NHTSA Complaint #11325832 — 2001 TOYOTA SEQUOIA

WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A CITY STREET WITH NO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS (RAIN, WET ROAD, ETC.) HAD ACCELERATED UP TO ABOUT 35MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE TRAC OFF, VSC, AND SKID LIGHTS ILLUMINATED (POSSIBLY FLASHING) AND A WARNING BEEPING SOUND WENT OFF. THERE WAS A LOUD GRINDING METAL ON METAL SOUND AND THE CAR WAS SHUTTERING (VIBRATING). I IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO DEPRESS THE BREAKS, AND WHILE THE CAR DID BEGIN TO SLOW FURTHER THAN IT ALREADY WAS, I DID NOT FEEL LIKE I COULD HAVE COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AS IF I HAD TOTAL CONTROL OF THE BREAKS. I LOOKED AHEAD TO SEE WHERE I COULD PULL INTO TO GET OFF THE ROAD WHEN THE LIGHTS/WARNING SOUND WENT OFF AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THIS WAS AFTER ABOUT 5-10 SECONDS. I DROVE FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO A GAS STATION TO GET GAS. THE VEHICLE SEEMED FINE. I WAS ONLY ABOUT 5 MORE MINUTES TO HOME SO I CONTINUED DRIVING. DURING THAT 5 MINUTE DRIVE IT HAPPENED A SECOND TIME. THE EXACT SAME BEHAVIOR, I WAS ALREADY SLOWING DOWN APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND WAS TRAVELING PROBABLY 15-20MPH WHEN IT HAPPENED. AFTER ABOUT 5 SECONDS THE BEHAVIOR STOPPED AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. I WAS ONLY ABOUT 30 SECONDS FROM HOME. CONTINUED HOME AND HAVEN'T DRIVEN THE VEHICLE SINCE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE TO HAVE YOUR BREAK SYSTEM ACTIVATE UNCONTROLLABLE. IT WAS TERRIFYING AT 35 MPH, I CAN'T IMAGE WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN AT 65MPH. A FEW SECONDS OF RESEARCH SHOWS HUNDREDS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. SOME PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED PULLING THE FUSE FOR THE ABS SYSTEM TO DISABLE IT, BECAUSE NOT HAVING IT IS SAFER THAN YOUR BREAKING SYSTEM UNCONTROLLABLY GOING OFF ON YOU. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND FIXED BEFORE THERE IS A FATAL ACCIDENT!