2001 Toyota Sequoia

GOT 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA 02/2001 MANY PROBLEMS. ONE IS VSC SYSTEM WARN LIGHTS ON, TOTAL ACTIVATION OF VSC SYSTEM FOR NO REASON. 8/04 BROUGHT TO DEALER, VSC WARNING LIGHTS ON AND SOMETIMES POWER CUT,VERY DANGEROUS! DEALER FOUND "YAW RATE SENSOR MAY POSSIBLY BE MALFUNCTIONING, BUT EVERYTHING WORKING ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS NO PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. VSC SYSTEM WORKING AS DESIGNED. OK TO RETURN TO SERVICE." 7/06 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. BROUGHT TO DEALER 8/3/06, TOLD NOTHING WRONG, PROBABLY LOOSE GAS CAP. WE HAD HEARD THAT EXCUSE BEFORE. 8/18/06 ON A TRIP FROM CT TO SC, VSC OFF/ VSC TRAC OFF WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND BEEPED. ARRIVED AT OUR DESTINATION, PARKED CAR FOR 1 HOUR. DROVE ABOUT 1 MI VSC SYSTEM FULLY ACTIVATED BROUGHT US TO COMPLETE STOP IN TRAFFIC, ALMOST REAR ENDED! TOOK TO LOCAL DEALER (8/21). $191 LATER WAS TOLD IT WAS A SENSOR MALFUNCTION NOT A SAFETY ISSUE WHAT SO EVER. SERVICE REP SAID "ABSOLUTELY NOT A PROBLEM TO DRIVE TO CT PERFECTLY SAFE". 3 HOURS LATER VSC OFF /VSC TRACK OFF WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. ON OUR LAST STOP WARNING LIGHTS WENT OFF AS USUAL BUT DID NOT COME BACK ON RIGHT AWAY. INSTEAD VSC SYSTEM WENT INTO TOTAL ACTIVATION ON I81 AT 70 MPH! LUCKILY WE WERE IN RIGHT LANE. MADE IT TO NARROW SHOULDER. GOT VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL, THE SHOULDER HAD RUN OUT AND WE WERE ABOUT 1 FT FROM HITTING THE GUARDRAIL. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED AND COULD HAVE CAUSED A 40 CAR PILE UP WITH MANY DEATHS! BROUGHT VEHICLE TO OUR LOCAL DEALER. PROBLEM SO DANGEROUS THAT I DON'T WANT TO GET IN THIS CAR AGAIN! I WILL NEVER FEEL SAFE OR TRUST TOYOTA SERVICE AGAIN. TOYOTA NEEDS TO EDUCATE DEALER SERVICE DEPTS AND RECALL THIS VEHICLE BEFORE SOMEONE DIES. THIS IS ONLY ONE OF MANY PROBLEMS WE HAVE HAD WITH THIS CAR AND TOYOTA SERVICE. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR HURT TWICE (NOT JUST THIS INCIDENT) BECAUSE OF MALFUNCTIONS AND TOYOTA SERVICE MISTAKES. WE BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF TOYOTA'S REPUTATION FOR SAFE, QUALITY-BUILT VEHICLES. WE GOT NEITHER! *JB

DT*THE CONSUMER STATED THE VSC WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS THE YAW RATE SENSOR. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG, AND IT WAS PROBABLY A LOOSE GAS CAP. WHILE DRIVING, THE VSC ACTIVATED, THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 09/15/06. *JB

DURING NORMAL DRIVING VSC, TRAC CONTROL AND BRAKE LIGHTS ALL LIT UP. LIGHTS GO OFF AND COME BACK ON INTERMITTENTLY. I HAVE BEEN ON EDMUNDS WEBSITE AND SEE TOO MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS EXACT ISSUE. IT WILL COST ON THE AVERAGE OVER $1,000 TO CORRECT. MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND IS TOO YOUNG AND EXPENSIVE TO HAVE THIS ISSUE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL. *JB

TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (VSC/TRAC) WILL INTERMITTENTLY NOT FUNCTION FOR NO APPARENT REASON, CAUSING VSC/TRAC LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE AND POTENTIALLY COMPROMISING VEHICLE SAFETY. DIAGNOSTIC CHECK OF VEHICLE REVEALS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND/OR A SENSOR WITHIN THE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY THAT IS PRONE TO INTERMITTENT FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE. REPLACEMENT OF THE PARTS IN QUESTION ARE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE (OVER $1,000) AND ONLY COVERED UP TO 3YR/36K MILE ON THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A DEFINITE FAILURE TREND PRESENT IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THEM, GIVEN THE TSBS THAT EXIST FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS A RECALL TO ENSURE ALL VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY ONES OUT OF WARRANTY COVERAGE, ARE REPAIRED PROPERLY. *JB