2001 Toyota Sequoia

DRIVING SOUTH BOUND ON RT. 301 IN BOWIE, MD. BEGAN TO SLOW AND MOVED RIGHT INTO THE EXIT LANE TOWARDS MOUNT OAK RD. WEST BOUND. HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA LEANED OVER TOWARD THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT WHEEL. IT BECAME EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKING POWER WAS GREATLY REDUCED AND THE SEQUOIA WAS BASICALLY UNCONTROLLABLE. WAS ABLE TO STEER SLIGHT TOWARDS THE RIGHT TO AVOID BEING PULLED BACK INTO TRAFFIC. IMPACTED A SAFETY MEDIAN, DESIGNED TO PROTECT CARS ENTERING THE HIGHWAY FROM THOSE EXITING THE HIGHWAY, AND CROSSED COMPLETELY OVER IT THE WHEEL HUB HAD SEPARATED FROM THE LOWER CONTROL ARM. THE TIRE, WHEEL RIM, HUB, STEERING RACK, STEERING TIE ROD, CONTROL ARMS, BRAKE LINES, DRIVE AXLE, ETC. HAD ALL BEEN DAMAGE SEVERELY. PICTURES OF THE SCENE SHOW A SINGLE SKID MARK FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL CLEARLY. THE SINGLE SKID MARK INDICATES THAT ONE WHEEL WAS NOT ROTATING AT ALL, WHILE THE OTHER THREE WERE ROTATING FREELY, OR UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. I FOUND NO MY 2001 RECALLS. I LATER FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 05V225000 INDICATING A RECALL DUE TO FAILED BALL JOINTS IN THE 2002-2004 SEQUOIA. THE SEQUOIA MODEL WAS FIRST AVAILABLE AS A MY2001 AND INITIAL INTRODUCTION WAS LATE IN 2000. MY2002 STARTED IN THE LATE SUMMER OF 2001. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SO QUICKLY AFTER THE MODEL INTRODUCTION TOYOTA WOULD MAKE MAJOR CHANGES IN THE SUSPENSION AND/OR BALL JOINTS. IT WAS BY LUCK ONLY THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED OR KILLED DUE TO THE SUSPENSION FAILURE, TOYOTA NEEDS TO REACT QUICKLY AND NOTIFY MY2001 OWNERS OF THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT. NOT ONLY DID THE SUSPENSION FAIL, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO MOVE BACK AND JAM INTO THE REAR WHEEL WELL AREA, BUT IT SEEMED TO CAUSE AN ALMOST TOTAL LOSS OF BRAKING ABILITY. I BELIEVE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES RESPONDED TO THE LOCKED FRONT WHEEL BY MODULATING THE POWER TO THE OTHER WHEELS RESULTING IN LESS BRAKING FORCE. *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

THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE ABOUT 10,000 MILES ,AND CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM TODAY. I HAVE TAKEN MY SEQUOIA TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. *AK DRIVE SHAFT THUMPING/LURCHING AT THE END OF A FULL STOP CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM. FUEL GAGE FAILURE - THE FUEL GAGE REMAINS BELOW EMPTY.

2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA, V-8, 2WD. VEHICLE VIBRATES WHEN BRAKING DUE TO WARPED FRONT ROTORS. ROTORS HAVE BEEN TURNED, BUT WARP SOON AFTER DUE TO HEAT BUILDUP. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY TOYOTA AND INCLUDED IN TSB-BR000R-02, TSB-BR001-03). NEW ROTORS AND CALIPERS ARE NEEDED, BUT DEALER WILL ONLY REPLACE FOR A FEE AS MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *JB

SQUEALING BRAKES AND SEVERE WARPED ROTORS CAUSING VIBRATIONS WHILE BRAKING. CONTACTED TOYOTA AND WAS NOTIFIED THAT CALIPERS AND ROTORS ARE INSUFFICIENT FOR THE VEHICLE. TSB ISSUED TO REPAIR IF UNDER WARRANTY, OTHERWISE COST IS $2000. AFTER ONE WEEK OF DRIVING, FOLLOWING A REPLACEMENT OF THE ROTORS AND PADS, NOTICE AN EXTREME VIBRATION. DISCOVERED THAT THE ROTORS ARE HEATING UP REAL FAST. NOTIFIED THAT THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE BRAKES TO FAIL IF NOT FIXED PROPERLY. MY SAFETY COULD BE JEOPARDIZED BY THIS DEFECT. VEHICLE COST IS $40K WITH ADDITIONAL COSTS TO CORRECT A KNOWN DEFECT DISCOVERED AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRES. I EXPECT MORE FOR MY INITIAL EXPENSE. TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE THERE ARE ANY INCIDENCES OF BRAKE FAILURE CAUSING INJURY TO ANYONE. *JB

I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA AND HAVE EXPERIENCED BRAKE PROBLEMS SINCE REPLACING OLD BRAKES. WHEN I INQUIRED AT MY TOYOTA DEALER, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A TSB FOR MY PROBLEM BUT BECAUSE THE PROBLEM HAS JUST A TSB RELATED TO IT AND I AM MY WARRANTY PERIOD HAS EXPIRED THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO FIX THEIR DESIGN PROBLEM. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT DUE TO THE VIBRATIONS CAUSED DURING BRAKING THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WOULD CHALLENGE ANYONE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO UNDERSTAND MY CONCERN. TO DATE, I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DISCUSS THIS WITH ANYONE WITHIN TOYOTA'S CORPORATE OFFICE.*AK

THE FRONT BRAKING SYSTEM ON 2001 SEQUOIA WAS REPLACED AND UPGRADED. *MR THE BRAKE JOBS WERE PERFORMED AT THE FOLLOWING MILEAGES: 15K, 25K, 30K, 55K, AND 74K MILES. THE LEFT WHEEL RATTLED OVER THE ROUGH ROAD, THE REAR LEFT STRUT MADE A NOISE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS DUE TO A BROKEN SHOCK, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON. *SC *JB

2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA - I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS HUNDREDS OF OTHER TOYOTA TUNDRA AND SEQUOIA OWNERS: EARLY WARPING OF THE FRONT DISC ROTORS WHICH RESULTS IN SEVERE BRAKE VIBRATIONS AND LOSS OF STOPPING POWER. ON TWO OCCASIONS I HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD TOYOTA AND INDEPENDENT BRAKE SPECIALISTS TURN THE ROTORS AND REPLACE THE BRAKE PADS ON AN AVERAGE OF ONCE EVERY 4000 MILES SINCE OWNING THE CAR AND NOW AM ON MY SECOND SET OF ROTORS. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO SOLUTION. MY WARRANTY EXPIRED WITHOUT TOYOTA INFORMING ME OF A SERVICE BULLETIN RECOMMENDING REPLACEMENT DURING MY SERVICE CALLS WHICH WOULD MANDATE REPLACEMENT OF THE BRAKE CALIPERS. NOW, AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF MY WARRANTY THEY INFORM ME OF A TSB THAT WOULD HAVE REPLACED IT UNDER WARRANTY, BUT NOW I HAVE TO PAY $1400. SEVERAL OTHER CONSUMERS ON MYCARSTATS.COM RELATE THAT THE REPLACEMENT CALIPERS DO NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. TOYOTA IS TRYING TO AVOID RESPONSIBILITY. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A FAULTY BRAKE SYSTEM. NOT A FAULTY RADIO OR A FAULTY DOME LIGHT. PEOPLE WILL DIE. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO DO RECALL THIS VEHICLE AND MANDATE TOYOTA TO ENACT A PROPER AND SAFE SOLUTION NOW.*AK