FaultScore

2003 Toyota Sequoia acceleration problems

91 of the 877 complaints about the 2003 Toyota Sequoia are about the throttle and cruise control — 10% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 85,000 miles.

B

91

Complaints

5

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Vehicle Speed Control 86 94.5%
Accelerator Pedal 5 5.5%

Acceleration & Cruise Control across every Toyota Sequoia year

2001 102 20.3%
2002 135 26.9%
2003 91 18.1%
2004 53 10.6%
2005 85 16.9%
2006 21 4.2%
2007 15 3.0%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Foresthill, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Front end in rolled shacking. Tires wearing extremely fast and uneven image. Unable to drive

NHTSA complaint #11576522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Port Townsend, WA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

"VSC OFF, VSC TRAC, and ABS" indicators on the dash. YAW sensor failure which controls wheel speed which will cause vehicle to decelerate and possibly cause an accident. Toyota should issue a nationwide recall. Toyota is aware of the issue but has failed to issue a nationwide recall.

NHTSA complaint #11476504 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chicago, IL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

AS I CAME RO STOP AUTO THEN PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR THE AUTO ACTED AS IF IT DIDNT WANT TO MOVE BUT STARTED OUT SLOW . THIS OCCURED EVERYTIME I STOPPED AND PRESSED TO ACCELL THE AUTO. THE AUTO WAS IN MOTION , DURING TURNING.

NHTSA complaint #11366794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 224,000 miles Richmond Hill, GA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE SPEED CONTROL, VCS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND SAS WARNING INDICATORS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL DEALERS, BUT NO FAILURE COULD BE FOUND. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A MALFUNCTION OF THE ECU TRACKING DEVICE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V176000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 224,000.

NHTSA complaint #10972116 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 168,000 miles Yukon, OK

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN ACCELERATING THE SLIP CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON AND THE VEHICLE DOES NOT ALLOW THE DRIVER TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN TO 35 MILES PER HOUR. THIS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO BE HIT BY A DRIVER APPROACHING AT A SPEED OF 70 MPH. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THE THE SLIP CONTROL MODULE NEED TO BE REPLACED AT $1,200 AND THE PART IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE VSC TRAC CONTROL RECALL. THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 MODEL AS THE DEALERSHIP SAYS IT HAS HAD TO REPLACE MANY OF THE SKID CONTEOL ECU. THIS WILL CAUSE DEATH AND CRASHED AS THE DRIVER CAN NOT SPEED UP WHEN THERE IS ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

NHTSA complaint #10874758 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 167,000 miles SUN Prairie, WI

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

HELLO, I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUIOA WHERE THE ENGINE LIGHT AND THE VCS LIGHTS ARE BOTH ON. I SAW ON YOUR PAGE SOME REALLY HELPFUL INFORMATION ON THIS MAKE/MODEL RECALL. I'VE REACHED OUT TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE BECAUSE THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS MAKE/MODEL BUT THEY SAID THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT PART OF THAT RECALL, EVEN THOUGH IT'S HAVING THE SAME ISSUES?? THE RECALL WAS THAT TOYOTA HAD TO REPLACE THE SKID CONTROL ENGINE CONTROL UNIT (ECU) AND UPGRADE PROGRAM LOGIC IN ITS VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL (VCS) SYSTEM. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN TO GET IT INSPECTED AND THEY PROVIDED ME WITH 3 CODES: C1203 - ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM COMMUNICATION CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION C1360 - VEHICLE SKID CONTROL MASTER PRESSURE SENSOR MALFUNCTION P0420 - CATALYST SYSTEM EFFICIENCY BELOW THRESHOLD THESE ARE ALL SYSTEM ISSUES. CAN YOU HELP ME?

NHTSA complaint #10863990 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 272,590 miles Northridge, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT AN APPROXIMATE SPEED OF 40 MPH, I NOTICED MY BRAKE, TRAC OFF, VSC TRAC, ENGINE LIGHT ALL CAME ON AT ONCE. I NOTICED THAT BRAKING WAS NOT AS RESPONSIVE (INCREASED BRAKING DISTANCE; ABS DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ENGAGING) AND WHEN SPEEDING TO OVER 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE FEELS AS IF IT IS SLOWING ITSELF DOWN. IT IS CURRENTLY AN EXPECTED HEAVY RAINFALL SEASON WHERE I AM AND HAVING THE VEHICLE IN THIS STATE IS VERY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY WHEN THE BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING EFFECTIVELY OR WHEN IT STARTS TO SLOW ITSELF DOWN SUDDENLY. AFTER SHUTTING THE VEHICLE DOWN AND RESTARTING IT AFTER ABOUT 2 HOURS, THE LIGHTS MENTIONED ARE STILL ILLUMINATED EXCEPT THE BRAKE LIGHT. AFTER READING ALL THE OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS, I AM SURPRISED TOYOTA IS NOT PAYING FOR ALL ASPECTS OF THIS DEFECT ASSOCIATED WITH THE VEHICLE AND NOT DRIVER MISUSE.

