2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA Complaints

THE VSC AND BRAKE LIGHTS ON OUR TOYOTA SEQOUIA 2003( 4WD LTD, 9000 MILES) COMES ON WITHOUT WARNING AND GOES OFF USUALLY WHEN THE IGNITION IS TURNED OFF. THE CARS SEEM TO HANDLE FINE BUT I AM CONCERNED FOR OUR SAFETY.

WE PURCHASED A 2003 SEQUOIA IN AUGUST OF 2003. THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THE HOOD LATCH CAME OFF NO BIGGIE A $10 REPLACEMENT EVERYTHING A OK. NEXT CAME THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE IT ALWAYS READ LOW. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS FIXED, THE CAUSE WAS A FAULTY SENDER, NO CHARGE TO ME. ON A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE I ASKED FOR THE ALARM TO BE CHECK BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS SILENT. TO MY SURPRISE THE HORN HAD COME OFF LUCKY FOR ME IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY SO IT WAS REPLACED. ALL THIS TIME THE VSC/ TRAC OFF LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON. THE DEALER CAN'T COME UP WITH A PROBLEM AND THEY SAY JUST RESTART THE CAR AND THEY SHOULD COME OFF. NOW THERE IS A GRINDING SOUND COMING FROM MY DASH AND THE LIGHTS ARE COMING ON AGAIN SO OFF TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE SOUND AND THE LIGHTS WELL MAYBE ITS MY BRAKES AND I HAVE TO GET THOSE REPLACED. I DECIDED TO WAIT ON THAT. OK NOW SINCE MY KIDS LIKE TO RIDE WITH THE BACK WINDOWS DOWN AND I CAN'T STAND THE PRESSURE AND SOUND IN THE CAR. (IT SOUND AS IF I'M IN A HELICOPTER) I DECIDE TO ROLL THE BACK WINDOW DOWN TO STABALIZE THE PRESSURE AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW IT DOESN'T WORK AND NOW MY VSC / TRAC OFF AND ABS LIGHTS ARE ALL ON "ALL THE TIME" . NOW I'M AT THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN (EVERYONE THERE KNOWS ME BY NAME NOW) . THE VSC/ TRAC OFF AND ABS LIGHT WELL THAT WAS A SENSOR THAT NEEDED REPLACING AND THE WINDOW WELL GUESS WHAT THAT WAS THE GRINDING SOUND I HAD HEARD BEFORE . THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. BE READY TO PAY ABOUT $800 IN PARTS AND LABOR. LUCKY FOR ME I HAD PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY SO I WAS LEFT WITH JUST MY DEDUCTIBLE. I HAVE OWNED 3 TOYOTAS IN THE PAST AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD THAT PEACE OF MIND "ITS A TOYOTA" BUT NOW I'M NOT SO SURE. TOYOTA IS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE. I STILL LOVE THE SPACE AND COMFORT OF THE SEQUOIA BUT WOULD RATHER DO WITHOUT ALL THE SERVICE TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP.

LAST MONTH, THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL (VSC) FEATURE OF MY 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA FAILED. AS A RESULT, A SAFETY FEATURE (THE SYSTEM DESIGNED TO HELP MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IN A SKID SITUATION) WHICH WAS A REASON I PURCHASED THIS PARTICULAR SUV WAS NOT ENGAGED (I.E., THE SKID PROTECTION FEATURE WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL). THE FAILURE IS ALLEGED TO HAVE RESULTED FROM AN OPEN MODULE IN THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT THAT GOVERNS THE VSC SYSTEM. THE CONTROLLER WAS REPLACED AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP.*AK

THE INNER PART OF THE TIRES WORE OUT MORE THAN THE OUTER PORTION. AS A RESULT, WHEN DRIVING 55 MPH THE VEHICLE VIBRATED VIOLENTLY. *JB (UNEVEN TIRE WEAR) *SC

DURING A 40 MPH FRONT PASSENGER SIDE IMPACT, THE SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. VEHICLE WAS TOWED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THEN, CONSUMER AGAIN APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UNCONTROLLABLY. HE WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AND UPON PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR VEHICLE LOST POWER, AND WILL NOT MOVE. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES. THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT/TRAC LIGHT, AND ABS BRAKING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THEN, VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE, AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CONSUMER INFORMED MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM RECURRED AND HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

THE VEHICLE SKID CONTROL AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LOSE RPM'S AND HAD NO THROTTLE RESPONSE. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS FLICKERED AND THE RPM'S DROPPED AND THERE WAS NO CONTROL WITH THE ACCELERATION. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

PUT MY SEQUOIA IN PARK AND SHUT OFF .I GOT OUT TO GO INTO GAS STATION, AS I SHUT THE DOOR TO THE VEHICLE, THE CAR JERKED AND BEGAN MAKING A GRINDING NOISE AND PROCEEDED TO GO IN REVERSE BACK. I WENT TO GET INTO THE VEHICLE TO MAKE SURE I HAD GOTTEN IT INTO THE PARK POSITION AND IT WAS. I COULDN'T STOP IT AND BY THAT TIME IT WAS TOO LATE FOR ME TO GET AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. IT ENDED UP PINNING MY LEGS BETWEEN A CONCRETE BARRIER THAT PROTECTS THE GAS PUMPS AND THE DOOR OF MY VEHICLE. EVENTUALLY, IT FOLDED THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR BACKWARDS MAKING IT PARALLEL TO THE FRONT BUMPER AND RELEASED ME TO FALL TO THE GROUND. IT THEN CONTINUED IN REVERSE UNTIL IT FINALLY HIT A PARKED CAR AND STOPPED. ALL OF THE WITNESSES, INCLUDING THE ACTUAL POLICE OFFICER NOTED IN THEIR STATEMENTS THAT THEY FOUND THE CAR IN PARK. AT THIS POINT, TOYOTA IS NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS AND A NEUTRAL PARTY WHO QUICKLY CHECKED THE SEQUOIA SAID THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH THE CAR STAYING IN PARK SO THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE NOTHING FURTHER DONE. *AK