2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, A LOUD BANGING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE FRONT END OF VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER CHASSIS WAS RUSTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

WE HAD A STEERING LEAK, SO WE BROUGHT OUR VEHICLE FOR REPAIRS. THE MECHANICS DISCOVERED THAT OUR FRAME HAD ADVANCED AND UNSAFE LEVELS OF EROSION AND BREAKDOWN, FAR BEYOND THE AGE AND CONSIDERED CARE OF THE VEHICLE. WE FOUND THERE WAS A FRAME RECALL ON OUR MAKE AND MODEL, BUT TOYOTA IS SAYING IT EXPIRED TWO WEEKS BEFORE (JULY 31ST). WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED ONCE ABOUT THIS OR ANY OTHER RECALL FOR THE SEQUOIA, BUT RECEIVE OTHER NOTICES FOR OUR OTHER TOYOTA REGULARLY. TOYOTA IS DOING NOTHING TO ASSIST IN REPAIR OR TRADE IN (WE PURCHASED AS A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED TOYOTA FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, MCGEE IN HANOVER MA THREE YEARS AGO) AND WE ARE LEFT WITH A FAMILY VEHICLE THAT WE OWE $6K ON, YET HAS NO SALE OR TRADE IN VALUE DUE TO IT'S COMPROMISED STATE, AND ONE WE CAN'T DRIVE OUR CHILDREN IN. WE INVESTED NUMEROUS REPAIRS DUE TO THE VEHICLES AGE RECENTLY ($2K THIS WINTER, ALONG WITH NEW TIRES, ETC), ANTICIPATING THIS, LIKE OTHER TOYOTAS WE HAVE OWNED, WOULD GET US A COUPLE MORE YEARS. AFTER OPENING A CASE WITH TOYOTA AND REACHING OUT TO THE DEALERSHIP, WE ARE LEFT FRUSTRATED AND WITH NO OPTIONS, AND STRESS AND COST ARE ACCUMULATING AS WE DEAL WITH CAR RENTALS, ETC.DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE A CAR AND CANNOT AFFORD TOTAL REPLACEMENT AT THIS TIME. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE VSC, AND TRAC, AND BRAKE LIGHTS ALL LIT UP WHILE COMING INTO AN INTERSECTION, WHERE I HEARD A GRINDING CLUNKING NOISE IN THE DRIVE TRAIN, AS I TRIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, COASTED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, MADE OTHERS BRAKING TO AVOID ME AS I STEERED AWAY FROM THEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE YEARS BUT THIS WAS THE SCARIEST, AS IT HAPPENED GOING INTO AN INTERSECTION. IT HAS HAPPENED BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY SEVERAL TIMES, ON THE HIGHWAY SEVERAL TIMES. TOYOTA DOESN'T WANT TO TIE THIS ISSUE TO THE RECALL REGARDING THE VSC ECU TRAC LIGHT RECALL FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO. I'VE TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO ESCALATE THIS ISSUE WITH TOYOTA MOTOR CO. *TR

WE BOUGHT THIS 2003 SEQUOIA LIMITED 2 WHEEL DRIVE NEW, AND IT HAS BEEN A GOOD CAR OVER ALL. BUT THE VSC TRACS, BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE FLASHED ON AND OFF SPORADICALLY AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS, WHEN DRIVING AND OR WHEN BRAKING. THEY USUALLY DON'T EFFECT THE CAR, BUT RECENTLY WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THEM ALL COMING ON WHEN BRAKING, AND WE SEEM TO LOOSE POWER AND THE POWER STEERING IS LOST MOMENTARILY UNTIL WE COME TO A STOP, AND SHUT IT OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES. THIS HAPPENED MOST RECENTLY LAST WEEK WHEN COMING INTO AN INTERSECTION DRIVING ABOUT 30MPH, AND ALL OF THE VSC, TRAC, AND BRAKE LIGHTS ABRUPTLY CAME ON, THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE, AND IT SEEMED TO HAVE LOST ELECTRICAL POWER, TRYING TO COME TO A STOP, I COULD NOT STOP IN TIME FOR THE INTERSECTION, BUT WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO AVOID BEING HIT BY CROSS TRAFFIC, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING FELL APART UNDERNEATH. I INSPECTED IT AND SAW NOTHING, BUT KNOW THAT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD ADDRESS AND PAY FOR BEING A RECALL ITEM. I CALLED THE TOYOTA HOTLINE AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER FOR THIS ISSUE, WHICH WAS A RECALL IN 2010. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, AND THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE. STATED IT WAS A BAD COMPUTER, AND SOME VSC MODULE SENSOR? DIDN'T STATE TOYOTA WOULD COVER THE COST OR HELP WITH THE COST. EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA SEQUOIA'S FOR YEARS, AND WAS A RECALL ITEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. WHY WOULD TOYOTA NOT COVER THE COST TO FIX THIS IF IT IS A RECALL ITEM? I WANT IT FIXED BUT WITH THE MILES I HAVE ON IT, DON'T WANT TO SPEND MUCH MONEY ON IT, ESPECIALLY AN ITEM THAT IS A RECALL PROBLEM WITH MANY LIKE MINE. WHAT SHOULD I DO? WAIT TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT, HIRE A LAWYER, AND SUE? FRUSTRATED TOYOTA OWNER IN TEXAS. *TR

