10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
126,346 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2002 Toyota Sequoia:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #34

Nov 152010

Sequoia

  • 90,000 miles
I have owned a 2002 Toyota Sequoia since 2006. This problem began occurring in the winter of 2007 with the vsc, vsc trac, and ABS warning lights all coming on. This kept continuing anytime I was driving in wet snowy conditions. I began to research this problem on line and it seems there are many cases of this on 2001-2003 Toyota Sequoias. I took it to a dealer and they couldn't find any computer codes relating to this issue. At the end of last winter the problem seemed to become worse. Even in dry conditions on dry pavement the vsc computer begins to take over acceleration and very often! and sometimes the lights come on and sometimes not. Again I researched and found there to be a Toyota recall on 2003 Sequoias only for the same problem that has been affecting my Sequoia! I called Toyota, they gave me a case # and told me to take it in to the dealer. I took it back to a Toyota dealer and again they could not duplicate the lights turning on or find any computer codes concerning the problem. That was approximately 5 months ago and still the problem persists leading up to yesterdays accident. I drove up to the mountains to go snowboarding. When we left the resort it was snowing very heavy. I noticed the ABS, vsc, and vsc trac lights come on again, as I was expecting them to. We drove about 7 miles down the road then I was moving in to the left turning lane of a traffic light. Our speed was only 15-20 mph, and when I tried to slow down the wheels locked up and we began sliding. I let off the brakes and tried them again to no avail. I let off the brakes and tried to miss the vehicle in front of me by going to the left side of them over a small median as there was no traffic coming towards us in the intersection. But my rear tire bounced me off the median and into the vehicle.the damage was minor and there were no injuries. I believe this accident could have been avoided if the ABS and vsc system was working properly. I believe the recall should include 01 and 02 Sequoias.

- Lakewood, CO, USA

problem #33

Nov 072010

Sequoia

  • 123,330 miles
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 hope there is a recall very soon.

- Cypress, TX, USA

problem #32

Jun 282010

Sequoia

  • 140,000 miles
Since end of June 2010, I had to have my 2002 Toyota Sequoia towed because it had started to veer off and the wheel became stiff and I couldn't control the steering. The vsc lights came on as well as the "squiggly car" light. I was scared to drive it again as I was 100 miles away from home, so I had it towed. I had taken it to the Toyota dealership and they diagnosed the bearings but couldn't diagnose the failure I had felt as far as the vsc incident. They charged me for inspection but said they didn't know exactly what was wrong and sent me home with the car. I experienced this for a few days and finally took it to an independent auto repair. They did a zero recalibrating and saw there was issues on the computer coming up but couldn't also exactly pinpoint what was wrong. It took a week before I got it back as it didn't reoccur with them. The following day as I drove it, the vsc lights and squiggly car light came on again. Every time I made a turn it seemed it jumped and it wouldn't gain acceleration quickly when I pressed on the gas. Plus it made this loud noise as if something was rubbing and it would slow down, then after a few seconds, regain speed. I took it in again and they replaced the yaw sensor. The following day, again taking the streets it seemed that everytime I stopped and pressed again it shifted something as I felt it under the pedals, the vsc lights would turn on but then turn off and then finally regain speed. Each and every time I was stopped at a light and then pressed on the gas, it did this. I finally looked up a recall that one technician told me about and noticed the 2003 recall for traction control system. However Toyota will not help since my car is 2002, hence why I'm complaining about it now. I believe the exact thing is what is happening to my car. I've had it swerve on the freeway when the vsc light came on and am afraid to drive it on the freeway for fear of it slowing down unexpectedly.

- Industry, CA, USA

problem #31

Jun 152010

Sequoia

  • 109,000 miles
While driving my 2002 Toyota Sequoia, I pulled into traffic and all of a sudden the truck lost power as cars swerved around me and a violent grinding noise started. A skid control light started flashing. I could feel the grinding on the brake pedal. After a few seconds, the truck beeped and 2 more lights came on. The "trac off" and "vsc" came on. After that the truck drove normal. The next time it happened that day was while I pressed on the brake pedal as I was trying to make a right turn into a gas station. This has happened multiple times now! I no longer feel safe on the road as this seems to happen at any moment. I have read all about this problem on the internet. Many Sequoia owners have had these same problems. Why will Toyota not fix these problems"?? what has to happen for them to feel responsible?"

