NHTSA Complaint #10898957 — 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

WHETHER DRIVING ON RESIDENTIAL STREETS OR ON THE FREEWAY, I HAVE EXPERIENCED UNEXPECTED PULLS (JERKING) ON MY STEERING WHEEL AND WOULD HEAR GRINDING NOISE WHERE I CAN FEEL MY CAR SHAKING (AS IF I WAS DRAGGING A METAL SCRAPING THE ROAD AS I AM DRIVING). THIS WILL HAPPEN FOR A FEW SECONDS (TO AS LONG AS ALMOST A MINUTE, UNTIL I PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF MY ENGINE IN ONE CASE WHERE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY). EVERY TIME THIS OCCURS, THE VSC LIGHT COMES ON AND REMAINS ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME. WHEN I FIRST STARTED EXPERIENCING THIS, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO, I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THERE ARE NO RECALLS OR KNOWN ISSUES. IT WOULD CONTINUE TO HAPPEN PERIODICALLY AND SINCE IT WASN'T HAPPENING ALL THE TIME, THE DEALERSHIP WOULD ALWAYS SAY THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR, WHENEVER I BROUGHT IT IN, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T RE-CREATE THE ISSUE. LATELY, IT'S BEEN HAPPENING ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS (SOMETIMES 2-3 TIMES A DAY). JUST YESTERDAY, WHILE I WAS MAKING A U-TURN, THE VSC CAME ON AND LOCKED MY STEERING WHEEL TO THE POINT WHERE IT SLOWED MY ACCELERATION FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER THE TURN. THEN, WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON THE FREEWAY (STRAIGHT, FLAT SURFACE) GOING 65 MPH, IT HAPPENED AGAIN: MY STEERING WHEEL JERKED TO 1 SIDE, THE GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE VSC LIGHT CAME ON. AND LATER, WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH ON RESIDENTIAL STREET (ALSO STRAIGHT AND FLAT SURFACE) IT HAPPENED AGAIN. TODAY, I WENT ONLINE AND TYPED IN MY VIN# AND SURE ENOUGH, IT SAYS THERE ARE NO RECALLS, HOWEVER, THERE'S MULTIPLE FORUMS AND COMPLAINTS OF THIS ISSUE. THERE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WRONG, ESPECIALLY IF MULTIPLE OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING. THIS IS DEFINITELY A HAZARD & SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT HAPPENS UNEXPECTEDLY. FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CO-WORKERS WHO HAVE RODE IN MY CAR ALL WITNESSED AND EXPERIENCED IT. PLEASE ADVISE ME ON A RESOLUTION.