NHTSA Complaint #10353224 — 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

SINCE END OF JUNE 2010, I HAD TO HAVE MY 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA TOWED BECAUSE IT HAD STARTED TO VEER OFF AND THE WHEEL BECAME STIFF AND I COULDN'T CONTROL THE STEERING. THE VSC LIGHTS CAME ON AS WELL AS THE "SQUIGGLY CAR" LIGHT. I WAS SCARED TO DRIVE IT AGAIN AS I WAS 100 MILES AWAY FROM HOME, SO I HAD IT TOWED. I HAD TAKEN IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE BEARINGS BUT COULDN'T DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE I HAD FELT AS FAR AS THE VSC INCIDENT. THEY CHARGED ME FOR INSPECTION BUT SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG AND SENT ME HOME WITH THE CAR. I EXPERIENCED THIS FOR A FEW DAYS AND FINALLY TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO REPAIR. THEY DID A ZERO RECALIBRATING AND SAW THERE WAS ISSUES ON THE COMPUTER COMING UP BUT COULDN'T ALSO EXACTLY PINPOINT WHAT WAS WRONG. IT TOOK A WEEK BEFORE I GOT IT BACK AS IT DIDN'T REOCCUR WITH THEM. THE FOLLOWING DAY AS I DROVE IT, THE VSC LIGHTS AND SQUIGGLY CAR LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. EVERY TIME I MADE A TURN IT SEEMED IT JUMPED AND IT WOULDN'T GAIN ACCELERATION QUICKLY WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS. PLUS IT MADE THIS LOUD NOISE AS IF SOMETHING WAS RUBBING AND IT WOULD SLOW DOWN , THEN AFTER A FEW SECONDS, REGAIN SPEED. I TOOK IT IN AGAIN AND THEY REPLACED THE YAW SENSOR. THE FOLLOWING DAY, AGAIN TAKING THE STREETS IT SEEMED THAT EVERYTIME I STOPPED AND PRESSED AGAIN IT SHIFTED SOMETHING AS I FELT IT UNDER THE PEDALS, THE VSC LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON BUT THEN TURN OFF AND THEN FINALLY REGAIN SPEED. EACH AND EVERY TIME I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND THEN PRESSED ON THE GAS, IT DID THIS. I FINALLY LOOKED UP A RECALL THAT ONE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME ABOUT AND NOTICED THE 2003 RECALL FOR TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. HOWEVER TOYOTA WILL NOT HELP SINCE MY CAR IS 2002, HENCE WHY I'M COMPLAINING ABOUT IT NOW. I BELIEVE THE EXACT THING IS WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY CAR. I'VE HAD IT SWERVE ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE VSC LIGHT CAME ON AND AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT ON THE FREEWAY FOR FEAR OF IT SLOWING DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY. *TR