2003 Toyota Sequoia SR5

ABOUT 9AM MONDAY MORNING, AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE ABOUT 20 MPH, I ARRIVED AT A STOP SIGN. AS I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE SEQUOIA WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. I HAVE DEPRESS THE ACCELERATION TO THE FLOOR IN ORDER TO MOVE THE CAR AND SUDDENLY IT TOOK OFF. I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR AND SAFETY DROP OFF MY CHILDREN. *TR

TURNING RIGHT INTO DRIVEWAY MY CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE WITH A LOUD GRINDING SOUND. LET OFF GAS, NOISE CEASED, APPLIED GAS GENTLY AND THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED AS NORMAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE. IT ONLY SEEMS TO OCCUR DURING A RIGHT TURN AT A VERY LOW SPEED. THE VSC AND TRAC LIGHTS EACH COME ON WHEN THIS OCCURS. THEY USED TO BE OFF EACH TIME I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE BUT NOW THEY DO NOT TURN OFF AT ALL. WENT TO TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEED TO HAVE THE "COMPUTER SYSTEM" THAT CONTROLS THE VSC AND TRAC REPLACED. WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $1,700.00. THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER, I CANNOT AFFORD TO WAIT SINCE THIS IS MY ONLY VEHICLE AND I HAVE 3 CHILDREN WHOSE SAFETY MAY BE AT RISK AS THIS DEFECT OCCURS. *TR

2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA WILL UNEXPECTEDLY LOOSE POWER WHEN TURNING AND THEN ACCELERATION RACES UP AFTER A LONG PAUSE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT ONCE PER MONTH SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IN 2003 AND HAS SEVERAL TIMES RESULTED IN NEAR-MISS CRASHES FROM APPROACHING TRAFFIC AS THE VEHICLE WILL NOT MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. *TR

VSC/TRAC LIGHT STARTING GOING ON AND OFF THAN STAYED ON THAN THE SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT WENT ON AND THE BUZZER WOULD RING A FEW TIMES THAN THE REAR TIRES SKIDDED ON THEIR OWN AND SEEMED TO KIND OF "LOCK UP" THAN IT WENT AWAY. THIS HAPPENED 3X IN A WEEKS PERIOD SO I LOOKED IT UP IN MY OWNER'S MANUAL AND IT SAID TO TAKE IT IN TO THE TOYOTA DEALER WHICH I DID ON 11/03/09. THIS IS THE 2ND TOYOTA SR5 I HAVE BOUGHT. I TRADED MY 2001 SR5 IN FOR THIS ONE BECAUSE THE VSC TRAC LIGHTS KEPT GOING ON IN IT TOO BUT THE ELECTRIC WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING AS WELL. WE BOUGHT THE 36 MONTHS, 36,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH THE SALESMAN TOLD US WOULD COVER "EVERYTHING" BUMPER TO BUMPER AND THAT IT WAS "BETTER" THAN THE PREVIOUS CERTIFIED PLATINUM EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT WE HAD PURCHASED WITH OUR 2001 SR5. I BOUGHT THIS 2003 SR5 ON 12-15-07 AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAD ANY PROBLEM WITH THE LIGHTS OR SKIDDING. I WAS TAKING MY GRANDSON TO THE DENTIST WHEN IT HAPPENED AND IT WAS SCARY. THANK GOD NO ONE GOT HURT. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE SKID CONTROL REPLACEMENT IS NOT COVERED AND THAT THE COST FOR REPAIRS WOULD BE $2,000. WELL I DO NOT HAVE $2,000 TO PAY FOR THIS. I REMEMBERED HAVING RECEIVED A QUESTIONNAIRE IN THE MAIL A MONTH OR SO AGO FROM THE NHTSA REQUESTING INFORMATION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE VSC TRAC AND SLIP INDICATOR LIGHTS SO I DID FILL IT OUT AND SEND IT IN, HOWEVER I HAD ONLY HAD THE VSC LIGHTS GO ON AT THAT POINT AND ONLY RECENTLY THE SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT AND BUZZER STARED GOING OFF. IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A DEFECTIVE PART & HAZARDOUS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE LEFT MY CAR AT THE DEALER AND WILL HAVE IT TOWED HOME AS IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE LIKE THAT AS I DO NOT HAVE THE $2,000 TO FIX IT. I SPOKE WITH GARY HEWITT AT NHTSA ON 11/04/09 AND HE SAID THAT MICHAEL PACKARD WOULD BE BACK IN THE OFFICE ON 11/16/09 IN OHIO AND SINCE HE IS CONDUCTING THIS INVESTIGATION, WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO SEE MY CAR BEFORE REPAIRS. *TR