2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA Complaints

DURING THE PAST FEW MONTHS 'VSC TRAC" ,"VSC OFF","SLIP OR SKID","ABS",LIGHTS IS GOING OFF WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS LIKE MAKING TURNS AND TRYING TO ACCELERATE FROM STOP, EVEN THOUGH THE PAVEMENT IS DRY THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME EVER SINCE, BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY APPLY CAUSING THE CAR TO CUT OFF OR PREVENT THE CAR FROM ACCELERATING THUS RESULTS IN NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR, THERE WERE INSTANCES THAT MAKING TURNS IS VERY DANGEROUS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE BEHIND YOU CAN HIT YOU DUE TO THE FACT THAT FAILURE TO ACCELERATE WHEN NEEDED BECAUSE THE ABS/VSC SYSTEMS OVERRIDE YOU FROM ACCELERATING BY PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT IN ONLINE FORUMS LIKE EDMUNDS.COM TUDRASOLUTIONS.COM, AND THERE WAS A DISCUSSION IN THERE THAT SOMEONE'S CAR WITH THE VSC FAILURE CAUGHT ON FIRE, PLS INVESTIGATE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE REAR LIFT GATE, THE KEY LOCK ASSEMBLY WOULD NOT OPEN AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE REAR LIFT GATE LOCK ASSEMBLY WAS CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

IN 8/06 I NOTICED A ROARING/GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM MY END. L. BEARING REPLACED X2. PROBLEM REMAINED. THEN REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT BEARING. STILL TO NO AVAIL. I THEN TOOK MY CAR TO TOYOTA IN TAMPA WHO STATED THE REPLACED BEARING HAD BEEN PRESSED IN TOO TIGHT. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO THE MECHANIC WHO THEN TOOK THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY OVER TOYOTA IN CLEARWATER TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. STILL NO RESOLUTION. TIRE PROBLEM? SO, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE TIRE KINGDOM WHO PUT ON NEW MICHELIN CROSS TERRAIN SUV TIRES. PROBLEM REMAINED. SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THEM AND THEY THEN PUT ON A NEW SET OF MICHELIN LTX TIRES. PROBLEM REMAINED. SO, I THEN TOOK IT TO COLLISIONTEC IN CLEARWATER, THINKING THAT PERHAPS TIRE KINGDOM MIGHT HAVE BENT SOMETHING WHEN THEY ORIGINALLY ROTATED THE TIRES. (THE CERTIFIED TOYOTA MECHANIC HAD PREVIOUSLY INSPECTED EVERYTHING UNDER MY CAR WHEN HE FIRST HAD IT BUT HAD BEEN UNABLE TO DETECT ANY DAMAGE). COLLISIONTEC DROVE THE CAR AND DID AN INITIAL INSPECTION, BUT COULD NOT DETECT ANYTHING. THEY HAVE ASKED TO HAVE ME BRING THE CAR BACK SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP IT FOR A WEEK AND DO A COMPLETE INSPECTION. IN THE MEANTIME, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VSC/VTC LIGHT CAME ON, SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE TOYOTA MECHANIC. THE O2 SENSOR NEEDS TO BE FIXED/REPLACED. TO FIX THE VSC/VTC TOYOTA DOESN'T SELL THE ONE PART NEEDED, ONLY THE COMPLETE SET FOR $900! THIS IS ALL ON TOP OF THE ORIGINAL ROAR/GRINDING/VIBRATION PROBLEM WHICH STILL EXISTS!! REAPAIRS NOW UP TO 2K & NO RESOLUTION. ALSO, MY CAR WAS RECALLED FOR THE BALL JOINT PROBLEM. THERE IS NO STICKER INDICATING BALL JOINTS REPLACED. IF THE BALL JOINTS WERE NOT REPLACED AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN, COULD THIS BE THE SOURCE OF THE ROAR/GRINDING/VIBRATION? THIS ROAR/GRINDING/VIBRATION IS COMING FROM THE FRONT AND OCCURS ONLY WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION. *NM

TRAC OFF AND VSC TRAC LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY TURN ON, SOMETIMES WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND SOMETIMES WHEN VEHICLE IS IN IDLE. WHILE IN MOTION, IF TRAC OFF AND VSC TRAC LIGHTS TURN ON, BEEPING OCCURS, GRINDING OR "WHIRRING" NOISES ARE AUDIBLE AND BRAKES CANNOT BE DEPRESSED. SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT, I'VE CHANGED THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL OIL AND FOUND SMALL METAL BITS IN THE OIL. *JB