NHTSA complaint #10819880 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 217,995 miles Hilton, NY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I PURCHASED A USED 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA IN APRIL 2014. SINCE THAT TIME, THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM VSC) ACTIVATES RANDOMLY CAUSING THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES TO BE APPLIED AT RANDOM. THIS WAS A MINOR ANNOYANCE AT FIRST BUT SOON BECAME A REGULAR OCCURRENCE. WHEN INCLEMENT WEATHER HIT IN DECEMBER 2014 THIS VEHICLE WAS UNSTABLE TO DRIVE IN EVEN LIGHT SNOW; EVEN WHEN I HAD IT IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE. IN JANUARY 2015, IT WAS SNOWING AND THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL INTO THE OPPOSITE LANE. IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT SO THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SLIDE INTERMITTENTLY ON THE REST OF THE DRIVE HOME. THE THING IS THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS OFF-ROAD TIRES AND THIS COMBINED WITH THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM SHOULD MAKE IT EXTREMELY STABLE IN ANY WEATHER. IN FEBRUARY 2015, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WITH OUR CHILDREN AND THE VEHICLE'S BRAKES LOCKED UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A TWO-WAY STOP PREVENTING IT FROM MOVING FORWARD. THERE WERE OTHER VEHICLES APPROACHING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND THEY HAD TO STOP TO PREVENT A COLLISION. A QUESTION: WHAT IF THERE WAS SNOW ON THE ROAD AT THAT TIME? I APRIL HAD MY SEQUOIA LOOKED AT BY VANDERSTYNE TOYOTA IN ROCHESTER NY AND THEY FOUND THAT THE YAW RATE SENOR HAD A SHORT RESULTING IN CONSTANT APPLICATION OF THE VSC SYSTEM AND QUOTED ME $660.00 TO "FIX" THE ISSUE. I PROCEEDED TO RESEARCH THIS ISSUE ON THE NET AND IT APPEARS TO BE WIDESPREAD WITH OWNERS OF TOYOTA SEQUOIAS, SIENNAS AND SOME 4 RUNNERS. AND MANY OF THE OWNERS WHO HAD THE YAW RATE SENSOR REPLACED CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. I WILL NOT HAVE THIS WORK DONE IF THERE IS NOT A GUARANTEE THAT IT WILL FIX IT AND THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT GUARANTEE THIS 100%. THIS IS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND I AM IN THE PROCESS OF FILING A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA, BBB AND THE NEW YORK STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE.

NHTSA complaint #10704741 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 70,000 miles Sugar Land, TX

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ABS, VSC TRAC, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHTS ON. BROUGHT TO THE SHOP . MECHANIC STATED IT'S THE COMPUTER NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR MORE THAN $1000 AND UP. SEARCH INTERNET AND LOTS OF OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS, CAN SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT PLEASE.

NHTSA complaint #10668225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 180,800 miles Seguin, TX

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

AS I WAS DRIVING I NOTICE MY TRAC OFF, VSC TRAC, ENGINE LIGHT ALL CAME ON AT ONCE , ALSO NOTICE LOSS OF POWER TO MY VEHICLE .

NHTSA complaint #10663735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 153,000 miles Valencia, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE VSC TRAK LIGHT COMES ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND WILL REMAIN ON UNTIL I TAKE THE VEHICLE IN TO MY MECHANIC. IT WORRIES ME THAT THERE MAY BE SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS OCCURRED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, OVER AN OVER AGAIN. CAN THIS BE FIXED PERMANENTLY?

NHTSA complaint #10662475 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 140,000 miles Forest Ranch, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME VSC PROBLEMS AS I READ IN THE OTHER COMPLAINTS, ALONG WITH OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES. RANDOMLY (OR SO IT SEEMS) THE VSC, BRAKE LIGHTS, DRIVE LIGHT AND OTHERS WILL GO ON AND OFF. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW AND EVERY TIME I GO TO TAKE IT IN FOR SERVICE, THEY AREN'T ON AND THEY "CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG."

