The handles on this model are very flimsy, I had replaced a door handle already prior to this back door latch breaking it seems like any little tug will break these handles .One day after buying groceries I went to open back hatch door and the handle clicked twice and then just dangled. It was broken! I have priced this from Toyota and it is very pricey for my budget so I will try and find it at a salvage yard,
So, round three. My wife went to Lowes to pick up an interior replacement door. The replacement door is inside the vehicle. When she returned home, we tried to open the rear door of the vehicle and the latch broke, again. $300 fix, again. Dealership said there was no record of me being told it was going to be covered at no cost to me. Toyota "Customer Satisfaction" said the part was not covered; nor was there a "support group" or recall on this part. Toyota just lost any and all business from me and mine.
Second damn time. This time I have had to get to my spare and couldn't. Also I have some kind of damn emission issue that won't allow me to pass inspection and guess where some of the emission parts are located. Behind the spare tire. Somehow have to figure out how to open the door, to lower the tire, to get to this area.
Again, what dumb @&@ designed this area and thought, OH there's no need for an interior door release or some other kind of release, the piece of high grade plastic we have installed is so superior no one will ever have a problem.
a real pain in the butt. Great thinking ahead by Toyota to not have any kind of door release inside the car. Also if the handle breaks and by chance you need access to your spare tire you can't get to it as the door is covering the hole where you run the rod to lower the tire. Besides this and the fact that it apparently is a problem with all sequoias and made of pure crap it's a joy!
- Marc S.,
Katy, TX, US
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Rear door latch – Third door latch being replaced 12/4/10 at a cost of $298.
Plastic door latch guaranteed to break with no practical/economic way to fix it or stop if from happening in the future. And to add insult to injury, who doesn’t provide a means to open a door from the inside. One of several design and quality issues I’ve experienced with the Sequoia. Toyota used to mean quality and engineering. I guess FAILURE AND RECALL would be more appropriate.
Real hatch door handle was broken. It was a defective design since the broken piece is made of plastic! Now I can't open the damn door. The estimated repair cost is over $400 since the whole rear door needs to be take down. This is a nice SUV to drive, but there were several minor issue or broken parts need to be replaced. And repair/fix is very expensive ! I bought this SUV based on Toyota's fame of quality. Now I need to rethink it!
SO at 80,000 miles I had to replace the entire rear door latch. It would not shut. Then one day a month ago it would not open. Then it did. Then a few days ago the handle broke. Now that has to be fixed. Add to it that the power antenna broke and won't come up, the fact that I have replaced 3 out of the 4 break calipers because they seized up and the fact the the hood latch doesn't want to retract with out help. In Toyotas rush to be the biggest auto company they did just like chevy....left the quality out. I hate this $45,000 hunk of junk! I could have gotten a 3 series BMW! Or 2 Honda elements or Accords. Or one of each! As sson as I can unload this thing I am going to the Honda dealer.
This part is a badly designed piece of plastic, and the handle pull is designed to fail. Mine had to be changed at 50,000 and 90,000 miles.
You have to have all the rear door taken apart to get at it. It would be easy to design the part to not fail. If this happens to you, coat the new handle with epoxy at the joint where it breaks, using the broken one as a guide.This car is great to drive but is very expensive to buy and keep, as well as having major recalls which should not be typical Toyota- like the brake system having to be totally replaced.
My family and I were on vacation. Went to open the back hatch to start unloading and the stupid thing wouldn't open! It was like the hatch had been glued shut or something. Ended up just rolling down the window and standing on the trailer hitch to unload our stuff. Very next day it worked! Now you say a quick prayer when you head towards the the back... sometimes it opens and sometimes it don't. Other than that, I love my car,
Here I am again same problem and this time no solution. $40,000.00 SUV and the back door does not work. Hope I never have to get to my spare. would have to remove 3rd row seat climb in the back and maneuver to get to lowering the tire. Loading and unloading groceries is a real pain.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The handles on this model are very flimsy, I had replaced a door handle already prior to this back door latch breaking it seems like any little tug will break these handles .One day after buying groceries I went to open back hatch door and the handle clicked twice and then just dangled. It was broken! I have priced this from Toyota and it is very pricey for my budget so I will try and find it at a salvage yard,
- ewolfe123, Houston, TX, US