Do you need a Sequoia? That quite a jump from a sedan...

What's your budget? How many family members you hauling around? Why not a minivan or a smaller SUV? Maybe a Nissan Armada if you need Sequoia size

 

Well need is an interesting word. I guess I don't need a Sequoia. However, I am interested in a body on frame SUV that would be multipurpose to carry people and cargo as needed without having to rent a uhaul or other vehicle for longer roadtrips. The reason for body on frame is for greater desired ground clearance. My wife has a highlander and it's a great suv but I'd like something that can survive some level of street flooding in emergencies. A previous sedan unfortunately flooded a couple of years ago in a parking lot during a storm. ( I live near the gulf coast where flooding is getting all too familiar).

I would probably be ok with a 4runner, however both new and used, these have some magic voodoo on them that demands ridiculous amounts of money even for something above 150k miles.
My overall budget is under 20k ( my sedan is a Lexus that's worth this much). I'd rather not "invest" too much money buying a used car and rather put that money towards necessary nmaintanence and repairs.

And I just have a better warm and fuzzy buying a Toyota at the end of the day. These are generally overbuilt vehicles that with some careful maintenance ncan literally last forever. I don't think I can say the same about some other brands. This is why for me the sequoia seems to make the most sense. I get the fuel consumption issue but apart from that I think this is the best compromise vehicle for me.

 

I was in the same boat as you but I traded in my 17 Pathfinder for my 2010 Sequoia. Although I gave up a lot of creature comforts, I was very happy with the space I got out of it. I used the advantage of getting more money from this inflated market for my 70k miles pathfinder to help with getting the Sequoia. Mine was 20k with 119k on it for my SR5, which was one of the lowest priced/lowest mileage/good shape drivetrain sequoias around my area for my budget 20k. I did have to drive 2 hrs away to get mine. I was also looking at Armadas, Suburban's and Expeditions, but the reliability is what was pushing me to get a Sequoia instead. Since my family has always had Toyotas with over 120k on Highlanders and Corollas/Camrys I was convinced.

Mine did need some suspension work which overall has costed me under 1k. And that's with doing the work myself (still need to finish up one last side). If I had to take it to a shop id be spending way more in labor and parts. If your handy, you could be saving money in labor and buying good quality parts for cheaper online. Since you will be buying a high mileage Sequoia keep in mind parts will most likely need to be replaced.

If you can stomach paying for something that is good mechanically, even if it is a bit overpriced for now, I personally don't think its a bad buy. On the other hand if you can wait for prices to come down, which they are slowly, then do so. I'm happy with my purchase and even though some might say I overpaid I think it was worth it since I wanted to get out of my pathfinder to get something bigger for traveling purposes. Forgot to mention it took me about 3 weeks to find my Sequoia so cheaper ones are out there you just have to search for them. Good luck though on your search.

 

I was in the same boat as you but I traded in my 17 Pathfinder for my 2010 Sequoia. Although I gave up a lot of creature comforts, I was very happy with the space I got out of it. I used the advantage of getting more money from this inflated market for my 70k miles pathfinder to help with getting the Sequoia. Mine was 20k with 119k on it for my SR5, which was one of the lowest priced/lowest mileage/good shape drivetrain sequoias around my area for my budget 20k. I did have to drive 2 hrs away to get mine. I was also looking at Armadas, Suburban's and Expeditions, but the reliability is what was pushing me to get a Sequoia instead. Since my family has always had Toyotas with over 120k on Highlanders and Corollas/Camrys I was convinced.

Mine did need some suspension work which overall has costed me under 1k. And that's with doing the work myself (still need to finish up one last side). If I had to take it to a shop id be spending way more in labor and parts. If your handy, you could be saving money in labor and buying good quality parts for cheaper online. Since you will be buying a high mileage Sequoia keep in mind parts will most likely need to be replaced.

If you can stomach paying for something that is good mechanically, even if it is a bit overpriced for now, I personally don't think its a bad buy. On the other hand if you can wait for prices to come down, which they are slowly, then do so. I'm happy with my purchase and even though some might say I overpaid I think it was worth it since I wanted to get out of my pathfinder to get something bigger for traveling purposes. Forgot to mention it took me about 3 weeks to find my Sequoia so cheaper ones are out there you just have to search for them. Good luck though on your search.

