2001 Toyota Sequoia

ACCELERATING ONTO HIGHWAY THE CAR MADE GRINDING NOISE AND PULLED TO LEFT AS WELL AS SUDDENL BRAKING. IT WAS ALMOST A DISASTER BUT CAR IN NEXT LANE VEERED AWAY AND I PULLED ONTO SHOULDER. I HAD BEEN TOLD THE YAW SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BUT WAS NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE. WHEN I LOOKED ONLINE I SAW NHTSA DID NOT FEEL IT WAS A DANGEROUS FAILURE, BUT IT READ AS MORE OF AN INCONVENIENT PROBLEM SO I WAS COMFORTABLE TRUSTING THEM AND DROVE IT AFTER THE DEALER HAD SAID IT COULDN'T GET THE PART. WHY WAS TOYOTA ABLE TO DECLARE A PART OBSOLETE THAT OBVIOUSLY IS IMPORTANT TO MY SAFELY OPERATING THE VEHICLE? HOW CAN. THE NHTSA POSSIBLY THINK THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE?

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?

OUR 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA HAD A LIMITED SERVICE CAMPAIGN RECALL IN 2013-2014 FOR SEVERE RUST PROBLEMS IN THE FRAME. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WE BOUGHT IT FROM. THEY EITHER WOULD REPLACE THE FRAME OR JUST UNDER COAT THE FRAME. THEY TOLD US WE ONLY NEEDED THE UNDERCOATING - NOT TO REPLACE THE FRAME. NOW THE FRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT TOYOTA DID A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM IN NEWER CARS (I BELIEVE 2005-2008), BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING FOR LATER MODEL CARS, YET IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME RUST ISSUE. TOYOTA WAS ABLE TO UNDERCOAT THE FRAMES, WHICH DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, RATHER THAN REPLACING THE ENTIRE FRAME, WHICH WAS MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE FOR THEM. THIS SAME PROBLEM ALSO OCCURRED WITH THE TOYOTA TACOMA TRUCKS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT SWAY BAR WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SWAY BAR BECAME INOPERABLE DUE TO RUST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 176,000.

ONE OWNER VEHICLE WHEN I PURCHASED JANUARY 2015. WAS SERVICED AT LOCAL TOYOTA AND NEVER SAID ANY ISSUES WITH FRAME BEFORE THE DEADLINE TO HAVE FRAME REPLACED. AFTER I PURCHASED MY MACHANIC NOTICED THE RUSTY FRAME AND TOYOTA SAID AFTER THE DEADLINE TO GET FIXED BUT NO ONE AT TOYOTA SAID IT WAS THAT BAD. IT CONTINUED TO GET WORSE AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS VEHICLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. IT NOW WON'T PASS INSPECTION B/C THE FRAME IS FALLING APART. THIS IS MY DAILY DRIVER AND SHOULD NOT HAVE PIECES OF THE FRAME CRUMBLING APART. THE REAREND IS ABOUT TO FALL OUT. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE KNOWN WITH A LOT OF THESE VEHICLES!!