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #30

Jun 122010

Sequoia

  • 120,000 miles
Trac light/vsc lights came on while driving down the road. Then the car pulled to the right and a grinding noise sounding like the anti-locking brake mechanism is activating. This is an extremely dangerous malfunction. I've seen that the 2003 model has a recall out for the same thing, and after seeing many others having this same occurrence with the 2002 model, they should expand the date range to cover the 2002 as well! it happened twice this weekend and it's happened 4-5 times previous to this recent incident (one earlier incident had my stepdaughter driving the Sequoia and the power shut completely off while driving!). the mechanics told us they couldn't pull any related codes the first time we took it in. We need to take this in again immediately, but why should I have to pay the full price when this is obviously a defective part they've created? I was traveling at 70 mph on interstate-10 the first time it happened this past weekend and in-town at a slower speed (40 mph) the second incident. Luckily nobody was in the lane next to me or I'd have hit them for sure!

- Tallahassee, FL, USA

problem #29

Jan 062008

Sequoia

  • 65,000 miles
Gas pedal hesitates and won't pick up speed when applied. This causes me to have to pull over to the side of the road and slowly drive until the speed picks up. This almost cause an accident when I was trying to merge on to the interstate in heavy traffic.

- Memphis, TN, USA

problem #28

Apr 052005

Sequoia

  • 34,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated when accelerating at approximate speeds of 25-30 mph on wet pavement, around curves or when passing another vehicle, the vehicle was hesitant to increase speed. The vehicle would drive as normal when the contact removed his foot from the accelerator pedal. In addition, the vehicle stability control (vsc) and vsc traction warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The dealer reset the warning lights but to no avail. The dealer advised any further repairs would be at the owners expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 34,000 and the current mileage was 60,000

- Belleview , WA, USA

problem #27

May 062010

Sequoia

  • 107,790 miles
We've experienced a lack of acceleration on our 2002 Toyota Sequoia, dealer has not found the problem. On Saturday May 6th at approx. 11:30 pm, as we exited the freeway with wife and eight year old triplets, the vehicle basically died out. The engine was still on but vehicle would not move when pressing the accelerator. I let the vehicle roll and pulled over where it was safe. A recent announcement refers to a recall of Sequoias with this problem but only for the 2003 model. I've read various posts about owners of other models having the same issue so I believe this problems is more widespread than what Toyota is admitting at this point. What action can I take at this time as my wife no longer feels safe driving the vehicle at this time. The repairs will I imagine be very costly if I have to pay out of pocket.

- Lakewood, CA, USA

problem #26

Mar 092010

Sequoia

  • 85,000 miles
2002 Toyota Sequoia ABS and vehicle skid control (vsc) computer failure that causes safety concern in operating the vehicle (ABS, vsc, parking brake lights stay on). In slippery road conditions, applying brakes or accelerating causes the vehicle to skid and slide easily. 2003 models have been recalled for similar issue with ABS and vsc computer. Please look into poor Toyota's design or production quality of these vehicles before we get injured or worse...

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #25

Nov 302009

Sequoia

  • 113,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated the vsc, vsc-off, emergency brake, and check engine warning lights would intermittently illuminate on the dashboard. In addition, the vehicle would abnormally accelerate sporadically when sitting idle at a stop. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for further analysis. The failure mileage was 113,000 and the current mileage was 116,000.

- Lindenwold, NJ, USA

problem #24

Jan 052010

Sequoia 4WD 8-cyl

  • 140,000 miles
I have a 2002 Toyota Sequoia limited that has an error message on safety equipment. Vehicle stability control (vsc) and ABS (anti-lock-brake) system lights are constantly on, causing me concern. I see Toyota initiated a recall on the 2003 model for this concern, yet not on my model year? I see numerous blogs with this concern as I search for solutions. This was a very expensive vehicle that I purchased due to the reputation of this company for building safe automobiles, I am disappointed in Toyota's lack of response. Please help if you have the ability/authority. Thank you

