NHTSA Complaint #10472640 — 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

ON APPROXIMATELY FEBRUARY 28, 2012, THE ABS/TRAC CONTROL/VSC LIGHTS CAME ON AND REMAINED LIT ON MY 2003 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID TO BRING IT IN RIGHT AWAY. THEY DIAGNOSED THE CAR AND CAME UP WITH "NO SENSOR READING?. IT COST ME $150 FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. I PICKED UP THE CAR AND A FEW WEEKS LATER I BROUGHT IT BACK FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE COMPUTER THEN INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY O2 SENSOR WHICH THEY REPLACED MY COST WAS OVER $650. THE NEXT WEEK THE LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT THE CAR FOR A FEW DAYS BUT LATER REPORTED THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD WAIT UNTIL IT GOT WORSE AND BRING IT BACK. I SUFFERED WITH THIS PROBLEM FOR MONTHS. I SAY SUFFERED BECAUSE WHEN I WAS IN PARK AND THESE LIGHTS CAME ON, I COULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE LIGHTS WOULD EVENTUALLY GO AWAY AND ALLOW ME TO DRIVE. ON 8/24 THE PROBLEM BECAME WORSE. I COULD NOT SHIFT MY CAR OUT OF PARK FOR MORE THAN 15 MINUTES ON OVER 10 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE WARNING LIGHTS REMAINED LIT ALMOST CONSTANTLY OVER 3 DAYS. WHEN I CALLED TO RETURN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 8/27, THE SERVICE PERSON SAID THAT SHE THOUGHT THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ISSUE, BUT THEN TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOT. LATER THAT DAY, THEY CALLED AND SAID THAT THEY AGAIN COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. AFTER A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH, IT SEEMS THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE THAT I HAVE HAD ON VARIOUS TOYOTA VEHICLES. I FEEL AN INVESTIGATION IS APPROPRIATE IN THIS INSTANCE. *TR