2008 Toyota Sequoia problems & reliability
66 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Toyota Sequoia, alongside 8 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2008 Toyota Sequoia vehicles were involved in 8 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure → | 16 | 24% |
| Unknown OR Other | 12 | 18% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 14% |
| Power Train | 7 | 11% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 6 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 8% |
| Suspension | 5 | 8% |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 6% |
| Engine | 3 | 5% |
| Seats | 3 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 62,500 miles (middle 50% between 19,500 and 104,062 miles), based on 44 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Vehicle Speed Control · filed Jul 21, 2026
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Toyota Sequoia. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 143,000. It was later discovered, when the contact received the Title, the mileage was 248,000.”
Electrical System · filed Feb 11, 2026
“The drivers seat belt sometime does not retract. One of the seat belts in the middle row retracts slowly or sometimes does not retract. Another seatbelt is very tough to pull out to buckle. I just purchased this vehicle so I’m not sure how long the seatbelts have been an issue.”
Seat Belts · filed Mar 10, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
241 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Toyota Sequoia. The 10 most recent:
Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 2026
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow…
T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 5, 2024
Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can…
T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 3, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2008 Toyota Sequoia has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2008 Toyota Sequoia?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 62,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.