2001 Toyota Sequoia

While driving my 2001 Sequoia SR5 with only 74,750 miles on freeways at speeds between 55 and 65 mph, the SUV's braking system activates unexpectedly and without cause. The VSC check engine lighting and warning sound illuminate. My SUV veered to the right, the steering wheel vibrated, and it went into a skid when the brakes were abruptly engaged, causing it to skid. My SUV abruptly decelerated as if it had lost power. This situation was hazardous for other vehicles who could not tell if they were applying the brakes due to the absence of visible brake lights to prevent a collision. Fortunately, I responded defensively and avoided collisions with other vehicles and roadside obstacles. This issue is a safety concern; if it occurs at the wrong moment, a tragedy can be avoided. I've seen more than a hundred complaints from other proprietors and a completed NHTSA investigation. Sequoia models from 2001 and subsequent years were recalled for the same issue. Before a life is lost, Toyota must address this issue in all model years.

DRIVING 45MPH ON STRAIGHT ROAD THE VEHICLE VSC ENGAGED PULLING HARD TO THE RIGHT AND DECELERATING QUICKLY. I PULLED OVER, CALLED DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO DRIVE IT THE 2 MILES TO DEALERSHIP. WITHIN 100' OF DEALERSHIP I CROSSED INTERSECTION AND CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED, ENGAGED THE ASSISTANCE AGAIN AND I WAS ALMOST STRUCK BY TRUCK THAT SWERVED AND ALMOST HIT PEDESTRIAN. DEALER SAID IT WAS A YAW STEERING SENSOR. PART WAS UNOBTAINABLE OR POSSIBLE WITHIN 8 WEEKS, AND NO AFTER MARKET PARTS AVAILABLE. MECHANIC RECOMMENDED VEHICLE NOT BE DRIVEN. TOYOTA DECLARED PART OBSOLETE. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND THIS WAS ALREADY AT THE NHTSA ATTENTION BUT THAT THEY CLOSED THE INVESTIGATION. HOW IS THIS ACCEPTABLE?

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE BRAKES WHERE APPLYING THEMSELVES, VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING AND VIBRATING AND SLOWING DOWN AND THE VSC TRAC LIGHTS CAME ON. IT SCARED ME AND I ALMOST HAD A PANIC ATTACK. I PULLED OFF TAYLOR ROAD(CITY STREET) AND TURNED THE CAR OFF AND CHECKED TO SEE IF I HAD A FLAT TIRE. I RESTARTED TO CAR AND THE LIGHTS REMAIN ON AND I TOOK THE CAR HOME. MY WIFE IS NOW SCARED TO DRIVE IT.

WHILE DRIVING OUR 01 SEQUOIA SR5 WITH ONLY 85,000 MILES ON SIDE STREETS AND HIGHWAYS AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 5MPH TO 70 MPH, THE SUV'S BRAKING SYSTEM SUDDENLY ENGAGES FOR NO REASON WHILE THE VEH. IS IN MOTION. THE VSC, CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS COME ON ALONG WITH THE ALERTING SOUND. WHEN THE BRAKES ENGAGE, THE VEH. VEERS TO THE RIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES AND THE VEH. GOES INTO A SKID DUE TO THE BRAKES BEING SUDDENLY ENGAGED. THE VEH. ALSO DECELERATES SUDDENLY AS IF IT HAS LOST POWER. THIS IS DANGEROUS FOR OTHER DRIVERS WHO CAN'T TELL IF YOU ARE BRAKING BECAUSE THERE ARE NO BRAKE LIGHTS TO BE SEEN TO PREVENT A COLLISION. THANKFULLY WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACT DEFENSIVELY AND AVOID COLLISIONS WITH OTHER VEH.'S. AND ROADSIDE OBJECTS. WE HAVE SEEN SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS AS TO THE FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM LIKE THE YAW RATE SENSOR BEING REPLACED. THE COST OF THE PART IS $568.00 WITHOUT THE INSTALL COST.THIS PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND IF IT OCCURS AT THE WRONG TIME, A PREVENTABLE TRAGEDY IS GOING TO OCCUR. I HAVE SEEN WELL OVER 50 COMPLAINTS ON THIS FROM OTHER OWNERS AND A CLOSED NHTSA INVESTIGATION ON THIS EXACT ISSUE. THEY RECALLED THE 2003 SEQUOIA FOR THE SAME ISSUE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIX THIS IN ALL MODEL YEARS BEFORE A LIFE IS LOST. SEE 2003 RECALL INFO BELOW: 2003 SEQUOIA RECALL #10V176000 RECALL DATE 04/30/2010 COMPONENT ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL READ MORE AT HTTPS://WWW.CARS.COM/RECALLS/TOYOTA-SEQUOIA-2003/#QJWYC1MK25OVHGFX.99 READ MORE AT HTTPS://WWW.CARS.COM/RECALLS/TOYOTA-SEQUOIA-2003/#QJWYC1MK25OVHGFX.99

MY 2001 SEQUOIA, SUDDENLY SHOWING THE VSC LIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME! THERE IS A VERY ROUGH FEELING WHEN I'M DRIVING THE CAR LIKE SOMETHING IN THE UNDERCARRIAGE IS VERY WRONG. THERE IS A TWICE BEEP AND THE CAR, WILL SUDDENLY PULL TO THE LEFT MOMENTARILY AND THEN RELEASE ITSELF BUT THE LIGHTS NEVER GO OUT UNLESS CAR IS OFF. I CAN FEEL THE BRAKES LIKE SHAKING.I S SCARY AND THIS HAPPEN LIKE 4 TIMES.THE LAST IS IN THE HIGHWAY.IS MAKE A NOISE LIKE A SCRATCH METAL.I KNOW I'M NOT THE FIRST ONE .PLEASE TOYOTA FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

MY COMPLAINT STEMS FROM THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL (VSC) ISSUE THAT COMMONLY PLAGUES THE 2001-2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. AS MANY OTHERS HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS OVER THIS VSC ISSUE, MINE IS NO DIFFERENT. MY SEQUOIA, A 4X4 SR5 WITH 160K MILES, WORKS FLAWLESSLY OTHER THAN THE VSC LIGHTS BEING CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED WHILE DRIVING. THE RESULTS OF THE MALFUNCTION, POSSIBLY FROM THE YAW RATE SENSOR, PRESENT A MOMENTARILY LOSS OF POWER AND RANDOM UNEXPLAINED STEERING EVENTS. THE ONLY WAY TO TEMPORARY CLEAR THE VSC LIGHTS AND THE EFFECTS OF THE MALFUNCTION IS TO COMPLETELY STOP THE VEHICLE, TURN OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. I FEAR A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE MY WIFE AND KIDS ARE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE TOYOTA ISSUE A FORMAL RECALL OR PAY FOR A NEW YAW RATE SENSOR AND THE CONSUMER PAYS THE LABOR. OTHER THAN THE VSC ISSUE, THE SEQUOIA IS A GREAT VEHICLE OVERALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND VSC WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL SEIZED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE YAW SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 188,000.