2023 Toyota Sequoia Falls to RAV4 Wireless Charging Problems With “Cheap” Design

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Owners complain that 2023 Toyota Sequoia’s wireless charging unit is very problematic. Is this an overall Toyota Problem?

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia has been established as one of the best-looking SUVs of 2023. I personally can attest to how great it looks. Just the other day on campus I saw one of my professors drive away in an Octane Red Sequoia and it never looked better. It’s still pretty rare to see them on the road but when you do they look way better in person than in the pictures.

With its modern, angular design, minimalist luxury interior, and big screen display, the Sequoia won hearts over the internet and in person with being such a great beefy SUV. In fact, just like it’s older cousin the Tundra, they both share the I-FORCE MAX hybrid drivetrain which is built for performance rather than efficiency.

However, just like any car, it has its imperfections. Usually, we try to not bash the brand by posting the bad but after seeing this problem occur in another Toyota model, we think it’s time to tell the public and warn you. In a later article published this week, we covered how some owners had a hard time with their wireless charging apparatus on the 2023 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

On Facebook’s 2023 Toyota Sequoia group, Daniel May said, “What is the trick to getting the wireless charger to work with an iPhone? It seems to be hit or miss to start the charging, and any slight bump moves the phone just enough that the charging stops.” He also went on to say that when and if he does get it to stay, it doesn’t charge very well.

Now after our initial story with this problem on the RAV4, I came to the conclusion that unless your case supports wireless charging to happen while the case is on, then sometimes it can interfere with the charging itself. I had this problem when I tried the wireless charging on a brand new 2023 Mercedes Benz S580. Even on a luxury car like that my phone saw a slow movement of energy due to the thick protective case I have on it.

However, for those who still have a problem without a case or maybe their case is very thin, you may have this problem due to the wireless charging assembly being simply very low quality. This comes surprising from Toyota considering quality is a top priority for them. I think that about a good 70% of the time you have a problem with the wireless charging can be due to again, your case simply being too thick.

What do you think? Have you had this problem with your 2023 Toyota Sequoia? Let us know in the comments below.

Harutiun Hareyan is reporting Toyota news at Torque News. His automotive interests and vast experience test-riding new cars give his stories a sense of authenticity and unique insights. Follow Harutiun on Twitter at @HareyanHarutiun and on YouTube at Toyota Time for daily Toyota news.

Submitted by Tom (not verified) on September 26, 2023 - 10:37AM

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Yes, 100% having this issue with my new Sequoia. Happens with or w/out the case on my phone. Gives a quick indication it is charging, and then seems to disengage.

I have 2023 sequoia limited and the charger is very slow I drove 45 minutes it went up 2%. I do love the truck but a couple of times it didn’t automatically connect my phone had to shut the vehicle off to connect it.