2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA Steering Problems

MY TRACTION LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON AND HAVE REMAINED ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. MY HUSBAND SAYS MY PANEL LOOKS LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL BUT WAS ADVISED THERE IS NOT. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES,UNTIL THIS PAST WEEKEND, OTHER THAN NOT REALIZING I HAD ENGAGED MY EMERGENCY BRAKE SINCE THE LIGHT CONSTANTLY STAYS ON. I NEARLY WRECKED THIS WEEKEND. IT WAS DARK AND RAINING. I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO MISS ANOTHER CAR, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND STARTED SLIDING OUT OF CONTROL. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET IT STOPPED IN TIME TO AVOID ANOTHER ACCIDENT. MY TRACTION CONTROL DOESN'T WORK EITHER, I GUESS IT WENT OUT WHEN ALL THE OTHER CONTROL LIGHTS WENT OUT. I JUST WONDER IF THE AIRBAGS WORK, HOPE I DON'T HAVE TO FIND OUT THE HARD WAY. I KEEP READING NUMEROUS...

I HAVE OWNED MY SEQUOIA FOR YEARS AND THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE IS AROUND 122,000 MILES. I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW AND THE FIRST TIME I HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS AROUND 2005. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HAPPENED. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY SPEED WAS AROUND 40 MILES PER HOUR. THE WEATHER WAS SUNNY AND THE ROADS WERE DRY. I RAN ACROSS A ROUGH PATCH IN THE ROAD AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE WHEELS LOCKED UP, THERE WAS THIS AWFUL SCREECHING SOUND, AND THE STEERING BECAME HARD. IT WAS LIKE I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. NEXT THING I KNEW, THE SKID TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS WERE ON. AFTER I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAD RESET ITSELF. OF COURSE, THE DEALERSHIP COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. THIS HAS OCCURRED AGAIN THROUGH...

VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT 65PM ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TRAC CONTROL LIGHT AND VSC LIGHT CAME ON, WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE TRUCK DUE TO THE STEERING WHEEL GETTING LIGHT. PULLED OVER AND STOPPED CALLED TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE THEY STATES WE ARE OWN OUR OWN WITH THAT PROBLEM. *TR

POWER STEERING STARTED LEAKING AND LOST FLUID IN DRIVE WAY. QUESTION: ARE THERE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON RECORD AND IS THERE A POSSIBLE OR PENDING RECALL FOR THIS SAFETY ISSUE. NOTHING NOTED ON THE TOYOTA SITE. BASED ON MY INTERNET REVIEW THERE SEEM TO BE LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH TOYOTA POWER STEERING & LEAKS PROBLEMS. WILL HAVE TO GET THIS FIXED THIS WEEKEND AT LOCAL SHOP BUT WANT TO PURSUE AND GO AFTER TOYOTA IS POSSIBLE. WILL SAVE PARTS AS EVIDENCE. THANKS BEN C.

THE VSC/TRAC ACTIVATION AND SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE THE SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY ACTIVATED, LOCKING UP/LETTING GO OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WHILE ON DRY LEVEL PAVEMENT AND DRIVING FORWARD. I TOOK IT TO A SHOP, WHICH FOUND A PROBLEM IN A STEERING SENSOR, "THE COMPUTER" AND POSSIBLY A WHEEL SENSOR. THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE SYSTEM BE DISABLED UNTIL IT COULD BE TROUBLESHOOT IN MORE DETAIL. I HAD THEM DISABLE IT SO THAT IT COULD BE DRIVEN WITHOUT THE DANGER OF A WHEEL LOCKING UP ON THE HIGHWAY. IT IS STILL DISABLED, WITH DASH SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS ON DURING OPERATION. *TR

