2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA Complaints

ON 6/21/2010, MY 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SRS 2-WHEEL DRIVE MODEL AT 74K MILES HAD FAILURE WITH ITS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHILE RUNNING ON HIGHWAY. THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION REPEATEDLY FAILED TO PROPERLY ENGAGE THE OVERDRIVE GEARS, RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT DROPPING OF ENGINE RPM, CAUSED SUDDEN DROP OF VEHICLE SPEED, CAUSED VEHICLE VIBRATION AND LOUD CLANKING SOUNDS, AND RESULTED IN DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITION. THIS WAS PARTIALLY CORRECTABLE ONLY BY TAKING THE VEHICLE OFF THE OVERDRIVE MODE. ALTHOUGH NO VEHICLE ACCIDENT NOR INJURY RESULTED FROM THIS MECHANICAL FAILURE, I NOTED THAT MANY DISCUSSION BOARDS LISTED THIS SAME PROBLEM FOR 2000-2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA AND TUNDRA. THE PROBLEM WAS ATTRIBUTED TO OD PLANETARY GEARS AND SUN GEAR IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THIS PATTERN OF DEFECT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED WITH THE MANUFACTURE TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER POTENTIAL DANGEROUS INCIDENTS. IN MY OPINION, TOYOTA SHOULD ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL FOR THESE VEHICLES WITH THIS PATTERN OF ISSUES FOR ITS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. MY VEHICLE WAS NEVER USED FOR TOW AND HAD MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA, I PULLED INTO TRAFFIC AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TRUCK LOST POWER AS CARS SWERVED AROUND ME AND A VIOLENT GRINDING NOISE STARTED. A SKID CONTROL LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I COULD FEEL THE GRINDING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE TRUCK BEEPED AND 2 MORE LIGHTS CAME ON. THE "TRAC OFF" AND "VSC" CAME ON. AFTER THAT THE TRUCK DROVE NORMAL. THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED THAT DAY WAS WHILE I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AS I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN INTO A GAS STATION. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES NOW! I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE ON THE ROAD AS THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN AT ANY MOMENT. I HAVE READ ALL ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET. MANY SEQUOIA OWNERS HAVE HAD THESE SAME PROBLEMS. WHY WILL TOYOTA NOT FIX THESE PROBLEMS??? WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR THEM TO FEEL RESPONSIBLE?? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VEER TO THE RIGHT AND MADE A GROWLING NOISE. THE VSC AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND READ THE OWNER'S MANUAL WHICH INDICATED THAT IT WAS FINE TO CONTINUE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VSC, ECU AND AN UNKNOWN SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,786. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 68,200.

TRAC LIGHT/VSC LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THEN THE CAR PULLED TO THE RIGHT AND A GRINDING NOISE SOUNDING LIKE THE ANTI-LOCKING BRAKE MECHANISM IS ACTIVATING. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS MALFUNCTION. I'VE SEEN THAT THE 2003 MODEL HAS A RECALL OUT FOR THE SAME THING, AND AFTER SEEING MANY OTHERS HAVING THIS SAME OCCURRENCE WITH THE 2002 MODEL, THEY SHOULD EXPAND THE DATE RANGE TO COVER THE 2002 AS WELL! IT HAPPENED TWICE THIS WEEKEND AND IT'S HAPPENED 4-5 TIMES PREVIOUS TO THIS RECENT INCIDENT (ONE EARLIER INCIDENT HAD MY STEPDAUGHTER DRIVING THE SEQUOIA AND THE POWER SHUT COMPLETELY OFF WHILE DRIVING!). THE MECHANICS TOLD US THEY COULDN'T PULL ANY RELATED CODES THE FIRST TIME WE TOOK IT IN. WE NEED TO TAKE THIS IN AGAIN IMMEDIATELY, BUT WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY THE FULL PRICE WHEN THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE PART THEY'VE CREATED? I WAS TRAVELING AT 70 MPH ON INTERSTATE-10 THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED THIS PAST WEEKEND AND IN-TOWN AT A SLOWER SPEED (40 MPH) THE SECOND INCIDENT. LUCKILY NOBODY WAS IN THE LANE NEXT TO ME OR I'D HAVE HIT THEM FOR SURE! *TR

