NHTSA Complaint #10461478 — 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE LEFT HAND LANE. TRIED TO MERGE INTO THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND NOTICED A CAR IN MY BLIND SPOT SO I WENT BACK INTO THE LEFT LANE. HOWEVER, MY VSC/ABS LIGHTS WENT ON, THE CAR BEEPED, MADE A HEAVY GRINDING NOISE, AND THEN, WITH MUCH FORCE, VEERED HARD TO THE RIGHT. I TRIED TO STEER IT BACK TO THE LEFT HAND LANE, THE OTHER DRIVERS SAW ME WRESTLING WITH MY STEERING WHEEL AND THE CAR STARTED TO FISHTAIL SO FORTUNATELY THEY STAYED WELL BEHIND ME. THE CAR BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL AND STEER AND BRAKING DID NOT HELP. DESPITE MY BEST EFFORTS TO CONTROL THE CAR, APPLY THE BRAKES, STEER OUT OF THE SKIDDING AND FISHTAILING, MY CAR THEN WENT OVER INTO THE RIGHT LANE, OVER TO THE SHOULDER, AND THEN THE WHEEL SUNK INTO THE GRASS NEXT TO THE SHOULDER WHERE THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER SEVERAL TIMES. MY SON AND I WERE AIRLIFTED TO THE TRAUMA UNIT. I SUFFERED 2 BROKEN VERTEBRAE IN THE C AREA OF MY NECK AND A COMPRESSED DISC IN THE T REGION OF MY SPINE, CONCUSSION, CUTS, BRUISES, GLASS EMBEDDED NEAR MY EYE, AS WELL AS A SPLENIC ANEURYSM. MY SON HAD A CONCUSSION, WOUND ON THE HEAD THAT REQUIRED STITCHES, CUTS, BRUISES AND A SPRAINED ANKLE. MY SON AND I WERE BOTH UNCONSCIOUS AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE.MY TWO DAUGHTERS HAD MINOR CUTS, SPRAINS, AND BRUISES. WE WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE COME OUT OF THIS ALIVE AND NOT TO HAVE HIT ANYONE ELSE. I AM STILL IN A NECK BRACE AND UNDERGOING MEDICAL TREATMENT. TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECALL THIS MODEL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE COULD HAVE ALL BEEN KILLED. UNFORTUNATELY, MY CAR WAS TOTALED AND THERE WAS NO BLACK BOX IN THIS MODEL. I WILL NEVER BUY A CAR FROM TOYOTA AGAIN. HOWEVER, FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS, I DO HOPE THEY RECALL THIS MODEL AS I WOULD HATE FOR OTHERS TO SUFFER WHAT WE HAD TO SUFFER, OR WORSE. *TR UPDATED 10/19/12 *CN UPDATED 10/23/2012 *JS