2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA Complaints

I HAVE A 2003 SEQUOIA AND THE SAFETY CONCERN IS ON THE PLASTIC TRIM AROUND THE DOOR FRAMES ON THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE ROLLED TRIM IS COMING LOOSE AROUND ALL FOUR DOORS. ONLY ONE EDGE IS COMING LOOSE BUT THEREFORE LEAVING A RAZOR SHARP EDGE EXPOSED. I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO DOCTOR MY DAUGHTER AND GRAND DAUGHTER BECAUSE OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE. IF SAFETY IS NUMBER 1 IN THE CAR INDUSTRY THEN THIS NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA LIMITED REAR HATCH HANDLE BREAKS OFF. CAN'T OPEN REAR LIFTGATE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM SINCE 1999 WITH TOYOTA. THERE ARE SEVERAL TOYOTA FORUMS WITH OVER 500 COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, THE HANDLE PART IS INFERIOR IT IS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC. THE PART HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED SINCE 1999 AND IS STILL USED. MOST SEQUOIA OWNERS HAVE HAD TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED MORE THAN ONE TIME. THE PROBLEM STARTS FROM WATER POOLING IN THE HATCH AREA UNDER THE LIFTGATE. AS A RESULT, THE LOCK /HATCH HANDLE AREA CORRODES/RUSTS PUTS TENSION ON THE HANDLE AND THEN EVENTUALLY BREAKS. THE PART FAILS WITHOUT WARNING EXCEPT THAT THE LATCH MAY BE HARD TO OPEN FOR QUITE AWHILE BEFORE COMPLETELY BREAKING. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER AND HAVE HAD THIS LATCH PROBLEM SINCE THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNERSHIP . ASK ANYONE WHO OWNS A SEQUOIA, AND THE WILL HAVE OR HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE REPAIR COST IS APPROXIMATELY $500.00. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, YOU CANNOT ACCESS THE REAR PROPERLY AND OR GET TO THE SPARE TIRE. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IF OUT OF WARRANTY WILL CHARGE YOU ANYWHERE FROM $500 TO AS MUCH AS $800 DOLLARS TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. GENERALLY, THEY SEEM TO TELL THE OWNERS THAT IT IS A WEAR ITEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR RECALL 10V176000 (TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM) ON OCTOBER 11, 2010. HOWEVER, THE TRACTION AND STABILITY CONTROL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED; THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT TO RESET THE LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND FILED A COMPLAINT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,826 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 116,000.

THE VEHICLE , WHILE STARTING AND PULLING OUT ONTO THE ROAD, WOULD SEEM TO TRY TO TAKE OVER AND PULSATE AND APPLY THE BRAKES. VERY DANGEROUS! I PAID FOR COMPUTER ANALYSIS TO BE DONE, WHICH VERIFIED THE C1231 ABS CONTROL SYSTEM FAULT, BUT TOYOTA DOES NOT WANT TO REIMBURSE ME FOR MY PRIOR EXPENSES DUE TO THEIR DEFECT. FRUSTRATING! *TR

