2003 Toyota Sequoia Recalls, Complaints & Specs
6 safety recalls list the 2003 Toyota Sequoia, and owners have filed 565 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
6 safety recalls for the 2003 Toyota Sequoia
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Inflator module (air bags)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator.…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2002-2005 Lexus SC and Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2005 Toyota Corolla and Tundra, and 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or…
Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator,…
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Air bags
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003, to August 25, 2004. On June 16, 2015, Toyota expanded the recall to include an…
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-285 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy…
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Air bags
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015, that they are recalling 2005-2007 Lexus SC, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Pontiac Vibe, and 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S.…
Remedy: 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-286 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy…
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Traction control system and electronic stability control (esc)
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2003 sequoia passenger vehicles manufactured from april 1, 2002 through april 17, 2003. The center position of the steering angle sensor (sas) may not be stored correctly due to improper logic of the skid control ECU programming. The vehicle stability control (vsc) system could activate at low…
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will reflash the ECU. If the reflash cannot be completed on a particular vehicle, the ECU will be replaced with a new one. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety…
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Suspension: lower ball joint
On certain sport utility vehicles, due to a manufacturing issue in the front suspension lower ball joint, there is a possibility that the surface of the ball of the joint may have been scratched. The ball joint may eventually experience excessive wear and looseness, resulting in increased steering effort.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints free of charge. The recall began on july 5, 2005. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
565 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2003 Toyota Sequoia have filed 565 complaints with NHTSA; 16 describe a crash and 1 describe a fire. Reports cite 21 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 90,760 miles. Complaints peaked in 2009 with 71 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“I was on the highway going 45 to And T-bone somebody who pulled out onto the highway the driver airbag did not deploy the seatbelt is the only thing that caught me and cause severe trauma to my chest”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 1, 2026 · Air bags
“My 2003 Sequoia was in the garage for a check on the brakes. I also asked them to check the frame for any rust issues, because I had previously been concerned about it earlier. They reported to me tha”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 17, 2026 · Suspension
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2003 Toyota Sequoia (Sequoia 2WD, Sequoia 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 14 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 13 / 16–17 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
| Engine | 8 cyl, 4.7 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd |
Compare Toyota Sequoia model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Toyota Sequoia model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 2003 Toyota Sequoia
How do I know if my 2003 Toyota Sequoia has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 6 campaigns currently list the 2003 Toyota Sequoia; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Toyota dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 05V225000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Toyota models
- Camry18,189 complaints
- Prius12,516 complaints
- Corolla11,739 complaints
- RAV49,385 complaints
- Sienna8,549 complaints
- Tacoma8,440 complaints
- Tundra6,922 complaints
- Highlander5,745 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.