Fuel system and electrical system problems issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The 2019 Toyota Sequoia is a full-size SUV that is meant to haul the masses. Toyota claims that it is “ready for everything you’ve got,” but owners are scared to take it further than the driveway. This Toyota SUV struggles with the fuel system and the electrical system, leaving owners desiring more.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2022
For an engine to work properly, it needs to receive just the right amount of fuel. However, this is difficult to do with the Sequoia, because the system is so defective.
One NHTSA complaint states, “This communication is in reference to a known fuel pump problem for which we received an interim notice of recall some time prior to 5/7/2020 (exact date unknown due to COVID shut down delays). There is still no remedy/replacement part available. Toyota customer service tier 2 support has suggested that I reach out through NHTSA for assistance in expediting a solution through Toyota Management. The reason this is so crucial is that this vehicle is part of an emergency services fleet owned by [casino resort].
It is a specialty vehicle which carries law enforcement personnel and canine officers to and from multiple tribal enterprises and other locations as requested by other law enforcement agencies. Periodically, travel occurs at high rates of speed and over long distances, up to 400 miles. Reliability of the vehicle is critical to the lives of those in it, those they serve, as well as those they could potentially be traveling to assist. If this known defective part fails during one of those processes it could be catastrophic. We purchased these vehicles new from the manufacturer we believe could serve the reliability needs of our fleet. While we understand that there are always unknown possibilities, we are disappointed that a remedy is still not available, and we have been unable to obtain a commitment for an expedited remedy to, what for us, is a critical concern.”
It turns out that Toyota has issued two fuel system-related recalls. The first occurred in January 2020. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V012000 says that nearly two million vehicles might be equipped with a failing low-pressure fuel pump inside the tank. If this pump fails while driving, the engine might stall and cause an accident. Then, in November 2020, there was another recall issued. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V682000 says, once again, that over 1.5 million vehicles might have a failing fuel pump. How long does it take to replace fuel pumps? This is a basic part that Toyota should be able to repair quickly. Apparently, the Sequoia manufacturer wasn’t quite ready for this, even though the tagline suggests it should have been.
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| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Steering | |
| Suspension | |
| Unknown Or Other |
Vehicle electrical systems run every aspect of a car, from the air bags to the stereo. When this system malfunctions, customers experience minor discomforts to severe safety issues.
Just look at this Edmunds review. “For all the money I’m paying for this I wish it had a better stereo screen and system. It really sucks. My Highlander had a way better system. Toyota is way behind on their technology on the Sequoia. My husband has a way better system in his 2017 Ram!! I swear by Toyota but this might have it!”
While this doesn’t seem like a big deal, another defect is. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V685000 illustrates how more than 160,000 vehicles might be equipped with an air bag electronic control unit that is detecting faults that don’t exist. Because of this defect, the ECU might stop the airbags from deploying during an accident. It’s as if Toyota created the perfect one-two punch. First the fuel system fails and the car stalls, causing an accident. Then, the air bags don’t deploy, creating more injuries. What exactly was this model “ready for?” Toyota needs to prepare for the lawsuits coming its way instead.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Toyota pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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My 2019 Sequoia TRD Sport is a pile of junk with 30k miles! The entire interior sounds like an old rocking chair. I’ve brought it in several times up to an entire month, and it still makes noises. The dealer has put so much foam inside ALL the panels the SUV might float in a flood. I never owned an expensive plastic made junk car before. The audio system is a joke for 2019. No place to put your phone without it sliding around. I hate this SUV!