2026 Toyota Sequoia Hybrid

This past weekend I rented a car from Budget Car Rental. The vehicle assigned to me was handed over in a dangerously compromised condition. The moment I pulled out of the rental facility lot, a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) warning light was actively illuminated on the dashboard. In the pitch dark of night, in an unfamiliar vehicle layout, it took a brief moment on the roadway to register the dash warning. As I was merging onto I-15, the left rear tire suffered a complete failure and went entirely flat. As a retired firefighter and paramedic with decades of emergency medical and rescue experience, I have responded to and worked far too many highway fatalities directly resulting from disabled vehicles stuck on the shoulder at night. Working on a wheel well inches from high-speed traffic at night is one of the single most dangerous positions a person can be placed in, and it is a scenario that all too often ends in a fatal struck-by incident. It is appalling to see a national rental car operator actively dispatching vehicles onto public highways with illuminated safety warnings, directly exposing paying customers to these life-threatening scenarios. Waiting for roadside assistance in the middle of the night on a busy interstate was not an option. I was left stranded on the shoulder of I-15 in the pitch dark, forced to manually change a flat tire on the side of an active interstate. A simple review of the vehicle’s onboard computer telematics log will conclusively prove that the TPMS fault was triggered and active before and at the exact moment the vehicle was dispatched to me. This vehicle had clearly been cycled through prior rental turns without even the most basic safety inspection. Renting out vehicles displaying active dashboard safety lights represents a gross violation of duty of care, creating severe hazards not only for rental customers but for every motorist sharing the road. I request that the Department of Transportation investigate Budget Rent A

NHTSA ID

11776122

Incident

Oct 30, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Toyota Sequoia Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at 51 MPH, the vehicle was involved in a collision with another vehicle that failed to stop at a red light. The vehicle struck the rear driver side of the other vehicle. The seat belt pretensioner failed to restrain the contact, and the air bags failed to deploy. The message "Safety Restraint Error" was displayed, and the air bag, lane departure alert, advanced ultrasonic detection and range alert, LED headlight system alert, check engine, and radiator grille shutter warning lights illuminated after the collision. In addition, the Toyota mobile application displayed the message "SRS Air Bag System Malfunction." The contact sustained injuries to the neck, spine, back, wrist, face, and head when the face and head struck the steering wheel and flew back into the seat. The contact briefly lost consciousness while the vehicle rolled to a stop, before regaining consciousness. The contact was transported to the hospital by ambulance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The vehicle was not repaired. The insurance company was notified of the incident, but had not determined total loss status. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 19,100.

NHTSA ID

11775348

Incident

Nov 1, 2026

Mileage

19,100 mi

Was driving at freeway speed on a straight freeway when suddenly vehicle looses control. Vehicle begins to sharply zig zag across the freeway at freeway speed! Could not control the vehicle at first, zig zagging lasted about 5-6 seconds. Nothing came up on the dashboard. Somehow managed to pull it over, I was so scared. Checked tires to see if anything was wrong. All tires seemed fine and once again reiterating nothing came up on dashboard. We continued on to our destination with caution, slower speed, with hazard lights on because all tires were fine when we checked and nothing came up on the dashboard. 20-30 min later the zig zagging began again but since we were cautious at slow speed we quickly pulled over. I also want to note this second time that this happened the headlights turned off on its own. We had to get our vehicle towed because this was clearly a huge safety issue even if nothing on the dashboard popped up and all tires were good (no flat tires or nails or anything). I wanted to put this online so there is a record of this, written, and to the public in case this happens to someone else or if anyone is considering buying this vehicle to please read and consider this incident that happened to me. There could’ve been an accident, there could’ve been fatalities, this was a near death experience caused by this vehicle. I could not drive anymore after this due to being scared of this happening again, I am traumatized and likely will need therapy or help. I am not sure what could’ve caused this to happen, but my guess is it’s an electrical problem, a defected electrical issue on these vehicles that caused this near death experience. Please be aware people. This is a brand new car, 2026 with barely 8,800 miles, this is supposed to have the best parts, best engine, no defects yet I was in a near death experience in this vehicle. Luckily I am alive to write this on here and make it aware to the public. But what if this incident led to something worse.