THE ISSUES WITH TOYOTA HASN'T JUST STARTED WITH THE 2009/2010 ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. AT LEAST FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT TOYOTA'S VEHICLES AND I HAVE 1 COMPLAINT TO POST. WE HAVE A 2002 SEQUOIA WITH 122K MILES. OUR TRANSMISSION WENT COSTING US APPROX. $4600.00. WE MAINTENANCE THIS TRUCK RELIGIOUSLY. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AS ME(SOME WITH ONLY 70K MILES, I GUESS WE WERE LUCKILY). NOW THIS TRUCK COST BETWEEN 42K TO 50K OR SO AND 8 YEARS LATER I AM CHANGING THE FREAKIN TRANS. HOW THE HECK(USED LIGHTLY), DOES TOYOTA OR ANY OTHER AUTO MAKER GET AWAY WITH THIS STUFF? I ALSO HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING TO SEE HOW WE COULD GET TOYOTA HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PIECE OF [XXX] TRANS. I HAD A CHEVY CAVALIER IN THE 90'S COST AROUND 9K .NEVER HAD 1 ISSUE WITH IT ENGINE, ENGINE LIGHT, TRANSMISSION..NOTHING. I WILL CONTINUE TO RESEARCH AND BLOG HERE UNTIL I AM SATISFIED WITH AN RESPONSE FROM THE CEO. IF EVERYONE WHO HAS THE SAME PROBLEM COMPLAINS AND SCREAM LOUD ENOUGH THIS ISSUE WOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED. IF YOU WANT TO DISCUSS FURTHER PLEASE CONTACT ME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A VIOLENT VIBRATION AND LOSS OF POWER. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND WHEN RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AS A DEFECT IN THE YAW CENSOR THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA VSC TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM PROBLEMS. WILL COME ON INTERMITTENTLY ON DRY PAVEMENT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOOSE POWER, WITH NO OPERATOR CONTROL. I AM UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. TOYOTA IS NOT ABLE TO ADEQUATELY DIAGNOSE, AND RECOMMENDS REPLACING SKID CONTROL COMPUTER, AND BRAKE BOOSTER SYSTEM. *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA HAS STALLED 3 TIMES WHILE DRIVING & EACH TIME I WAS TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AT 1437 AVIATION BLVD. REDONDO BCH. CA. 90278(LEXOLOGY) 310-379-0543. IT HAPPENED TWICE WHILE DRIVING ON MAIN STREETS WITH MY CHILD IN THE CAR & ONCE ON THE FREEWAY. THE FIRST TIME WAS JUNE 6,2008 SECOND TIME JAN.20, 2009 & THIRD TIME AUG.28,2009. *TR

FIRST OCCURRENCE ON 8/7/2009 WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT APPROX 75 MPH ON A CLEAR DAY AND SMOOTH ROAD: SINGLE LOUD WARNING BEEP COMING FROM DASHBOARD, TRAC OFF/VSC OFF LIGHTS LIT UP ON INSTRUMENT PANEL, ACCOMPANIED BY SLIGHT HESITATION FROM FRONT TIRES. TRAC OFF LIGHTS/VSC OFF INDICATORS TURNED OFF AFTER TURNING ENGINE OFF. SECOND OCCURRENCE ON 9/26/2009 WHILE ACCELERATING UP A SMALL HILL AT APPROX 40 MPH: LOUD WARNING BEEP, TRAC OFF/VSC OFF LIGHTS WERE LIT AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL FRONT TIRES FOR A FEW SECONDS (FELT VEHICLE SHIFT LEFT AND RIGHT). TRAC OFF/VSC OFF INDICATORS STAYED LIT UP EVEN AFTER RESTARTING VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED THAT TRACTION CONTROL SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED - YAW RATE SENSOR. AFTER REPAIRS, THE TRAC OFF/VSC OFF INDICATORS CONTINUE TO LIGHT UP PERIODICALLY WHILE DRIVING OVER SMOOTH DRY ROADS. UPDATED 06/22/10 *BF UPDATED 06/25/10.*JB *TR

2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS. GETTING MORE FREQUENT AND STARTING TO ACTIVATE BRAKING AND ACCELERATION. BECOMING A CONCERN WHEN DRIVING. *TR