DRIVING ON DRY, STRAIGHT HIGHWAY WHEN VSC LIGHT AND TRAC LIGHT COME ON AND BEEPING STARTED. VEHICLE STARTING TRYING TO ENGAGE 4WD I THINK...LOTS OF GRINDING IN THE FRONT END AND STEERING SHAKING. WENT ON FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES THEN STOPPED. VEHICLE NOT EASY TO CONTROL WHEN THIS HAPPENED. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE. TAKING TO MECHANIC THIS WEEK. NOT SAFE FOR WIFE AND KIDS TO BE DRIVING. *TR

DURING RUSH HOUR, A VEHICLE BEFORE ME ABRUPTLY STOPPED. TO AVOID FROM HITTING THEM I SWERVED TO THE LEFT HITTING A WALL DIVIDER WHEN THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL CAVED IN HAVING ME AND MY FAMILY SWERVE ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT INTO ANOTHER SOUND WALL. WHAT I TRIED TO DO WAS HIT THE BRAKE BEFORE GOING HEAD ON INTO THE WALL BUT THE GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK CAUSING US TO ACCELERATE INTO THE WALL. LUCKILY THERE WERE SHRUBS AND BUSHES TO HELP THE CAR GO INTO A SLOW AS WE SLID ACROSS THE WALL. I DONT KNOW WHY THE GAS PEDAL DECIDE TO GET STUCK AND ACCELERATE US INTO THE WALL BUT IM HEARING FROM OTHER SEQUOIA OWNERS THAT THEY HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR PEDALS AND THAT NEEDS TO BE CHECKED OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AROUND 10:30PM, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEAR GRINDING NOISE AND VSC/TRAC LIGHT GOES ON. REDUCED SPEED BECAUSE I FELT AS THOUGH I MAY LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE. VSC/TRAC LIGHT STAYS ON, THEN GOES OFF. LESS THAN 30 MINUTES LATER, I HEAR BEEPING NOISE AND VSC/TRAC LIGHT COMES BACK ON. THIS SAME INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED A WEEK AGO, WHERE I PULLED OVER THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THINKING IT WAS A FLAT BECAUSE I FELT LIKE I WAS LOSING CONTROL THEN TOO, BUT NO FLAT. TRAC CONTROL ISSUE THEN TOO (HEARING GRINDING NOISE). CONCERNED BECAUSE IT SEEMS I MAY LOSE CONTROL. *TR

MY VEHICLE FRAME WAS REPLACED BY TOYOTA DUE TO A RECALL. WHEN I GOT THE CAR BACK, I NOTICED A WHINING SOUND, BUT DID NOT THINK MUCH OF IT SINCE THE MECHANIC SAID IT MIGHT TAKE A MONTH FOR THE FRAME TO SETTLE. I RETURNED ONE MONTH LATER TO HAVE THE WHINING SOUND CHECKED AND WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING LINES WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED REPLACED AT THE COST ODF$ 750. TOYOTA ASSURED ME THAT THE SEQUOIA SHOULD LAST A LONG TIME!!! I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I WONDER IF THE RUSTED POWER STEERING LINES ARE PART OF THE RUSTED FRAME RECALL. I HAVE REALLY LOVED MY SEQUOIA, BUT I DO NOT WANT TO PAY FOR ANY MORE REPAIRS!!!! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF OTHERS(EITHER THE TOYOTA TRUCK FRAME OR SEQUOIA FRAME), HAVE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM. *TR

MY WIFE AND I WERE ON THE WAY SOUTH I-405 FROM WORK TO GO TO THE CHURCH. I MADE EXIT AT FAIRVIEW, AND THEN LEFT ON BAKER STREET. I FELT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY HEAVY AND UNCONTROLLABLE. THE CAR CRASHED. THERE WAS NO OTHER CAR INVOLVED. MY BREAST AND HEAD ARE IN PAIN RIGHT NOW. *TR

