2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA Complaints

TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, VSC AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS BECAME ILLUMINATED, NO OTHER SYMPTOMS. STAYED ON FOR 2 DAYS THEN DISAPPEARED AGAIN. TWO MONTHS LATER THE BRAKE LIGHT HAD BECOME ILLUMINATED, PUT IT IN PARK TO LOAD PASSENGERS, AND WHEN RETURNED TO DRIVE, THE VSC AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED AND A GRINDING SOUND WAS HEARD WHEN APPLYING BRAKES - ALONG WITH THE VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. TURNED THE CAR OFF, CHECKED FLUIDS AND FUSES, WHEN RESTARTED ONLY BRAKE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND CAR APPEARED TO BE DRIVING NORMALLY. TOOK IT IN TO TOYOTA TODAY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CHECKED OUT AS THE BRAKE LIGHT IS STILL ON, AND THE GRINDING NOISE WAS A CONCERN - AND AM TOLD THE BRAKE BOOSTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IN ALL MY RESEARCH ON THIS, I'M VERY CONCERNED AS IT APPEARS TO BE QUITE A COMMON PROBLEM, AND ON A SEARCH OF MY VIN IT SAYS THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALL (ALTHOUGH I WAS TOLD AT THE DEALER THAT MY ECU WAS 'FLASHED TO THE UPDATED PROGRAMMING') CURRENT COST QUOTED IS $1,508 - BUT WAS ALSO TOLD THAT ONCE THE BOOSTER IS INSTALLED THEY HAVE TO RE-RUN THEIR CHECK AND IT MAY NOT BE THE ONLY PROBLEM. THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING AS WE OWN 2 OTHER TOYOTAS, AND PURCHASED THIS CAR AS A DAILY DRIVER TO TAKE OUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, EVERYTHING I'VE SEEN REGARDING THESE ISSUES LEAVES ME VERY CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY.

I HAVE HAD MY ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS CHANGED A FEW TIMES DUE TO A CONSPICUOUS ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE. AT BRAKING TIMES DURING ANY SLIGHT "HARD" STOP, COMING FROM EITHER HIGHWAY OR STREET SPEEDS THE VEHICLE STARTS TO VIBRATE ON THE FRONT END. TIRES SEEM TO BE WOBBLY AND SHAKE QUITE A BIT. NEARLY HAD A FEW ACCIDENTS DUE TO THIS PHENOMENA. HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICING AT REPUTABLE REPAIR SHOPS AND HAVE HAD ROTORS "CUT" AND NEW BRAKE PADS INSTALLED FREQUENTLY. HAVE EVEN HAD TO BUY NEW TIRES, EVEN THOUGH NOT NEEDED, BASED ON DEALER RECOMMENDATION. SEEMS THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THESE TOYOTA VEHICLES AFTER HAVING DONE SOME RESEARCH AND SPOKEN TO A FEW OTHER SEQUOIA OWNERS. CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE IS A POSSIBILITY ON THESE VEHICLES. WILL IT TAKE AN INJURY OR EVEN A DEATH TO FINALLY HAVE SOMEONE DELVE INTO THIS ISSUE?

I NOTICE ON JUNE 2, 2015 WHEN I TURN LEFT OR RIGHT THAT ITS HARD AND I TOOK IT INTO TOYOTA ON JUNE 20, 2015 AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE STEERING EXTENSION SHAFT. I ALSO TOOK THE SEQUOIA IN BECAUSE EVEN THOU MY GAS TANK WAS FULL THE GAUGE SAID IT WAS EMPTY, AND WHEN I TOOK IT INTO TOYOTA THEY SAID IT WAS FINE . BUT IT KEEPS DOING IT AND NOW I PUT GAS IN IT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO RUN OUT ON THE FWY. IT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

