NHTSA Complaint #10413861 — 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5

MY 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA VSC TRACTION SYSTEM HAS FAILED 5 TIMES. THE SYSTEM FAILED AT 54,546, AGAIN AT 78,358, AGAIN AT 93,939, AGAIN AT 104,238, AND THE LAST TIME AT 145,000. THE FIRST TIME CODE C124 C1231 REPLACED STEERING SENSOR. THE SECOND TIME CODE C1231 REPLACED STEERING ANGLE SENSOR. THE THIRD TIME CODE C1203 1231 REPLACED AND REPROGRAMMED STEERING ANGLE SENSOR. THE FOURTH TIME NO CODE INDICATED, BUT REPLACED SKID CONTROL ECM. THE FIFTH TIME I BROUGHT IN IN FOR THE RECALL, IT DID NOT QUALIFY AND THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT DIAGNOSE WITHOUT ME PAYING FOR IT, SO I DO NOT HAVE A CODE YET. I AM IN A BATTLE WITH TOYOTA AND THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT WHO SHOULD PAY FOR THIS DEFECTIVE SYSTEM. I HAVE PAID PORTIONS THE FIRST 2 OCCASIONS. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS IT HAPPENS ONE OF TWO WAYS. THE FIRST WAY IS WHEN I THE VEHICLE IS FIRST STARTED AND IS AT ABOUT 4 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR THINKS I AM SKIDDING, THE BRAKES GO ON AUTOMATICALLY, A HORRIBLE SCREECHING SOUND OCCURS, AND AFTER A COUPLE OF SECONDS THE BRAKES ARE RELEASED AND THE SYSTEM IS DEACTIVATED AND BOTH THE VSC LIGHTS GO ON ON THE DASHBOARD. THE SECOND WAY IS THAT I START THE CAR AND AT SOME TIME WHILE DRIVING THE SYSTEM SHUTS OFF WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND THE LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD GO ON INDICATING THAT THE SYSTEM IS NOT ENGAGED. I RECENTLY READ ABOUT THE MUSHY PEDAL SYNDROME, AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT AS WELL, BUT I NEVER ASSOCIATED THE SYMPTOM WITH ANYTHING SPECIFIC. WHEN IT HAPPENS IT IS OFTEN AS I AM LEAVING MY 300FT DRIVEWAY AND ENTERING MY STREET. *KB