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2010 Toyota Sequoia problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
47%
14 of 31 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

47% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2010 Toyota Sequoia are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 59% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2010 Toyota Sequoia have engine problems?

Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 14 of 31 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Toyota Sequoia concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (47%), and the largest group is filed under engine and engine cooling (8). On a test drive, check for stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
14
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
31
this model year
Fires reported
2
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
10
1 crashes · 2 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING8 · 26%
STRUCTURE5 · 16%
ENGINE4 · 13%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM4 · 13%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3 · 10%
POWER TRAIN2 · 6%

The years either side

2010
47%
14 of 31
2011
too few complaints
2012
too few complaints
2013
too few complaints
2014
too few complaints
2015
too few complaints
2016
too few complaints
2017
too few complaints
2018
too few complaints
2019
too few complaints
2020
too few complaints
2021
too few complaints
2022
too few complaints
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2010 Toyota Sequoia

  • What the repair costs. Typical engine repair ranges, to price into your offer.
  • Cleaner alternatives. Similar cars and nearby years with a better record.
  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM11/12/20152 INJURED
I HAVE AN AMMONIA SMELL, WORSE THAN A ROTTEN EGG, UNDER HARD ACCELERATION, THAT COMES THROUGH THE VEHICLE VENTS AND INTO THE CABIN, EVEN WITH ALL WINDOWS UP AND VENTS ON RECIRCULATION OR OUTSIDE AIR. MANY SEQUOIA OWNERS HAVE REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA, AND THEY HAVE NO KNOWN FIX. THE ODOR THAT COMES INTO THE CABIN BURNS Y…

One of 14 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2010 Toyota Sequoia engine and transmission recalls

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns on the 2010 Toyota Sequoia, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

10 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
steering: hydraulic power assist system21E103000 · Dec 2021
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,…
steering: hydraulic power assist system21V920000 · Nov 2021
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…
seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler16V396000 · Jun 2016
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,…
visibility: power window devices and controls15V689000 · Oct 2015
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid,…
seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler14V743000 · Nov 2014
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011…
air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive13V014000 · Jan 2013
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius,…
tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems11V148000 · Mar 2011
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 THROUGH 2011 FJ CRUISER, LAND CRUISER, TACOMA, SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
equipment: other: labels10V036000 · Feb 2010
SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS."…
equipment: other: labels10V035000 · Feb 2010
GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE…
vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal10V017000 · Jan 2010
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 AVALON, MODEL YEAR 2007-2010 CAMRY, MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 COROLLA, COROLLA MATRIX, RAV4, MODEL YEAR 2010 HIGHLANDER, MODEL YEAR 2008-2010 SEQUOIA, AND…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2010 Toyota Sequoia? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2010 Toyota Sequoia

Does the 2010 Toyota Sequoia have engine problems?

Owner complaints say yes, as a model-year pattern. 14 of 31 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2010 Toyota Sequoia concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (47%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the engine and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

What is the most common problem with the 2010 Toyota Sequoia?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2010 Toyota Sequoia is engine and engine cooling: 8 of 31 complaints (26%) name it, followed by structure (5) and engine (4). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap.

Is the 2010 Toyota Sequoia reliable?

On the engine and transmission, owner complaints point to a weak spot: 47% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain (high signal). That is worse than 59% of the 1,790 model years we track. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2010 Toyota Sequoia?

No. NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns on the 2010 Toyota Sequoia, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Toyota Sequoia years are better?

The 2010 is the only Toyota Sequoia year with enough complaints on record to score, so there is no better year to point to yet.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.