Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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 while parking the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, he felt the vehicle made a sudden stop. The contact checked under the hood and noticed that the VSC box was melting. The contact disconnected the battery to the vehicle and the smoke stopped. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Traction control warning lights, VSC warning lights. These lights have been on for 2 years, resulting in check engine light on. I have replaced every sensor possible, fuses, gas cap, and reset the system multiple times but can not get these lights to stay off. Since lights have been on, when driving on a muddy, wet, icy or slippery road way, my steering locks up, the brakes stop working and there is complete loss of vehicle control. All without warning. This is an extreme hazard and very dangerous. This has been on going since 2017 and is still a major problem . It started at around 200,000 miles.
We own a toyata Sequoia ltd 2003 model year. We took the vehicle several times to the dealer regarding braking issue. If we ever used the emergency brake, for some reason the right side front and rear brakes will start to lock up, that would shake the SUV and we had to pull over. The dealer never determined what the problem was even though we ended up paying for repairs that never made a difference. Eventually we stopped using the emergency brake on our vehicle, that also stopped the right side wheels from locking up. During this period the car parked in our driveway also crashed into our garage and broke the garage doors. With emergency brakes on and in park, middle of the night we there was a loud bang, the SUV had crashed into the garage; even though the SUV was in park position gear and with emergency brakes on.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Toyota Sequoia. While driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate when depressing the accelerator pedal. The speed control, vcs, traction control, and sas warning indicators remained illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to several dealers, but no failure could be found. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that a malfunction of the ECU tracking device failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 10V176000 (electronic stability control, traction control system). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 224,000.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while driving in snowy weather at 28 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, skidded to the left and crashed into a field. There were no injuries but a police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where the body was repaired. The acceleration problem had not been addressed at the time of the complaint. The contact believed the failure occurred because of the electrical system. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. The current mileage was approximately 139,000.
While driving at about 55 MPH, the ABS,track control sensor lights came on and suddenly the acceleration stops I press the pedal to accelerate and there was no response I could not accelerate so I turn my emergency lights on, and accelerate again and this time it worked. But it's been doing that on everyday basis the mechanic said is the vehicles computer, is there a recall for this problem? Can someone help?
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Toyota Sequoia. While driving at 35 MPH, the alarm horn failed to activate when depressed. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where it was diagnosed, but the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 147,000.
Can not get BSC, TRC engine lights off traction control kicks in and locks steering and brakes . Unsafe can not smog after spending thousands replacing parts
When we first bought the vehicle the trac system lights kept coming on and the brakes felt mushy; we took it in to Toyota and they replaced the computer system which seemed to rectify the problem. Then about 9 mo to a year later the lights kept coming on again and the brakes failed twice, Toyota stated they would replace the brake system fluid and the master cylinder at our cost because we had taken it elsewhere and they felt that it had contaminated brake fluid, which our mechanic stated in writing was not. Although we tried numerous times to have Toyota fix it under warranty; we got the vehicle repaired through our own mechanic and then shortly later the brakes failed resulting in a crash on the freeway. …
I am another victim of the ongoing problem for 2003 Toyota Sequoia, vcs traction control light on. So this past weekend being on a trip the light come on and we took it to the dealership and gaves us a surprise repair $1,448.50 for part 89541-0c062 and 896300c011 $751.54 so with labor some in the 2,500 dls. So I told the service guy what was the risk of driving this unit like that. In my own words is like having an 1980's suburban. My husband did a research on the internet on tundrasulutions etc. And there are a lot of cases of this problem arousing around 40,000 miles or less. We have a 4 year old son and we are "scared" to drive this truck without of any of the safety features now I was told that the traction control computer and the main computer needed to replace and that this will disable ABS and traction controls. So this means that I have a 1980 suburban. …
Electrical complaints in other Sequoia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2003 Toyota Sequoia?
NHTSA has 66 complaints about the electrical system of the 2003 Toyota Sequoia, 12% of the model year's 565 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Toyota Sequoia electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.