2001 Toyota Sequoia

MY 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA LOST ALL STEERING CONTROL WHILE DRIVING MY BOY TO BASKETBALL PRACTICE. MY MECHANIC HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION WHICH WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT AND LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID. HE SAID THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED AND PROBABLY NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT HE HAS SEEN SEVERAL SEQUOIAS WITH THE SAME RUST ISSUES BUT DON'T EXPECT TOYOTA TO FIX THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING TUNDRA AND TACOMA RUSTED FRAMES. AFTER VISITING CERTAIN WEBSITES LIKE EDMOND'S I'VE LEARNED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SEQUOIA OWNERS AND THAT TOYOTA IS NOT RESOLVING THE ISSUE. WHY HAS THE NHTSA NOT ADDRESSED THIS PROBLEM? IT'S TIME TO ACT ON THIS PROBLEM AND FORCE TOYOTA TO REPLACE THESE ROTTED FRAMES. *TR

VEHICLE: TOYOTA SEQUOIA 2001 4WD LTD TEMPERATURE: 87 DEGREES F CONDITIONS: SUNNY & CLEAR - NO RAIN/WATER PRESENT - NO OBVIOUS SLIPPERY CONDITIONS SURFACE: PAVED SURFACE ROAD ACCESSORIES ACTIVE: AIR CONDITIONING WAS ON & RADIO WAS ON WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH IN A STRAIGHT LINE THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED (VEHICLE SYMBOL THAT INCLUDES 3 WAVY LINES) AND SOUNDED AN AUDIBLE SIGNAL IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE "VSC TRAC" & "VSC OFF" LIGHTS ILLUMINATING. TO MEMORY, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS BEING PRESSED AS NORMAL. WHEN THE ABOVE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATED A NEGATIVE SENSATION COULD BE FELT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT VEER OFF COURSE. NEXT, THE EMERGENCY FLASHER HAZARD LIGHT WAS TURNED ON, THE A/C & RADIO WERE TURNED OFF AND THE FOUR MAIN WINDOWS WERE LOWERED TO THEIR FULL DOWN POSITIONS BY THE DRIVER AND THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A SIDE STREET APPROXIMATELY 1/8 MILE AHEAD, STOPPED AND PARKED. THE DRIVER KEPT THE VEHICLE RUNNING. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN INSPECTED BY THE DRIVER FOR SIGNS OF OBVIOUS MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE BRAKE, DRIVELINE AND SUSPENSION COMPONENTS DID NOT SHOW ANY OBVIOUS SIGNS OF FAILURE. THE OWNER'S MANUAL WAS CHECKED AND IT DID NOT INDICATE THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DRIVEN IN THE CURRENT STATE. THE VEHICLE'S A/C SYSTEM WAS SWITCHED BACK ON (THE RADIO WAS LEFT OFF) AND THE VEHICLE WAS THEN DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES, PARKED AND TURNED OFF. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS OF THE VEHICLE BEING PARKED & NOT RUNNING THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE PREVIOUS DASHBOARD LIGHTS AT FIRST DID NOT ILLUMINATE. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE OF DRIVING THE "VSC TRAC" & "VSC OFF" LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN UPON DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES, PARKED AND TURNED OFF. THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL MECHANICAL SENSATIONS FELT OR HEARD DURING EITHER 10 OR 50 MILE DRIVES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL AND TRACK WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AS THE STEERING WHEEL HAPHAZARDLY PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES AND EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WOULD RESET INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT WITHOUT THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WHEN THE DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED THEN THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

VSC LIGHT WAS COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY. VEHICLE(SEQUOIA) WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY SO THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SKID CONTROL ECU. THE VSC LIGHT STARTED COMING BACK ON INTERMITTENTLY APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY TOYOTA SAID IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $2400 TO FIX. SINCE THE LIGHTS ONLY CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT ANY OTHER PROBLEMS AND I DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO SPARE I DIDN'T GET THE REPAIRS DONE. WHILE HAVING MY ROTORS TURNED AT THE DEALERSHIP THE MECHANIC SAID THEY NOTICED THE VSC LIGHT WAS ON. THEY SAID THEY WORKED ON MY VEHICLE FOR 3 HRS(AT NO CHARGE-JUST DOING ME A FAVOR)) TO TRY AND REMEDY THE VSC LIGHT PROBLEM. WHEN I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP I GOT ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOT 2 MILES DOWN THE ROAD THE WARNING LIGHTS AND ABS LIGHTS WERE COMING ON, I STARTED HEARING WARNING BEEPS, THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING VIOLENTLY AND PULLED TO THE RIGHT. SCARED THE HECK OUT OF ME! I PULLED OVER AND HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. OF COURSE THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS SKID CONTROL ECU AND WOULD COST $2400 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAVE TAKEN EXCELLENT CARE OF THIS CAR AND WOULD FIX IT IF I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. BECAUSE OF NECESSITY I HAVE BEEN DRIVING THE CAR AND DEALING WITH THE DAILY SCARE BUT LATELY IT HAS BEEN GETTING SO BAD THAT I WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO TRADE IT IN BEFORE IT CAUSES AN ACCIDENT. *TR