I WENT TO TOYOTA ON 2013 TO HAVE MY CAR REFLASH (THE VSC OFF, VSC TRAC AND ABS LITGHTS FOR RECALL 10V176000) TO REMEDY THE SITUATION, AFTER DOING SO WHEN I WENT TO PICK UP MY CAR THE LIGHTS WHERE STILL ON AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME I NEED TO PAY TO HAVE THE CAR CHECKED AT THE COMPUTER AND SINCE I DIDNT HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT MY CAR WASNT CHECKED. THE LIGTHS ARE STILL ON, CALL TOYOTA BUT THEY SAY THERE US NOTHING THEY CAN DO. SINCE THIS WAS A PROBLEM ORIGINATED BY A FAULTY PART I DONT SEE WHY THEY DONT WANT TO TAKE CARE OF IT. BESIDES THE PRICE TAG FOR THAT REPAIR IS 2,000.00 JUST FOR THE PART. PLEASE HELP.

PARKING BRAKE DISINTEGRATED INTO A PILE OF PARTS. I HAD HAD THE BRAKE REPLACED TWICE, AND WAS DETERMINED TO FIND OUT HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHEN I DRIVE AND BRAKE NORMALLY. I HAD 6 MECHANICS LOOK AT IT EXTENSIVELY UNTIL THE LAST ONE FIGURED IT OUT. WHAT WE DETERMINED: 2003 SEQUOIA'S BRAKE DESIGN SWIVELS THE GRIPPING "WINGS" (C-SHAPED) FROM ONE SINGLE PIN (OR POINT) TO GRIP THE CENTER TO HOLD THE CAR IN PLACE. THIS DESIGN ALLOWS THESE TWO "WINGS" TO CATCH ON EACH OTHER. SINCE THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I RELEASE THE PARKING BRAKE AND GO IN REVERSE, I AM FORCED TO GO "FORWARD", TO UNHITCH THESE TWO PIECES, IN ORDER TO BACK UP. (NEWER DESIGNS USE TWO PINS FOR THE TWO BRAKE "WINGS", SO THEY DO NOT CATCH ON EACH OTHER.) I HAVE LEARNED THE ONLY WAY AROUND THIS WAS TO ALWAYS PARK IN A PLACE THAT I CAN PULL FORWARD. SINCE THAT IS NOT USUALLY POSSIBLE, I AM NOT ABLE TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE MOST TIMES. I END UP RELYING ON MY ENGINE TO HOLD THE CAR IN GEAR TO KEEP IT FROM ROLLING...NOT A SAFE WAY TO PARK! I DO BELIEVE THERE WAS A RECALL ON SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BUT THEY MISSED MY 2003 MODEL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE MY ENGINE MAY NOT STAY IN GEAR ONE OF THESE MOMENTS. CAN ANYONE HELP?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V312000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V312000 (AIR BAGS) WAS RECEIVED IN JANUARY OF 2015. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE WERE STILL NOT AVAILABLE AND NO ESTIMATED TIME FOR RECEIVING THE PARTS COULD BE PROVIDED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V655000 (AIR BAGS) EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR REPAIR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT AN ESTIMATED TIME FRAME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT NOT TO ALLOW A PASSENGER TO OCCUPY THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT UNTIL THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

AFTER COMING TO STOP OR SLOWING DOWN, WHEN TURNING CAR DOES NOT ACCELERATE. FOR ABOUT 7-10 SECONDS WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. VEHICLE HAS BEEN DOING THIS INTERMITTENTLY ABOUT TWICE A WEEK. ALSO HAVE HAD PROBLEM WITH ABS LIGHT STAYING OFF AND ON SINCE PURCHASING VEHICLE. TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP AND UNABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG. TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP TO FIX PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATION BUT RECURRED AFTER VISIT 4 TIMES. VEHICLE HAS 135,000 MILES. MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V312000 (AIR BAGS) AND STATED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DEALER WAS UNCERTAIN WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE TO SERVICE THE VEHICLE UNDER THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT KNOW WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.