- Bentonville, AR, USA

problem #23

Apr 222010

Sequoia 4WD 8-cyl

  • 29,000 miles
About a year ago, I started to experience problems that's related to the vehicle stability control (vsc) system on my 2002 Toyota Sequoia. The problem occurs intermittently and when it does occurs, it happens during initial acceleration. During this time, the vsc light would start blinking and I would not be able to accelerate. Braking would require tremendous force applied to activate it. There was at least one incident where the vsc activated during highway driving, but that incident lasted approximately 5 or so seconds. However, it did require that I suddenly apply the brake and started pumping it for the vsc to de-activate. Due to the intermittent nature, I took the vehicle to a local repair shop for diagnostic and they did find that error codes were present relating to the vsc. Though the problem could not be pinpointed on the initial visit to the repair shop. Subsequent occurrences prompted me to bring the vehicle back to the repair shop for further diagnostic. Eventually it was recommended to me to replace the "speed sensors" which I authorized. After the replacement, the problem tend to have gone away. Recently, I started to intermittently experience a similar problem with vsc light blinking briefly whenever I pull out of a drive way performing at least an 80 degree turn. This time around the problem isn't as severe and is very infrequent. I would say in a week of commuting, I would experience it maybe once or twice. Of course this is compared to previous incidents where I was experiencing the vsc problem almost half the time. Earlier this week, I read there was a 2003 Toyota Sequoia recall which has the exact symptom and problem I've been experiencing on my 2002 Sequoia. I strongly urge the NHTSA to recommend Toyota to include the recall for 2002 Sequoia model year as well. Thank you for your attention and time!

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #22

Mar 142010

Sequoia

  • 107,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. While driving at speeds of 5 mph and making a left turn, the front tires slipped and the vehicle decelerated for approximately four seconds. The dealer was able to duplicate the failure but was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and there were no recalls. The failure mileage was 107,000 and the current mileage was 108,000.

- Gigharbor, WA, USA

problem #21

May 012002

Sequoia

  • 1,000 miles
I noted today the recall of 2003 Toyota Sequoia's due to issues with the vsc system. I am concerned that this does not include the 2002 models as I have had recurring issues with the vsc since day 1. at low speed, particularly on grades or while making sharp turns, the vsc will cause my vehicle to temporarily lose power. I have reported this on several occasion both to Toyota and via telephone. It is so bad that I now know locations on my regular drives during which this will occur. So, I either go a little faster than I might otherwise on grades or I swerve out before making turns to make the angle less acute. Obviously, not the safety we'd expect in a $40K vehicle. This issue also occurs going over slightly jarring bumps such as steep speedbumps or potholes. The vehicle temporarily loses power, which in this case can be possibly even more dangerous because we are often being followed by other vehicles traveling at normal speed.

- San Clemente, CA, USA

problem #20

Apr 242010

Sequoia

  • 137,102 miles
Hello, I'm in the military and my wife and kids were driving in our 2002 Sequoia 4X4, she called me at work crying and said that her and the kids had almost hit a 18 wheeler head on. She said she was going around a turn and the truck jerked her into on coming traffic, she applied the brakes hard, and pulled the truck back into flow of traffic. She pulled off the road and I had it towed home. After further research, there are hundreds of complaints on the internet for this same exact issue. Almost verbatim of my same issue. After that the vsc, or vehicle skid control light flashes, and it causes my truck to brake one wheel at a time. It also will not allow us to accelerate. I took it to the dealer yesterday and they called me and told me the ECU was bad and that this was a known problem for this model and year of truck, which is visible on the internet. Little did I know that the part is $650 dollars, and the labor is close to $250. Could you please assist, I getting ready to deploy to iraq again. I need to know my family is well taken care of while I'm gone. Can you please provide me assistance with this issue? my question is, if there is so many issues with the same problem, why hasn't there been a recall. Reminds me of Toyota's gas pedal issues. This is just as bad when it comes down to it. Something needs to be done asap. Once again, please provide me assistance. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Wakefield, KS, USA