TRAVELING HOME AT NORMAL SPEED THE VSC/TRAC LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING AND MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. AFTER STOPPING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON TO POSSIBLY RESET THE VSC/TRAC. IT SEEMED TO WORK BRIEFLY BUT IT STARTED TO DO IT AGAIN. WE ATTEMPTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE STORE AND THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN. WE NOTED AUDIBLE ALERTS AND THE VSC/TRAC LIGHTS ILLUMINATING, GRINDING FROM WHAT SEEMED TO BE THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE. HE HAD TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD; HOWEVER, FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE SPEED WAS ESTIMATED AT 35-40 MPH, DRY CONDITIONS WITH NO OBVIOUS ROAD CONDITIONS OR ISSUES. THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN NOTED SEVERAL TIME RANDOMLY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, BUT HAS SEEMINGLY BEEN RESOLVED BY TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON. THIS WAS THE...

THIS VEHICLE HAS A RUSTED FRAME WHICH TOYOTA WILL REPLACE. THEY WILL NOT REPLACE WITHOUT CUSTOMER COST SEVERAL PARTS AFFECTED BY THE FRAME REPLACEMENT. THIS IS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS REQUIRED BY THE CUSTOMER THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT BE REQUIRED. I WANT TOYOTA TO PAY FOR THE FRAME AND THE OTHER REQUIRED PARTS. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING HOME AT NORMAL SPEED THE VSC/TRAC LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING AND MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. AFTER STOPPING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND WAS TOLD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON TO POSSIBLY RESET THE VSC/TRAC. IT SEEMED TO WORK BRIEFLY BUT IT STARTED TO DO IT AGAIN. AFTER MAKING IT HOME, MY HUSBAND DROVE THE VEHICLE INITIALLY WITHOUT ANY ISSUES. HOWEVER, HE ATTEMPTED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE STORE AND THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN. HE NOTED AUDIBLE ALERTS AND THE VSC/TRAC LIGHTS ILLUMINATING, GRINDING FROM WHAT SEEMED TO BE THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE. HE HAD TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD; HOWEVER, FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE SPEED WAS ESTIMATED AT 35-40 MPH, DRY CONDITIONS WITH NO OBVIOUS ROAD CONDITIONS OR ISSUES. SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE PASSENGER...

DURING MY EVENING COMMUTE WHILE DRIVING ON I-20 WEST AT 75 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL TUGGED AND THE FRONT BRAKE ENGAGED. IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS, THE SLIPPERY WET LAMP FLASHED AND AN ALARM BUZZER SOUNDED FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS. AFTERWARDS, THE VSC TRAC AND TRAF OFF LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ON. I DROVE TO AN ORIENTATION AND WHILE ON THE WAY HOME AT 45 MPH, ALL OF THE PREVIOUSLY STATED ALARMS AND MALFUNCTIONS OCCURRED AGAIN AND THE BRAKES ENGAGED WITH A LOUD NOISE. I STOP FOR GAS AT MY USUAL 1/4 TANK LEVEL AND WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM THE FUEL STATION, ALL ALARMS AND ALL MALFUNCTIONS RECURRED FOR THE THIRD TIME WITHIN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. THE ABS ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH. I CALLED THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND COORDINATED TO LEAVE MY VEHICLE IN THE NIGHT DEPOSIT BOX FOR MAINTENANCE THE NEXT MORNING. TOYOTA KEPT THE VEHICLE FOR TWO...

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH ON A FLAT CONCRETE PAVED ROAD IN DRY CONDITIONS, THE SLIPPERY WET LAMP LIT AND THE ALARM SOUNDED FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS WHILE THE ABS BRAKES ENGAGED ON. THE LAMP FLASHED UNTIL THE BRAKES RELEASED AND THE VSC TRAC AND TRAC OFF LAMPS ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ON AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. THIS OCCURRENCE HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING THE VEHICLE FROM THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN WHICH THE SKID CONTROL ECU WAS REPLACED FOR $770.79. THIS IS A REPEATED OCCURRENCE OF THE PROBLEMS. I DELIVERED THE VEHICLE BACK TO TOYOTA TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED ME THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE MAINTENANCE COST $1,606.24 AND THEY KEPT IF FOR 5 DAYS. *TR

