"How reliable is the 2005 Toyota Sequoia?"

"Based on 558 NHTSA complaints, the 2005 Toyota Sequoia has a median complaint mileage of 91800 miles. The most common issue is ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)."

"What are common problems with the 2005 Toyota Sequoia?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2005 Toyota Sequoia is ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), accounting for a significant portion of the 558 total complaints filed."

2005 Toyota Sequoia: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 558 complaints

558

Total Complaints

91,800mi

Median Mileage

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

58,700 25th Percentile

91,800 Median Mileage

120,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

SERVICE BRAKES

AIR BAGS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ENGINE

TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

STRUCTURE:BODY

SUSPENSION

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"EXTREMELY HIGH IDLE SPEED FROM A COLD START (1500-1700 RPM) LEADS TO WHEEL SPIN AND LOSS OF CONTROL ON ICY/SNOWY SURFACES. I TURNED SIDEWAYS IN MY DRIVEWAY THIS MORNING WHILE BACKING OUT OF MY GARAGE. REAR WHEELS ARE SPINNING WHILE THE BRAKES ARE HOLDING THE FRONT WHEELS. I HAVE A BUSINESS PARTNE..."

"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 DO..."

"UPON ACCELERATION VEHICLE CABIN FILLS WITH A SULFUR (ROTTEN EGG) SMELL. DEALERSHIP STATES THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE. UPON PICKUP THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED THE SAME PROBLEM WITHIN ONE BLOCK OF THE DEALERSHIP."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28