Most common 2008 Toyota Sequoia problems
Share of the 67 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Sequoia complaints by model year
Best Sequoia years: 2009, 2015, 2017. Years to avoid: 2004, 2005, 2007, 2006, 2008. Compare all years →
2008 Toyota Sequoia recalls (8)
Steering › Hydraulic power assist system
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2022 Sequoia and 2007-2021 Tundra vehicles. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Seats › Front assembly › Seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010…
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016.
Seats › Front assembly › Seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge.
Visibility › Power window devices and controls
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Tundra, Sequoia, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Yaris, Scion xB, Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles.
Remedy: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will inspect the switch and apply a special grease that inhibits heat build up or replace any switch damaged by the defect, free of charge.
Tires › Pressure monitoring and regulating systems
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2011 fj cruiser, Land cruiser, tacoma, sequoia and tundra vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: For the Land cruiser, sequoia, tacoma and tundra vehicles, the dealer will re-calibrate the tire pressure monitoring system on affected vehicles and install an updated tire and loading information label at no charge.
Equipment › Other › Labels
Gulf states Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between September 1, 2005 and June 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Remedy: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual.
Show 2 more recalls
Equipment › Other › Labels
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.
Remedy: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on May 27, 2010.
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 avalon, model year 2007-2010 camry, model year 2009-2010 corolla, corolla matrix, rav4, model year 2010 highlander, model year 2008-2010 sequoia, and model year 2007-2010 tundra vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly. GM will notify owners for the Pontiac vibe please see 10v-018.
What 2008 Toyota Sequoia owners say
Body & structure
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the independent mechanic for an oil change, the mechanic informed her husband that the chassis was severely rusted. The dealer and other unknown dealers were notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not repair the vehicle under Toyota Campaign Number: ZH7 because the campaign had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed the assessment from the dealers. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for routine service, the independent mechanic discovered that the rear subframe was severely damaged due to rust and corrosion. The contact was advised that holes were present in the subframe, and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed that the vehicle was no longer qualified under the Extended Warranty Coverage for the failure. The failure mileage was 168,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine & cooling
A valve spring in the engine failed causing one cylinder to fail as well. The failure fortunately happened at low speed and the engine didn't seize. This a known problem with Toyota V8s of this model year and was the reason for a recall of Lexus vehicles with the same engine. Had this happened at highway speed, the engine, we were told, could have experienced a total failure causing the engine to seize likely leading to a serious accident. The car is available for inspection at the moment, but this failure requires a total engine rebuild or an engine replacement which are both very costly and we may have to purchase a new car. The car has not been inspected by Toyota, police, insurance or anyone other than a car service center. There were no warning lights, messages or any symptoms prior to the failure. It was sudden with no warning at all. …
4lo, vdc, check engine light & anti- skid light keep coming on for years.dealership and Toyota specialist couldn't figure out what's wrong. Latest was 12/28/15 I brought the vehicle with all 4 lights on ... Charged me $1thousand dollars even the problem is recurrent for years. I p/u the vehicle the next day, put gas at costco and parked it for the night. The next day ... Enroute to to las vegas; upon entering the I-15 north freeway ( less than 2 hrs of driving on d drive ) lights came on again. Our family don't feel safe driving this vehicle. Please help us.
Speed control & acceleration
While accelerating to pass a vehicle that was signaling and operating well below the speed limit, my vehicle experienced sudden and continued unintended acceleration. I was able to bring the vehicle to a stop while fighting against the engine within an intersection but the engine continued building revs, bouncing off the limiter while my foot was entirely removed from the accelerator pedal and fully applied to the brake. During this time I had moved the gear selector to neutral, only furthering the engine's revs, and attempted to place the vehicle into park without success, before having to reach beneath my dashboard, foot still on the brake, to pull the accelerator pedal up. I verified both visually and by feel that the pedal was stuck in it's position entirely on it's own, there was no outside object or floormat inhibiting it's ability to return.
This Toyota Sequoia almost kill my family of 6, the accelerator pedal got stuck while in motion driving 30 to 40 miles, the issue was reported to Toyota and the car was taken to the concord, ca Toyota dealer for inspection, the Toyota service was unable to replicate the issue so the car was return back to me, Toyota service center was advice by the Toyota there is no problem, I experience first hand this problem, the accelerator got stuck while driving, I pressed the brake pedal but the car maintained the same speed, my only option was to put it in neutral and apply the brakes and finally the car stop, but the engine RPM's remain high around 4000 RPM, I was able to get the break pedal unstuck by revving the engine in the neural position
2008 Toyota Sequoia engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 17 / 15 |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | RWD | 14 / 19 / 15 |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.7L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 16 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Toyota Sequoia a good car?
Based on 67 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Sequoia rates use caution: 1.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Sequoia at the same age. It is one of the Sequoia years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Toyota Sequoia?
The body & structure — 16 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the engine & cooling (9) and speed control & acceleration (9).
How many recalls does the 2008 Toyota Sequoia have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2008 Toyota Sequoia, the most recent from November 23, 2021 (hydraulic power assist system). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Sequoia?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2015 and 2017. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2004, 2005, 2007, 2006 and 2008. See the full Toyota Sequoia years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Toyota Sequoia problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 65,000 miles; 46% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 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.