2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA Complaints

THE VEHICLE SKID CONTROL/ TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ARE ON IN MY 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5. WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED, THESE LIGHTS ARE OFF. WHEN THE CAR IS PUT INTO DRIVE AND ACCELERATED, A BEEPING NOISE OCCURS AND THE POWER IS LOST AND THERE IS A HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE AS IF SOMETHING IS STUCK IN THE TRANSMISSION OR BRAKES. WHEN THE CAR STOPS, THE VSC TRAC AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS COME ON AND THE CAR OPERATES NORMALLY. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO PULL FROM A PARKING SPACE INTO TRAFFIC. THE CAR PRACTICALLY DIES AND ONCOMING CARS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO STOP IN TIME. I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEAREST CAR IS QUITE FAR AWAY BEFORE PULLING OUT AND THIS CAN TAKE QUITE A WHILE AT HIGH TRAFFIC TIMES. I HAVE READ INTERNET ACCOUNTS OF OTHERS WITH THIS SAME MAKE AND MODEL AND THE SAME PROBLEM. SOME HAVE COMPLAINED THAT THEY WERE ALMOST IN ACCIDENTS WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. UNFORTUNATELY , THE ONLY REMEDY SEEMS TO BE TO REPLACE THE VSC COMPUTER WHICH CAN COST OVER $1500. TOYOTA HAS NOT SEEMED TO COOPERATE WITH CUSTOMERS ON THIS. *TR

VEHICLE SKID CONTROL COMPUTER IS FAULTY AND CAUSE RANDOM BRAKING OR THROTTLE REDUCTION. KNOWN PROBLEM BY TOYOTA. REQUIRES NEW COMPUTER WITH UPDATED SOFTWARE THAT "FIXES" A PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA CLAIMS DOESN'T EXIST. OVER $2000. *TR

THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, ABS LIGHT CAME ON, THE VSC LIGHTS CAME ON, ALL ON MY 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA LIMITED. AFTER PARKING THE CAR FOR WORK, WHEN I LEFT WORK, THE CAR STALLED LIKE IT DID NOT WANT TO START. WHEN I GOT TO A STOP LIGHT THE CAR HESITATED TO MOVE WHILE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE ONLINE IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE ECU OF THE YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR. I ALSO READ THAT AN ECU UNIT CAUSED A FIRE, AND HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS AND SAFETY ISSUES. THE UNIT CONTROLS THE ABS, THROTTLE, AND OTHER IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE CAR WHERE THE UNIT TAKES CONTROL OF THE BRAKE AND ENGINE, DISABLING THE DRIVER TO BE IN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CARE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE ECU INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT THE CAR 2 DAYS TRYING TO AVOID CHANGING THE UNIT BECAUSE THE COST WAS 1800.00 AT THE DEALERS COST. SO THEY FINALLY SAID THAT T WAS NOT THE ECU BUT A PART THAT IS RELATED AND THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND ISSUED COSTS IN EXCESS OF 2500.00. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO COVER THE PARTS AND LABOR UNDER THE 8 YEAR 80,000 MILE WARRANTY. THE CAR ONLY HAS 56,000 MILES ON IT AND IT IS DRIVEN FOR LESS THAN A MILE A DAY. THIS IS TOO MUCH TO PAY FOR A PART THAT TOYOTA KNOWS WAS FAULTY AND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE. IT WILL CAUSE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO INTERVENE TO PREVENT A DEATH TO A FAMILY, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CAR IS MARKETED FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN. *TR

THE VCS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO BRAKE BY ITSELF. THIS WAS A SUDDEN DECELERATION WITHOUT WARNING. *TR

THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ON MY 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA HAS GONE OUT. PERIODICALLY THE SYSTEM WILL ACT LIKE THE VEHICLE IS GOING INTO A SKID. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 64,000 MILES ON IT. MOST OF THE TIME WHEN I TURN THE VEHICLE ON, THE VSC SYSTEM JUST LIGHTS UP ON THE DASHBOARD STATING THE SYSTEM IS DISABLED. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA AND THE DOOR LOCK WAS VANDALIZED IN 2007 THE DOOR LOCK WAS OPENED AND THE WINDOWS DOWN. NOW IT HAPPENED AGAIN IN 2009 AND HOW IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS SEQUOIA CAME WITH FACTORY ALARM WHICH IS '!@#$% BECAUSE THE LOCK CAN BE OPEN SO EASY THEY JUST DETACH IT FROM THE DOOR SO EASY THAT YOU SEE IT BECAUSE THE WINDOWS ARE DOWN. I DO NOT WANT ANOTHER SEQUOIA OF TOYOTA. WHAT SECURITY DO I HAVE WITH THIS LOCKS. IT IS SO SIMPLE TO OPEN. I WOULD LIKE AN EXPLANATION. WHAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IS THAT HOW COME THEY OPEN THE DOOR AND THE WINDOWS GO DOWN I HAVE TO START THE CAR FOR THE WINDOWS TO COME DOWN. THIS WAS AT THE MORNING. IMAGING AT NIGHT. I COULD NOT FIND A WEBSITE TO COMPLAIN JUST YOUR SITE. IT SEEMS THAT THE DOOR LOCK IT NOT ATTACH TO THE DOOR IT IS OVER THE DOOR DON'T YOU THINK THIS IS THE CHEAPEST WAY FOR A SEQUOIA TOYOTA IT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY AND I PAID FOR NOTHING. I DO NOT FEEL SECURE IN MY SEQUOIA. CAN SOMEONE HELP ME? I LOST ALL MY DOCUMENTS. I CAN NOT GO TO PLACES BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL HAPPENED AGAIN AND PROBABLY WONT SEE IT AGAIN. I AM AFRAID TO LEAVE MY CAR ANYWHERE EVEN AT THE GARAGE BECAUSE THE ALARM WILL NEVER RING. CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME IF THE DOOR IS OPEN HOW COME THE ALARM NEVER RANG. I DO NOT WANT TO USE IT AT AGAIN. *TR

IN JUNE 2008 AT 88,000 MILES I BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE, AND WAS TOLD THE SWAY BAR LINKS WERE BROKEN. THIS WAS COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY. *TR

IN APRIL 2006 AT 50,000 MILES AT AN INSPECTION IT WAS RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE FRONT & REAR ROTORS AS THEY WERE RUSTED & COULD EFFECT THE SAFETY OF OCCUPANTS AS THE BRAKES MAY NOT RESPOND APPROPRIATELY. HELLO, I AM IN CHICAGO! RUST SHOULD BE EXPECTED HERE, BUT NOT TO THE POINT OF SAFETY. SOLUTION - SPENT MONEY REPLACING ALL BRAKES & PADS, THEN MOVE SOUTH. *TR

IN JULY 2006 AT 52000 MILES I WENT TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND THE DOOR HANDLE BREAKS OFF IN MY HAND. DEALER SAID NOT COVERED AS IT IS WEAR & TEAR. I AM NOT A TOUGH GUY, BUT CHEAP PLASTIC HANDLES, ESPECIALLY ON THE DRIVER DOOR AS IT IS THE MOST USED? $139 IS A WASTE OF CONSUMER $ AND FOR AN EXTRA DOLLAR THEY COULD HAVE MADE A STRONGER HANDLE. *TR

WITHIN A MONTH OF PURCHASE IN JANUARY 2003 THE VSC & TRAC LIGHT WERE COMING ON UPON VEHICLE START UP SPORADICALLY FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. ON OCCASION THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD ALSO COME ON. SOMETIMES I WOULD HAVE A FOOT ON THE GAS & IT FELT LIKE THE BRAKE WAS BEING APPLIED. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN SEVERAL TIMES, AND THEY SAID THEIR WASN'T AN ISSUE. I LEFT IT OVERNIGHT AND THE LIGHTS DIDN'T COME ON AT 2000 MILES. THIS CONTINUED SPORADICALLY FOR A YEAR USUALLY DURING COLDER WEATHER. IN JANUARY 2004 AT 16,870 MILES THE VCS/TRAC CAME ON WHEN NEAR TOYOTA AND FINALLY WAS VALIDATED & REPLACED DUE TO TSB BR002-03, PART#89630-0C011. THE ISSUE STILL CONTINUES STILL IN COLDER WEATHER. IN DECEMBER 2005, AT 48,000 THE VCS/TRAC & ENGINE LIGHT WERE ON, AND STAYED ON ALL DAY & TOYOTA REPLACE THE CAT CONVERTER. TWO WEEKS LATER I RETURN WITH ALL THREE LIGHTS ON & THEY REPLACE THE CAT CONVERTER AGAIN. NOW THE ISSUES ARE SPORADIC ALL YEAR LONG. IN AUGUST 2008 AT 89,000 MILES DURING SERVICE WORK THEY ARE ABLE TO PULL CODES WITH VSC/TRAC LIGHTS OFF. THEY REPLACE ECM TO CORRECT STEERING ANGLE & DECELERATION. THE LIGHTS STILL CAME ON LAST WEEK AGAIN AT START UP AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. STILL LOOKING FOR A RESOLUTION... *TR