2001-2004 Toyota Sequoia Rust Corrosion on Frame Condition LSC CSD

[OishiiJPN]

Warranty Enhancement Letter CSD
​

Subject: Limited Service Campaign (LSC) CSD
Certain 2001 through 2004 Model Year Sequoia Vehicles Frame Inspection

This is not a Recall, it is a Warranty Enhancement.

Condition
Toyota has received reports that certain 2001 through 2004 model year Sequoia vehicles operated in specific cold climate areas with high road salt usage may exhibit more-than-normal corrosion to the vehicle’s frame. This condition is unrelated to and separate from normal surface rust which is commonly found on metallic surfaces after some years of usage and/or exposure to the environment.

Limited Service Campaign (LSC) Remedy
If a customer believes his/her vehicle has been or will be operated in cold climate regions of the United states
where high road salt is frequently used and/or customers concern that their vehicles frame has more than normal corrosion, dealerships are requested to inspect the vehicles frame for excessive corrosion.

Based upon the results of the inspection dealership are requested to do one or more of the following at no
charge to the vehicle owner:

*If the vehicle’s frame and spare tire carrier passes Toyota’s inspection, no further action is required.

*If significant corrosion of the frame is detected based on Toyota’s inspection procedure**, then the vehicle’s frame and certain supporting hardware will be replaced at no charge to the owner until July 31, 2014 (repairs must be completed by this date).

*If the spare tire carrier does not meet Toyota’s inspection criteria**, the spare tire carrier will be replaced at no charge to the owner until July 31, 2014.

 

[kathy]

Can anyone help me. We did not see or receive this warranty, probably because we were new owners of the car. We brought the car in because the steering was tight and the dealership said the frame is completely gone, rusted, not safe to drive. Is there any opportunity at this point in time for help from Toyota? A cars frame should not go this early and we feel hopeless. A great truck that we love but we are sad and frustrated.

 

[OishiiJPN]

Can anyone help me. We did not see or receive this warranty, probably because we were new owners of the car. We brought the car in because the steering was tight and the dealership said the frame is completely gone, rusted, not safe to drive. Is there any opportunity at this point in time for help from Toyota? A cars frame should not go this early and we feel hopeless. A great truck that we love but we are sad and frustrated.

Kathy, I am sorry to hear that this has happened to you. The only course of action now is to open a case with Toyota and see if they will help out on this repair. It looks like this Limited Service Campaign ended July 31, 2014. I do know that they are becoming really stringent on offering help past the dates set for a LSC to end but a simple phone call doesn't hurt. You can call Toyota here at 1-800-331-4331

 

[Miriam Reilly]

Don't expect any help from the 800 people - I went from the normal support person to their supervisor who then informed me that anyone higher than her is proprietary information. I have owned 3 Toyota's and I have never received such bad customer service in my life directly from the manufacturer... Guess what? I am the original owner of my 2004 Sequoia and I NEVER received any letter(s) regarding this issue. Needless to say, if I don't get this resolved, I will be contacting an attorney. Sorry, a 12 year old high end truck with 170k miles on it with normal activity (no 4 wheeling etc) should not be rusted out. If they don't take care of this, they have indeed lost a VERY LOYAL Toyota customer for life and anyone I can reach by mouth or social media too... Very unsatisfactory experience. I expect more from Toyota

 

[Leon]

I've had the same bad experience with customer service. I did get the letter and took my truck into the nearest Toyota dealership. They told me they could not service the truck at their location and that they would contact me as soon as they got a close location for me to go and have the necessary service performed. A year went by and I got no return call. I called to find out what was going on and they told me that I was out of luck and that there was nothing they could do to help and that it was my fault the truck wasn't serviced. Never again will this company get my money and I will at every opportunity spread the word on this company.. TOYOTA YOU SUCK!!!!!!

 

[kathy]

Miriam and Leon,
Have either of you come across recourse for the situation. The dealership offered me $500.00 toward a trade. I almost thru up. $500.00 is a joke. I had the truck towed back to our house and it's sitting in the driveway, mostly because I can't actually believe that is all it is worth. I have researched and seen that Toyota used the same metal with the Tacoma and that they are replacing those frames for the life of the truck? Shouldn't they be doing the same for Sequioa owners? I just don't understand? I would love to know if you have hired a lawyer or contacted one and what he/she may have said. I am so frustrated, this is just not right. a 12 year old, expensive car should not be "junk" because of a manufacturer defect.

 

[nms]

I have a 2002 Sequoia and just recently found out from my mechanic who was replacing my rotors that the undercarriage is totally rusted out. I contacted Toyota corporate immediately because I never received a letter about the replacements. The customer service representative was very cool and told me Toyota was not responsible beyond the expired date. My car will not pass inspection because it's deemed "unsafe to drive" due to the rotted undercarriage! I am also looking for an attorney if anyone has already found someone. It's gross negligent on behalf of Toyota. Are they not still liable if people have accidents due to this issue? Perhaps they're okay with taking on the individual lawsuits and bad media press.

