NHTSA Complaint #10897201 — 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 SEQUIOA AT ANY SPEED ABOVE 20MPH, THE VEHICLE MAKES A TERRIFYING GRINDING NOISE, WHILE THE SKID ICON BEEPS AND THE TRAC & VSC LIGHTS COME ON. THE STEERING & BRAKING BECOMES DIFFICULT AND THE CAR VEERS TO THE RIGHT. ITS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE YEARS AND I RECENTLY LEARNED OF THIS FORUM. IF I START THE TRUCK AND LET IT RUN WHILE I FINISH GETTING DRESSED, THE LIGHTS WILL SOMETIMES BE ON BEFORE I START DRIVING AND THE PROBLEM DOESN'T OCCUR BUT THAT COULD TAKE UP TO AN HOUR TO OCCUR, SO I'VE LEARNED TO ONLY DRIVE IT WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE ON ON THE DASH. BEEN TO DEALERSHIP WHO ONLY REMINDS ME THAT THERE ARE NO RECALLS ON MY TRUCK. ONE DEALERSHIPS CONCERN WAS ONLY TO SELL ME ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE REMINDING ME HOW EXPENSIVE THE ISSUE WAS TO FIX, QUOTING ME A REPAIR COST OF APPROXIMATELY $3000. I'VE HAD THE TRUCK SINCE 2003 AND IT HAS ONLY 116K MILES, PARTLY BECAUSE I'M SCARED TO EITHER CRASH AND HURT MY FAMILY OR KILL SOMEONE ELSE'S FAMILY. I WORKED HARD TO PAY FOR THIS VEHICLE AND WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT BUT I'M TERRIFIED TO DRIVE IT. LIVING IN LOUISIANA WHERE HURRICANE EVACUATIONS ARE COMMON, I NEED MY TRUCK AND I CANT BELIEVE THAT A REPUTABLE COMPANY LIKE TOYOTA WONT ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. IM A TOYOTA FAN & THIS IS MY 3RD TOYOTA BUT I THINK I WONT BE BUYING ANOTHER ONE.