NHTSA complaint #10660927 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 138,000 miles Lake Oswego, OR

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

FIRST THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, THEN THE VSC OFF LIGHT FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY THE VSC TRAC LIGHT. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, AS THE LIGHTS ONLY STAY ON FOR A DAY OR TWO THEN DON'T COME BACK ON UNTIL A FEW DAYS LATER. I HAVE CHECKED THE RECALL DATABASE FOR MY VEHICLE AND IT IS NOT INCLUDED, ALTHOUGH THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN RECALLED ON OTHER VEHICLES MATCHING MY VEHICLE'S GENERAL DESCRIPTION. I LIVE IN A VERY WET AREA OF THE COUNTRY AND RELY ON THIS SYSTEM TO WORK PROPERLY. FROM WHAT I CAN READ THROUGH ONLINE FORUMS, TOYOTA NEEDS TO TAKE A LOOK AT EVERY VEHICLE THAT IS EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE, AS IT APPEARS TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE WIDESPREAD THAN FIRST THOUGHT.

NHTSA complaint #10660266 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 130,000 miles Malibu, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

GOING AROUND A TURN IN THE MOUNTAINS AT A SLOW SPEED, MY TRACTION CONTROL KICKS IN AND THERE IS A GRINDING NOISE, I LOOSE THE USE OF THE BRAKES COMPLETELY UNTIL THE TRACTION CONTROL TURNS OFF. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME MY SPRINGS AND SHOCKS WERE BAD. I REPLACED ALL 4 OF THE SPRINGS AND SHOCKS AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY.

NHTSA complaint #10630907 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 161,980 miles Fort Worth, TX

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE VSC, AND TRAC, AND BRAKE LIGHTS ALL LIT UP WHILE COMING INTO AN INTERSECTION, WHERE I HEARD A GRINDING CLUNKING NOISE IN THE DRIVE TRAIN, AS I TRIED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, COASTED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, MADE OTHERS BRAKING TO AVOID ME AS I STEERED AWAY FROM THEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE YEARS BUT THIS WAS THE SCARIEST, AS IT HAPPENED GOING INTO AN INTERSECTION. IT HAS HAPPENED BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY SEVERAL TIMES, ON THE HIGHWAY SEVERAL TIMES. TOYOTA DOESN'T WANT TO TIE THIS ISSUE TO THE RECALL REGARDING THE VSC ECU TRAC LIGHT RECALL FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO. I'VE TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO ESCALATE THIS ISSUE WITH TOYOTA MOTOR CO.

NHTSA complaint #10626738 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 161,980 miles Fort Worth, TX

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WE BOUGHT THIS 2003 SEQUOIA LIMITED 2 WHEEL DRIVE NEW, AND IT HAS BEEN A GOOD CAR OVER ALL. BUT THE VSC TRACS, BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE FLASHED ON AND OFF SPORADICALLY AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS, WHEN DRIVING AND OR WHEN BRAKING. THEY USUALLY DON'T EFFECT THE CAR, BUT RECENTLY WE HAVE EXPERIENCED THEM ALL COMING ON WHEN BRAKING, AND WE SEEM TO LOOSE POWER AND THE POWER STEERING IS LOST MOMENTARILY UNTIL WE COME TO A STOP, AND SHUT IT OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES. THIS HAPPENED MOST RECENTLY LAST WEEK WHEN COMING INTO AN INTERSECTION DRIVING ABOUT 30MPH, AND ALL OF THE VSC, TRAC, AND BRAKE LIGHTS ABRUPTLY CAME ON, THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE, AND IT SEEMED TO HAVE LOST ELECTRICAL POWER, TRYING TO COME TO A STOP, I COULD NOT STOP IN TIME FOR THE INTERSECTION, BUT WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO AVOID BEING HIT BY CROSS TRAFFIC, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING FELL APART UNDERNEATH. I INSPECTED IT AND SAW NOTHING, BUT KNOW THAT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD ADDRESS AND PAY FOR BEING A RECALL ITEM. I CALLED THE TOYOTA HOTLINE AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER FOR THIS ISSUE, WHICH WAS A RECALL IN 2010. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, AND THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE. STATED IT WAS A BAD COMPUTER, AND SOME VSC MODULE SENSOR? DIDN'T STATE TOYOTA WOULD COVER THE COST OR HELP WITH THE COST. EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA SEQUOIA'S FOR YEARS, AND WAS A RECALL ITEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT. WHY WOULD TOYOTA NOT COVER THE COST TO FIX THIS IF IT IS A RECALL ITEM? I WANT IT FIXED BUT WITH THE MILES I HAVE ON IT, DON'T WANT TO SPEND MUCH MONEY ON IT, ESPECIALLY AN ITEM THAT IS A RECALL PROBLEM WITH MANY LIKE MINE. WHAT SHOULD I DO? WAIT TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT, HIRE A LAWYER, AND SUE? FRUSTRATED TOYOTA OWNER IN TEXAS.

