NHTSA Complaint #10927690 — 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

I PURCHASED MY SEQUOIA IN 2003 AND THE TRAC OFF/VSC TRAC LIGHTS STARTED TURNING ON A FEW MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. I HAVE TOLD THE DEALER EVERY TIME I BRING THE CAR FOR SERVICE AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD THAT THEY CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM. ONCE I TURN OFF CAR THE LIGHTS GO OFF. WELL, ON JULY 2015 WHILE TRAVELING ON A WINDY ROAD AT 35 MPH, WE HEARD AN WARNING ALARM SOUND FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THE STEERING LOCKED FOR ABOUT TWO SECONDS AND THE CAR FELT LIKE WE HAD A FLAT TIRE OR DRAGGING SOMETHING UNDERNEATH. AFTER ABOUT 10 SECONDS THE CAR RESUMED BACK TO NORMAL AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER, I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING STALL AND IT DID THE EXACT THING, INCLUDING STEERING WHEEL LOCKING. I THOUGHT I HAD RANED OVER SOMETHING, BUT THE CAR WENT BACK TO NORMAL. NOW EVERY TWO WEEKS AFTER I GET ON THE FREEWAY THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN, ONE TIME IT SOUNDED LIKE MY ENGINE FELL OFF. SOMETIMES IS WORSE THAN OTHERS AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I'M GOING 25 OR 65 MPH. A FEW MONTHS AGO I WAS TRAVELING AT 65 AND THE ALARM CAME ON, THE GRINDING AND DRAGGING NOISE AND MY CAR STARTED SLOWING DOWN AND SWIRVED TO THE RIGHT. I JUST BARELY MISSED A MOTORCYCLIST. LUCKY NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. I PURCHASED TOYOTA FOR THEIR SAFETY AND QUALITY REPUTATION. I TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY CAR AND SAFETY OF MY FAMILY IS MY PRIORITY. AS I STATED BEFORE, I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ISSUE TO MY TOYOTA DEALER FOR YEARS AND THEY TELL ME THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. NOW MY PROBLEM IS MUCH BIGGER THAN JUST A LIGHT TURNING ON. THIS SHOULD BE A MAJOR CONCERN AND WE SHOULD NOT WAIT FOR A LOSS OF LIFE TO HAPPEN. ANY CAR THAT LOSES POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF A FREEWAY WITHOUT WARNING SHOULD BE OF GRAVE CONCERN TO ALL. I LOVE MY CAR BUT CANNOT AFFORD TO TRADE IT IN.