YearToAvoid

2006 Toyota Sequoia Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

94/100

#2 most-complained of 18 Sequoia years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2006 Toyota Sequoia carries a complaint index of 94, ranking 2nd worst of 18 model years, and is rated Avoid. Brakes account for 29% of its 202 complaints, followed by structural/body issues at 25% and airbags at 23%, with 8 recalls filed against this year.

Complaints
202
Recalls
8
Crashes / fires
7 / 0
Injuries / deaths
4 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
14.5
13.5 city / 16.5 hwy

Top 2006 Toyota Sequoia problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Brakes59 (29%)
  2. Structure & Body51 (25%)
  3. Airbags46 (23%)
  4. Engine35 (17%)
  5. Suspension, Wheels & Tires20 (10%)
  6. Electrical System17 (8%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain13 (6%)
  8. Other12 (6%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers6 (3%)
  10. Steering4 (2%)

What owners report

  • Owners describe sudden unintended forward surging or lurching at a stop, feeling like being rear-ended.
  • Some report unexplained acceleration at slow speed, including one case where the vehicle went over a curb into a ditch while parking.
  • Front and rear ball joints have failed without warning during turns and highway driving, in one case causing a loss of control at 70 mph.
  • Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in crashes, including low-speed collisions and a slide on black ice, in some cases with injuries.
  • A radiator failure early in vehicle life caused a coolant leak and engine overheating at low mileage.
  • A steering/tire shimmy starting around 32 mph was reported despite repeated dealer rebalancing attempts.
2006 Toyota Sequoia complaints: complaints filed per quarter322006 Q12008 Q42011 Q22013 Q22015 Q22017 Q22019 Q22022 Q2
267 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2006 Q1 to 2025 Q1; peak 2015 Q4 (32).

2006 Toyota Sequoia recalls

8 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V741000Oct 17, 2019Airbags928,220 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.

  2. NHTSA 16V396000Jun 2, 2016Structure & Body7,749 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler

    Southeast 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 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

    Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

  3. NHTSA 16V065000Feb 5, 2016Airbags320,409 vehicles

    Air bags:side/window

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus LX470, 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia, 2004-2006 Toyota 4Runner and Lexus GX470 vehicles equipped with side curtain-shield-air bags. The affected vehicles have an air bag control module that may be improperly programmed, causing the side curtain-shield-air bags to deploy inadvertently.

    Risk: If the side curtain-shield-air bags deploy unexpectedly, it can increase the risk of occupant injury.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air bag control module with one that has improved programming, free of charge. The recall began on December 1, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-271-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is G0C and GLB.

See all 8 recalls for the 2006 Toyota Sequoia →

2006 Toyota Sequoia fuel economy and fuel cost

City
13.5 MPG
Highway
16.5 MPG
Combined
14.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$4,475
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2006 compared with other Sequoia years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Avoid100352915
2006Avoid94202814.5
2007Avoid88136715
2008Avoid8267815

All Toyota Sequoia years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2006 Toyota Sequoia reliable?
Compared with other Sequoia model years, the 2006 ranks poorly: it has a complaint index of 94, the second-highest of the 18 years with data, and carries an Avoid verdict.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Toyota Sequoia?
NHTSA complaint data shows brakes are the top problem area, making up 29% of the 202 complaints, followed by structure and body issues (25%) and airbags (23%).
Does the 2006 Toyota Sequoia have a Takata airbag recall?
Yes. NHTSA lists multiple airbag-related recalls covering the 2006 Sequoia, including campaigns 19V741000, 16V065000, 15V285000, and 15V286000, tied to Takata inflators and airbag control module programming.
How many recalls does the 2006 Toyota Sequoia have?
NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 2006 Sequoia, covering airbags, structure and body (seat heaters), suspension ball joints, and tire labeling.
What year Toyota Sequoia should I avoid instead of 2006?
The 2005 Sequoia has an even higher complaint index of 100 and is also rated Avoid, while 2007, 2008, and 2010 are also rated Avoid, so buyers should compare across those years too.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.