Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Toyota Sequoia owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that the vehicle was rusted and towed to the local dealer and diagnosed that the rear differential casing and steering column needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 240,000.Note: While driving, a loud grinding noise was heard and the vehicle was shaking. 1 pulled over and had the car towed. It was determined the rear differential casing was completely rusted and the oil leaked out. It-was also determined the Steering column was completely rusted. The vehicle was recalled in 2012, due to rust issues. The dealership stated they would do the recall work but the vehicle was in poor shape. When I contacted Toyota, they said it was a courtesy recall and will not do any further. …
Abnormal rust all over underside of vehicle including frame, structural components, brake lines, steering components ... etc. FRAME and steering/suspension components rusting out. Rear differential rusting out. Cab mounts rusting out. Spare tire hardware rusting out. Transmission cooler lines about to burst from corrosion. Rear tow assembly rusting out. Entire underside is rotting out. Known issue which has plagued hundreds of owners, but Toyota has not recalled this model year. Extremely dangerous; one brake line has already gone out resulting in a loss of braking. Toyota applied an undercoating circa 2013 but they just sprayed over an already rusted frame and other components without proper preparation which actually accelerated the corrosion and rot. Deceptive and unethical business practices. Vehicle cost over $50,000 new in 2003 and only has just over 120,000 miles on it. …
Hello, I am writing to you to have an investigation started on 2003 Toyota Sequoia, I own one and there has been concerns with the Frame of the vehicle rotting out, there was Warranty Enhancement Program sent out in United States to cover frames of 2001 to 2004 Toyota Sequoias which replaced severely rusted out frames at the dealership. I use this vehicle for my family and I do not want to endanger the lives of them and the people around the community where the frame may break due to rust and cause a severe accident. Please take a look at the details below and get back to me. …
My 2003 Sequoia was in the garage for a check on the brakes. I also asked them to check the frame for any rust issues, because I had previously been concerned about it earlier. They reported to me that the car should be off the road because the rust in the frame was so severe. They said they would not put it up on the lift anymore because it could break in half. The stabilizer was barely connected at one end. There were holes completely through the frame at several places. I know from my research that Toyota issued safety recalls for 2003 Sequoia and Tundra vehicles. This an issue that Toyota should repair.
This Vehicle's frame had an extended warranty on it for excessive rust damage in the northern cities. There are holes in the frame, very close to welding points that may break at anytime while driving. And cause an accident.
I want to bring attention to the a fatal flaw designed into Toyota truck frames. I understand Toyota denied my claim and I am out of luck with the repairs on my truck. However it is morally responsible for me to bring awareness to this deadly issue. Since most owners don't know they have a problem until the frame breaks, it is worth raising awareness to save human life. This is not a cosmetic issue, its a life or death issue for the consumer. The frame on my truck is completely rusted. In 2013, a Toyota dealership did a frame inspection on my 2003 truck per the recall notice to the previous owner. Toyota had a safety recall for a two step frame replacement for 12 years. The inspection noted an excessive amount of corrosion and rust on the frame components. In 2014, another Toyota dealership decided to spray a sealer over the rust instead of replacing the frame. …
I purchased a 2003 Toyota Sequoia on may3, 2017. After the inspection performed on May 8, 2017, I learned that the frame is completely rusted. It will not pass inspection. After some research I learned that there was a limited service campaign for certain vins of this car from the years 2001--2004 (see https://www.toyoheadquarters.com/threads/2001-2004-Toyota-Sequoia-rust-corrosion-on-frame-condition-lsc-csd.200/). I checked with Toyota and the VIN on my car was not part of the limited service campaign for frame replacement, but my car did get a corrosion resistant treatment from Toyota in 2012. It is very clear from the pictures of my frame and the inspection report from the Toyota service center that the condition of the frame makes the car unsafe (it won't pass inspection). Therefore, the corrosion resistance treatment did absolutely nothing. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Toyota Sequoia. The contact took the vehicle to davenport Toyota (located at 1501 e 53rd st, davenport, ia 52807, [phone]) for a noise that was coming from the chassis while driving. The dealer diagnosed that the frame was badly corroded through. The vehicle was not repaired. Three hours after leaving the dealer, while driving 55 MPH, the frame fractured and the rear of the vehicle shook violently left and right. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to the side of the road. The contact drove the vehicle slowly to his residence. Once the contact arrived home and looked underneath the vehicle, he noticed that the rear passenger side was completely corroded through. The contact stated that there was no coating on the frame, which caused the metal to corrode badly. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Toyota Sequoia. While driving approximately 45 MPH over a bump in the road, a rattling noise was heard underneath the vehicle. The contact continued to drive the vehicle to work. Upon exiting the vehicle, the contact checked underneath and found that the rack and pinion bracket was fractured and detached from the frame. The vehicle was driven to the dealer (bay ridge Toyota in bay ridge, new york, [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the front part of the vehicle's frame was severely rusted and the rack and pinion bracket was detached from the actual frame. The contact stated that the frame was replaced in March of 2013 by the same dealer. The vehicle was not repaired for the recent failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 194,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that there were chunks of undercoating falling from the vehicle onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an annual inspection. The technician informed the contact that there was a foot long hole located on the driver side frame rail, which caused the vehicle to fail the inspection. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under a voluntary recall regarding subframe corrosion. The dealer was expected to clean the frame and spray an undercoating to prevent the failure from recurring; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 123,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Body complaints in other Sequoia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2003 Toyota Sequoia?
NHTSA has 98 complaints about the body & structure of the 2003 Toyota Sequoia, 17% of the model year's 565 complaints. The component named most often is body (58 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Toyota Sequoia body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2003 Toyota Sequoia, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Toyota Sequoia body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 130,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.