2016 Toyota Sequoia reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2016 Toyota Sequoia holds 11 complaints after 11 years, a rate of 3 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Sequoia years here — over the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Hydraulic power steering and Lug nuts.

2010 Toyota Sequoia Limited — Photo by RL GNZLZ from Chile, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (4 of 11), then Electrical system (3) and Speed control (2).

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Sequoia has 9 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2017 has 7 complaints, 1 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Toyota Sequoia. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall steering, hydraulic power steering 2021-12-23 · NHTSA campaign 21E103000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall steering, hydraulic power steering 2021-11-23 · NHTSA campaign 21V920000

Summary 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.

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.

Recall wheels, lug nuts 2017-05-11 · NHTSA campaign 17V311000

Summary Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles accessorized with Southeast Toyota accessory 20-inch Rockstar wheels installed by Southeast Toyota or a Southeast Toyota dealer. The Rockstar wheels were installed with lugnuts that may crack and detach.

Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will install new replacement lugnuts, free of charge. The recall began June 23, 2017. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET17A.

Complaints by component (11 total)

Service brakes

Electrical system

Speed control

Fuel and propulsion system

Seats

Steering

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Toyota Sequoia. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 158,343, and at the…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-09-08
"VEHICLE HAS 40K MILES TIRES ARE WORN TREAD 2/32 ALREADY, AND FRONT ROTORS HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REPLACED. BACK AT 25K MILES, FRONT ROTORS HAD TO BE RESURFACED, AND NOW AT 40K MILES, NEW ROTORS AND PADS HAD TO BE PLACED."
Wheels, Service brakes · filed 2019-08-29
"VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN WHEN I WAS GOING TO STOP"
Unknown or other · filed 2019-02-09
"NEEDED ROTORS AND BRAKES REPLACED AT 15,000 MILES AND THEN AGAIN AT ALMOST 30,000. TOLD DUE TO ROTORS OVERHEATING. TOLD BY SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT DEALERSHIP THAT WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, BUT DID NOT OFFER A SOLUTION,…"
Service brakes · filed 2018-11-16
"CPSC: I PURCHASED, NEW A 2016 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. AT 18,000 MILES THE ROTORS WERE WARPED. TOYOTA UNDER WARRANTY REPLACED THEM. AT 28,000 MILES THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AGAIN. WHEN BRAKING THE WARPED ROTORS VIOLENTLY SHAKE THE…"
Service brakes · filed 2018-08-15

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2016 Toyota Sequoia SUV 2WD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars
2016 Toyota Sequoia SUV 4WD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Sequoia two-wheel drive	5.7L, 8-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	13	17	15 MPG	$4300
Sequoia four-wheel drive	5.7L, 8-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	13	17	14 MPG	$4650
Sequoia four-wheel drive flex-fuel	5.7L, 8-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Part-time four-wheel drive	13	17	15 MPG	$4300

Specs and fitment

2nd generation, 2008–2022

Body styles SUV

Oil SAE 0W-20 (5.7L i-FORCE V8) , 8.5 qt capacity

Tire size P275/65R18 (SR5/TRD Pro), P275/55R20 (TRD Sport/Limited/Platinum/Nightshade)

Towing capacity 7,400 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA campaign 21V920 covers certain 2008-2022 Sequoia and 2007-2021 Tundra vehicles (about 22,462 units across both nameplates): the power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly and can leak oil, which can cause a sudden loss of power steering assist. Dealers inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB10 and 21TA10. Separately, campaign 20V012 covers certain Toyota and Lexus models, including Sequoia, for a low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank that may fail and cause the engine to stall while driving; Toyota expanded the affected population several times after the January 2020 notice.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Toyota Sequoia Next year 2017 Toyota Sequoia See every Toyota Sequoia model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Toyota Sequoia reliable?

What are common problems with a 2016 Toyota Sequoia?

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (4 of 11), then Electrical system (3) and Speed control (2).

Is the 2016 Toyota Sequoia more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Sequoia has 9 complaints, 1 per year, and the 2017 has 7 complaints, 1 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Toyota Sequoia been recalled?

The 2016 Toyota Sequoia has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Toyota Sequoia?

Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 2016 Toyota Sequoia with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Toyota Sequoia get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Toyota Sequoia is 14.7 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2020 Toyota Sequoia?

2nd generation (2008-2022), 5.7L V8.

What generation is the 2024 Toyota Sequoia?

3rd generation (2023-present), i-FORCE MAX hybrid.

What oil does a Toyota Sequoia take?

2nd-gen 5.7L models use SAE 0W-20 (about 8.5 qt with filter); 2023+ i-FORCE MAX hybrids use SAE 0W-20 (about 7.7 qt with filter).

How much can a Toyota Sequoia tow?

Toyota lists up to 7,400 lb on late 2nd-gen 2WD models and up to 9,500 lb on current i-FORCE MAX models; 4WD and trim choice lower the rating—check the door jamb label and owner's manual for your truck.