2001 Sequoia - Looking For Some Feedback

[birchy]

Hey all,

 

So I've read the reviews and done a bunch of research.. basically just looking for some feedback on this specific vehicle. I posted the following on a Toyota forum but haven't gotten any responses yet:

 

Looking at "upgrading" from the 4Runner to a Sequoia. Pretty much strictly for more room inside and a bit better towing capacity.

 

Anyways.. I found this one in town:

 

http://www.showitandsellit.ca/Vehicle.aspx?id=86

 

Had a look at it yesterday.. it's in pretty good shape other than the cosmetic stuff. Has a big nasty gouge/scratch on the rear drivers side bumper that you can see in the pics. 222,000km (138K miles).

 

I'm a bit worried that the lack of care to the exterior could mean that the mechanical care wasn't there either.. i.e. - no regular maintenance. I've asked a few questions to see if I can get some service records, etc.

 

I'm curious what you guys think.. obviously it's priced significantly lower than other Sequoia's around of the same year. I'm fairly confident that I could fix most of the cosmetic stuff myself.. do you think the price is worth the 'potential' hassle?

 

[Castuserraticus]

At that price it's definitely worth looking at. mkankmike is a mechanic at a Chrysler dealer in Canmore. Send him a note. The high mileage is not necessarily a big concern if they kept up with the oil changes.

[bigbowtrout]

The biggest red flag for me is the price. Why is it running $5000 to $6000 less then any others out there? But that being said if it checks out and runs great then giddy up!!!!!!!!

[birchy]

The biggest red flag for me is the price. Why is it running $5000 to $6000 less then any others out there? But that being said if it checks out and runs great then giddy up!!!!!!!!

 

EXACTLY. Makes me nervous.

 

And Casterraticus.. they've replied this morning and told me they have some service records that I can see. I'll send mkankmike a PM. (I just put 2 and 2 together with his alias)

 

I guess the next step is the test drive.. needless to say.. i'll be going over this thing with a microscope before I'd make the purchase.

[AndyW]

They are crappy on gas. Expect 15ish at best mpg on the highway. Also see if they had the timing belt changed @150k, which is a required service ($500). As well when comparing it to others listed the one you posted is the base model for the sequoia. They also eat brakes and have undersized rotors for the size of the truck, I went through 3 sets of rotors on the same year Tundra which has the same drivetrain/parts. There is no demand for fullsize SUV's, especially USA models which is definately compounded by the high mileage. If it checks out mechanically I would offer 7k.

[birchy]

They are crappy on gas. Expect 15ish at best mpg on the highway. Also see if they had the timing belt changed @150k, which is a required service ($500). As well when comparing it to others listed the one you posted is the base model for the sequoia. They also eat brakes and have undersized rotors for the size of the truck, I went through 3 sets of rotors on the same year Tundra which has the same drivetrain/parts. There is no demand for fullsize SUV's, especially USA models which is definately compounded by the high mileage. If it checks out mechanically I would offer 7k.

 

Thanks AndyW.. pretty much all stuff i'm ready to deal with. For a full-size SUV, i'm going to have to deal with bad fuel economy no matter what. The immediate competition is the Ford Expedition, and Chevy Tahoe and/or Suburban. I think they might get 1mpg better on average. I did a bunch of reading today on the brake/rotor issues. The4Runner actually has a similar problem and can be solved by installing slightly larger rotors and stronger calipers and pads. I suspect this can be done with the Sequoia as well.

I also read that a good number of these have this weird issue where the VSC, ABS, and something else lights all come on at the same time. It appears to be a fairly easy fix aswell.

 

7K is lower than I was thinking, but hey, what's th worse that can happen.. they say no and I offer a bit more.

[Tungsten]

go to the registry place buy a black book see what its worth

[Pythagoras]

I've got an up to date black book at work...pm to remind me to look it up if you like.

 

[Pythagoras]

Far back as the Oct 08 Blackbook goes is 2002

 

A 2002 Toyota Sequoia SR5 x-cln $12,000 - CLN $10,000 - AVG $9,500 - RGH $8,500

 

2002 Toyota Sequoia Limited X-CLN $14.000 - CLN $13,000 - AVG $11,500 - RGH $10,500

[birchy]

Interesting.. so market value is quite a bit higher than what the black book says. Thanks dude!

[troutfisher]

IF I WAS YOU , i would make sure the headgasket is new or still in good condition , secondly i would have a cylinder compression check done first , to make sure your not going to be dishing out 1000's of dollars on internal repaires, Piston rings ect...... espically since it's over the 200k mark,i have seen alot of vehicles sold for low prices because of internal engine problems , which are unnoticable to the untrained eye ....be smart , ask questions ......Jeff

[darrinhurst]

Far back as the Oct 08 Blackbook goes is 2002

 

A 2002 Toyota Sequoia SR5 x-cln $12,000 - CLN $10,000 - AVG $9,500 - RGH $8,500

 

2002 Toyota Sequoia Limited X-CLN $14.000 - CLN $13,000 - AVG $11,500 - RGH $10,500

Black book is wholesale though. That is what would be given as a trade value. Retail is different.

[AndyW]

Black book is wholesale though. That is what would be given as a trade value. Retail is different.

 

Blackbook is just a general guide only. A clean Toyota Tacoma will always wholesale higher than blackbook. A hummer will wholesale less than blackbook.

 

BTW- This Sequoia would be considered rough because of the mileage alone. It is worth 7k, maybe a bit more but not much.

[kritofr]

If you are unsure about it, I would take it into a mechanic for a inspection.... if you know if and what is wrong with it, it will help you with your decision