NHTSA complaint #10618644 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 185,790 miles Waldorf, MD

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE VSC OFF/ TRAC OFF AND CHECK ENGINE AND BRAKE LIGHT ALL CAME ON. THE BRAKE STARTED TO JUMP AND THE CAR PULLED HARE TO THE LEFT. I TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON THE PROBLEM WENT A WAY BUT THE LIGHTS ALL CAME BACK ON. HOWEVER THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH THEIR SEQUOIA AND I HAVE SEEN NO SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS.

NHTSA complaint #10615600 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Dacula, GA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

AT RANDOM TIMES, THE VSC AND BRAKE LIGHTS WILL COME ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THEY SEVERELY GRIND AND STOPPING IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO COMPLETELY TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO TOYOTA MANY TIME OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL YEARS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS I HAVE CHILDREN RIDING IN THE VEHICLE!! TOYOTA EITHER SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG OR THAT A SENSOR WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED WHICH COSTS APPROXIMATELY $1600.00. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH OLDER SEQUOIAS AND SHOULD BE A RECALL. IT SHOULD BE FREE OF CHARGE TO THE OWNER! I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMETHING TOYOTA DID NOT DO RIGHT!

NHTSA complaint #10606708 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 99,103 miles Jupiter, FL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VEHICLE ALMOST LOST CONTROL DURING A 25MPH TURN IN LIGHT RAIN CONDITION. THE VEHICLE HAS BRAND NEW TIRES AS WELL. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MANY TOYOTA SEQUOIA VEHICLES AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE FAULT. THE FAILURE TO ANNOUNCE A RECALL ON THE VSC PRESSURE SENSOR UNIT WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL, SKID, LOSS OF ABS AND SUBSEQUENTLY LEAD TO CRASH.

NHTSA complaint #10573913 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 58,600 miles South Ozone Park, NY

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

UPON NORMAL DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE ACCURATELY AND QUICKLY ENOUGH AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO RANDOMLY ILLUMINATE 3 INDICATOR LIGHTS WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. THE 3 INDICATORS ARE BRAKE, TRAC OFF, VSC OFF. BEFORE THESE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE PEDAL WOULD BECOME VERY HARD TO PRESS CAUSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO REQUIRE MUCH MORE FORCE APPLIED TO IT THUS CAUSING A DECREASE IN STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #10573639 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 128,450 miles Sterling, VA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE ACCELERATING ON AN ON RAMP ALONG INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, VSC VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON, ENGINE WENT TO IDLE, LOST SPEED. AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS, VSC LIGHT WENT OUT, ENGINE ABLE TO ACCELERATE. CONSIDERING HEAVY TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE 495, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. NO ICE, NO SNOW, NO RAIN, ROAD WAS DRY AND LEVEL. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IT HAS OCCURRED.

NHTSA complaint #10567133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 77,000 miles Cashmere, WA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL (VSC) LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON AT RANDOM AND WILL NOT TURN OFF UNTIL THE ENGINE IS RESTARTED. THERE WAS A VOLUNTARY RECALL FROM TOYOTA FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT THE DEALER SAID MINE IS NOT AFFECTED BUT OBVIOUSLY IT IS SINCE I RECEIVED A NOTICE AND THE LIGHTS DO COME ON. I ALSO HEAR GRINDING NOISE WHEN THE ABS ENGAGES. TOYOTA DEALER WANTED TO CHARGE ME FOR THE FIX.

