Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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).
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. …
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.
I have had my rotors and brake pads changed a few times due to a conspicuous issue with my vehicle. At braking times during any slight "hard" stop, coming from either highway or street speeds the vehicle starts to vibrate on the front end. Tires seem to be wobbly and shake quite a bit. Nearly had a few accidents due to this phenomena. Have taken my vehicle in for servicing at reputable repair shops and have had rotors "cut" and new brake pads installed frequently. Have even had to buy new tires, even though not needed, based on dealer recommendation. Seems there is an issue with these Toyota vehicles after having done some research and spoken to a few other Sequoia owners. Catastrophic brake failure is a possibility on these vehicles. Will it take an injury or even a death to finally have someone delve into this issue?
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.
I notice on June 2, 2015 when I turn left or right that its hard and I took it into Toyota on June 20, 2015 and they told me it was the steering extension shaft. I also took the Sequoia in because even thou my gas tank was full the gauge said it was empty, and when I took it into Toyota they said it was fine . But it keeps doing it and now I put gas in it because I don't want to run out on the fwy. It can cause an accident.
Front end in rolled shacking. Tires wearing extremely fast and uneven image. Unable to drive
Received a letter from Toyota for a limited service campaign, for rusting of the frame. I took my Toyota to koons Toyota in annapolis, md. They called me the next day and said it failed for rust. There was a hole in my frame and Toyota would replace the frame at no cost to me. Then they called me to tell me it would cost $6,400.00 to replace everything under the vehicle, because it was so rusted out that when they took the parts off they would crumble. Two days later they called and told me it would cost $6,900.00 to replace parts. They called last night and said it would cost me $7,845.00 and they could not guarantee the price would not be higher.they sent me pictures of my frame and there is a large hole in the frame. My question is shouldn't I get my truck back in working condition without me paying for anything? I contacted Toyota in ca. …
We had a steering leak, so we brought our vehicle for repairs. The mechanics discovered that our frame had advanced and unsafe levels of erosion and breakdown, far beyond the age and considered care of the vehicle. We found there was a frame recall on our make and model, but Toyota is saying it expired two weeks before (July 31st). We were never notified once about this or any other recall for the Sequoia, but receive other notices for our other Toyota regularly. Toyota is doing nothing to assist in repair or trade in (we purchased as a certified pre-owned Toyota from a Toyota dealership, mcgee in hanover ma three years ago) and we are left with a family vehicle that we owe $6K on, yet has no sale or trade in value due to it's compromised state, and one we can't drive our children in. …
Vsc/trac off & ABS failure requiring computer and yaw sensor replacement. I took my 2003 Sequoia to the local dealers service dept. In 2006 because the lights mentioned above were on. They could not find anything wrong. I told them the car was making a loud noise and the steering wheel was pulling to the side - very hard to control. They could not mimic the problem and told me there was nothing wrong. I argued with them, but lost that argument. Luckily for me the battery needed replacing in a few months, and when replaced problem went away. Now that my warranty has expired (last month) the vsc/trac off and ABS lights are on again. I didn't rush it in because of my prior experience or I would have had it in while it was under warranty. Now they want $2200 to replace computer and yaw rate sensor. …
Tl contact owns a 2003 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that the ABS/dsc warning light intermittently illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer assured the contact that the issue was nothing to worry about and was not a big deal. The issue was later discovered to be a communication error between the skid control and the ECM. The service dealer stated that the ECM should be replaced; however, the steering angle on the vehicle was also off and a re-calibration was performed. Afterwards, while driving between 30-40 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal and heard a loud thumping noise. She felt vibrations coming from the brake pedal. While slowing down and switching from braking to acceleration, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate and coasted momentarily until reaching full acceleration. The failure mileage was 83,106 and current mileage was 99,000.
Steering complaints in other Sequoia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2003 Toyota Sequoia?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the steering of the 2003 Toyota Sequoia, 4% of the model year's 565 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Toyota Sequoia steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 107,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries and 1 death to steering 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.