I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAGE IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. FRONT TO BACK, SIDE TO SIDE. THE RUST HAS SPREAD TO THE SPARE AND I FEAR THE SPARE COULD ONE DAY FALL OFF AND CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO VEHICLES AND HUMANS. OUR SEQUOIA WAS BOUGHT NEW WITH ONLY 14 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. IT HAS BEEN MOSTLY GARAGED KEPT AND CURRENTLY HAS LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. THE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. WE PURCHASED THE TRUCK IN DEC 2000 AND WE 1ST NOTICED THE RUST IN 2008 WHEN A SERVICE PERSON BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTENTION WHILE HE WAS ROTATING OUR TIRES. *TR

OUR 2001 SEQUOIA WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE FRAME. I DRIVE A SEQUOIA AND MY HUSBAND DRIVES A TUNDRA. WE BOUGHT BOTH OUR VEHICLES "NEW" FROM OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHO DOES MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE MAINTENANCE ON THEM. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE WE'VE OWNED THE SEQUOIA THAT RUST HAS BECOME AN ISSUE?! WE DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT MANY OWNERS OF THE SEQUOIA ARE REPORTING THIS VERY SAME ISSUE WHICH IS SIMILAR TO A TUNDRA RECALL. THE RECALL WAS FOR FRAME RUST DUE TO THE USE OF INFERIOR METAL WHICH CAUSED RUST FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND BY THE TIME IT BECOMES VISIBLE IT'S TOO LATE. IT IS A KNOWN FACT THAT BOTH THESE VEHICLES ARE BUILT WITH THE SAME FRAME. THE RECALL SHOULD APPLY TO ANY OF TOYOTA'S VEHICLES IF IT IS THE SAME ISSUE. WE HAVE ALSO FILED A CLAIM WITH TOYOTA. *TR

DECEMBER 28, 2011, I BROUGHT MY 2001, TOYOTA SEQUOIA IN TO BE SERVICED FOR REAR BRAKES AND TO GET THE OIL CHANGED. MY CERTIFIED MECHANIC CALLED ME AT HOME AND STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT I COME IN TO SEE WHAT HE DISCOVERED WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS UP ON THE LIFT. SO I STOPPED IN TO TAKE A LOOK. HE SHOWED ME EXTENSIVE RUST HOLES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRAME WELDS ON BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S SIDE. HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL CASE HAS SEVERE RUST DAMAGE. HE STRONGLY URGED ME TO STOP DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT IT IS UNSAFE IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION AND THAT HE HAS NEVER SEEN SUCH EXTENSIVE FRAME RUST DAMAGE ON A VEHICLE THIS WELL TAKEN CARE OF. THE DRIVE TRAIN, OUTER BODY, AND INTERIOR ARE IN MINT CONDITION. I ALSO HAVE ALWAYS MADE IT A POINT TO POWER WASH THE SALT (CALCIUM CHLORIDE) OFF THE UNDER CARRIAGE AFTER DRIVING IN THE NORTHEAST AFTER SNOW OR ICE STORMS, WHEN SALT IS USED ON OUR ROADS. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER TO TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS. THE END RESULT WAS, THEY WERE SORRY TO HEAR THAT I HAD A ROTTED OUT FRAME AND SUGGESTED THAT I GET RID OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THERE IS CURRENTLY NO RECALL FOR THE SEQUOIAS. ALTHOUGH, AFTER GOING ONLINE AT THE TOYOTA FORUM I FOUND OUT THAT THEY'RE ARE OVER 300 CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME TYPE OF ISSUE WITH THEIR SEQUOIA FRAMES IN OUR STATE, SO I DO NOT STAND ALONE. I AM FLOORED THAT A COMPANY LIKE TOYOTA, THAT PRIDES ITSELF IN BEING COMMITTED TO SAFETY DOES NOT CARE AND WILL NOT TAKE OWNERSHIP WHEN THEY KNOWINGLY USED CHEAP JAPANESE STEEL TO BUILD THESE FAULTY FRAMES. I CURRENTLY HAVE THREE YOUNG CHILDREN AND THIS IS MY PRIMARY VEHICLE. I CANNOT AFFORD TO THROW $8 K AWAY (KELLY BLUE BOOK) ON THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP! IN MARCH 2010, TOYOTA RECALLED 2001-03 TUNDRAS FOR SIGNIFICANT FRAME RUST, WHICH IS THE SAME FRAME AS THE SEQUOIA... VERY PUZZLING? *TR