2001 Toyota Sequoia

ON MY 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA, THE VSC/ABS/SKID LIGHT CAME ON A FEW DAYS. WE TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY INDICATED THAT THE VSC/ABS SKID CONTROL ECU HAS FAILED. WE ARE TOLD THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE THIS AT A COST OF $2,400. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM, CATCHING FIRE, ETC. AND THIS PROBLEM IS LIFE THREATENING. I FEEL THAT TOYOTA SHOULD STEP UP AND FIX THIS PROBLEM WITHOUT CHARGING ME. *TR

THE SEQUOIA HAS A VEHICLE SKID CONTROL (VSC) THAT IS SUPPOSED TO ACTIVATE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN A SLIDE OR SKID OR SOME KIND. HOWEVER, THE VSC TENDS TO ACTIVATE ON IT'S OWN AND DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE ACTIVATION CAUSES THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE TO SLOW THE WHEEL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO PULL DRASTICALLY TO THE RIGHT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AT 30-45MPH ON SMOOTH, STRAIGHT ROADWAY. IT IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE AND A CRASH IS BOUND TO HAPPEN. I FOUND SEVERAL MORE COMPLAINTS ON THE ISSUE ON-LINE AT TUNDRASOLUTIONS.COM. I STILL OWN THIS VEHICLE AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. TOYOTA SAYS THE UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE PARTS MAN STATED HE SELL OR REPLACES 7-8 VSC UNITS PER WEEK. *TR

FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, MY 2001 TOYOTA SEQUIOA'S VSC, BRAKE, AND ABS LIGHTS ARE "ON" AND THE ABS AND VSC SYSTEM NO LONGER WORKS. A CERTIFIED DEALER (FIORE TOYOTA; 1480 SOUTH MAIN ST; FALL RIVER, MA, 02724) ATTEMPTED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED THE BRAKES (FRONT/REAR) AND THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR AND A TUNE UP FOR $1300, BUT THE VSC, ABS, AND BRAKE LIGHTS ARE STILL ON. FIRORE HAS NO IDEA WHAT TO DO AND CAN NO LONGER HELP ME FIX THE PROBLEM. I NOW DO NOT HAVE ABS AND STABILITY CONTROL IN THE SNOWY NORTHEAST! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH THERE WAS A LOUD THUMP IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AREA, AUTOMATICALLY THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE WAS APPLIED . THE VSC OFF AND TRACTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND RELEASED IT, WHICH ALLOWED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE TO RELEASE AND THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY AGAIN. FOUR DAYS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VSC OFF AND TRACTION LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE WHILE DRIVING, BUT THEN DIM AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY DISABLED THE VSC SENSOR TO PREVENT THE FAILURE FROM RECURRING. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,700. UPDATED 09/10/08. *LJ UPDATED 09/12/08. *JB JUN 10, 2008, WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THERE WAS A LOUD "THUMP" IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL AREA, AUTOMATICALLY THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE WAS APPLIED, THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT, THE VSC OFF AND THE VSC TRACTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS WELL AS A MOMENTARY INDICATION OF THE VEHICLE SWERVE INDICATOR CAME ON, I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, SLOWED AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM. A VISUAL INSPECTION INDICATED NO APPARENT PROBLEM. I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THE VSC. OFF AND THE VSC TRACTION INDICATORS REMAINED ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE APPEARED TO HANDLE NORMALLY AT SPEED SO I CONTINUED ON MY TRIP FROM VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. TO DENVER, CO. I COULD NOT TURN THE ILLUMINATED LIGHTS OFF WITH THE MANUAL SWITCH. ONCE I ARRIVED IN DENVER, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MOUNTAIN STATES TOYOTA WHERE THE YAW RATE SENSOR WAS UNPLUGGED. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND THE SENSOR REMAINS UNPLUGGED

WHILE DRIVING AT A RATE OF 70MPH THE VSC TRAC AND TRAC CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THE CAR DECREASED IN SPEED AND VEERED TO THE RIGHT, CAUSING ME TO MOMENTARILY LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR. PER OWNER'S MANUAL TOOK CAR INTO DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTIC. PER CODES OBTAINED VIA DIAGNOSTIC DEALER SUGGESTS REPLACING YAW CONTROL SENSOR AND ECU. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE MYSELF IT SEEMS TO BEAN ISSUE WITH THE 2001 SEQUOIA AND ITS ECU, YAW CONTROL SENSOR, AND THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR THAT COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS HARM OR INJURY IF NOT CORRECTED. *TR

WE HAD A 100,000 MILE SERVICE WITH A TOYOTA DEALER. SHORTLY AFTER THE VSC/ABS LIGHTS STARTED COMING ON WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN DRIVE. THEY INSIST IT IS THE SKID CONTROL AND ECU COMPUTERS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF OTHER CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. WHEN WILL NHTSA INVESTIGATE THIS AND FORCE A RECALL? *TR

WHILE DRIVING 40MPH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OVERDRIVE DID NOT ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS SEEN BY THE TOYOTA DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE OVERDRIVE WAS DEFECTIVE AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. I SHOULD OF LOOKED IN THIS WEBSITE BEFORE I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE PLEASE HAVE TOYOTA RECALL THIS DEFECT AND REPAIR OUR VEHICLES. I LOVE THE CAR, I HATE THIS COSTLY PROBLEM. TOYOTA SHOULD MAINTAIN US FAITHFUL IN THEIR QUALITY AND HONESTY BY REPAIRING OUR VEHICLE BEING IT WAS FIRST GENERATION. *TR