2003 Toyota Sequoia electrical system problems

“Traction control warning lights, VSC warning lights. These lights have been on for 2 years, resulting in check engine light on. I have replaced every sensor possible, fuses, gas cap, and reset the system multiple times but can not get these lights to stay off. Since lights have been on, when driving on a muddy, wet, icy or slippery road way, my steering locks up, the brakes stop working and there is complete loss of vehicle control. All without warning. This is an extreme hazard and very dangerous. This has been on going since 2017 and is still a major problem . It started at around 200,000 miles.”

“The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, he felt the vehicle made a sudden stop. The contact checked under the hood and noticed that the VSC box was melting. The contact disconnected the battery to the vehicle and the smoke stopped. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 200,000.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE SPEED CONTROL, VCS, TRACTION CONTROL, AND SAS WARNING INDICATORS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SEVERAL DEALERS, BUT NO FAILURE COULD BE FOUND. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A MALFUNCTION OF THE ECU TRACKING DEVICE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V176000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 224,000.”

“VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL (VSC), TRACTION CONTROL (TRAC), AND ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM (ABS) DASH LIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED INDICATING THAT ALL SYSTEMS ARE OFF OR MALFUNCTIONING. CAN CONFIRM THAT THE TRAC, VSC, AND ABS ARE INACTIVE ALL OR MOST OF THE TIME. THE ABS INTERVENES AT RANDOM UNDER NORMAL BRAKING CONDITIONS WITHOUT CAUSE AT LOW SPEED (LESS THAN 20MPH) AND MAKES BRAKING DIFFICULT AND INCONSISTENT IN CONDITIONS WHERE ABS IS NOT NORMALLY NEEDED. IN THAT SITUATION THE BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES HARD TO DEPRESS AND BRAKING FORCE IS INCONSISTENTLY APPLIED WITH LITTLE CONTROL GIVEN TO THE OPERATOR IN TURN EXTENDING THE BRAKING DISTANCE WITHOUT DUE CAUSE OR WARNING. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ONLINE I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS REPORTS STATING IDENTICAL AND/OR SIMILAR OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES. IT IS MY OPINION THAT THE PROBLEM LIES IN THE VSC CONTROL MODULE, A KNOWN PROBLEMATIC COMPONENT ON THIS GENERATION OF SEQUOIA AND MORE SPECIFICALLY MODEL YEAR 2003 VEHICLES. A RECALL FOR THE VSC SYSTEM WAS ISSUED IN APRIL/MAY 2010 UPGRADING THE CONTROL LOGIC OF THE VSC SYSTEM IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2003 VEHICLES. LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION HAD THE RECALL WORK DONE IN…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, THE ALARM HORN FAILED TO ACTIVATE WHEN DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,000.”

“TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, VSC AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS BECAME ILLUMINATED, NO OTHER SYMPTOMS. STAYED ON FOR 2 DAYS THEN DISAPPEARED AGAIN. TWO MONTHS LATER THE BRAKE LIGHT HAD BECOME ILLUMINATED, PUT IT IN PARK TO LOAD PASSENGERS, AND WHEN RETURNED TO DRIVE, THE VSC AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED AND A GRINDING SOUND WAS HEARD WHEN APPLYING BRAKES - ALONG WITH THE VEHICLE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. TURNED THE CAR OFF, CHECKED FLUIDS AND FUSES, WHEN RESTARTED ONLY BRAKE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND CAR APPEARED TO BE DRIVING NORMALLY. TOOK IT IN TO TOYOTA TODAY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM CHECKED OUT AS THE BRAKE LIGHT IS STILL ON, AND THE GRINDING NOISE WAS A CONCERN - AND AM TOLD THE BRAKE BOOSTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IN ALL MY RESEARCH ON THIS, I'M VERY CONCERNED AS IT APPEARS TO BE QUITE A COMMON PROBLEM, AND ON A SEARCH OF MY VIN IT SAYS THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALL (ALTHOUGH I WAS TOLD AT THE DEALER THAT MY ECU WAS 'FLASHED TO THE UPDATED PROGRAMMING') CURRENT COST QUOTED IS $1,508 - BUT WAS ALSO TOLD THAT ONCE THE BOOSTER IS INSTALLED THEY HAVE TO RE-RUN THEIR CHECK AND IT MAY NOT BE THE ONLY PROBLEM. THIS IS VERY DISAPPOINTING AS WE OWN…”