AGAIN, AFTER PICKING THE VEHICLE UP FROM THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN WHICH THE SKID CONTROL ECU AND BRAKE BOOSTER ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED, THE VEHICLE REPEATED ALL ALARMS AND MALFUNCTIONS AS BEFORE: SLIPPERY LAMP ILLUMINATED, ALARM SOUNDED, VSC TRAC AND TRAC OFF LAMP LIT WHILE ABS BRAKES ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING ON A SLIGHT DECLINE AT 45 MPH. I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA IMMEDIATELY! THE TECHNICIANS INFORMED ME ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY THAT THE SEAL FOR THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS CRACKED AFTER REPLACING THE BRAKE BOOSTER ASSY. SURPRISINGLY, IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN AND I AM TAKING IT BACK TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOMORROW MORNING. THERE HAS TO BE A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM AS THIS PROBLEM IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. IT IS DISAPPOINTING THAT TOYOTA WOULD KEEP THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD WITH KNOW PROBLEMS OF THE SUCH. FORTUNATELY FOR ME, THERE HASN'T BEEN ANY ACCIDENTS. I...

WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE THE CHURCH PARKING LOT, I STARTED TO FEEL THE STEERING WHEEL WAS A LITTLE BIT HARD TO TURN. AS I MADE 2 MORE TURNS, IT SEEMED THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARDER TO MANEUVER AND IT EVEN GOT ME TO A NEAR ACCIDENT WHEN I ALMOST HIT A CAR WHILE MY SEQUOIA WAS TRYING TO MAKE A WIDE TURN TO THE RIGHT. LUCKILY I REACHED HOME FROM A MILE AND A HALF DRIVE WITHOUT HAVING ANY ACCIDENT. WHEN I CHECKED THE TRUCK UNDERNEATH, I FOUND OUT, THERE WAS A STEERING OIL LEAK COMING FROM THE GEAR ASSEMBLY NEAR THE BOOT. WHAT MADE ME MORE DISAPPOINTED WAS THAT I FOUND OUT THERE WAS AN EXCESSIVE RUSTING ON THE GEAR ASSEMBLY AND WITH MOST PARTS OF THE CHASSIS ASSY AS WELL. I THINK THE RUST HAS EATEN THE METAL SO MUCH THAT IT MADE A HOLE THROUGH...

FRAME OF VEHICLE IS RUSTED AND VERY THIN IN AREAS. THE SUSPENSION AND REAR AXLE HOUSING IS RUSTING ALSO. FRAME IS VERY CLOSE TO DEVELOPING HOLES AND IS DE-LAMINATING I BELIEVE IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND TOYOTA WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE IN THE LEFT HAND LANE. TRIED TO MERGE INTO THE RIGHT HAND LANE AND NOTICED A CAR IN MY BLIND SPOT SO I WENT BACK INTO THE LEFT LANE. HOWEVER, MY VSC/ABS LIGHTS WENT ON, THE CAR BEEPED, MADE A HEAVY GRINDING NOISE, AND THEN, WITH MUCH FORCE, VEERED HARD TO THE RIGHT. I TRIED TO STEER IT BACK TO THE LEFT HAND LANE, THE OTHER DRIVERS SAW ME WRESTLING WITH MY STEERING WHEEL AND THE CAR STARTED TO FISHTAIL SO FORTUNATELY THEY STAYED WELL BEHIND ME. THE CAR BECAME IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL AND STEER AND BRAKING DID NOT HELP. DESPITE MY BEST EFFORTS TO CONTROL THE CAR, APPLY THE BRAKES, STEER OUT OF THE SKIDDING AND FISHTAILING, MY CAR THEN WENT OVER INTO THE RIGHT LANE, OVER TO THE SHOULDER, AND THEN THE WHEEL SUNK INTO THE GRASS NEXT TO THE SHOULDER WHERE THE...