Yes I agree. I dont think people are just buying for the Toyota brand. The reliability is proven and is why many of these cars just dont depreciate as fast as their counterparts. Deals are there to be had though I just have to keep looking. The sequoia offers a level of practicality that I cant see in other vehicles. I know the gas is an issue but given that it uses regular gas (My current GS350 requires premium) I think the fuel cost is a wash. Will also save a bit on insurance as well. The sequoia is a dinosaur, but a predictable and capable one.

 

I'm getting close to pulling the trigger on a 2011 limited with 125k miles. Dealer is not budging off $20k. I checked out the vehicle as you suggested, and to me suspension and ball joints look ok for now (But I'm no mechanic). I did notice an issue with the AC and blower motor (its not kicking on until about a minute after the vehicle is started). The service techs are looking at this. I would think this would be a reason for negotiation. Should i ask for the techstream report or diagnostic codes off the vehicle? Its a Toyota dealership but not so convinced that they are being transparent.

 

You could try to request that. Some codes are stored in memory so when you connect a scanner you can see what previous codes were on if there just deleted. I used this as my advantage buying another car, but I brought my own scanner. I honestly don't feel any dealer is as transparent as they can be so they wont mention it if you don't see it, a "dont ask dont tell" type of thing. If the AC issue you are seeing is something they can fix cool work that out in the deal. If not you might have to fix it on your own and they might give you some money off. By the way on my highlander, I had a similar issue were the AC was not kicking on right away and sometimes not at all. Found out it was a bad relay and now it works all the time, maybe it might be the same for the sequoia but just thought I might help with that.

I like to piggy back the OP question to see if the Sequoia's have any known mechanical issues/weaknesses. Like the Navigator/Expedition has cam phaser/timing chain issues and manifold issues and the Armada has exhaust manifold issues (also). I am considering a 2008 Sequoia Platinum with 199K but looking on Craigslist the other local ones for sale have all higher mileages are up to 270K so I hope that is a good sign.

I only heard of really 2 major issues some people have, cam tower oil leaks and water pump leaks, other than those I am not to aware of yet. I'm sure if you search more common issues on forums you'll find other things but not everyone experiences it all. Also you can go through here 2010 Toyota Sequoia Safety Recalls to check and see if any recalls have been made as well. I've seen a lot of sequoias around me with 150k+ miles and was about to pull the trigger on a limited 140k 2011 but they were firm on 23k so I backed out since my highest budget was 20k. Check the airbags on the platinum because at that mileage I could see the bags deteriorating and causing leaks. I normally test by letting the car sit for a bit or listen closely if any leaks are present. My X5M had rear airbags and at 90k bags were deteriorating, causing a leak and I had to change them.

 

I like to piggy back the OP question to see if the Sequoia's have any known mechanical issues/weaknesses. Like the Navigator/Expedition has cam phaser/timing chain issues and manifold issues and the Armada has exhaust manifold issues (also). I am considering a 2008 Sequoia Platinum with 199K but looking on Craigslist the other local ones for sale have all higher mileages are up to 270K so I hope that is a good sign.

 

I'm in the market for a second gen sequoia mainly because my family is outgrowing our sedan. The used car market is crazy right now and all i can find are 2008 sequoias in my budget with above 100k miles. some close to 200k miles.

Mechanically, other than frame rust, are there any things I should be paying attention to?

Should timing chain/waterpump/thermostat be changed at 100k miles on the 3UR? Any advice on what to look for here?

Carfax is generally clean on the one i've found, however, toyota service history shows previous owner complained of intermittent starting issues, and even one issue related to vehicle stalling/losing power while driving.

Dealers unfortunately are not budging on price even though these vehicles are older and may need more maintenance attention soon, just because the market is crazy and there are some people willing to pay more for something that was worth thousands less a few years ago.

