2001 Toyota Sequoia

I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA AND EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A SHOPPING MALL PARKING LOT AT 5 MPH. OUR VEHICLE SHUDDERED AND SWERVED TO THE RIGHT WHILE A BUZZER WENT OFF & THEN THE VSC AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE NEXT TWO INCIDENTS OCCURRED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY BETWEEN 20-25 MPH. ON BOTH OCCASIONS OUR VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND VEERED TO THE RIGHT BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SERIOUS LIFE SAFETY DEFECT THAT HAS BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED BY TOYOTA FOR THE 2003 SEQUOIA'S AND BY THE VAST AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS SHOULD EXTEND TO EARLIER MODELS AS WELL. I RECENTLY TOOK OUR SEQUOIA INTO A MECHANIC AND THEIR TROUBLE SHOOTING REVEALED THAT THE SKID CONTROL ECU WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED, COSTING OVER $3400. *TR

VEHICLE FRAME FAILURE DUE TO EXCESSIVE RUST. FRAME RECALLED AFTER WE RECEIVED A LETTER TO HAVE FRAME INSPECTED. LOCAL DEALER INSPECTED AND FOUND IT QUALIFIES FOR RECALL AND CAN BE REPLACED, HOWEVER, THE MANIFOLD AND CATALYST, AND TIMING BELT, ETC. LIKELY WILL BE DAMAGED IN FRAME REPLACEMENT SINCE THEY ARE RUSTED TO FRAME. THE QUOTE TO REPLACE THOSE ITEMS MORE THAN VEHICLE IS WORTH--CAR IS TOTALED DUE TO FAILING PARTS AND RUST. WE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA AND WE WERE POLITELY TOLD THAT ONLY THE FRAME IS COVERED IN RECALL. VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT TOYOTA WILL NOT GIVE US ANY COMPENSATION TOWARD ANOTHER VEHICLE SINCE THIS VEHICLE IS NOW TOTALED IN IT'S VALUE (IF EXHAUST SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN ADDITION TO FRAME). WE ARE PROCEEDING WITH REPLACEMENT AND WILL SEE WHETHER THE EXISTING EXHAUST SYSTEM CAN BE SALVAGED. IF IT IS DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR, WE HAVE NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE BUT TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE AT OUR OWN EXPENSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF A MANUFACTURER'S RECALL IN REGARD TO FRAME RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THAT THE FRAME WAS INDEED RUSTED. IN ADDITION TO THE FRAME RUST, THE SHOCKS, EXHAUST AND THE POWER STEERING LINES WERE ALSO FOUND TO BE RUSTED. THE DEALER WOULD ONLY REPLACE THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO ANY COMPONENT OF THE VEHICLE OTHER THAN THE FRAME. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 78,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE... UPDATED 02-07-13 *BF

IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V444000, TOYOTA RECALLED MODEL YEAR 2000-2003 TUNDRA VEHICLES DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION OF THE REAR CROSS MEMBER THAT MAY CAUSE THE SEPARATION OF THE SPARE TIRE. THE 2000-2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA VEHICLES SHARE IDENTICAL FRAME CROSS MEMBER AND SPARE TIRE MOUNTING ARRANGEMENTS IN WHICH EXCESSIVE CORROSION IN THE REAR CROSS MEMBER AND SPARE TIRE MOUNTING LOCATION CAN CAUSE SEPARATION OF THE SPARE TIRE STOWED UNDER THE REAR CARGO LOAD FLOOR WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A ROAD HAZARD. THIS SEPARATION OF THE SPARE TIRE OR MOUNTING BRACKET COULD CAUSE A CRASH. ALSO, CORROSION OF THE REAR CROSS MEMBER COULD AFFECT THE REAR BRAKE LINES AND THE PROPORTIONING VALVE, RESULTING IN DIMINISHED BRAKING CAPABILITY. ANY SEPARATION OF THE SPARE TIRE AND/OR DIMINISHED BRAKING CAPABILITY COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF CRASH TO AFFECTED VEHICLE AND/OR A ROAD HAZARD TO THOSE TRAVELING NEARBY. *TR

EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST. FRAME RUSTED THROUGH. WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION. I HAVE BEEN WATCHING FORUMS WHERE MANY OTHER SEQUOIA OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THIS APPARENTLY DOES NOT AFFECT ALL SEQUOIAS. 3-4 YEARS AGO METAL WAS COMING OFF OF THE FRAME IN HUGE CHUNKS. I STARTED ASKING THE DEALER ABOUT THE ISSUE SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND WAS HOPING THAT THERE WOULD BE A RECALL TO CORRECT. THE CAR IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE OTHERWISE. *TR

