2007 Toyota Sequoia Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2007 Sequoia most often describe two themes: rear subframe rust that appears as holes or flakes around the spare tire area, and rear hatch latches that break and leave the hatch stuck shut. A second cluster of complaints centers on warning lights (check engine, VSC, TRAC) linked to the secondary air injection system, sometimes with power loss. Reports come in across a wide mileage range, from under 30,000 to well past 200,000 miles.

1. 1
   Electronic stability control

   VSC, TRAC and check engine lights with power loss

   Mentioned in 13 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the VSC, TRAC OFF and check engine lights illuminating together, sometimes with the vehicle dropping into a low-power mode, hesitation or reduced acceleration. Several complaints link the lights and rough running to the secondary air injection system, with dealers quoting diagnostics or pump replacement. Others describe stability control engaging during ordinary dry turns and briefly cutting power. Reported from about 25,000 miles upward, frequently above 100,000 miles, and often on right turns or during acceleration from a stop.

   What to check: Scan for stored engine and air injection fault codes and ask whether the secondary air injection pump or valves have been replaced; confirm the warning lights stay off after a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My vsc trac, trac off and check engine lights all came on yesterday. I was driving so I'm not sure if they all came on at the same time or not. The brake does not over ride cruise control on highway. So it will continue gas up even you use brake under cruise control mode. This is pretty disappointing since this problem has been seen all the way back to the first generation”

   NHTSA complaint #10911108, filed 2016-10, 139,800 miles

   “Vsc, traction control and check engine lights randomly come on and vehicle suddenly loses acceleration and runs rough. I tried putting on new gas cap to no avail. I was almost rear ended going up a hill when the lights suddenly came on and I lost power. It has happened at highway speeds as well leaving me unable to safely accelerate . Mechanic reports this is an ongoing problem with toyotas and costly to fix. Stated that Toyota fixed the problem in 2008 models but not in 2007.”

   NHTSA complaint #11339297, filed 2020-07, 198,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Rear subframe rust and holes

   • 21 complaints (15%)
   • median 70,416 mi at 9.3 yrs old (11 state mileage)
   • filed 2010–2025

   Owners describe rust holes discovered during oil changes, inspections or while washing the vehicle, often in the rear portion of the frame around the spare tire carrier and brake line area. In some cases mechanics told owners the subframe needed replacing or welding. Complaints mention a prior undercoating or extended warranty campaign on the same area, after which rust reportedly returned. Reported from roughly 48,000 to 320,000 miles, including vehicles that had previously been undercoated.

   What to check: Have a mechanic inspect the rear frame and spare tire carrier closely for flaking rust or holes, especially on vehicles from wet or road-salt regions, and ask whether any rust-prevention campaign work was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The rear portion of the vehicle frame that holds up the spare tire and has the brake proportioning valve attached to it is severely corroded and the spare tire is in danger of falling off the vehicle while it is in motion. Also the brake lines can be broken causing a loss of baking ability resulting in a vehicle crash.”

   NHTSA complaint #10395372, filed 2011-04, 47,432 miles

   “The vehicle frame has structural rust and the spare tire carrier is almost rusted thru. The under car spare tire carrier is getting ready to fall out from the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10836797, filed 2016-02, 75,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Unexpected lurching or engine racing at stops

   • 13 complaints (10%)
   • median 55,000 mi at 3.5 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • filed 2008–2023

   Owners describe the vehicle lunging or rolling forward while stopped with the brake applied, and in some cases the engine revving while the accelerator was not pressed. Complaints mention the floor mat being ruled out and dealers being unable to reproduce the problem. A few describe braking and throttle not responding as expected during the event. Mostly reported under about 85,000 miles, including very low-mileage vehicles, in stop-and-go and stoplight conditions.

