2008 Toyota Sequoia

While accelerating to pass a vehicle that was signaling and operating well below the speed limit, my vehicle experienced sudden and continued unintended acceleration. I was able to bring the vehicle to a stop while fighting against the engine within an intersection but the engine continued building revs, bouncing off the limiter while my foot was entirely removed from the accelerator pedal and fully applied to the brake. During this time I had moved the gear selector to neutral, only furthering the engine's revs, and attempted to place the vehicle into park without success, before having to reach beneath my dashboard, foot still on the brake, to pull the accelerator pedal up. I verified both visually and by feel that the pedal was stuck in it's position entirely on it's own, there was no outside object or floormat inhibiting it's ability to return.

My wife pulled out of a parking lot and there was a loud noise and the vehicle began to shudder violently. Approximate speed was 10 mikes an hour and she was able to stop. The drivers side rear suspension airbag had broken through the lower control arm, and was under the rear driver side tire. It appears some frame members are cracked as well. Had this happened at highway speeds, it may have resulted in a catastrophic accident. Writer contacted Toyota, as I do not recall being notified of their ZH9 frame replacement program that resulted from a class action settlement, and the rear of the frame is horribly rusted. Vehicle probably would have qualified at that time to be fixed, but am now out of the window. Manufacturers should be made to notify via certified mail, so they know their customers received notifications like this.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the independent mechanic for an oil change, the mechanic informed her husband that the chassis was severely rusted. The dealer and other unknown dealers were notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not repair the vehicle under Toyota Campaign Number: ZH7 because the campaign had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed the assessment from the dealers. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for routine service, the independent mechanic discovered that the rear subframe was severely damaged due to rust and corrosion. The contact was advised that holes were present in the subframe, and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed that the vehicle was no longer qualified under the Extended Warranty Coverage for the failure. The failure mileage was 168,000. The VIN was not available.

A valve spring in the engine failed causing one cylinder to fail as well. The failure fortunately happened at low speed and the engine didn't seize. This a known problem with Toyota V8s of this model year and was the reason for a recall of Lexus vehicles with the same engine. Had this happened at highway speed, the engine, we were told, could have experienced a total failure causing the engine to seize likely leading to a serious accident. The car is available for inspection at the moment, but this failure requires a total engine rebuild or an engine replacement which are both very costly and we may have to purchase a new car. The car has not been inspected by Toyota, police, insurance or anyone other than a car service center. There were no warning lights, messages or any symptoms prior to the failure. It was sudden with no warning at all. The car has been very well maintained over the years with regular maintenance done on a consistent schedule.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for an unknown repair, the dealer informed the contact that the sub-frame was corroded. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

Tony Divino Toyota, a Toyota Motor Company dealership, sold me this vehicle sight unseen knowing I would immediately be towing a boat trailer 350 miles at highway speeds through construction zones on I-80 with children and our dog onboard. I was told it had passed a "160 point inspection" and was "in great condition". However, when delivered to me the dealership knew it was not road worthy and in fact illegal to drive on public roads due to missing a third brake light, bad rear brakes were bad, the transmission had failed, the battery had failed, the shocks/struts had failed, and a live shotgun shell was rolling around under the drivers seat. Both Toyota Motor Corporation and the dealership refused to address or correct these vehicle defects which could have resulted in a disastrous crash with injury/death to myself and children. This systemic Toyota disregard for used vehicle quality creates a national safety issue with all cars processed through the Toyota Motor Company network.