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA AND RECENTLY MY VSC HAS BEEN WAS FEELS LIKE A LOCK UP, I HEAR SOMETHING GRINDING AND THE CAR BEGINS TO SHAKE AND SWERVE, IT HAPPENED AS I WAS ENTERING THE INTERSTATE. I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE VSC LIGHT GOING ON AND OFF AND DID MENTION TO THE SERVICE DEPT. AT THE DEALERSHIP WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. IT HAS BEEN A FEW YEARS SINCE THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AND NOW IT IS WORSE AND A VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAD MY DAUGHTER AND A HER FRIEND IN THE CAR AND WE WERE NOWHERE NEAR A TOWN. I AM VERY SCARED TO DRIVE MY CAR. IT NOW HAPPENS ALMOST EVERYTIME I GO SOMEWHERE, AND THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE ME JUST TO EVALUATE THE PROBLEM WHEN I HAD PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED IT BEFORE. I...

2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA HAS BEEN OPERATING SINCE @ 62,000 MILES WITH A NON-FUNCTIONING VSC/ABS SYSTEM. SEE THAT THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN OFFICIALLY RECALLED, BUT CAN FIND ALL KINDS OF INFO AND COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB ABOUT THIS ISSUE. DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH ALL RELATIVE WARNING LIGHTS & VEHICLE HAS NO ABS NOR VSC FUNCTIONALITY. HOW COULD THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURES WELL DOCUMENTED, CHRONIC FAILURE NOT BE RECALLED? IT IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO THE 2002 MODEL YEAR EITHER. THIS IS VERY INAPPROPRIATE. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE OR GET INJURED BEFORE THIS WELL DOCUMENTED SAFETY EQUIPMENT FAILURE IS RESPONSIBLY ADDRESSED WITH A RECALL. I HOPE MY COMPLAINT HELPS THE TALLY TOWARDS THIS RECALL. CONSUMERS OF THIS VEHICLE HAVE BOUGHT IT WITH A CRITICAL SAFETY SYSTEM THAT FAILS. TOYOTA MUST BE MADE TO RECTIFY THIS PRODUCT SAFETY AND QUALITY ISSUE! *TR

I WAS DRIVING FROM ATLANTA TO CHARLOTTE ON FRIDAY, 2/16/07 ON INTERSTATE 85 WHEN MY 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SUDDENLY PULLED TO THE RIGHT EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, NOR WAS IT WINDY. THIS HAPPENED A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES ON MY 250 MILE TRIP. THIS CONDITION HAS ALSO OCCURRED BEFORE IN THE PAST WITH NO WARNING OF WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. I PURCHASED NEW TIRES AND HAD IT ALIGNED IN JULY 2006 AND THERE WAS NO APPARENT DAMAGE IN THE STEERING AREA OF THE VEHICLE. *JB

I AM A POLICE OFFICER AND PURCHASED A NEW 2002 SEQUOIA WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS. SHORTLY AFTER MY PURCHASE I NOTICED THAT SOMETHING FELT LOOSE IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHENEVER I SHIFTED THE GEAR HANDLE. THE DEALER SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. THE DEALER ALSO FAILED TO DOCUMENT MY CONCERNS INTO MY VEHICLE'S SERVICE RECORD HISTORY. SINCE THAT TIME, THE VEHICLE HAS NEVER RECEIVED ANY MECHANICAL DAMAGE OR HAD ANY TYPE OF WORK OTHER THAN ROUTINE MAINTENANCE DONE TO IT. NOW, HERE I AM WITH A TOYOTA VEHICLE WITH ONLY 40,000 MILES AND A PIECE OF METAL HAS SNAPPED INSIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE DEFECTIVE PARTS FAILURE HAS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO OPERATE AND THE SLIGHTEST BUMP TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION TO AND FROM DIFFERENT GEARS WHILE OPERATING. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED UNDER...