DP: The subject vehicles are equipped with a front passenger airbag. A part inside the airbag could explode, shooting sharp metal fragments at vehicle occupants. This could cause serious INJURY or DEATH. ? Added Dealer Procedures for Do No Drive Advisory ? Updated BEC contact information ? Revised Warranty Claim Filing Instructions to streamline customer convenience items during repair ? Added creative materials from Vendor Partners i.e, sample letters and sample tags ? Removed several obsolete sections
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2005 Toyota Sequoia airbags problems
severe 39 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,100 · see airbags across all vehicles →
Complaints
39
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
1crash
20injuries
What stands out
Owners have filed 39 airbags complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
No new NHTSA airbags complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 6 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering airbags on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
DP: The subject vehicles are equipped with a front passenger airbag. A part inside the airbag could explode, shooting sharp metal fragments at vehicle occupants. This could cause serious INJURY or DEATH. ? Added Dealer Procedures for Do No Drive Advisory ? Updated BEC contact information ? Revised Warranty Claim Filing Instructions to streamline customer convenience items during repair ? Added creatives materials from Vendor Partners i.e, sample letters and sample tags ? Removed several obsolete sections
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2023 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗TSB: Some 2005 ? 2022 model year Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty smell is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This service bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare the interior of the vehicle prior to an odor remediation being performed, as well as contact information for an approved vendor who will arrange the remediation, and instructions on how to prepare the interior of the vehicle for reassembly once the remediation has been completed. Refer to all model and
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗CSP: On July 30, 2018, a settlement of claims for Economic Loss related to Takata airbag inflators was approved for full implementation. The settlement includes Toyota?s agreement to provide a Customer Support Program (?CSP?) for 2002-2019 model year (MY) vehicles originally equipped with certain Takata airbag inflators or repaired under a recall with Takata airbag inflators to provide coverage for repairs of the airbag inflator contained in the airbag module. This CSP letter is to help clarify how to administer this coverage in accordance with the settlement. This is NOT a recall or a campaign, but is provided to reassure owners that Toyota stands behind the reliability of our vehicles.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The overwhelming issue with 2005 Sequoias is Takata airbag recall parts unavailability. Starting in 2014, owners received recall notices under multiple NHTSA campaigns (14V350000, 14V655000, 15V258000, 15V285000, 15V286000, 16V061000, 16V065000) for defective airbag inflators with potential to fatally injure passengers. The core problem: parts were backordered. Owners waited months to years with no parts arriving and no estimated delivery dates from dealers or Toyota. One dealer told an owner the repair would take three months; another said they were prohibited from performing the work despite having stock on hand. Toyota also narrowed the geographic scope of at least one recall, redefining 2005 models as ineligible in non-high-humidity regions after initially claiming broader coverage. Per safety guidance, owners were told not to use the front passenger seat, making seven-seat family transport impossible. One owner reported clock spring failure at six years old, causing SRS light illumination, loss of cruise control and horn, and loss of airbag protection until replaced ($350). Separate complaints describe unrelated traction control and check-engine light clusters with poor acceleration and no diagnostic codes despite warranty claims.
Same Toyota Sequoia airbags reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007
Failure modes owners describe
Takata airbag recall—parts unavailability
Owners received multiple Takata airbag recall notices (campaigns 14V350000, 14V655000, 15V258000, 15V285000, 15V286000, 16V061000, 16V065000) but dealers could not perform repairs because replacement parts were not in stock. Owners reported waiting months to years without parts arriving, no estimated arrival dates provided, and in some cases dealers were prohibited from performing work despite having parts in stock. Toyota narrowed the scope of one regional recall from model years 2002–2007 down to only 2002–2003, excluding 2005 models in non-high-humidity areas despite earlier letters claiming broader coverage.
When: 2014–2017 and ongoing; recalls issued starting 2014
Symptoms owners cite: Recall notice received but parts unavailable at dealer; Multiple follow-up calls to dealer and manufacturer yielded no estimated repair dates; Owners restricted from using front passenger seat per safety recommendation; Unable to sell or use vehicle normally due to recall liability
Codes mentioned: 14V350000, 14V655000, 15V258000, 15V285000, 15V286000, 16V061000, 16V065000
Repairs/costs cited: Recall remedy requires airbag inflator or complete airbag module replacement; parts repeatedly on back order with no delivery timeline; one dealer disabled airbag and stated three-month wait for replacement.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Multiple Takata recalls issued; some narrowed in scope; Toyota exceeded reasonable repair timelines per NHTSA complaint records; one regional recall redefined to exclude model year 2005 in non-Gulf-Coast areas.
Clock spring / spiral cable failure
One owner reported simultaneous failure of the SRS light indicator, cruise control, and horn after a few weeks, all traced to clock spring (spiral cable) failure. The failure occurred at only six years old and prevented airbag operation until repaired.
When: Six years of vehicle ownership; timeframe unknown
Symptoms owners cite: SRS light illuminated; Cruise control stopped working; Horn stopped working; Airbag protection disabled
Repairs/costs cited: Clock spring / spiral cable replacement cost approximately $350; component failed at only six years old.
Unrelated traction control / check engine light cluster with poor acceleration
One complaint describes VSC, traction control, and check engine lights illuminating together, causing poor acceleration and dangerous slowing at highway speeds. Lights temporarily went off after battery disconnect but returned. Owners reported spending thousands replacing parts without permanent resolution. This complaint was included in the airbag cluster but does not appear to be airbag-related.
When: Ongoing; timing not specified
Symptoms owners cite: VSC light on; Traction control light on; Check engine light on; Poor acceleration; Dramatic speed loss at highway speeds
Repairs/costs cited: Multiple parts replaced without long-term fix; thousands of dollars spent.
Multiple warning lights (TRAC OFF, VSC TRAC, check engine, ABS) with no diagnostic codes
One owner reported TRAC OFF, VSC TRAC, check engine, and ABS lights coming on repeatedly from April 2010 onward. Vehicle was brought to dealer three times with lights on, but no diagnostic codes were found. Toyota denied warranty coverage despite the vehicle being under certified bumper-to-bumper warranty. Toyota had recalled the 2003 model year for the same problem but did not extend to 2005.
When: April 2010 onward; no codes present
Symptoms owners cite: TRAC OFF light on; VSC TRAC light on; Check engine light on; ABS light on; No diagnostic codes stored
Repairs/costs cited: Repair cost quoted at $2,200; not covered under Toyota certified bumper-to-bumper warranty despite warranty coverage claimed by owner.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota recalled 2003 Sequoia for same issue but did not extend recall to 2005 model year.
Airbag deployment—brain injury from rollover accident
One owner reported being in a rollover accident where the vehicle rolled multiple times and the driver went through the windshield, resulting in hospitalization with brain injury. This appears to be documentation of an accident outcome rather than a manufacturing defect, included in the complaint cluster.
When: Accident date not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle rolled over multiple times; Driver ejected through windshield; Brain injury sustained
Synthesized from 39 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 4 most recent
Airbag recall
Was in wreck and rolled over multiple yimes and went thru windshield ended up in hospsital with brain injury
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Toyota sequoia. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags). The part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.…
Letter from senator nelson on behalf of constituent re 2005 Toyota sequoia air bag recall. *smd the dealer informed the consumer, the air bags for his make and model, were not available and had to be manufactured. No time was given, as to when the air bags would become available. *jb
Had airbags trouble with your 2005 Toyota Sequoia?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the airbags problem on the 2005 Toyota Sequoia?
It's a meaningful issue. 39 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Based on the 39 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 90,633 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2005/Toyota/Sequoia.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.