2001 Toyota Sequoia

I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. I GOT MY SEQUOIA BRAND NEW AND NOW HAS OVER 88,000 MILES. MY SEQUOIA BEGAN TO GIVE ME TROUBLE ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO EVERYTIME I TRIED TO PUT IT INTO GEAR. THE GEAR FELT TIGHT ALMOST DIFFICULT TO PUT INTO GEAR. ON A RECENT TRIP TO SAN FRANCISCO, I BEGAN TO ALSO NOTICE A "BUZZING" SOUND ON THE GAS PEDAL. AS I WAS DRIVING UP THE GRAPEVINE ON INTERSTATE 5, MY TRANSMISSION "POPPED" AND I HAD NO POWER. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE DRIVE PIN BROKE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION AND CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGED TO THE TRANSMISSION. AT THE TIME THIS HAPPENED MY WIFE AND TWO YOUNG KIDS WERE WITH ME. WE WERE EXTREMELY LUCKY WE DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS MAJOR BREAKDOWN. I HAVE COME TO RELY ON MY VEHICLE AND HAVE BEEN REALLY GOOD AT KEEPING IT TUNED AND GETTING THE REQUIRED SERVICES TO KEEP MY CAR IN SHAPE. MY CONCERN IS, HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE WHO OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA? IF NOT, CAN IT HAPPEN AGAIN? THANKS NHTSA.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE AT A STOP SIGN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. HE PLACED THE GEAR INTO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE ESTIMATED COST FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS $6,000. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 206,816.

THE VSC LIGHT CAME ON AFTER MY 2001 SEQUOIA HIT A POT-HOLE. THIS WAS BACK IN 2004 AND THE LIGHT REMAINS ON. I WAS TOLD IT WAS A SENSOR. THE VEHICLE IS LONG OUT OF WARRANTY AND I CAN'T AFFORD ANY EXPENSES RIGHT NOW. THAT'S JUST ONE OF A FEW MAJOR COMPONENTS TO GO. IN 2003 THE TORQUE CONVERTER WENT AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. I HAD 88,000 MILES ON IT AND IT WAS BEYOND THE 60,000 DRIVE TRAIN WARRANTY. HOWEVER, TOYOTA DID PAY FOR HALF OF THE $4000 BILL WITH THE DEALERSHIP PICKING UP A 1/4 OF THE BILL. I PAID THE REST. WAS PAYING HALF AN ADMISSION BY TOYOTA THAT THEY PROVIDED A FAULTY TRANSMISSION. I DO KNOW THAT THE DEALERSHIP REMOVED THE OLD TRANSMISSION AND SHIPPED IT OFF TO TOYOTA AND I NEVER HEARD ANOTHER WORD ABOUT IT. THE BRAKES ON THESE BIG VEHICLES HAVE BEEN A SORE SPOT WITH ME. I'VE HAD TO CHANGE BRAKES AND ROTORS NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE YEARS. AND LAST ON MY LIST OF COMPLAINTS IS THE TAILGATE. IT HAS RUSTED OUT PREMATURELY AND IT IS MORE THAN A $1,000 TO REPLACE. I USE BUNGIES TO KEEP IT CLOSED UP AND I HAD TO PROP THE WINDOW UP SINCE THE TRACKING SYSTEM IN THE TAILGATE RUSTED OUT AND FELL APART. *TR

2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA- 48K MILES..VEHICLES TRACTION CONTROL AND VSC LIGHTS COME ON SHORTLY AFTER DRIVING THE CAR. JUST BEFORE THE LIGHTS COME ON, THE CAR SHAKES AND MAKES A GRINDING NOISE, PULLS TO THE RIGHT, AND LOSES POWER. THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME YOU DRIVE THE CAR. ANYWHERE FROM 1MIN TO 15MIN FROM THE START OF DRIVING. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS ONCE THE VEHICLE IS UP TO SPEED, WE HAVE ALMOST GOTTEN IN TO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE CAR PULLED SO VIOLENTLY AND DIDN'T HAVE POWER. THE CAR WILL SHAKE AND PULL AND THE ONLY WAY WE'VE GOTTEN IT TO STOP IS BY STEPPING ON THE BRAKE AND REDUCING SPEED (LESS THAN 30 MPH). AFTER WE REDUCE THE SPEED, THE TRAC AND VSC LIGHTS COME ON AND THE CAR IS DRIVABLE UNTIL YOU CYCLE THE IGNITION. IT'S PRETTY SCARY. MY FATHER-IN-LAW TOOK THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEIR DIAGNOSIS IS SKID CONTROL ECU FAULTY, MUST REPLACE. DTC CODES C1363 AND C1234. THE COST THEY QUOTED HIM WAS $2415.99 + $200 LABOR. WE HAVEN'T DECIDED TO PURCHASE THE NEW ECU BECAUSE WE FEEL ITS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY OR SHOULD BE A TSB. I'VE SINCE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT OTHER SEQUOIA OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND TOYOTA'S RESPONSE IS TO JUST REPLACE THE ECU. SOME OF THEM EVEN GOT INTO ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND SHAKING. *TR