problem #19

Dec 151999

Sequoia

  • miles
We own a 2002 Toyota Sequoia in which the vsc traction control lights have come on the dash along with the brake light and check engine light. The traction control has been unpredictable seemingly coming on and off in conditions when not necessarily needed. This has only been a problem within the last two/three months. Have taken it in to the dealership three times now and the code from the check engine light says that its an 02 sensor. I have been reassured by the dealership service department that replacing the 02 sensor will also reset and extinguish the vsc trac and brake lights that come on. This has not been the case. The lights stay off until I get the vehicle almost home then all the lights come back on again, the traction control remains unpredictable. I have listened to the dealership long enough and have spent approximately $800 and still have the same problem. I have expressed my disbelief on how replacing 02 sensor ( twice now) can fix a problem with the vsc traction control but they have informed me that it takes care of it. It obviously hasn't. they now want me to bring the vehicle back in. After researching this problem online this seems to be a common and potentially dangerous problem with the 2002-2004 Sequoia's. the problem being with the vsc traction control. I am sure that if I bring it back now they will tell me that it needs a new traction control computer to the tune of $1700-$2400 and from reading what others have experienced this does not fix the problem. No one has been able to really find the source of the problem and how to fix it. I am normally not a complainer as I realize all mechanical parts wear out. However when researching this problem I was shocked to find the number of Sequoia owners who were able to describe in detail the exact same problem I am having. I feel that this is a big enough defect to require a recall.

- Georgetown , KY, USA

problem #18

Feb 122010

Sequoia

  • 38,949 miles
I purchased a new 2002 Toyota Sequoia in April of 2002. In January of 2004, I was on the New Jersey turnpike and when I went to stop my vehicle, my brake pedal went all the way to the floor and I was luckily able to get into the shoulder and finally get the vehicle stopped without hitting anyone. It appeared to me that the master cylinder might have malfunctioned. The truck was towed to a Toyota dealer and they could not find anything wrong with the vehicle. When I picked up the vehicle, it appeared as though the brake pedal was back into its normal position but the dealer could not explain why. During the week of February 12, 2010 this same problem occurred twice and I was almost involved in two separate accidents. I took the truck to the Toyota dealer and once again the computer and other indicator lights were not showing any problems. After several hours of sitting there the brakes returned to their normal position just like before. I then took the mechanic for a ride in a back lot of the dealership and was able to make them fail once again. After this occurrence, the brakes never returned to their normal positions. I left the truck at the dealership for them to investigate. The mechanic said that there were no known problems in this area and he said after talking to several Toyota engineers that it could be a number of things: 1)master cylinder 2)brake booster 3)brake actuator 4)computer the mechanic and the engineers felt that is was probably the brake actuator so I went ahead with the repair. But they were not 100% sure that this was the problem. But they did agree that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The brakes of course are working. I talked to several other mechanics and they have said that Toyota knows that these actuators are bad but are not doing anything about it. They also mentioned that the vsc/ECU computer modules are a defect as well.

- Ashburn, VA, USA

problem #17

Feb 172010

Sequoia

  • 185,000 miles
While turning a corner at an intersection in D position, suddenly there was no power to the wheels while pressing gas pedal, ABS, vsc and trac and cel lights came on. This could have resulted in an accident, had there been more traffic. After pulling to the shoulder with remaining speed of vehicle, turned into P, then back into D, vehicle jerked forward with crunching noise while pressing brakes firmly! shut off vehicle, restarted, then drove ok, but above mentioned lights stayed on for a an hour. Later that evening, the warning lights turned back off to normal. This is the second time that we had a similar incident involving loss of power in combination with vsc trac and cel warning lights immediately after.

- Mansfield, Ontario, 00, USA

problem #16

Feb 142010

Sequoia

  • 36,000 miles
Vsc trac, vsc off, all on at once.obd II codes point to speed sensor, brake pedal switch and ABS computer malfunction. Dealer recommends changing brake booster and ABS computer system. From the available information on the internet this is very common problem for first generation Toyota Sequoias. The ABS and vsc malfunction can longer stopping distance, and swerving under emergency circumstance and should be a safety concern.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #15

May 162009

Sequoia

  • 98,384 miles
2002 Toyota Sequoia electrical issues-air conditioning comes on spontaneously without initiation by driver, back window always failing to operate properly, not opening or closing @ times, now stuck closed, tracking device comes on for long periods with used & new tires, even after numerous professional alignments, and proper driving, engine light always on. All of these issues have been bought to the attention of Toyota service dept, the SUV has been inspected by Toyota on numerous occasions, and parts have reportedly been replaced, however, these issues continue, there are also no devices in place to keep the driver's mat from curling over the accelerator and brake pedals.

- Hialeah, FL, USA

Read the next 14 complaints »