NHTSA complaint #10566376 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 91,000 miles Santa ANA, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VSC/ABS AND TRAC LIGHTS CAME ON. TOOK IN TO DEALER REPLACED SKID CONTROL COMPUTER AND STILL LIGHTS STAYED ON. NOW I MUST REPLACE YAW SENSOR FOR MORE MONEY. THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH MOST SEQUOIAS OF THE 2003 YEAR MODEL.

NHTSA complaint #10556865 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 66,253 miles West Bloomfield, MI

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VSC AND VSC OF LIGHTS ARE ONCODES C1223 ABS CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, C1231 STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, AND C1247 STROKE SENSOR INDICATES NEEDS THE SKID CONTROL ECU T 2.0 REPLACED SKID CONTROL ECU 08/01/2010 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FOUND P0031 AF SENSOR B1S1 T1.0 PARTS REPLACED. 6/01/2013 AGAIN VSC TRAC OFF SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON AND DEALERSHIP WANTS 1400.00 FOR NEW COMPUTER.

NHTSA complaint #10531943 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 101,000 miles Jackson, WI

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND MY VSC TRAC LIGHTS CAME ON ALONG WITH MY ENGINE LIGHT. WHEN I GOT HOME, I LOOKED AT MY VEHICLE MANUAL TO DETERMINE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I ATTEMPTED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM AS SUGGESTED BY TOYOTA, UNFORTUNATELY, NOTHING CHANGED. APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS LATER MY BRAKE LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY TURNED ON & OFF. LESS THAN 5 MONTHS EARLIER, I HAD MY ALL OF MY BRAKES REPLACED, SO I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT MY BRAKES ARE FAULTY. I BECAME ALARMED BY THESE ELECTRONIC MISCUES - SO I WENT ONLINE TO EXPLORE WHETHER THIS WAS A COMMON THREAD WITH OTHER SEQUOIA OWNERS. I DISCOVERED VERY QUICKLY THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THEIR VSC / ENGINE / AND BRAKE LIGHTS BECOMING ACTIVATED. I WAS HOPING THIS PROBLEM MIGHT BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL, BUT IT APPEARS THAT IT IS NOT. I AM HOPING FOR A REMEDY THAT WON'T HAVE EXTENSIVE COSTS TO ME.

NHTSA complaint #10523028 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 65,000 miles Alhambra, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN HAVE THE CAR ON AND RUNNING THE TRACTION LIGHT BRAKE LIGHT AND VSC LIGHT COME ON AT THE SAME TIME.

NHTSA complaint #10521803 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 190,000 miles Lake IN THE Hill, IL

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

HI I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5, AND THE VSC TRAC, VSC OFF AND CHECK ENGINE CAME ON ALL AT ONCE, TOOK IT TO AUTO PARTS STORE AND THEY RAN THE SCANNER IT SAID TO CHANGE THE O2 SENSOR, WHICH I DID AND NOTHING CHANGED, I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN COMING UP QUIET A LOT IN THIS MODEL, CAN YOU TELL ME IF THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOT ANY RECALL RELATED TO THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #10512742 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 44,000 miles LOS Angeles, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TOYOTA SEQUOIA 2003 - WITHIN MONTHS OF TAKING NEW CAR DELIVERY, VSC ABS AND TRAC LIGHTS WOULD BLINK INTERMITTENTLY AND ON OCCASION THE AUTO WOULD DECELERATE. AS THE ISSUE WAS INTERMITTENT, DEALERSHIP WAS UNWILLING/UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE. TROUBLE WOULD CONTINUE WITH LESS FREQUENT DECELERATION BUT MORE FREQUENT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION UNTIL, AFTER A FEW YEARS, THE WARNING LIGHTS STAYED ON AND INVOLUNTARY DECELERATION SEEMED TO CEASE. TWO DIFFERENT FACTORY DEALERSHIPS PROVIDED TWO DIFFERENT DIAGNOSES. ONE SAID YAW SENSOR AND OTHER SENSORS NEED REPLACEMENT (OUT OF WARRANTY); THE OTHER, MORE RECENTLY SAID THAT BRAKE BOOSTER AND ACTUATOR NEED REPLACEMENT (OUT OF WARRANTY). VEHICLE CONTINUES TO BRAKE NORMALLY AND ABS DOES FUNCTION KEEPING THE SUV STEERABLE DURING PANIC STOPS. TRACTION AND STABILITY CONTROL ISSUES WERE NOT TESTED BY THIS DRIVER. SEARCH OF INTERNET BASED USER GROUPS SHOWS THIS PROBLEM COMMON IN EARLIER YEAR SEQUOIA/TUNDRA MODELS. COSTS OF REPAIRS RANGE FROM $1600 FOR YAW SENSORS TO $3700 FOR BRAKE BOOSTER AND ACTUATORS. TOYOTA USA IS UNRESPONSIVE UNLESS REPAIRS ARE UNDERTAKEN AND MAKES NO WARRANTY OF COOPERATION SHOULD REPAIRS PROVE INEFFECTIVE OR UNNECESSARY. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS AND OTHER 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5 AND LIMITED MODELS.

