02).

I own a 2001 Sequoia and have had several problems with the brakes and rotors. The car started shaking when braking at 7,000 miles. Took it to the dealer and they fixed it. Again at 20,000 it did the same thing. After much negotiating they fixed it again and this time they replaced some known problem parts. Now at 30,000 it is doing the same thing and they are adamant that they will not cover the work. They have given me a # for the head Toyota office but I know this will be useless. This is not what I expected from a $40,000 vehicle.

1 month after repair of brake system, I continue to have severe brake vibration which is caused by undersized rotors and calipers on my 2001 Toyota Sequoia. I have been advised that further repair of existing setup will only result in similar failures.

I am taking my 2001 Toyota Sequoia for the 4th time to have the rotors worked on. The first two times, they just turned them. The third time, they replaced them. This time they are replacing them. The truck only has 28,000 miles on it and I believe this is excessive for a new vehicle that I drive very carefully.

2001 Toyota Sequoia front caliber siezed, resulting in warping rotors by overheating creates front end braking vibration and less than normal stopping ability while towing.

Consumer states that brake rotors are wearing, and when applying the brakes, vehicle will have heavy vibration and extended stopping distance. Dealer notified.

Between 5000 and 10000 miles a brake squeal (rear passenger side) began. During 10000 mile service the service dept at the dealership checked the brake and "cleaned". The squeal stopped for about 4 days. During 15000 mile check the service department checked the brake and "cleaned". Again the squeal stopped for about 4 days. During the 20000 mile check the "cleaning" was performed again. After about 4 days the squeal returned. I am driving a new sienna with a terrible brake squeal. Good advertisement for Toyota !!! the service dept says it can't be fixed. I think on a new vehicle the brake should be replaced.

Warped rotors.

Brake rotor vibration.

2002 Toyota Sequoia. The brake rotors and pads wore out quickly. This caused shaking in the steering and extended stopping distance. Consumer took vehicle to the dealership on 12-12-2002, and they replaced the caliper assembly, the front calipers, back plate, and bearings. This problem occurred again on 8-5-2004. However, warranty expired. Consumer took vehicle took vehicle to dealer because the front end vibrated again and there was a grinding noise. The dealer replaced the brakes pads and machined the rotors. The third time was on 7-29-05, the rotors, calipers ,and pads were completely worn out. The vehicle is currently being repaired at the dealership. There is TSB br0052 on this issue. When consumer contacted the manufacturer, they said that they would send an attention notice about the TSB to the dealership. They told consumer when he got to the dealership that he should talk to the customer service representative , who was unavailable at the time he contacted the dealership. As of now the consumer has not been able contact the customer service representative .

At approximately 8000 miles and just 3 months since new, the front whells started to vibrate during braking and dark soot deposits seen on front wheel rims. Vehicle taken to dealer for service check and was told rotors were warped from overheating and was a known problem. Dealer installed brake upgrade package (larger design brake calipers and pads) and turned brake rotors offered free of charge by toyoya. Vehicle has since been driven for 3 months with new upgrade package installed and front wheels are again vibrating same as original design problem.

We have a Toyota Sequoia, the problems are the 4 wheel drive is not operating all the time. It does not engage, when it does sometimes it does not stay in 4 wheel drive. One example is when my wife had six friends in the vehicle the 4 wheel drive did not stay engaged and the vehicle skid control made the engine loose power so she slid backwards down a hill. No one would ride in our 4 wheel drive again. The vehicle skid control activates at radom on dry pavement. The skid control makes the engine loose power while in traffic. There is also a hesitation in the engine when accelerating from a complete stop. Another problem is the braking system is anot adequate for the vehicle. The entire front brakes had to be replaced. The vehicle has been in for the same reairs at least five times and is still not working the way it should. We have all the documentation for service on our Sequoia. We have done internet research through the NHTSA and have found the same problem with other Toyota Sequoia's.

I bought a new 2001 Toyota Sequoia. The brake pads and rotors had to be replaced at 5,000. I now have 15,000 mi and both again have to be replaced because the car shivers when braking on a hill or suddenly. I have the extra care warranty (6 years, 100,000 miles), but the Toyota dealer is saying it will occur again and that they cannot do anything about it, nor cover it again under warranty. I drive this car very carefully. I have kids and cannot afford to be braking hard all the time. Brake problems in a busy, trafficky city like l. A. Can be dangeroous. This is also a new car and seems like a manufacturing defect. I just wanted you to be aware of the problem in case other Sequoia owners are experiencing the same problems. Thank you.

Brake pads are wearing prematurely. Consumer heard a scratching noise like a rock was stuck in the rotors. When attempted to have them replaced, he was told the rotors were on a back order.