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 2007 WITH 43,000 MILES. SINCE THEN I HAVE DRIVEN 30,000 MILES IN 4 YEARS. WHEN I FIRST PICK THIS CAR IT LOOKED GREAT. THE DAY I PICKED IT UP IT HAD A DENT IN THE BACK, AND THE DVD PLAYER DIDNT WORK AND WAS REPLACED. THERE WAS A WATER LEAK THAT TOYOTA HAD TO REPAIR AND REMOVE AN ODOR ASSOCIATED WITH IT. LATER, I BROUGHT IT IN TO HAVE MY GAS TANK LEVEL INDICATOR REPAIRED BUT WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS TIME CONSUMING AND BASICALLY WAS ADVISED THAT THE DASHBOARD HAD TO BE TAKEN OUT SO, I DIDNT GET IT DONE. I REPLACED MY BATTERY, CONSTANTLY HAD MY OIL CHANGED, AS THE PAINT STARTED TO PEEL ON MY LEFT FRONT FENDER. TIE RODS WERE REPLACED THAT HAD BROKEN, WHICH WAS COVERED BY THE PLATINUM COVERAGE THAT I PURCHASED FOR 1000.00. IVE HAD A VSC LOGIC RELAY REPLACED AND TRIM REPAIRED THAT WAS LIFTING OFF. NOW MY COVERAGE ON THE PLATINUM PLAN WAS OVER 4-10-2010 ON THE 17TH OF AUGUST MY REAR WINDOW WOULD NOT GO DOWN, ABOUT THREE DAYS LATER THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. ON THE 19TH THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE CONTROL INITIATED AND WHEN ITS INITIATED TO GO OFF THE CENTER WILL CONTINUE TO BE ENGAGED, BLINKING. EVEN TILL TODAY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED UP YOU HAVE TO DIS-ENGAGE THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE. SO I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA . THATS WHEN THIS FINAL HORROR BEGAN. I HAD MY OIL CHANGED (SUNDAY), AND THE NEXT DAY (MONDAY) I TOOK IT BACK FOR SERVICE. AFTER THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC TREND HERES WHAT I WAS TOLD: THE REAR WINDOW MOTOR WAS BAD AND NEEDED REPLACING EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REAR WINDOWS. 690.00 MASTER CYLINDER ASSEMBLY.1165.00 CCNTER DIFFERENTIAL.2134.00 SERPENTINE BELT AND TENSIONER.492.00

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO ADVISED HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 64,000. UPDATED 03/14/12*LJ

BROUGHT MY 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO ADDRESS A SAFETY RECALL TO UPGRADE PROGRAM LOGIC IN ITS VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL (VSC) SYSTEM. AFTER THE WORK WAS COMPLETED, THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME WITH BOTH MY VSC LIGHTS AND THE ABS LIGHT PERMANENTLY ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER PUT IT BACK ON THE TESTING STATION AND DETERMINED THAT NOW MY DECELERATION SENSOR (YAW RATE SENSOR) IS FAULTY AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS COMPONENT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE ENTIRE VSC SYSTEM, AND IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. I AM NOW FACING A HUGE BILL WHICH AMOUNTED FROM BRINGING IN THE CAR TO ADDRESS A SAFETY RECALL. DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY. TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE SAYS THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO ABOUT THE SITUATION, AND I NEED TO RESOLVE IT WITH THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE SKID CONTROL SYSTEM HELPS PROVIDE INTEGRATED CONTROL OF THE SYSTEMS SUCH AS ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM, TRACTION CONTROL, ENGINE CONTROL, ETC. THIS SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLS THE BRAKES AND ENGINE TO HELP PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM SKIDDING WHEN CORNERING ON A SLIPPERY ROAD OR SURFACE OR OPERATING STEERING WHEEL ABRUPTLY. MINE IS FAULTY, AND NEITHER TOYOTA NOR THE DEALERSHIP CARE. *TR

2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA - VSC TRAC, VSC OFF, AND ABS DASH LIGHTS TURNED ON AND STAY ILLUMINATED. TAKEN TO DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES TO DIAGNOSE. THEY HAVE FINALLY ADMITTED THE VSC COMPUTER CHIP IS FAULTY. THIS CAUSES THE ANTI-SKID BRAKES TO MALFUNCTION. AFTER DOING FURTHER RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN MANY TOYOTA SEQUOIAS. TOYOTA WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL, EVEN THOUGH THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGN. *TR

I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA TRAC CONTROL, VSC, AND ABS LIGHTS GOING, ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES SINCE NEW, BUT THEY WOULD GO OFF AFTER SHUTTING THE CAR OFF. NOW THAT HAVE COME ON AND STAY ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAY ITS THE YAW SENSOR AND WILL COST AROUND $650 WITH PARTS AND LABOR. I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THIS PART FAILING AND MAYBE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS LOOKING INTO SINCE ITS PART OF THE VEHICLES SAFETY EQUIPMENT. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. RECENTLY, THE ABS, VSC AND VSC TRAK LIGHTS HAVE COME ON THE DASH AND STAY ON. THESE SYSTEMS ARE SAFETY-RELATED IN THAT THEY CONTROL THE BRAKING AND VEHICLE CONTROL WHEN IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. IN THE EVENT OF SLIPPERY CONDITIONS, THE FAILURE OF THIS SYSTEM WOULD MAKE A BAD SITUATION WORSE, BY NOT ALLOWING THE DRIVER TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR