NHTSA Complaint #10323064 — 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

SPOKE WITH MR. RICHARD NEWMAN-SERVICE MANAGER AT FRONTIER TOYOTA IN CALIFORNIA ON 3/13/10 REGARDING RECENT ISSUES WITH THE GAS TANK SENSOR ON OUR 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WE HAVE A PHANTOM PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL GAUGE READING NO GAS WHILE OUR MILEAGE COUNTER INDICATES LARGE MILEAGE LEAPS TAKEN WHILE NOT DRIVING HARDLY ANY MILEAGE. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN SPORADIC OVER THE SEVERAL MONTHS. MR. NEWMAN STATED TOYOTA HAS BEEN OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL YEAR FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND WHEN WE TOLD HIM THAT TOYOTA REFUSED TO FIX IT WHEN WE FIRST BROUGHT IT TO THEIR ATTENTION WHEN IT FIRST OCCURRED AND WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $600.00 TO REMOVE THE TANK AND FIX THE PROBLEM. MR.NEWMAN WAS ASKED BY US WHY TOYOTA NEVER ISSUED A RECALL OR NOTICE FOR THIS PARTICULAR MAKE AND MODEL. HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT HE WAS ONLY AWARE THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS ALWAYS EXISITED FOR THIS 2002 SEQUIOA AND ADVISED US TO CONTACT YOUR AGENCY WITH REGARDS TO ANOTHER ELECTRONIC PROBLEM EXISITING WITH ANOTHER TOYOTA PRODUCT. THIS IS DISTRESSFUL TO DRIVE SUCH A VEHICLE TO FIND IT SUDDENDLY INDICATING IT IS OUT OF GAS AND TICKING OFF HUGE AMOUNTS OF MILEAGE NOT TRAVELED AND WE CAN NOT DUPLICATE THIS PROBLEM ON DEMAND.