2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA Complaints

I HAVE A TOYOTA SEQUOIA 2003: THE VSC/ABS/TRANSLATE ECU HAVE FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES RESULTING IN UNSAFE VEHICLE HANDLING. *TR

I HAVE A CONCERN OVER WHY THE ABS, BRAKE, AND OTHER LIGHTS WOULD COME ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON ON MY 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. ON SOME WEBSITES I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. WANTING TO KNOW IF ACTION HAS BEEN PURSUED FOR A RECALL IN THIS MATTER. THIS OCCURS EVERYDAY, ONCE THE CAR IS WARMED UP. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA IN NOVEMBER 2007. IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM 5 TIMES. THEY JUST HAD A "REP" TO COME TO THIS LOCATION TO TEST THE VEHICLE AND THEY CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED ME TO ALMOST GET IN AN ACCIDENT AS WELL AS MY WIFE. THE SKID CONTROL LIGHT WILL FLASH AFTER MAKING A TURN (UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, GOING VERY SLOW) AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO ACCELERATE FOR 2 TO 3 SECONDS. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY. IT MAY GO A WEEK OR 2 WITHOUT OCCURRING (DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH IT IS DRIVEN), AND THEN THE PROBLEM WILL SURFACE. THEY REPLACED THE MAIN COMPUTER MODULE, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST AND THIS COULD BECOME A SERIOUS MATTER FOR MY FAMILY. IT IS NOT MY FAULT THAT THE PROBLEM DOES NOT OCCUR WHEN THE DEALERSHIP CHECKS IT OR THAT AN ERROR CODE DOES NOT SHOW UP. THE PROBLEM IS THERE AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. *TR

TOYOTA SEQUOIA 2003, BOUGHT NEW MY COMPLAINT ECHOES WHAT A LOT OF OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING REGARDING THE SKID CONTROL COMPUTER WHICH APPARENTLY AFFECTS THE VSC/ABC/EBRAKE. PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED OVER A YEAR AGO WITH THE EBRAKE LIGHT RANDOMLY COMING ON DURING NORMAL DRIVING (RESTARTING THE CAR USUALLY RESOLVES), BUT EVENTUALLY GOT TO A POINT WHERE THE CAR THINKS IT'S IN A VEHICLE SKID CONTROL SITUATION AND ABS TRIGGERS AND APPLY PRESSURE TO THE GAS PEDAL IS INOPERABLE. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS WE WERE DRIVING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FILLED WITH KIDS (AND HAVE 2 OF OUR OWN) SEEMS TO BE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ISSUE OUT THERE SOMEONE NEEDS TO LOOK INTO IT. *TR

I BOUGHT A USED 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA IN 2004. IT CURRENTLY HAS 30130 MILES ON IT. I AM THE SECOND OWNER. THE PROBLEM: SPORADIC VSC/ATRAC MALFUNCTION. 1. I HAD BEEN ADVISED TO GO IN FOR TOYOTA CAMPAIGN SSC 50J FOR BALL JOINT SAFETY RECALL. THIS WAS DONE AT FREMONT TOYOTA ON MAY 30, 2008. 2. ON JUNE 12, 2008, THE VEHICLE SKID CONTROL AND TRACTION CONTROL STARTS DISENGAGING ON ITS OWN, WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON US 101 NORTH FREEWAY ON MY WAY HOME FROM A TRIP TO MONTERREY BAY AQUARIUM. 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM: THE VSC/ATRAC INDICATOR LIGHTS CHANGES STATE TO ON AND THE SYSTEM WILL INADVERTENTLY ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE WITHOUT ANY WARNING. TO RESET,I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM REPEATED A DOZEN TIMES, UNTIL I REACHED HOME. SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO FREMONT TOYOTA ON JUNE 14, 2008 AND WAS TOLD THERE IS ERROR CODE C1231 AND C1203 AND THE REASON IS FAULTY ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL COMPUTERS. 4. I WAS NOT CONVINCED WITH THE ANSWER AND DECIDED TO DO MY OWN RESEARCH ON THE NHTSA SITE AND DISCUSSION FORUMS ON THE NET AND FOUND OUT THAT TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE, TOYOTA MODIFIED ITS SKID CONTROL LOGIC AND THE VSC COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SKID CONTROL COMPUTER AND THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM (PLEASE REFER NHTSA# 00303 & BR00203, DIAGNOSTICS CODES C1231 & C1203). 5. I CALLED UP FREMONT TOYOTA IN CALIFORNIA ABOUT WHAT I FOUND OUT AND WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT I HAD TO REPLACE THE EXISTING VSC & ECU COMPUTERS, WITH UPDATED/REDESIGNED MODULES AT MY EXPENSE (COSTS OF $2700) I THINK THIS IS UNREASONABLE SINCE, I CONSIDER THIS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT SINCE THE FIX CALLS FOR A COMPUTER UPGRADE. I AM WRITING TO LET YOUR OFFICE KNOW THAT TOYOTA DEALER AND TOYOTA NORTH AMERICA WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM. I CAN BE REACHED AT (510) 471-6937 IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS. SINCERELY, SHAJI RAVINDRANATHAN *TR

I PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO CONSUMER REPORTS AND THEY SUGGESTED I FORWARD THE INFORMATION TO YOU: I SUBSCRIBE TO MYCARSTATS CAR REPORT ADVISORY SERVICE. THEY PROVIDE INFO AND MAINTENANCE REPORTS ON VEHICLES LIKE MINE, 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THERE ARE REPEATED REPORTS OF FAILURES TO THE VSC/ABS/ESC SYSTEM. IN SOME CASES THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED WITHOUT DRIVER INPUT CREATING A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THESE INCIDENTS SEEM TO BE MORE PREVALENT WHEN THE VEHICLES HAVE HIGHER MILEAGE. IT ALSO SEEMS THE DEALERS ARE MILKING THE CAR OWNERS BY DOING BAND-AID FIXES TO THE SYSTEM UNTIL THE WARRANTY GOES OUT. IN SOME CASES THE REPAIR COST EXCEEDS $2500. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE AND OWNERS HAVE BEEN CRYING FOR A RECALL BUT OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE BEEN CRYING TO THE WRONG PEOPLE - TOYOTA. CAN YOU GET INVOLVED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED? MAYBE THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED AND TOYOTA IS KEEPING IT QUITE. I ALSO NOTICED THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR THE CONSUMER STATED HE HAS NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE, BUT HE JUST WANTED IT TO BE KNOWN THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. UPDATED 04/07/10.*JB

TOYOTA SEQUOIA VSC ABS PROBLEM ON THIS 2003 SEQUOIA THE ABS BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY COME ON WITHOUT WARNING, AND WITH OUT THE DRIVER BRAKING. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONLY AT SLOW SPEEDS THUS FAR. THE VSC INDICATOR LIGHTS ALSO COME ON. *TR

MY COMPLAINT IS THE ABS/TRAC LIGHT STAYS ON CONTINUOUSLY. WE HAD NO PRIOR WARNING OF THIS INCIDENT EVEN THOUGH WE HAD TAKEN OUR VEHICLE TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP BEFORE WITH THE TRAC LIGHT STAYING ON ALL THE TIME WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. NOW OUR VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED. OUR DEALERSHIP INSPECTED OUR VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE ABS SKID CONTROL WAS MALFUNCTIONING. AFTER DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS ECU AND GETTING AN UNFAIR PRICE FROM THE DEALERSHIP ($1,600.00) TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WE SAW THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM ON THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL AS OUR VEHICLE. PARTS CAN ONLY BE FOUND THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP THUS WE ARE AT THE MERCY OF THE DEALERSHIPS. SEVERAL OF THE ISSUES HAVE ALL HAPPENED AFTER THE WARRANTIES HAVE EXPIRED, BUT WITHIN THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD LOOK AT THIS PROBLEM CLOSELY, WE SHOULD NOT BE REPLACING THIS PART AFTER 4 YEARS OF SERVICE. THANKS FOR YOU TIME AND ALL YOUR HELP WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TWO REAR INTERIOR DOOR HANDLES CRACKED BEFORE FALLING COMPLETELY OFF WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS. THE FRONT PASSENGER INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE CRACKED AND FELL OFF APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE FAILURES WERE NOT CORRECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. UPDATED 05/21/08 *BF

2003 4X4 TOYOTA SEQUOIA / 30K MILES. ONE MORE COMPLAINT ABOUT THE VSC/TRAC-ABS LIGHTS COMING ON DUE TO FAULTY VSC COMPUTER. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 30,055 MILES AND IS STILL UNDER THE MANUFACTURER'S 60 MONTH/60,000 POWERTRAIN WARRANTY YET THIS IS NOT COVERED. VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR IN EXCESS OF $2,000. THIS COMPLAINT HAS BEEN FILED BY THOUSANDS AND REALLY SHOULD BE A RECALL AS TO ITS IMPENDING DANGER IT PUTS THE DRIVERS IN. *TR