2001 Toyota Sequoia

TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (VSC/TRAC) WILL INTERMITTENTLY NOT FUNCTION FOR NO APPARENT REASON, CAUSING VSC/TRAC LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE AND POTENTIALLY COMPROMISING VEHICLE SAFETY. DIAGNOSTIC CHECK OF VEHICLE REVEALS A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND/OR A SENSOR WITHIN THE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY THAT IS PRONE TO INTERMITTENT FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE. REPLACEMENT OF THE PARTS IN QUESTION ARE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE (OVER $1,000) AND ONLY COVERED UP TO 3YR/36K MILE ON THE VEHICLE. THERE IS A DEFINITE FAILURE TREND PRESENT IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THEM, GIVEN THE TSBS THAT EXIST FOR THIS PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS A RECALL TO ENSURE ALL VEHICLES, ESPECIALLY ONES OUT OF WARRANTY COVERAGE, ARE REPAIRED PROPERLY. *JB

THE BRAKING SYSTEM HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE ABOUT 10,000 MILES ,AND CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM TODAY. I HAVE TAKEN MY SEQUOIA TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEALER HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM. *AK DRIVE SHAFT THUMPING/LURCHING AT THE END OF A FULL STOP CONTINUES TO BE A PROBLEM. FUEL GAGE FAILURE - THE FUEL GAGE REMAINS BELOW EMPTY.

2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA, V-8, 2WD. VEHICLE VIBRATES WHEN BRAKING DUE TO WARPED FRONT ROTORS. ROTORS HAVE BEEN TURNED, BUT WARP SOON AFTER DUE TO HEAT BUILDUP. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY TOYOTA AND INCLUDED IN TSB-BR000R-02, TSB-BR001-03). NEW ROTORS AND CALIPERS ARE NEEDED, BUT DEALER WILL ONLY REPLACE FOR A FEE AS MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. *JB

SQUEALING BRAKES AND SEVERE WARPED ROTORS CAUSING VIBRATIONS WHILE BRAKING. CONTACTED TOYOTA AND WAS NOTIFIED THAT CALIPERS AND ROTORS ARE INSUFFICIENT FOR THE VEHICLE. TSB ISSUED TO REPAIR IF UNDER WARRANTY, OTHERWISE COST IS $2000. AFTER ONE WEEK OF DRIVING, FOLLOWING A REPLACEMENT OF THE ROTORS AND PADS, NOTICE AN EXTREME VIBRATION. DISCOVERED THAT THE ROTORS ARE HEATING UP REAL FAST. NOTIFIED THAT THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE BRAKES TO FAIL IF NOT FIXED PROPERLY. MY SAFETY COULD BE JEOPARDIZED BY THIS DEFECT. VEHICLE COST IS $40K WITH ADDITIONAL COSTS TO CORRECT A KNOWN DEFECT DISCOVERED AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRES. I EXPECT MORE FOR MY INITIAL EXPENSE. TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE TO CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE THERE ARE ANY INCIDENCES OF BRAKE FAILURE CAUSING INJURY TO ANYONE. *JB

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2004 I BROUGHT IN MY SEQUOIA FOR SERVICE. I HAD COMPLAINED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED (WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE) AND THE AIR CONDITIONING ENGAGES THE CAR ROLLS FORWARD. THE LAST TIME THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED, SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE, HAD RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE SERVICE TECH INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THAT TOYOTAS REGIONAL FACTORY TECHNICIAN NEEDED TO VERIFY THEIR OWN ASSESSMENT AND APPROVE THE WARRANTY WORK TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM HE ALSO STATED VERY SPECIFICALLY THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 2004 GLENN KASHIMA, SERVICE DIRECTOR FROM TUSTIN TOYOTA CALLED ME. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE FACTORY TECHNICIAN HAD BEEN OUT TO LOOK AT THE CAR. HE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, AND DETERMINED THAT THE CAR WAS OPERATING WITHIN SPECIFICATIONS. HE TOLD ME THAT I COULD PICK THE CAR UP. I MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE. FIRST THEY TELL ME THAT THE HAVE IDENTIFIED A PROBLEM, HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, AND IT WILL BE COVERED BY MY WARRANTY. THEN THEY TELL ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13TH, 2004 I WENT TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I SPOKE WITH GLENN KASHIMA. HE AGAIN REITERATED THAT THE CAR WAS OPERATING WITHIN SPECS. THIS IN SPITE OF HIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE FACT THAT HIS OWN TECHNICIAN HAD DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM, ETC. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD ASKED HIS TECHNICIAN IF HIS FOOT HAD BEEN PUSHING STRONGLY ON THE BRAKE WHEN HE HAD DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM, OR ONLY LIGHTLY ON THE BRAKE. GLENN TOLD ME THAT HE HAD BEEN ASKED THIS BY THE TOYOTA FACTORY GUY. HE DESCRIBED THAT HIS OWN TOYOTA TRUCK DOES THAT..THAT IF YOUR FOOT IS NOT PRESSED HARD ON THE BRAKE THAT WILL HAPPEN. I ASKED, ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT IF THE CAR IS STOPPED, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE SUFFICIENTLY TO HAVE THE VEHICLE STOPPED, THAT THE VEHICLE WILL LURCH FORWARD WHEN THE A/C ENGAGES? HE NODDED HIS HEAD AND SAID,"YES."*AK

FAILURE REGUARDING TO TIRES....IN PARTICULAR TO TOYO TIRES / OPEN COUNTRY, 265/R70/16. HE PROBLEM IS A SAFETY ISSUE, THE TIRES ARE CRACKING IN THE TREAD GROOVES. AND NOT JUST ONE TIRE ALL FOUR TIRES, TO TOP THAT ALL OFF THESE ARE THE SECOND SET....THE FIRST ONE'S WERE ALREADY REPLACED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE ORIGINALS HAD ONLY LESS THAN 10,000MILES WHEN I, HAD NOTICED THE CRACKING, TOYO TIRES REPLACED ALL FOUR BECAUSE OF THE DEFECT( ALL FOUR TIRE WERE CRACKED). THE REPLACEMENT SET ALSO CRACKED THE SAME WAY, BUT I, HAD JUST NOTICED THE DEFECT....ALMOST 45,000MILES LATER (AGAIN ALL FOUR TIRES ARE CRACKED THE SAME WAY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD DIFFERENT AND CHANGING STORIES. WHAT I WANT TO KNOW ARE THESE TIRES SAFE....I'M WORRIED ABOUT MY FAMILIES SAFETY, ARE THESE TIRES GOING TO EXPLODE AS THEY DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY(WE HAVE A LARGE SUV). THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT. I CAN SEND A COPY OF THE BILLS AND THE AUTHORIZATION NUMBERS FOR THE REPLACEMENTS (SECOND SET / ALL FOUR). ALSO I AM WILLING TO SEND THE TIRES. HOW CAN THIS BE 8 TIRES ALL CRACK THE SAME WAY, IS THIS A BIG DEFECT? OR DOES THE, NUMBER OF DEATHS, BOX NEED A NUMBER IN IT FIRST?*AK