2001 Toyota Sequoia

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL, AND THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE ABS SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55000.

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE HILL AND THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WENT CRAZY WE SKIDDED OUT AND THEN THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL/SLIP LIGHTS WENT ON. THEY STAYED ON UNTIL WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACE SOME BRAKE SENSORS THAT WERE CORRODED. ON THE WAY HOME IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THE TRACTION CONTROL COMPUTER WAS REPORTING THAT THERE WERE STILL BAD SENSORS, BUT THE SENSORS WERE FINE, SO THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE TRACTION CONTROL COMPUTER. AFTER A WEEK IN THE SHOP IT FINALLY CAME BACK WORKING. A TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM SHOULD NOT THROW YOUR CAR OUT OF CONTROL AND RUN YOU OFF THE ROAD. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY HAD NOT SEEN SO MUCH CORROSION UNDER A VEHICLE BEFORE. THEY SAID THAT THE FRAME, EXHAUST, SPARE TIRE, AND BRAKE COMPONENTS AS WELL AS VARIOUS OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS LOOKED TO HAVE WHAT THEY WOULD CALL EXCESSIVE CORROSION. THEY SAID I SHOULD TAKE IT UP WITH WHOM I BOUGHT IT FROM. I THINK THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE TUNDRAS ARE HAVING WITH CORROSION AND SHOULD BE LOOPED INTO THE SAME INVESTIGATION. THE SEQUOIA, I WAS TOLD WHEN I BOUGHT IT, WAS DESIGNED ON THE SAME FRAME, AND DRIVE TRAIN AS THE TUNDRA WHICH WOULD EXPLAIN WHY THE CORROSION IS EFFECTING SIMILAR BRAKING SYSTEMS AND THE SPARE. I WOULD LOVE FOR SOMEONE TO INVESTIGATE THIS. I WOULD HAVE HATED FOR ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO MY FAMILY WHICH WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME. *TR

ABOUT 1YR AGO VSC TRAC, TRAC OFF, ABS, & BRAKE LIGHTS ALL COME ON AND STAY ON. MY SYSTEM FOR THESE BRAKING FEATURES NO LONGER WORK. I FOUND OUT FROM RESEARCH THIS IS VERY COMMON ON THE 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA THAT I OWN AND WAS TOLD TO FILE A COMPLAINT TO HELP GET IT RECALLED BY TOYOTA. THE REPAIR IS 2 SEPARATE COMPUTERS THAT CAN BE AS MUCH AS 2200 DOLLARS TO REPLACE. *TR

1. APPLICATION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. 2. BRAKE(!), VSC, TRAC OFF AND ABS WARNING LAMPS ARE ALL ON. FAILURE OCCURS EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS USED. THE FAILURE OF THESE SYSTEMS RENDER THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, SKID CONTROL AND 4WD SYSTEMS INOPERABLE. THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION THAT MAY RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. 3. FAILURE HAS NOT YET BEEN RESOLVED. DISCUSSION WITH MANUFACTURER HAS YIELDED NO RESULTS. LOCAL DEALER HAS BEEN RELUCTANT TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM AS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. COST OF REPLACEMENT IS CURRENTLY PROHIBITIVE FOR CONSUMER. *TR

THE SEQUOIA HAS A VEHICLE SKID CONTROL (VSC) THAT IS SUPPOSED TO ACTIVATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN A SLIDE OR SKID OR SOME KIND. HOWEVER, THE VSC TENDS TO ACTIVATE ON IT'S OWN AND DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE ACTIVATION CAUSES THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE TO SLOW THE WHEEL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO PULL DRASTICALLY TO THE RIGHT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AT 30-45MPH ON SMOOTH, STRAIGHT ROADWAY. IT IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE AND A CRASH IS BOUND TO HAPPEN. I FOUND SEVERAL MORE COMPLAINTS ON THE ISSUE ON-LINE AT TUNDRASOLUTIONS.COM. I STILL OWN THIS VEHICLE AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. TOYOTA SAYS THE UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE PARTS MAN STATED HE SELL OR REPLACES 7-8 VSC UNITS PER WEEK. *TR

FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, MY 2001 TOYOTA SEQUIOA'S VSC, BRAKE, AND ABS LIGHTS ARE "ON" AND THE ABS AND VSC SYSTEM NO LONGER WORKS. A CERTIFIED DEALER (FIORE TOYOTA; 1480 SOUTH MAIN ST; FALL RIVER, MA, 02724) ATTEMPTED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE BRAKES (FRONT/REAR) AND THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR AND A TUNE UP FOR $1300, BUT THE VSC, ABS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS ARE STILL ON. FIRORE HAS NO IDEA WHAT TO DO AND CAN NO LONGER HELP ME FIX THE PROBLEM. I NOW DO NOT HAVE ABS AND STABILITY CONTROL IN THE SNOWY NORTHEAST! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THERE WAS A LOUD THUMP IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AREA, AUTOMATICALLY THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE WAS APPLIED . THE VSC OFF AND TRACTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND RELEASED IT, WHICH ALLOWED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE TO RELEASE AND THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY AGAIN. FOUR DAYS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VSC OFF AND TRACTION LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE WHILE DRIVING, BUT THEN DIM AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY DISABLED THE VSC SENSOR TO PREVENT THE FAILURE FROM RECURRING. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,700. UPDATED 09/10/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/12/08. *JB JUN 10, 2008, WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THERE WAS A LOUD "THUMP" IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AREA, AUTOMATICALLY THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE WAS APPLIED, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT, THE VSC OFF AND THE VSC TRACTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS WELL AS A MOMENTARY INDICATION OF THE VEHICLE SWERVE INDICATOR CAME ON, I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, SLOWED AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. A VISUAL INSPECTION INDICATED NO APPARENT PROBLEM. I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE VSC. OFF AND THE VSC TRACTION INDICATORS REMAINED ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO HANDLE NORMALLY AT SPEED SO I CONTINUED ON MY TRIP FROM VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. TO DENVER, CO. I COULD NOT TURN THE ILLUMINATED LIGHTS OFF WITH THE MANUAL SWITCH. ONCE I ARRIVED IN DENVER, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MOUNTAIN STATES TOYOTA WHERE THE YAW RATE SENSOR WAS UNPLUGGED. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND THE SENSOR REMAINS UNPLUGGED

MY VSC/ABS SKID CONTROL LIGHT WENT ON AND MY VSC/TRAC SENSOR AND ABS LIGHTS WERE GOING ON AND OFF FOR ABOUT 5 DAYS. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND I LOST ALL ACCELERATION AND HAD TO PULL OF THE ROAD TWO TIMES OVER A 4 MILE STRETCH. THE FINAL TIME, WHICH CAUSED ME TO GO FOR A REPAIR WAS, AT A STOP SIGN WHERE I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE WHEN MY SKID LIGHT CAME ON AND THE GAS PEDAL BECAME UNRESPONSIVE FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. I WAS ABLE TO SWERVE TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH AN ONCOMING VEHICLE BUT WAS SCARED AS I HAD MY ONE YEAR OLD IN THE VEHICLE AND FELT HELPLESS. I GOT AN ESTIMATE FROM TWO DEALERS AND ONE CAME IN AT $2,000 STATING THE WHOLE THROTTLE NEEDED REPLACING WITH THE SENSOR. THE SECOND DEALERSHIP SPENT 8 HOURS EXAMINING IT AND DECIDED TO CLEAN THE THROTTLE CONTROL SENSOR AND THIS SEEMED TO FIX IT WITHOUT ANY ADDED EXPENSE. THIS DEALER ONLY CHARGED ME $55 FOR A CHECKUP!! THERE HAVE BEEN NO RECURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE THANK GOD! THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL!! *TR