2011 Toyota Sequoia: True Cost, Problems & Verdict

17 NHTSA owner complaints · 7 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.

Illustration

Owner complaints: 17 filed with NHTSA

Complaints per year on the road: 1.13

Fuel/Propulsion System2Service Brakes2Engine2Unknown Or Other2Electrical System2Engine And Engine Cooling2

What owners say

Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.

The vehicle fuel tank was punctured and then patched with JB Weld Epoxy. This vehicle was sold to me by a private owner that did not disclose this information to me. The safety of my family as well as thousands of others were at risk as the vehicle was parked in several parking garages of large buildings. The fuel tank and fuel pump has been replaced by Lewis Toyota of Topeka, KS. Several occurrences of a strong fuel…
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the rear liftgate opened unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the liftgate latch assembly was rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of …
While returning home from a vacation, the glass over our sunroof suddenly exploded. We were traveling about 50 MPH and just heard a sudden bang. We pulled over to investigate and it looked like it had exploded outward. We had a luggage carrier on top of the car that covered most of the sunroof, so I am confident that it was not struck by any objects.

Recalls: 7 campaigns (3 severe)

201120132014201520162021
CampaignComponentSummary
16V396000Seats:Front Assembly:Seat Heater/CoolerSoutheast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010…
11V148000Tires:Pressure Monitoring And Regulating SystemsTOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 FJ CRUISER, LAND CRUISER, TACOMA, SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, "TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS)." WHEN FACTORY-INSTALLED WHEELS AND TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH TOYOTA AUTHORIZED ACCESSORY WHEELS AND LT…
13V014000Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module-InactiveSoutheast 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…
14V743000Seats:Front Assembly:Seat Heater/CoolerSoutheast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion…
15V689000Visibility:Power Window Devices And ControlsToyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window…
21V920000Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist SystemToyota 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.
21E103000Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist SystemToyota 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.

What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes

Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.

Typical price today $15,200–$21,900 used market, 2026
You lose to depreciation $1,040/year $5,200 over five years
Price when new (2011)$37,300
Worth in five years$13,400
Depreciation, five years$5,200
Insurance, five years$6,200–$8,850
Fuel and maintenance, five years$31,805
Five-year cost of owning it$44,530
Per mile driven, at 12,000 miles a year$0.74

What it costs to run

EPA combined 16 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,850

Fuel (your region)$3,850
Maintenance band (your region) $1,698–$3,324
Estimated running cost this year (age 15) $6,361
Range across the maintenance band $5,548–$7,174
Next five years, running cost $31,805

Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.

02468101214$7,174vehicle age (years)
fuel/energy + maintenance band, annual — US dollars, estimate

Run your own numbers in the true-cost calculator →

What this car's problems cost to fix

Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.

  • Fuel/Propulsion System2 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
  • Service Brakes2 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
  • Engine2 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
  • Unknown Or Other2 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
  • Electrical System2 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
  • Engine And Engine Cooling2 complaints · typical job: Water pump, thermostat and coolant service (3.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,040

FAQ

What is the most common problem with the 2011 Toyota Sequoia?

The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Fuel/Propulsion System (2 complaints in our indexed sample).

Is the 2011 Toyota Sequoia a good used car to buy?

Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 77/100, computed from 17 NHTSA complaints and 7 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.

How much does it cost to fix the 2011 Toyota Sequoia's most common problem?

2 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2011 Toyota Sequoia sit in the Fuel/Propulsion System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is fuel pump or injector replacement: about 3.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $680–$1,620 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.

What does a 2011 Toyota Sequoia cost to run per year?

About $6,361 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $31,805 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.

Does the 2011 Toyota Sequoia have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for the 2011 Toyota Sequoia, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/06/2016. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.

What will a 2011 Toyota Sequoia really cost YOU per year?

Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.

Open the true-cost calculator

Data sources

Complaints & recalls: NHTSA · Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov · Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements. Last updated: 2026-10-04.

77RELIABILITY / 100
BUY

Thin evidence — 17 complaints, 7 recalls on record

Typical price today$15,200–$21,900used market estimate · the full money picture
Running cost, next 5 years$31,805fuel/energy + maintenance band midpoint · estimate
  • 17 NHTSA complaints on record (1.1/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (1.0/yr)
  • 7 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems
  • Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality

How this score is computed →