 

[kathy]

I have a 2002 Sequoia and just recently found out from my mechanic who was replacing my rotors that the undercarriage is totally rusted out. I contacted Toyota corporate immediately because I never received a letter about the replacements. The customer service representative was very cool and told me Toyota was not responsible beyond the expired date. My car will not pass inspection because it's deemed "unsafe to drive" due to the rotted undercarriage! I am also looking for an attorney if anyone has already found someone. It's gross negligent on behalf of Toyota. Are they not still liable if people have accidents due to this issue? Perhaps they're okay with taking on the individual lawsuits and bad media press.

I'm still trying to decide what to do with our sequoia , I have been looking at consumer places to file a complaint, have you had any luck?

 

[kathy]

I have a 2002 Sequoia and just recently found out from my mechanic who was replacing my rotors that the undercarriage is totally rusted out. I contacted Toyota corporate immediately because I never received a letter about the replacements. The customer service representative was very cool and told me Toyota was not responsible beyond the expired date. My car will not pass inspection because it's deemed "unsafe to drive" due to the rotted undercarriage! I am also looking for an attorney if anyone has already found someone. It's gross negligent on behalf of Toyota. Are they not still liable if people have accidents due to this issue? Perhaps they're okay with taking on the individual lawsuits and bad media press.

I've had the same bad experience with customer service. I did get the letter and took my truck into the nearest Toyota dealership. They told me they could not service the truck at their location and that they would contact me as soon as they got a close location for me to go and have the necessary service performed. A year went by and I got no return call. I called to find out what was going on and they told me that I was out of luck and that there was nothing they could do to help and that it was my fault the truck wasn't serviced. Never again will this company get my money and I will at every opportunity spread the word on this company.. TOYOTA YOU SUCK!!!!!!

I'm still trying to decide what to do with our sequoia , I have been looking at consumer places to file a complaint, have you had any luck?

 

[kathy]

Don't expect any help from the 800 people - I went from the normal support person to their supervisor who then informed me that anyone higher than her is proprietary information. I have owned 3 Toyota's and I have never received such bad customer service in my life directly from the manufacturer... Guess what? I am the original owner of my 2004 Sequoia and I NEVER received any letter(s) regarding this issue. Needless to say, if I don't get this resolved, I will be contacting an attorney. Sorry, a 12 year old high end truck with 170k miles on it with normal activity (no 4 wheeling etc) should not be rusted out. If they don't take care of this, they have indeed lost a VERY LOYAL Toyota customer for life and anyone I can reach by mouth or social media too... Very unsatisfactory experience. I expect more from Toyota

I'm still trying to decide what to do with our sequoia , I have been looking at consumer places to file a complaint, have you had any luck?

Don't expect any help from the 800 people - I went from the normal support person to their supervisor who then informed me that anyone higher than her is proprietary information. I have owned 3 Toyota's and I have never received such bad customer service in my life directly from the manufacturer... Guess what? I am the original owner of my 2004 Sequoia and I NEVER received any letter(s) regarding this issue. Needless to say, if I don't get this resolved, I will be contacting an attorney. Sorry, a 12 year old high end truck with 170k miles on it with normal activity (no 4 wheeling etc) should not be rusted out. If they don't take care of this, they have indeed lost a VERY LOYAL Toyota customer for life and anyone I can reach by mouth or social media too... Very unsatisfactory experience. I expect more from Toyota

I'm still trying to decide what to do with our sequoia , I have been looking at consumer places to file a complaint, have you had any luck?

 

[Mary]

My 2003 Sequoia has the same problem. Holes in the frame and steering being held on by 1 CM of steel! Need to totally junk it because was told that the next bump it hits could lose all my steering and cause an accident. Toyota dealer knew about this before the expiration date and only sprayed anti-corrosive on the under carriage. But it soon peeled off since it was sprayed on rust! Now the frame has a hole in it and is not fit to drive. If they would have addressed this properly and reported it to Toyota when they sprayed the rust protection, it would have beat the date. Now it is passed and I am pissed. They won't help me out!

 

[dave]

My 2003 Sequoia has the same problem. Holes in the frame and steering being held on by 1 CM of steel! Need to totally junk it because was told that the next bump it hits could lose all my steering and cause an accident. Toyota dealer knew about this before the expiration date and only sprayed anti-corrosive on the under carriage. But it soon peeled off since it was sprayed on rust! Now the frame has a hole in it and is not fit to drive. If they would have addressed this properly and reported it to Toyota when they sprayed the rust protection, it would have beat the date. Now it is passed and I am pissed. They won't help me out!

Mary,
What did you do. I have the same issue.

 

[Will Hager]

Okay Folks....I am going to do it. Take Toyota to small claims court for not notifying me of the LSC for my 2001 Sequoia. I have tried to resolve this issue with Toyota via their customer service staff by submitting several cases over the past 12 months. After being told the 7/31/2014 deadline had passed, and there was nothing more they were willing to do, I have few other options. To rub salt into the wound, while at my local Toyota dealership for parts (for another Toyota - I have owned 12) I was discussing my experiences with a dealership Service Center employee. He did not understand why I was told that Toyota would not do anything. He said they currently had two (2) frames in the dealership to repair two vehicles under the campaign. That was 20+ months AFTER the campaign officially ended. When I asked why they could not help me, he simply said "I must not have gone far enough up the food chain" to get action. That was the push I needed to try to resolve this via legal action. I filed my small claim case that same day.

