NHTSA Complaint #10095803 — 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

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