AS I DRIVE,WHEN I COME TO A STOP SIGN ARE RED LIGHT AN D PUT MY FEET BACK ON THE GAS THE VSCTRAC LIGHT COMES ON AND ALSO THE SKID LIGHT,IT MAKES A GRINDING NOISE WHEN U HIT THE GAS. IT'S A SCARY FEELING!!! WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THAT?!! SEEMS TO ME IT'S MORE THEN JUST ME EXPERIENCE THIS!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL, AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS SUDDENLY REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA LIMITED FRAME RECALL ISSUES. BOUGHT NEW FROM DEL TOYOTA IN PENNSYLVANIA (DEALER # 9001) HAVE HAD SEVERAL UNRELATED/POSSIBLE RELATED RECALLS SINCE PURCHASE. JULY: RECEIVED MAILING FROM TOYOTA IN REFERENCE TO POSSIBLE FRAME RECALL. SET UP DEALERSHIP APPT. 7/24/14: DROPPED OFF CAR @ DEALERSHIP FOR RECALL REVIEW, PROVIDED WITH RENTAL FOR 2 DAYS, AFTER THEY FORGOT ABOUT US IN THE WAITING AREA. IN 24H DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED US: NO RUST & WILL APPLY RUST PROTECTANT COATING. 24H LATER: NOTIFIED BY DEALERSHIP: FOUND A HOLE ON CROSS MEMBER THAT HOLDS THE TRANS ON LEFT SIDE. SPOKE WITH HEAD OF MAINTENANCE REGARDING ISSUE & RESOLUTION. OUTCOME: FRAME REPLACED @ NO COST BUT, IF CERTAIN PARTS ARE BROKEN DURNING THE REMOVALS OR INSTALLATION THE COST IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. THE FRAME WILL TAKE 1-2 MONTH TO ORDER. TOLD THAT THEY WILL NOT OFFER A RENTAL DURING THAT TIME & THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE "I WOULDN'T LET YOU LEAVE IF IT WASN'T SAFE." INITIATED A TOYOTA CLAIM NUMBER, SHOULD BE CONTACTED BY CASE MANAGER WITHIN 24 BUSINESS HOURS. NO CONTACT YET. UPON RESEARCHING LIKE ISSUES WITH THE SAME MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. A LARGE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE HANDED A VERY LARGE BILL AFTER THE FRAME INSTALLATION & ARE CONTINUING TO HAVE ISSUES STEMMING FROM THE FRAME REPLACEMENT. THE COSTS ARE NOT BEING COVERED BY TOYOTA. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY VEHICLE IN FEAR THAT I WILL CRASH/BE INJURED OR CAUSE SOMEONE ELSE TO CRASH/BE INJURED. VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT TOYOTA IS NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR RECALL/SERVICE. *JS

THE VSC OFF/ TRAC OFF AND CHECK ENGINE AND BRAKE LIGHT ALL CAME ON. THE BRAKE STARTED TO JUMP AND THE CAR PULLED HARE TO THE LEFT. I TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON THE PROBLEM WENT A WAY BUT THE LIGHTS ALL CAME BACK ON. HOWEVER THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR SEQUOIA AND I HAVE SEEN NO SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS. *TR

AT RANDOM TIMES, THE VSC AND BRAKE LIGHTS WILL COME ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THEY SEVERELY GRIND AND STOPPING IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO COMPLETELY TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO TOYOTA MANY TIME OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL YEARS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS I HAVE CHILDREN RIDING IN THE VEHICLE!! TOYOTA EITHER SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG OR THAT A SENSOR WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED WHICH COSTS APPROXIMATELY $1600.00. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH OLDER SEQUOIAS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. IT SHOULD BE FREE OF CHARGE TO THE OWNER! I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING TOYOTA DID NOT DO RIGHT! *TR

VCS OFF LIGHT, VCS TRAC LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALL CAME ON AT THE SAME TIME AND WILL NOT GO OFF. UNDERSTAND THERE IS A DANGER OF CRASH DUE TO THIS CONDITION. *JS