Now that I have a court date scheduled, I would like to have one or two names of other owners who also did not get a notice of the LSC. I see Miriam Reilly added her complete name above. Would any others be willing to do the same? I promise it will only be used to add credibility to my claim, that others have experienced the same. Even some that purchased the vehicles new (which I did not). BTW....I also had a 2001 Tacoma and DID receive the notices for that vehicle....just not the Sequoia.

It seems Toyota will admit that there are problems with the frame, but believes I have no case because they have some evidence that they "mailed" the notice letters and a statute of limitations is in place. They don't seem to care if "we" ever received the letters, just that they mailed them. Sounds a lot like the "check is in the mail" to me.

Wish me luck. We all may benefit if I win. Any names that could help the cause will be appreciated.

Thanks
Will Hager

 

[Will]

All.....my small claims court date is tomorrow. Is there anybody else who would like to say that they did not receive the notices from Toyota about the LSC on their 2001-2004 Sequoia? Thanks. Will Hager

 

[Bruce M175]

All.....my small claims court date is tomorrow. Is there anybody else who would like to say that they did not receive the notices from Toyota about the LSC on their 2001-2004 Sequoia? Thanks. Will Hager

Will, how did small claims court go? I am just reading this now as an owner of an 04 Sequoia with pretty bad rust and never getting any notice.

 

[Dracut Dave]

I have purchase a 2006 Toyota Sequoi in 2014 and was informed by my machanic that the frame has rotted out in some places. I am just starting the process, since I purchase it in 2014 I have not recieved any recall for this.

 

[Tap-it-in]

Dracut Dave- sounds like you bought it from someplace/somebody that knew they had a bad frame on they're hands. Was the purchase date before or after the end of the service campaign?

All- I'm wondering if anybody has had success in repairing the frame by patch welding?

TIA

 

[Arran]

Today I tried to jack my
2002 sequoia up to investigate the severe power steering leak. While floor jacking the vehicle the frame started to cave in! I knew this was going to be a problem and had it inspected by Toyota 2 years ago and was told there is no problem. NO PROBLEM!! 2 YEARS!!!! They knew there was a problem and I am going to do everything I can to get this resolved. I have owned Toyota's for 20 years and ran an indipendant auto repair for 18 years. I have convinced countless people to buy Toyota's because of their quality. Sorry for the rant, I am very upset right now. I need a new rack and pinion because it to rusted out and is leaking badly, not to mention my truck wanders all over the highway because the rack bushings and mounts are rotted and very sloppy. This vehicle has 135,000 miles and is very nice. There is no way this should happen
!

 

[Nate Kittle]

Okay Folks....I am going to do it. Take Toyota to small claims court for not notifying me of the LSC for my 2001 Sequoia. I have tried to resolve this issue with Toyota via their customer service staff by submitting several cases over the past 12 months. After being told the 7/31/2014 deadline had passed, and there was nothing more they were willing to do, I have few other options. To rub salt into the wound, while at my local Toyota dealership for parts (for another Toyota - I have owned 12) I was discussing my experiences with a dealership Service Center employee. He did not understand why I was told that Toyota would not do anything. He said they currently had two (2) frames in the dealership to repair two vehicles under the campaign. That was 20+ months AFTER the campaign officially ended. When I asked why they could not help me, he simply said "I must not have gone far enough up the food chain" to get action. That was the push I needed to try to resolve this via legal action. I filed my small claim case that same day.

Now that I have a court date scheduled, I would like to have one or two names of other owners who also did not get a notice of the LSC. I see Miriam Reilly added her complete name above. Would any others be willing to do the same? I promise it will only be used to add credibility to my claim, that others have experienced the same. Even some that purchased the vehicles new (which I did not). BTW....I also had a 2001 Tacoma and DID receive the notices for that vehicle....just not the Sequoia.

It seems Toyota will admit that there are problems with the frame, but believes I have no case because they have some evidence that they "mailed" the notice letters and a statute of limitations is in place. They don't seem to care if "we" ever received the letters, just that they mailed them. Sounds a lot like the "check is in the mail" to me.

Wish me luck. We all may benefit if I win. Any names that could help the cause will be appreciated.

Thanks
Will Hager

Will,

We have a 2002 Sequoia with holes in the frame. When my mechanic told my wife what they found, he said it wasn't safe to be on the road. We did get a service notice regarding corrosion, they painted the frame and gave it back to us. The paint didn't last a season and then my mechanic gave me the bad news. I am interested in joining a law suit against Toyota. Please post an update to your claim so I know how to follow up or contact you.

Nate

 

[Chris Reilly]

Hi there,
So it was just announced that Toyota is settling with Tacoma, Tundra and Sequoia owners to the tune of $15k! Unfortunately, Sequoias only as far back as 2005---mine is 2004! Do we have any recourse?