2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA LOWER BALL JOINT DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND SUBSEQUENTLY CRASHED INTO A TREE. *KB ***TRANSFERRED TO TIS*** (LAWYER WROTE IN ON BEHALF OF CONSUMER). *JB

I HAVE 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SUV AND IN 78,000 MILES I HAVE HAD TO RESURFACE OR REPLACE THE FRONT ROTORS SIX DIFFERENT TIMES, WHICH AVERAGES ABOUT 12,000 FOR EACH ROTOR FAILURE. THE FAILURE IS SEVERE WARPING OF THE ROTOR WHICH CAUSE VIOLENT SHAKING AND STEERING PROBLEMS OVER 45 MILES PER HOUR. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS ME TO PAY FOR IT EACH TIME ( OUT OF WARRANTY)BUT I FEEL IT IS A DESIGN FLAW AND A SAFETY HAZARD AND AM SURPRISED THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED A SAFETY RECALL. *JB

1. INSIDE DOOR HANDLE SNAPS/BREAKS OFF AT 30,000 MILES. 3 SEPARATE HANDLES HAVE BROKEN. DRIVER SIDE HAS BROKEN TWICE. MULTIPLE TIMES INCLUDING 3 OF 4 HANDLES OVER A PERIOD OF A FEW YEARS. 2 WHEN HANDLE BREAKS OFF YOU CAN'T EXIT THE CAR. 3. PARTS PLUS LABOR $70.00 - I HAVE OLD PART. *JB

ABS VSC TRAC CONTROL SYSTEM LIGHTS COME REGULARLY. BEFORE LIGHTS COME ON, SYSTEMS PREVENT ACCELERATION FOR SEVERAL SECONDS RESULTING IN POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS INABILITY TO NAVIGATE THE CAR. THIS CONTINUALLY HAPPENS. *JB

IN NOVEMBER 2001, I PURCHASED A NEW 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR-5. DURING THE SUMMER OF 2002, I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE AC SYSTEM AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. IT WORKED FINE UNTIL THE SUMMER OF 2003 WHEN I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SUMMER OF 2004 IT HAPPENED AGAIN BUT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, I DID NOT TAKE IT IN HOPING A RECALL WOULD SOON BE ISSUED. SUMMER 2005 - I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER SEQUOIA OWNERS AND HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM SPECIFIC TO MY VEHICLE ALONE. ALL THE ISSUES ARE THE SAME: 1) AC DOES NOT WORK WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE 80 DEGREES. 2) WHEN IT DOES WORK (BELOW 80 DEGREES), IT DOES NOT WORK WELL AND INTERMITTENTLY. 3) SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THEIR VEHICLES IN FOR REPAIR WITH COSTS RANGING FROM $2300-$2900. 4) I CANNOT DEFROST MY WINDOWS WHEN IT IS RAINING - THIS IS A VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. MANY OF THE PEOPLE HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THIS AND TOYOTA CLAIMS IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE SO A RECALL IS NOT WARRANTED. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!! BECAUSE MY AC SYSTEM DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY, I CANNOT TAKE MY FAMILY ANYWHERE ON THE ROAD FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. I AM AFRAID ANY PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE WILL SUFFER FROM HEAT EXHAUSTION OR WORSE. I URGE NHTSA TO FOLLOW UP WITH TOYOTA TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. *NM

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5 4X4 AND MY ABS, BRAKE, VCS, TRAC LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD REMAIN ON. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON WWW.EDMUNDS.COM AND ON WWW.TUNDRASOLUTIONS.COM AND APPEARS TO A COMMON PROBLEM FOR OWNERS OF 2000-2003 SEQUOIA MODELS. MY 2002 HAS HAD SEVERAL RECALLS THAT DEALT WITH BRAKES AND SUSPENSION. IT APPEARS THAT WHEN THE BRAKE RECALL WAS CONDUCTED THEY DID NOT UPGRADE OTHER PARTS OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM INCLUDING COMPUTER SENSORS/MODULES. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT TO THESE MODEL YEARS THAT SHOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA. WHAT I READ ON THE ABOVE WEBSITES IS THAT TOYOTA HAS CHARGED OWNERS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT WHEN IT SHOULD BE A FREE REPAIR. *NM