NHTSA Complaint #10512403 — 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

TOYOTA SEQUOIA 2003 - WITHIN MONTHS OF TAKING NEW CAR DELIVERY, VSC ABS AND TRAC LIGHTS WOULD BLINK INTERMITTENTLY AND ON OCCASION THE AUTO WOULD DECELERATE. AS THE ISSUE WAS INTERMITTENT, DEALERSHIP WAS UNWILLING/UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE. TROUBLE WOULD CONTINUE WITH LESS FREQUENT DECELERATION BUT MORE FREQUENT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION UNTIL, AFTER A FEW YEARS, THE WARNING LIGHTS STAYED ON AND INVOLUNTARY DECELERATION SEEMED TO CEASE. TWO DIFFERENT FACTORY DEALERSHIPS PROVIDED TWO DIFFERENT DIAGNOSES. ONE SAID YAW SENSOR AND OTHER SENSORS NEED REPLACEMENT (OUT OF WARRANTY); THE OTHER, MORE RECENTLY SAID THAT BRAKE BOOSTER AND ACTUATOR NEED REPLACEMENT (OUT OF WARRANTY). VEHICLE CONTINUES TO BRAKE NORMALLY AND ABS DOES FUNCTION KEEPING THE SUV STEERABLE DURING PANIC STOPS. TRACTION AND STABILITY CONTROL ISSUES WERE NOT TESTED BY THIS DRIVER. SEARCH OF INTERNET BASED USER GROUPS SHOWS THIS PROBLEM COMMON IN EARLIER YEAR SEQUOIA/TUNDRA MODELS. COSTS OF REPAIRS RANGE FROM $1600 FOR YAW SENSORS TO $3700 FOR BRAKE BOOSTER AND ACTUATORS. TOYOTA USA IS UNRESPONSIVE UNLESS REPAIRS ARE UNDERTAKEN AND MAKES NO WARRANTY OF COOPERATION SHOULD REPAIRS PROVE INEFFECTIVE OR UNNECESSARY. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS AND OTHER 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5 AND LIMITED MODELS. *TR