NHTSA Complaint #10264110 — 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

WHILE DRIVING A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5 2 WHEEL DRIVE SUV NEAR THE END OF MARCH 2009, THE TRAC OFF, VSC TRAC, BRAKE AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS SIMULTANEOUSLY CAME ON. I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH ON A DRY ROAD AT NIGHT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. I MOVED OFF THE HIGHWAY TO CHECK THE MANUAL WHICH EMPHASIZED THE POSSIBLE SERIOUSNESS OF EACH LIGHT. IT SAID TO CONTACT A TOYOTA DEALER. I CALLED EARNHARDT TOYOTA IN MESA ARIZONA WHO FINALLY WORKED ON THE VEHICLE SEVERAL DAYS LATER FOR THE VSC/TRAC/BRAKE/ABS PROBLEM, AND A FRONT BRAKE VIBRATION/PULSATION. NO HELP ON THE PULSATION PROBLEM SINCE I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO TURN THE ROTORS AGAIN. ON THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL/TRACTION CONTROL/ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM/BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS, THE SERVICE ASSOCIATE OFFERED THAT IT WAS A "COMMON" PROBLEM, COULD BE CAUSED BY A LOOSE GAS CAP OR AN EXPENSIVE COMPUTER (IN THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS). HE SATED THAT NO "CODES" WERE SET OTHER THAN A "LOW VOLTAGE" WHICH COULD BE CAUSED BY A BAD BATTERY OR CORRODED CONNECTION. I CLEANED THE BATTERY TERMINALS COMPLETELY, CHECKED THE BATTERY, AND MADE SURE THE GAS CAP WAS TIGHT. THE WARNING LIGHTS NOW COME ON AT SOME POINT EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE SEQUOIA. EARNHARDT TOYOTA TOLD ME IT SHOULD NOT AFFECT THE ACTUAL BRAKING SYSTEMS. HOW DO THEY KNOW THAT? BEING TOLD OF A FALSE CONTINUOUS OR INTERMITTENT SAFETY WARNING LIGHT CAN LULL ONE INTO A QUESTIONABLE SENSE OF SAFETY. THESE LIGHTS AND SAFETY SYSTEMS NEED TO WORK RELIABLY WITHOUT HAVING TOYOTA JUST SAY THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS COMMON PROBLEM. DOES IT AFFECT ACTUAL VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL AND EMERGENCY BRAKING? ON NUMEROUS INTERNET SITES, I FIND THIS SAME PROBLEM IS MENTIONED FREQUENTLY. ALSO A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ARE ON FILE NOW WITH THE NHTSA. I RELY ON THE WARNING LIGHTS AND THEIR UNDERLYING SYSTEMS TO WORK AS ADVERTISED, BUT TOYOTA NOW MAKES ME DOUBT THAT RELIANCE. DOES THERE HAVE TO BE A LARGE "BODY COUNT" FOR NHTSA TO ORDER A RECALL TO FIX THIS WELL KNOWN SAFETY PROBLEM? *TR