NHTSA ID

11766193

Incident

Sep 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Toyota Sequoia Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH on the interstate, there was a loud popping sound coming from the sunroof, and the sunroof glass shattered. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the sunroof needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the cost of the repair was not covered. The approximate failure mileage was 2,960.

NHTSA ID

11752142

Incident

Jul 15, 2026

Mileage

2,960 mi

I just bought a 2026 sequoia and the sunroof exploded all of a sudden while driving down the road and almost caused a serious wreck

NHTSA ID

11752128

Incident

Jul 15, 2026

The passenger 2nd row seat seat belt failed to unbuckle. child was strapped into car seat with seat belt. seat belt was not able to unbuckle and child was trapped. fire department had to cut fabric on seat belt to release child due to failed restraint system.

NHTSA ID

11750615

Incident

Jul 9, 2026

I was driving to work when all of a sudden I heard a loud noise which caused me to stop and panicked. It sounded like a gunshot. My PTSD and anxiety kicked in. Seconds later I felt the glass on my arm and I looked up and my back sunroof exploded

NHTSA ID

11745791

Incident

May 29, 2026

Complaint Against Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. I am filing this complaint regarding the extraordinary delay in obtaining Toyota replacement parts needed to repair my 2026 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro. I purchased this vehicle new for approximately $89,000. On [XXX], it was rear-ended by another driver. The vehicle was delivered to the Ed Morse collision repair center, Delray Beach on April 3, 2026 and has remained there ever since. The repair cannot be completed because Toyota replacement parts, including part numbers 51934-0C030 and 51949-0C040, have been unavailable for months. I was previously advised that Toyota expected a mid-June release date for the parts. However, the dealership parts department is now reporting the status as "TBD" with no confirmed availability date. As a result, I have been without my vehicle for more than two months. My insurance rental coverage has been exhausted, and I have incurred continuing transportation expenses while waiting for Toyota to supply the necessary parts. I opened Toyota Brand Engagement Center Case #[XXX] and have made repeated attempts to obtain accurate information regarding part availability and repair completion. Despite these efforts, I still have no reliable timeline for when my vehicle will be repaired and returned. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11743469

Incident

Apr 3, 2026

Flash reprogramming allows the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) software to be updated without replacing the ECU. Flash calibration updates for specific vehicle models/ECUs are released as field-fix procedures described in individual Service Bulletins. This bulletin details the Global Techstream+ (GTS+) ECU flash reprogramming procedures and outlines use of the Technical Information System (TIS) and the Calibration Update Wizard+ (CUW+). To ensure the correct ECU software is installed, ECUs will require a Security Signature before the ECU will initialize the flash reprogramming sequence. This bulletin also details the process for acquiring a Security Signature from TIS during the GTS+ ECU flash reprogramming process.

Some 2022 – 2026 model year Tundra, Tundra Hybrid, and 2023 – 2026 model year Sequoia Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition where the front brakes produce a squealing noise when driving forward or in reverse

2026 model year Toyota vehicles are equipped with driver side floor mat retainers to secure the floor mat in the correct position. In addition, some models may also utilize retainers for passenger side and rear seat floor mats. During Pre-Delivery Service (PDS), follow the appropriate Installation Procedure to attach the driver side, and if applicable, the passenger side and rear seatfloor mats to the vehicle carpet using the floor mat retainers.

During the manufacturing process, tires are mounted on the vehicle as matched sets to help reduce conditions such as pulling or drifting. If the wheels are replaced or refinished before vehicle delivery, it is important that the tires remain on the vehicle in the same location and in the same direction of rotation.

A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and service life. These conditions include storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, and battery load. Because of these factors, battery inspection and maintenance are required in order to ensure proper operation and optimal battery life.

Long-term or off-site storage requires special care to maintain vehicle condition. The following guidelines should be performed to minimize vehicle component/part degradation due to extendedvehicle storage conditions. Long-term storage can affect a vehicle’s systems and components. Any problems that are found should be corrected immediately.