WAS DRIVING DOWN MAJOR INTERSTATE WHEN THE VSC WARNING CAME ON WITH BUZZER. BRAKES FELT LIKE THEY WERE BEING GROUND DOWN, ENGINE DECELERATED, AND COULD FEEL BUMPING AND GRINDING ON BRAKE PEDAL. PULLED OVER AND CHECKED UNDER CAR, FOUND NOTHING. GOT BACK ON INTERSTATE AND SAME THING HAPPENED ONLY THIS TIME THE SYSTEM TURNED ITSELF OFF. CAN NOT TURN THE VSC OFF WITH THE BUTTON PROVIDED. RESEARCH ON INTERNET REVEALS NOT AN UNIQUE ISSUE WITH SEQUOIA. HAS ALSO HAPPENED WITH TUNDRA AND OTHER TOYOTAS WITH VSC SYSTEM. NO FIX AVAILABLE AS OF 09/30/2012 THAT CAN BE FOUND. *TR

ACTUALLY, THIS WAS NOT AN "INCIDENT". RATHER IT WAS ME CRAWLING UNDER THE TRUCK TO SCRAPE SOME RUST OFF OF THE FRAME. WHAT I FOUND WAS ABOUT A ONE FOOT LONG RUSTED "SLIT" IN THE FRAME. IT DID NOT LOOK SAFE TO ME, SO I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER TO INSPECT. (COST ME $25.) I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS SAFE FOR NOW, BUT WOULD SOON NOT BE SAFE. THE TOYOTA FIELD SPECIALIST SAID THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. LOOKING ONLINE, I SEE COUNTLESS CASES OF ROTTING FRAMES ON THIS YEAR SEQUOIA. THINGS I SEE ONLINE FROM OTHER OWNERS (USING MY WORDS): "THE FRAME IS RUSTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT. IT WAS MADE WITH EITHER INFERIOR MATERIAL OR BAD COATING. THE TACOMA (WITH THE SAME FRAME) HAS BEEN COVERED BY TOYOTA." LOTS OF UPSET PEOPLE OUT THERE! NOT SURE WHAT TO DO... DON'T FEEL RIGHT ABOUT SELLING IT... DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT TOO MUCH. PLEASE HELP! *TR

WIFE WAS PULLING OFF FROM A STOPLIGHT WHEN THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM LIGHT (SKIDDING CAR ICON) AND WARNING BUZZER CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A LOUD GRINDING SOUND, VIBRATING, AND PULLING TO THE RIGHT. SHE PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER, TURNED IT OFF, AND CALLED ME TO COME SWAP VEHICLES WITH HER. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, OF COURSE, THE SYMPTOMS HAD GONE AWAY. SEVERAL DAYS LATER ON A FAMILY TRIP, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE AT 65-70 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE DID THE SAME THING SHE HAD DESCRIBED. WE PULLED OVER, THE NOISE STOPPED, AND THEN THE VSC/TRAC AND TRAC OFF CAME ON. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL FIX. TOO MANY VEHICLES HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, OVER SEVERAL PRODUCTION YEARS (2003'S ACTUALLY HAVE A RECALL FOR A SIMILAR ISSUE). HOWEVER, READING VARIOUS FORUMS HAS MADE ME THINK TOYOTA DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS. BUT IT'S DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE CHECKED OUT. *TR

TODAY DRIVING AT 40MPH MY 2001 SEQUOIA SUDDENLY JOLTED AND BRAKE WITH A TERRIBLE GRINDING NOISE, THIS WHILE I WAS USING THE GAS PEDAL! IT WAS VERY SCARY AND SHOCKING THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY DO SUCH AN UNSAFE MANEUVER. MY CHILDREN & I WERE TERRIFIED AS THE BEEPING STARTED AND THEN A STEADY NOISE WHILE THE GRINDING PERSISTED. I AM SO GLAD THE CAR BEHIND US DID NOT PLOW INTO US, AND STILL DO NOT KNOW HOW THEY DID NOT. TO EVERYONE THAT HAS STATED THIS: "PEOPLE WILL BE KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS", YOU ARE VERY CORRECT. IT IS DANGEROUS TO HAVE SUCH A FAULTY SYSTEM IN A CAR ON THE ROAD. WE HAD IS TOWED AWAY, AND FRANKLY I KNOW NOT WHAT TO DO SINCE READING ALL OF THESE OTHER INCIDENTS. EVEN IF WE HAVE IT FIXED, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WILL NOT CEASE. I HAD THIS HAPPEN TWICE IN THE LAST 2 DAYS, BUT THOUGHT I'D RUN OVER A POTHOLE OR SOMETHING. TODAY, IT WAS SMOOTH PAVEMENT AND NICE WEATHER. WE REALLY NEED A RECALL TO SAVE LIVES! *TR