NHTSA Complaint #10128478 — 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

MY 2003 SEQUOIA HAS 31,000 MILES AND ALREADY THE FRONT BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES, BACK BRAKES REPLACED ONCE AND THE ROTARS RESURFACED THREE TIMES. FROM WHAT I'VE READ ON THE INTERNET OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. MY FRIEND WHO HAD A 2001 MODEL HAD THE VEHICLE TAKEN IN AND THE WHOLE BRAKE SYSTEM REPLACED DUE TO A TSB. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERS THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TSB ONLY AFFECTED THE YEARS 2000 & 2001. HOWEVER, THE 2003 SEEMS TO HAVE PROBLEMS, TOO! I'VE NEVER HAD BRAKE PROBLEMS UNTIL THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST TIME I HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AT 6700 MILES THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME MY FRONT BRAKES HAD PREMATURE WEARING AND ACCUSED ME OF BRAKING TOO HARD BUT AGREED TO HAVE TO HAVE THEM REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AND THE ROOTERS WERE MACHINED. THE SECOND TIME THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND AT 17,500 MILES OUR FRONT BRAKES WERE TOUCHING METAL TO METAL. THE ROTERS WERE ALSO RESURFACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $500.00. AT THAT TIME THE SERVICE MANAGER CONVINCED US THAT THIS WAS NORMAL I'VE HAD OTHER MECHANICS SAY IT IS NOT. AT 30,000 MILES I WAS INFROMED THAT MY FRONT AND BACK BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE ROTERS AGAIN WERE RESURFACED. WE WENT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND PAID $400. I'VE READ THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM ON THE SEQUOIA IS INADEQUATE, TUNDRAS ARE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND THE CALIPERS ARE TOO SMALL THUS CAUSING WARPING AND THE BRAKES TO WEAR OUT PREMATURELY.