Thinking of getting 1st gen Sequoia (2 Viewers)

[Hawk60]

Hello everyone,

I’m new here, I last posted on ih8mud a few months ago regarding a Lexus GX470 I was looking at.

The responses I received were quite helpful, but I ultimately passed on that vehicle due to the fact it wasn’t large enough for my family.

So, lately I’ve been thinking about looking for a first gen Sequoia 4wd. I’m a huge Toyota fan, I’ve had 3 Camrys, my current one is at 225k miles and has been an excellent vehicle, I just want an SUV that is off road capable, and I personally like the looks of the first gen Sequoia better than the second gen.

My questions are simple: what are the pitfalls with the first gen and what should I look for when inspecting these things?

I’m pretty comfortable with mechanical repairs, up to and including engine rebuilds (and i’m a helicopter Mechanic by profession), so there’s not a ton I’m worried about there. I just don’t want to go into this completely blind.

I’m thinking of an SR5, maybe 06-07 but I’m not set on that.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any help you all can give!

Dan

 

[proteolytic]

Not much in terms of pitfalls. Biggest thing on all of them is to check undercarriage for rust. Everything else is relatively simple to work on.

Many need some refreshed suspension. Key things to check are lower ball joints (OEM preferred) and when timing belt/water pump/pulleys were replaced (90,000 to 100,000 miles intervals).

'01-'04 - 4 speed transmission, physical shift lever for transfer case, non-VVTi
'05-'07 - 5 speed transmission, push button hi/lo transfer case, VVTi (slightly more horsepower)

Common problems that can be fixed:
Leaky rack and pinion
Lower ball joints
Rusted upper nuts on rear shocks
Broken plastics in interior
Broken antenna
Broken rear hatch handle
Secondary air injection ('05-'07)
Brittle coolant plastics under hood (if plastic is brown time to change)
Dirty A/C condenser
Weak/non-functional rear parking brake
If it is lifted it will stress front suspension and CV shaft components more (additional items to look into)
Manifold exhaust leak

Most stuff is just taking care of anything neglected by previous owner(s). I came from an 80-series and these 1st gen sequoias are super easy to work on.

 

[Hawk60]

Not much in terms of pitfalls. Biggest thing on all of them is to check undercarriage for rust. Everything else is relatively simple to work on.

Many need some refreshed suspension. Key things to check are lower ball joints (OEM preferred) and when timing belt/water pump/pulleys were replaced (90,000 to 100,000 miles intervals).

'01-'04 - 4 speed transmission, physical shift lever for transfer case, non-VVTi
'05-'07 - 5 speed transmission, push button hi/lo transfer case, VVTi (slightly more horsepower)

Common problems that can be fixed:
Leaky rack and pinion
Lower ball joints
Rusted upper nuts on rear shocks
Broken plastics in interior
Broken antenna
Broken rear hatch handle
Secondary air injection ('05-'07)
Brittle coolant plastics under hood (if plastic is brown time to change)
Dirty A/C condenser
Weak/non-functional rear parking brake
If it is lifted it will stress front suspension and CV shaft components more (additional items to look into)
Manifold exhaust leak

Most stuff is just taking care of anything neglected by previous owner(s). I came from an 80-series and these 1st gen sequoias are super easy to work on.

I had read about the brittle plastics (specifically cooling system fittings) when researching the GX470, has anyone compiled a parts list for these items, including aftermarket alternatives?

I’ve been digging through the Toyota parts lists on my preferred parts supplier (McGeorge Toyota) and cross referencing from the official Toyota parts website and as always it’s a bit of a mission to sort through.

I am surprised at how relatively cheap these parts are.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[proteolytic]

Yeah, compared to land cruisers most Toyota parts for sequoias are pretty inexpensive. I think I use PartSouq for diagrams for part numbers (they also show aftermarket part numbers too) - more thorough than some of the dealership sites.

 

[joseywales]

I love my ‘03 SR5. Probably the best Toyota I’ve owned in a long time. Way more comfortable than my 2019 Platinum. Same engine and trans as my 100. Very capable offroad with suspension and tires. Mine is a fire road ripper! Once I fix my front dif, it’ll be even better

 

[AgentOrange]

Not much in terms of pitfalls. Biggest thing on all of them is to check undercarriage for rust. Everything else is relatively simple to work on.

Many need some refreshed suspension. Key things to check are lower ball joints (OEM preferred) and when timing belt/water pump/pulleys were replaced (90,000 to 100,000 miles intervals).

'01-'04 - 4 speed transmission, physical shift lever for transfer case, non-VVTi
'05-'07 - 5 speed transmission, push button hi/lo transfer case, VVTi (slightly more horsepower)

Common problems that can be fixed:
Leaky rack and pinion
Lower ball joints
Rusted upper nuts on rear shocks
Broken plastics in interior
Broken antenna
Broken rear hatch handle
Secondary air injection ('05-'07)
Brittle coolant plastics under hood (if plastic is brown time to change)
Dirty A/C condenser
Weak/non-functional rear parking brake
If it is lifted it will stress front suspension and CV shaft components more (additional items to look into)
Manifold exhaust leak

Most stuff is just taking care of anything neglected by previous owner(s). I came from an 80-series and these 1st gen sequoias are super easy to work on.

This exactly! Especially look at the frame and suspension for rust! We got an '01 and it had almost all of these problems, but it was stupid cheap. Knowing what we were getting into made it easy to take care of everything. It came home and got new ball joints, steering rack, suspension lift and rear hatch handle. Then new exhaust manifolds 6 months later and an antenna. But these are cake to work on and has been a great vehicle now that it got some love.

 

[Hawk60]

Thanks to everyone who has responded to my original post. Still looking around doing research. Unfortunately not a lot of luck finding 4wd in my area (SE Alabama) but I don’t NEED a vehicle so I’m trying to be patient and get educated about all the ins and outs of 1st gens.

I did drive a 2004 SR5 2wd last week, just cuz I’ve never driven one. It was pretty remarkable that, with 279,000 miles, and obviously not well maintained, it rode/drove better than some vehicles I’ve driven with less than 100,000 miles. What I’m liking about these things is it has the same basic interior dimensions as our 2015 Odyssey as far as seating space(unfortunately not cargo space), with a similar exterior footprint, but V8/4wd capability.

Just not a fan of the large modern truck based SUV.

I’ve even toyed with the thought of converting a 2wd to 4wd in future, if the 2wd was low miles/decent maintenance history and price was right. But again, that’s more an exercise in educating myself about this platform and how it all works.

Thanks again, hopefully I’ll be posting about my new purchase in the next few months!