NHTSA Complaint #10438202 — 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AT LAUNCH VEHICLE ABS ENGAGED WITHOUT WARNING REPEATEDLY WITH LOUD GRINDING NOISES AND THE ABS LIGHT, TRACTION LIGHT AND VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT ALL CAME UP. STOPPED VEHICLE, TURNED OFF ENGINE, WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND ALL LIGHTS WERE GONE UPON RESTART. HOWEVER THIS PROBLEM WORSENED CONSIDERABLY AND MORE OFTEN THROUGH THE OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2011 MONTHS, TO THE POINT OF OCCURRING EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN AS THE DATE OF THIS WRITING, DECEMBER 3RD 2011. NEW WORSENED SYMPTOMS NOW INCLUDE FLASHING VSC (VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL) AT LAUNCH FROM A STOP, WHICH CUTS ENGINE POWER AND COMPROMISES ACCURATE STEERING. SOMETIMES THE ABS, TRAC AND VSC LIGHTS COME UP IMMEDIATELY, SOMETIMES ONLY AFTER REPEATED INTRUSIVE ACTIVATIONS OF ABS/TRAC/VSC. ALL THESE WARNING LIGHTS ALSO STAYED ON ONCE FOR TWO ENTIRE DAYS AFTER LEAVING THE VEHICLE REST OVERNIGHT. ALL THESE DANGEROUS RANDOM INTERVENTIONS OF THE ABS/TRAC/VSC ELECTRONICS STARTED AFTER THE FRONT ROTORS AND PADS WERE CHANGED BY A PROFESSIONAL MECHANIC (A1-UNITY BODY, 1420 HOWE ST IN VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA). THE VEHICLE WAS FEDERALLY AND PROVINCIALLY INSPECTED FOR CANADIAN IMPORTATION BY THE SAME MECHANIC BEFORE THESE PROBLEMS STARTED TO HAPPEN. IT WAS DEEMED TO BE IN EXCEPTIONAL MECHANICAL AND WORKING CONDITION FOR ITS AGE AND MILEAGE. HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IS NOW LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF THIS ABS/TRAC/VSC DEFECT, DESPITE IT BEING OTHERWISE PERFECTLY DRIVABLE. TOYOTA MUST ISSUE THE SAME RECALLS THAT THEY POSTED FOR DEFECTIVE TRAC AND VSC FOR THE 2003 YEAR SEQUOIA MODELS FOR THE 2002 SEQUOIA MODELS. SEQUOIA VEHICLES HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE UPDATES AS FAR AS ABS/TRAC/VSC SYSTEMS ARE CONCERNED BETWEEN 2001 AND 2003, PROOF BEING THAT SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS FROM 2001 ALL EXPERIENCE THE SAME DEFECTS FOR THE SAME REASONS. 2001-2002 SEQUOIA VSC RECALLS NEED TO BE ISSUED NOW! *TR