Help With 2nd Gen Sequoia Search

Hello all. My wife and I are looking to upgrade from her RAV4 (2023 Limited AWD Hybrid) to a 2nd Gen Sequoia. The wind noise in the Rav is atrocious and it's too small.

I myself drive a 2018 Tundra (Platinum), and shopped around for precisely a 2018 model year to get the TSS goodies and factory transmission cooler.

My question is would that same line of thinking apply to the 2nd Gen Sequoias (as far as 2018 being the optimal year)? Did any of them come with factory transmission coolers? When did Sequoias start getting LED headlights?

Any other relevant info as to what the optimal year(s) was/were for the 2nd Gen Sequoia?

 

2nd gen sequoias lost the transmission cooler entirely around 2010 IIRC, and got LED's around 2018 with the TRD Pro model. When I say it lost the cooler entirely, I mean GONE, even with the tow package. 2011+ tundras had the cooler integrated in to the A/C condenser rather than a standalone cooler brick, but the Sequoia doesn't even have that. At 100k miles (bought at 87k miles) my transmission fluid was darrrrk... I don't recall if 2019+ have LED's standard but I believe so. I also don't recall if it was 2018 or 2019 that the enhanced TSS goodies became standard, reason being the sequoia is usually a year behind the tundra on upgrades.

As you'll find out, the dash, gauges, and layout remained identical from 08-22 except for the steering wheel, which changed around 14 to match the 14+ tundras. My '15 has the newer steering wheel but exact same gauge cluster as my '13 tundra. Radio and HVAC cluster is also identical to earlier tundras and won't match the 14+ tundras.

Regardless, we have been extremely happy with our '15 sequoia that we purchased in early '22. After looking for a year and half, we could only find newer, ridiculously priced sequoias, or high mile or older clapped out vehicles. This one had a few more miles than I was looking for, but was an SR5 with the 5.7 and tow package. It met all of our needs and the price was.. better... It was also a local trade-in which meant something to me.

 

I bought a 20 SR5 and it came came with push button start, keyless entry, LED's and integrated Apple CarPlay on factory head unit (i think 20 was the first year for all that). Other than that, the rest of the second gens seem very similar

 

Thank you all. Looks like we'll just be shopping for a newer one (2020+) as the wifey will really like those newer additions like the push button start and CarPlay. I'll probably just add a transmission cooler myself after purchase

 

Trans cooler add = 4 OEM parts + cooler. Or some go cheapo and just do 1 OEM part (thermostat) and use long hoses to connect to cooler yet I don't like the idea of hoses rubbing on something long term so I went with the OEM hard pipes so I can sleep better.

OEM parts and cooler = about 4 bills.

 

I think very similarly and will plan to go the hard line route as well

 

Sequoia had the factory auxilliary trans cooler until the 2019 model year. I didn't know about the delete til after the '19 purchase. I would have liked a 2018 for that aux cooler.

If you go with a '19 - '22 check the tow hitch for usage, check the 7-pin for usage. I prefer a vehicle that hasn't towed.

 

My '15 5.7 with the 'tow package' didn't even have a trans thermo much less a cooler dedicated to it. All they have is the "puck" - don't confuse it with a genuine cooler. All it does it help warm up the trans faster and the amount of heat exchange can't be much with a 4" wide puck. In constant stop-go 100 ambient it would hit 248 and cruise at 220 going 75 until I put a cooler in - dropped all those temps by 50 degrees. Horrible Toyota idea.

 

Everything I've seen is the 5.7 Sequoia is the same as a Tundra. I haven't looked at a pre-2019 Sequoia so I don't know for sure. I'm questioning my research skills now.

Well, my daughter and her pals that do Rez rescues love them. The comfort and cargo volume they like so much. Having fulltime 4hi is a big deal, sweet feature.

 

That's not correct. They were deleted entirely well before 2019. As mentioned above, my '15 5.7 sequoia with tow package does NOT include a cooler, side mounted thermostat, or cooler lines. What often gets confused for the cooler is the coolant line heating puck on the side of the transmission used to warm the fluid in cold regions to help it get up to temp.

 

Sequoia and Tundra were different? I'm confused.

It doesn't matter to me because we're staying with the 2019 Sequoias (have three now because the Rez rescue people love them so much). We're heavily invested. I keep telling my daughter to do a trans fluid refresh every 60k miles. Want to maximize the mileage with what we have now.

 

Yep. It was a surprise to me as well; I had been under the impression that they were basically identical from the B pillar forward. 2008 until about 2011 had an auxiliary transmission cooler brick with the 5.7 and tow package, just like the tundra. When the tundra changed to an integrated cooler/ac condenser, they did away with the transmission cooler entirely on the sequoia. Apparently there wasn't enough demand for a family truckster that could haul 8 people and pull 10k lbs...? Either way, it disappeared for sure. We purchased ours used almost three years ago and I was under the impression that it had the cooler when I bought it, but found out it didn't. I posted here just as confused about it...

Good news is it's easy to add one

 

Good info. So a good inspection to see if the tow hitch has been used and the 7-pin has been used is a good idea with a Sequoia. I don't like buying an SUV that has signs of towing.