2012 Toyota Sequoia: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2012 Toyota Sequoia
On the 2012 Toyota Sequoia, the failure owners report most often is other brake problem, with 5 reports on file. Across every failure mode on this year, half the dated reports were filed before 15,000 miles. Overall it scores 76 out of 100, severe risk for a 2012.
Severe risk for a 2012 — 39th riskiest of the 271 2012 vehicles we can rate. 33 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 15 named failure modes on the 2012 Toyota Sequoia, and the three most-reported carry 36% of everything filed.
Other brake problem leads with 5 reports and about 6.5 per 1,000 vehicles.
Other electrical problem follows with 4 reports, median 40,000 miles.
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure follows with 3 reports.
By system, the reports fall mostly into brakes (5), electrical (5) and adas (5).
The mileage the reports cluster at
24 of the reports on the 2012 Toyota Sequoia came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 15,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 58% by 50,000 miles, 83% by 100,000 miles and 96% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 0 and 10,000 miles, which alone holds 33% of the dated reports.
54% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles, which is early enough that a fair number of these cars were still under a factory warranty when the owner complained.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 15. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
How bad it is when it goes
Across the named modes, 2 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.00, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other brake problem at $300–$1,800, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, control arm, ball joint or bushing failure at $400–$2,200 and other fuel system problem at $300–$2,200. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
12% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other brake problem | brakes | 5 | 5 | — | 15k | — | 6.5 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 4 | 3 | — | 40k | — | 5.2 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3.9 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 3 | 2 | — | 5k | — | 3.9 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 3 | 3 | — | 10k | — | 3.9 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Window regulator or power window failure | body | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2.6 | $250–$900 | Moderate |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 2 | 2 | — | 58k | — | 2.6 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 2 | 2 | — | 5k | — | 2.6 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 2 | 2 | — | 90k | — | 2.6 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Oil leak | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 150k | — | 1.3 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.3 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure | electrical | 1 | 1 | — | 15k | — | 1.3 | $250–$1,500 | High |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1.3 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 600 | — | 1.3 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 1 | 1 | — | 90k | — | 1.3 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 1 | 1 | — | 10k | — | 1.3 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2012 Toyota Sequoia draws about 43 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 96th percentile of complaint rates among 2012 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 774 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2012 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other brake problem
Vehicle began shaking violently when braking downhill at around 60-65 MPH. This started at 5000 miles on the vehicle. Toyota dealer said the rotors were warped. They said they machined the rotors as a "goodwill" gesture as brakes are not covered by warranty. Now at 16k miles and 6 months later the vehicle is shaking violently downhill when braking. Toyota dealer and corporate customer service say they feel the brake wear is normal and they said the vehicle requires a brake job. How would the brakes fail twice and the vehicle isn't even a year old yet? The braking shakes the whole vehicle so violently I am afraid I will lose control of the vehicle. *tr
Vsc lights are on all the time, and so is the check engine light. Have spent $$$$ of dollars replacing oxygen sensors, mufflers, hoses, etc. Just had the frame replaced under recall, but too many other parts rotted and had to be replaced as well for additional costs. I love the car, but when I brake the wheel vibrates too much and make controlling the car difficult. I believe this is due to the vsc control. Not to mention the car stability light goes on and off everytime I accelerate (taking the SUV in for that voluntary recall as well). Fix this vsc/engine light problem. *tr
Other electrical problem
Electric door locks failed on all 4 doors. Two were replaced by toyota under warranty. They made me pay to replace one and they refused to replace the other. Now the drivers door lock has failed again. The drivers door will not lock or unlock when using the fob. The rear drivers side door will not lock or unlock using the fob or any other lock / unlock switch in the car. This means the car cannot be opened using the fob at all. It's a safety hazard and toyota will not take responsibility to replace them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota sequoia. The contact stated that the wiring on the vehicle was chewed due to rodents. The side air bags were also chewed out. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiring contained soy products and needed to be replaced the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. The VIN was not available. Updated 03/01/17*lj *cn
Recalls on the 2012 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2012 Toyota Sequoia, affecting an estimated 1,019 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover steering:hydraulic power assist system, steering:rack and pinion, equipment:other:labels and air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
151 vehicles 2021-12-23- Defect
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain JTEKT power steering gear assembly service parts for 2007-2021 Tundra and 2008-2022 Sequoia, part numbers 44250-0C160, 44250-0C131, 44250-0C170, and 11250-0C121. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.
- Consequence
- An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 17, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 21TH01.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
22,462 vehicles 2021-11-23- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB10 and 21TA10.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
7,525 vehicles 2013-04-09- Defect
- Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of…
- Consequence
- An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
- Remedy
- Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
3,235 vehicles 2013-01-16- Defect
- Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have…
- Consequence
- If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
- Remedy
- Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2012 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2012 compares with the other years
Severe risk for a 2012 — 39th riskiest of the 271 2012 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 15 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2006 comes out best at 63 and 2015 worst at 79, with 2012 itself at 76.
If the model year is negotiable, 2006, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2003, 2011, 2005, 2010, 2018, 2002, 2001 and 2014 score lower than 2012 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2012–2017 generation specifically, 2014 is the strongest year at 72 and 2015 the weakest at 79.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2012-2017 generation, 2014 Toyota Sequoia scores best at 72 and 2015 Toyota Sequoia worst at 79.
The limits of complaint data
33 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 33 reports, 24 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 73% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Toyota Sequoia?
The most-reported failures are other brake problem (5 reports, median 15,000 miles), other electrical problem (4 reports, median 40,000 miles) and control arm, ball joint or bushing failure (3 reports). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Is the 2012 Toyota Sequoia reliable?
It scores 76 out of 100 on our risk index, which is severe — 39th riskiest of the 271 2012 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2012 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Toyota Sequoia is best?
Within the 2012–2017 generation, 2014 scores best at 72 out of 100 and 2015 worst at 79. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed