Tell me about Sequoias

[Boatrick]

I am looking for larger SUV that can tow a 5000 lb trailer and my 3 not so small dogs. Don't want a full size chevy or ford, four door pickups don't have the room and my Wrangler won't tow that much. Been looking at a couple of used (2002) Sequoias with around 125,000 miles. What can people tell me about them? Reliable? Will it tow a trailer OK? Aftermarket support (I like to bolt things on)?
Thanks,
Rick

 

[RU55ELL]

You could buy this one and be done.

http://forum.ih8mud.com/vehicles-tr...-sased-1-tons-expedition-type-sale-trade.html

 

[Boatrick]

Too late...I just moved from VA to CA...maybe if I had looked a little sooner. But seriously, just a bit too modded for my taste.
Rick

 

[kjp1969]

We have an '04 2wd that is kid hauler and camper trailer puller for 80k miles now. The trailer is 6000lb, which is just below the limits for the truck, but it pulls well from 200 ft below sea level to 9500 above. Its has been very reliable since new.

We have a Hensley Arrow hitch, so its been rock solid in all sorts of winds and speeds, but that says more about the hitch than the truck.

Unhitched, the truck is great to drive- very powerful day-to-day and comfortable. I'd buy another in a heartbeat. It gets around 13mpg in city driving with my wife at the wheel. She's got kind of an agressive soccer-mom thing going on, so your milage might be better, probably not worse. Trailer mpgs vary from 7-10 depending on the route.

Note that in 05 or 06, they changed from a 4spd to 5spd auto trans.

 

[Boatrick]

Rick
Thanks for the info...the couple I have looked at were '02 so it is the 4 spd. I have seen a couple things on the internet about transmissions replaced because of recalls, have you had any issues?
Rick

 

[Cackalak Han]

We looked at Sequoia's, but wife wasn't a huge fan of the interior. Test drove a 100-series Land Cruiser and it was over. They're not as big as the Sequoia, but there is plenty of room for my small family. Same 4.7 V8 as Sequoia's. Full time 4WD is little peace of mind for when the wife drives. Price is higher for the same year Sequoia, but you can get a 98-02 for $8000-$15000, so not that far off. 13 MPG city and 17MPG highway (this is with oversized 32" tires)

 

[kjp1969]

Rick
Thanks for the info...the couple I have looked at were '02 so it is the 4 spd. I have seen a couple things on the internet about transmissions replaced because of recalls, have you had any issues?
Rick

No issues, knock on wood. I installed a trans temp gauge, but that just tells me how badly I'm abusing the poor thing. It runs like a top. Like I said, I buy another without hesitation.

 

[iigs]

What can people tell me about them? Reliable? Will it tow a trailer OK? Aftermarket support (I like to bolt things on)?

Our experience ('06 SR5 4wd, appx 80k miles): So far it has been very reliable and it feels like a solid car (no "that's going to be a problem someday" type gremlins yet). The earlier Sequoias had a handful of problems that you should probably be aware of. Scanning Tundrasolutions for threads will give you some ideas.

We've never had a trailer behind ours but I have no doubt it would be capable well above its rated limit.

Compared to most other similar vehicles there's essentially no aftermarket support. In a lot of cases you get lucky because something interchanges with similar year Tundras or other Toyota vehicles. My opinion about that is it just forces you to be more resourceful.

 

[FJR Colorado]

I just recently picked up a 2001 Sequoia Limited. It is a beautiful roomy vehicle and seems to have the Toyota DNA.

It nicely complements the modded FJ Cruiser and T-100 as well as the 2010 Venza. Yes, we have a Toy farm...

I was lucky enough to find this Sequoia that was impeccably cared for, had all maintenance records, one owner, only 107K miles and nice BFGs. Got a good deal on it.

I love the roominess and V-8 power. Drives like a big Cadillac. I imagine it would tow just fine. It has the tow package and tranny cooler set-up.

The 3rd row seats are great because they fold up or can be completely removed. Again, space and comfort is superb. Ground clearance is OK for a big honkin' SUV.

I have not yet run it it snowy conditions but I suspect it will do well with all that weight. The 4WD seems to perform smoothly.

I wish there were more aftermarket parts. Eventually I'd like to do a mild lift and perhaps a bull bar with lights. Toytec has a Sequoia spacer lift kit. I think you can also use FJC Bilsteins???

Here's to hoping we see more Sequoia discussion here on the boards...

 

[Krafty]

Check out the Sequoia section of TundraSolutions. There's some good information. Basically the front suspension is the same as the Tundra so there are many options. The rear is unique but a guy on the TS forum has figured out a OME solution using LC 100 parts. Pretty sweet.

 

[Verde Rat]

We got a 04 limited 4WD with 55,000 about 3 months ago, and my wife loves it. I originally wanted a LC100 but I wasn't able to find the right deal at the right time. We also looked at the 4runner, but we decided that we would end up out growing it in the next three years; so, we got the Big Tree. I have a 2000 Tundra SR5 4wd that has 140,000 and it is still running strong, so when it came to the Sequoia I felt pretty comfortable expecting the same standard of quality. So far so good…

What I can say about the Sequoia so fare, is that it is a comfortable vehicle with plenty of power, and plenty of room. It has a lot of bells and whistles that I would just assume pass on, but my wife seems to enjoy them. The MPG's aren't great, but that's to be expected.

Because the Sequoia is not meant to be our primary camping vehicle, I have decided to do some mild mods, like change out the shocks to Bilstein 5100 with 1.5” of lift and some BFGs.