   What to check: During a test drive, hold the brake at a stop and watch for any creeping or revving; ask whether throttle body, pedal or cruise control work has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving 35 MPH in a residential area with my foot on the gas, all of the sudden the engine revved up from under 2 RPM to almost 5 RPM. I pressed the gas to see if I could free up the pedal and the brake. Nothing worked, finally after a couple of seconds the car began loosing acceleration and I pulled over. Floor mat was not under the accelerator, something else made it rev up. We are bringing in the car monday for inspection. I could not reproduce the problem since.”

   NHTSA complaint #10372289, filed 2010-12, 57,000 miles

   “Began acceleration from 35 MPH progressing to 55 MPH, accelerator left my foot, engine sped up to over 5,000 RPM, applied both feet to brake pedal with all my weight, engine continued to race above 5,000 RPM, put car into drive 1 with no change, engine raced, put car into neutral and engine continued racing over 5,000 RPM, was able to steer car into a ditch, turned off ignition. The check engine light was blinking during this event. I was never able to stop with my brakes. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10364751, filed 2010-11, 82,300 miles
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Rear hatch latch breaks and hatch won't open

   • 13 complaints (10%)
   • median 70,357 mi at 5.5 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2026

   The plastic rear hatch handle or latch reportedly fractures, leaving the hatch stuck closed and blocking access to the spare tire and cargo area. Owners describe opening the hatch normally when the latch broke, and some had it replaced only for it to break again. Complaints note dealer replacement costs and that Toyota declined further goodwill repairs on repeat failures. Mostly reported between about 25,000 and 160,000 miles, with no clear weather pattern.

   What to check: Open and close the rear hatch several times and look at the handle for cracks or looseness; ask whether the latch has been replaced and keep in mind it can fail again.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I tried to open the back hatch, the latch broke. I had it replaced on the above date. About a year later, it broke again. Toyota reimbursed me what it cost to have it fixed again at a Toyota dealership on 8/19/13. About another year later it broke a third time. When I called Toyota, they said they would not do anything else to fix this recurring problem, I was on my own. I can only get into the trunk but putting the window up and down. (there is only a 1 year warranty on this part). …”

   NHTSA complaint #10724409, filed 2015-06, 70,357 miles

   “1. 2007 Toyota Sequoia rear door latch broken. The event occurs by attempting to open the rear latch. 2. The failure occurs because the rear latch would jam, and the owner was just trying to open the door the normal way. This also occurs on the regular doors as well. 3. I will contact the dealership about the failure.”

   NHTSA complaint #10340306, filed 2010-06, 79,764 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Airbag inflator recall parts delays

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe receiving Takata airbag inflator recall notices but being told parts were unavailable, waiting weeks or longer with no loaner offered. Some report the airbag warning light coming on and dealers advising them to drive the vehicle in for inspection anyway. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 60,000 to over 160,000 miles, often after recall notices were mailed.

   Recall 19V741000Recall 15V285000Recall 15V286000

   What to check: Ask whether the passenger-side inflator recall has been completed and get written confirmation, since availability of parts affected owners in complaints.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall. I was notified by Toyota of the airbag recall in august 2015. I have checked repeatedly at my local dealer and they don't have any information on when the parts will be available. Initially, I was told by the dealer is should only take a couple of weeks.”

   NHTSA complaint #10817320, filed 2016-01, 60,000 miles

   “On wednesday, february 7, I was driving our 2007 Toyota Sequoia 4x4 on a rural road that had had fresh snow the night before, but no sand or other road salt was laid down. It is a curvy and hilly road. I had driven on the road an hour earlier with no problems. At approximately 9am, I encountered a patch of ice where there was a curve in the road and my SUV that had brand new michelin tires on collided with a tree that was part of an island in the middle of the road. The tree was approximately 15 inches in diameter. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11073193, filed 2018-02, 157,400 miles

Buying note. On this model year, prioritise a thorough frame inspection for rear subframe rust and confirm that open airbag recalls have been performed, then check the rear hatch latch and warning lights on a test drive.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.