I just bought a 1 owner 08 Sequoia Limited with 197,000 miles really clean inside and out,a few scratches on the bumper,there's is some rust underneath and I'll take care of that eventually,I would suggest buying a 1 owner and if you can buy one that's been in a warm climate because you'll probably not see rust underneath,but there really solid vehicles,I did a whole lot of research on them.I had ALL THE FLUIDS CHANGED,and I do mean "ALL" the fluids,the mechanic pointed out the bad control arm and brakes,I'll handle that pretty soon,but it rides great,good luck with your future Sequoia...

 

So the only thing standing between me and the deal I think are the shocks/suspension components. tech saw that shocks are leaking. What all needs to be changed with shocks. Are these struts and should the coil/control arms also be replaced at this mileage?

 

My used Sequoia had the can tower leak. The dealer I bought it from fixed it at no cost. That's around a $3,500 repair. It's kind of an issue with these engines

 

Closed the deal yesterday on the sequoia! 2011 Limited 5.7, Pyrite Mica, Sand beige leather, with Nav, no rear entertainment and with captains chairs. Has approximately 124k miles. Got dealer to work in replacing all 4 shocks and also fixing an AC servo motor issue that they had told me about with the truck. They gave me a decent deal on my trade and final sales price of the truck was about 19.5k. all in all happy with the deal and I'm hoping that no big maintenance issues pop up other than routine.

Can anyone recommend decent all weather floor mats for the first second and third rows. The only one that I can see that fits the 2011 model is WeatherTech. Was hoping to find Toyota OEM all weather floor liners and they are available for the 2020s but I'm unsure if they will fit the 2011. The trucks should be relatively the same unless they change something about the seating bolt patterns or anything like that.

 

Congrats! You will love it. Glad the dealer is taking care of you...

I got Smartliner ones for my first and second row...I believe from Amazon. Didn't bother with the third row because I will never use it. Got a cargo mat too...

My limited doesn't have the second row captains...

Highly recommend Smartliner. Fit is fantastic.

 

Weather tech on Amazon Amazon.com: WeatherTech Custom Fit FloorLiner for Toyota Sequoia - 1st, 2nd, 3rd Row (Black): Automotive

 

Thanks everyone. I opted for the weathertechs as they seem to provide the most coverage across all three rows. Plus being a used car I'd rather cover up any areas of stains etc from the previous owner.

The only other things I'm contemplating doing in the future are:

stereo upgrade for android auto/apple carplay (since the nav in this is 10 years old)
possible leather replacement on seats.

 

Just brought the Sequoia home yesterday. Overall a great space upgrade from my previous sedan, although it is a little bit older technology. It has great road presence, and still has enough "get up and go" when needed. Also I am surprisingly noticing that with reasonable throttle inputs, I can average around 18 mpg per the truck's trip computer. I will assess at the end of my first fill up but I think this is much better than the 14 mpg I was expecting. I drive about 50% city, 50% highway.

I noticed a few things that are relatively minor but I'd like to get addressed sometime:

- When I start the car, I hear a whirring sound coming from the DVD/Nav unit. It lasts about 10 second, then there is a clicking sound and then it goes away. The Nav unit does not respond to the Load/Eject button. I think there is something stuck or the motor is not working properly. I dont need to use CDs or change the MAP DVD but this sound at start is a little annoying (Also the idea that something is broken is annoying!)
- The Bluetooth seems to only do AUDIO only or PHONE only. Is this the case with this generation of Nav unit? Just a little perplexed that it wont connect to both at the same time. The blutooth connection is also very finicky. I may opt to upgrade to an aftermarket unit eventually, once my budget allows but just wanted to know if there was a quick fix or something I am not trying.
- I noticed my Sequoia came with body-colored fender flares for the front fender and rear quarter panel. There is a weatherstrip between the flare and the quarter panel on all panels, but on one it is missing. This is causing a rattling noise when driving at highway speeds. I tried to search the Toyota parts catalog and could not find any. I see about half of the sequoias of this generation have these flares, and half don't, causing me to wonder if it was a dealer or distributor installed accessory. Any idea where I could look for more info?