NHTSA complaint #10512403 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 5,000 miles West Hollywood, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

CONCERN STARTED WITH A VSC AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER COMING ON AND OFF IN AN INTERMITTENT FASHION WITHOUT PATTERN OR EXTERNAL CAUSE. THE WARNING LIGHTS WOULD NOT REMAIN ON BUT INSTEAD WOULD GLOW FOR A BRIEF BIT OF TIME AND THEN EXTINGUISH. THE VEHICLE DID EXHIBIT A SPONTANEOUS DECELERATION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE OPERATING AT LOW SPEED (LESS THAN 20 MPH) AND ON LEVEL, SMOOTH GROUND. THE EPISODES WERE BRIEF AND NORMAL BRAKE OPERATION RETURN IMMEDIATELY ONCE SPEED DROPPED TO APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH. IN THE DECADES THAT I HAVE OPERATED THIS AUTOMOBILE, THE WARNING LIGHTS WENT FROM LIGHTING INTERMITTENTLY TO BEING ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY; THE SPONTANEOUS BREAKING HAS SEEMINGLY CEASED SINCE THESE LIGHTS HAVE REMAINED ON. DEALERSHIP AND FACTORY WERE INFORMED OF THIS CONCERN WITH EACH SERVICE VISIT. DEALERSHIP RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WERE UNWILLING OR UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE AN INTERMITTENT CONCERN. ONCE THE LIGHTS REMAINED ON, I WAS INITIALLY INFORMED THAT THEY SUSPECTED A DEFECTIVE YAW SENSOR AND MORE RECENTLY, MALFUNCTIONING BRAKE BOOSTER COMPONENTS; WARRANTY PERIOD HAD LAPSED AND NO EXTENSION WAS OFFERED. ATTEMPTS TO CORRECTLY DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR THIS CONCERN HAVE DRAGGED ON FOR 10 YEARS WITH DEALERSHIP AND FACTORY POSITION THAT REPAIRS, BE THEY DIAGNOSTIC (THE YAW SENSOR REPLACEMENT) OR DEFINITIVE (BOOSTER AND BRAKE SYSTEM), WERE NOT WARRANTY ISSUES DESPITE THEIR INTERMITTENT PRESENTATION DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD. MY PERIODIC PRACTICAL TESTING OF THE BRAKES DEMONSTRATES THAT THE ABS SYSTEM FUNCTIONS PROPERLY DESPITE WARNING LIGHT INDICATIONS TO THE CONTRARY. CURRENT DEALERSHIP ESTIMATED COST TO REPLACE BRAKE BOOSTER AND ACTUATORS IS $3800 WITH A 12 MONTH WARRANTY. TOYOTA USA'S POSITION IS THIS IS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE AS OF APRIL 2013.

NHTSA complaint #10509907 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 51,548 miles Evans, GA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

VSC TRACTION AND ABS CONTROL WARNING LIGHTS STAY LIT. LIGHTS WOULD GO ON AND OFF AND NOW STAY LIT ALL THE TIME SO HAVE NO WARNING IF ABS SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONAL OR HAS OTHER ISSUES. LOST THE ABILITY TO TURN TRACTION CONTROL ON/OFF. TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE AT DEALER, 3-26-07, AND WAS INFORMED IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WITH AN INTERNAL COMPONENT, YAW RATE SENSOR. REPORTED TO TOYOTA AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE IN REPAIRING AS THIS APPEARED TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. TOYOTA DENIED CLAIM. HAVE SEEN VEHICLES PRODUCED 1 MONTH EARLIER ARE NOW UNDER RECALL FOR SIMILAR ISSUES NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 10V176000. DEALER COST TO REPAIR AT TIME WAS $1433. HAVE EXPERIENCED BRAKING ODDITIES ON OCCASIONS.

NHTSA complaint #10509498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2003 Toyota Sequoia problems

← Full 2003 Toyota Sequoia report