Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Toyota Sequoia owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Malfunction indicator lights - Check engine, VSC off and TRAC off. The vehicle goes into limp mode. The issue is both a mechanical and engineering defect causing the override of the entire AIP system. Parts affected are Air injection pumps, Air switching valves, Air pump inlets/covers, Gaskets/connectors/clamps and Speed sensors.
A couple of days ago, when I was driving on the highway, my Sequoia suddenly stopped accelerating. Trac light and vsc light and check engine light came on. My speed would not go above 40mph and would not even brake. I was in the left lane and the cars behind me were going pretty fast and almost hit me. I am lucky there was no car in the right lane, so I pulled to that lane just in time. It was a scary moment for me because my kids were with me also. I always thought of Toyota of having safety in their cars, but when I came home to research what might be happening to the car, I found out many people are having the same exact problem and thus it is a manufacturers problem. I am suprised Toyota is not doing anything about this. Do they not care of the safety of the consumers? The milage on my Sequoia is only 39,000 and I do not drive it too often, and also have maintained it very well. …
I had owned a 2001 Toyota Sequoia for four years before recently trading it in for a 2005 model. I obviously love the car but there is an unfortunate flaw in the 2005 model that differs from my 2001 model. When the vehicle is started cold the idle speed is very high - about 1500+ RPM. The idle doesn't slow down appreciably until the car has warmed up - about 5 minutes depending on the weather. The problem with the high idle comes when trying to drive the car on an icy surface. I came out of my garage on an icy morning, put the car into forward, kept my foot on the brake and slowly tried to move forward. Even at a snail's pace the car skidded uncontrollably into a raised flower bed by my house scraping the under panels. My 2001 Sequoia never had this problem. The high idle speed makes the car uncontrollable on ice. There is simply too much torque and power even with the brake on. …
While driving at 35 MPH, the check engine light, vsc off light, vsc trac light, and the emergency brake light all came on at once, and the vehicle stopped accelerating, and I experienced a dramatic decrease in vehicle power. I drove the vehicle home noticing a drastic change in acceleration as the Sequoia would not accelerate normally; it would accelerate at a significantly reduced rate, topping out at 35mph on the flats, 30 MPH on an incline, I was able to reach 70mph going down hill on a highway. Since that day, during start up, the engine makes a high-pitch vacuum noise, which drops off and normal engine sound returns. All dashboard lights are normal, until 10-15 seconds after start, when the vsc off/vsc trac/brake lights all illuminate, and remain on until the engine is turned off and the poor acceleration and decrease power are now the norm. …
Engine warning and vsc trac off lights, I had several issues with these warnings. This is the second time it had happened to my SUV. The last time was on a long vacation trip and it suddenly goes on and the engine starts to go on limp mode, where it slows down dramatically even though the SUV's engine is fine. It was pretty dangerous because we were on a fwy where the speed is 75 MPH. We took it in for repair in Toyota dealer and it just need a routine maintenance which cost me $2600 to get this lights off! Two years later to this day, the lights went on again and now the same thing, it is going to cost me $2600 to get these light off! This is happening a lot to all 2005 Sequoia. There should be a recall for these...
Oyota Sequoia 2005 engine light on ,vsc off light and trac vsc light on. These complaints are about this problems http://www.automotiveforums.com/t544406-sequoia_vsc_trac_problem.html,http://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Sequoia/2003/electrical/vsc_trac_lights_are_on.shtml,here are tons of other complaints on this problem and it is not limited to our year model. If all of the complaints were compiled in one area and presented to the ntsb, I'm sure that Toyota would be forced to deal with this issue and correct it. Its a big issue estimated cost for that around $ 2000 to $ 5000 I don`t know if u investigate or no .I am not going to get this issue repair until I will hear from you .please take it seriously
Toyota extended the warranty coverage for repairs related to illumination of the check engine light (malfunction indicator light) due to moisture/water in the air injection pumps and/or air switching valves for select Sequoia trucks. It should be required to extend it to all Sequoia trucks as it clearly recognizes this pump and valve assembly is defective in this model. The coverage extends for the lesser of 10 years or 150,000 miles but instead should be for the greater of the two. This repair costs $4000 and typically occurs when the truck value is near $7000. My truck is experiencing this problem and will not accelerate above 50 MPH which can be dangerous.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sequoia. While parked, the vehicle caught fire. A fire and police report were both filed. The manufacturer would only reimburse the contact for half the cost of the vehicle, stating that they could not determine the cause of the failure. The failure and current mileages were 20,000. According to the police report, the fire May have started in the engine compartment. Prior to the fire, the tires were wearing unevenly, the driver side mirror was loose and the rear glass did not open. Updated 04/23/08
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Toyota Sequoia. While starting the vehicle, an abnormal noise was observed and the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the secondary air pump failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired the failure mileage was approximately 117,000. Updated 04/18/17lj
Vsc trac, vsc off, brake, ABS lights... All on, all at once. And looses power on the freeway very dangerous. I have done some research and there is thousands of complains . It hapen to me last night vsc trac, vsc off, brake, ABS lights.came on all on, all at once.and I start looosing power lucky I was close to a exit
Engine complaints in other Sequoia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2005 Toyota Sequoia?
NHTSA has 55 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2005 Toyota Sequoia, 16% of the model year's 352 complaints. The component named most often is engine (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Toyota Sequoia engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2005 Toyota Sequoia, though it has 9 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 2005 Toyota Sequoia engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.