Problems · by component

2003 Toyota Sequoia electronic stability control (esc) problems

192 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Toyota Sequoia cite electronic stability control (esc), 28% of all 684 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
192
28% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the electronic stability control (esc)

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I TOOK MY SEQUOIA TO HAVE AN AIRBAG RECALL FIXED AND A RECALL THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE SKID CONTROL MODULE BEFORE I TOOK IT TO HAVE THESE RECALLS DONE MY 2 VSC LIGHTS (VSC OFF LIGHT AND VSC TRAC LIGHT) ON THE DASH WERE ON AND SO WAS THE ENGINE LIGHT I THOUGHT MAYBE THE SKID CONTROL RECALL WOULD FIX THE VSC LIGHT BUT NOW BOTH OF THE VSC LIGHTS ARE STILL ON AND MY BRAKE LIGHT IS NOW ALSO COMING ON WHEN I START MY VEHICLE WHEN THIS HAPPENS MY BRAKE POWER IS DIMINISHED AND MY VEHICLE SHAKES BAD WHEN HITTING MY BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN TO MAKE A TURN OR JUST TO SLOW DOWN IN GENERAL AT A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN THIS HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY OR WHEREVER I'M DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT THE TIME BUT AS LONG AS THE VSC LIGHTS AND THE BRAKE LIGHT AREN'T ALL LIT UP ON MY DASHBOARD AT THE SAME TIME MY BRAKES AREN'T AS DIMINISHED BUT BOTH OF THE VSC LIGHTS STAY ON AND MY VEHICLE STILL SHAKES WHEN I'M SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A TURN. ALSO WHEN BOTH OF THE VSC LIGHTS ARE ON ALONG WITH THE BRAKE LIGHT MY VEHICLE WANTS TO SPIN THE BACK TIRES WHEN I'M TAKING OFF FROM A DEAD STOP I HAVE TO LET OFF THE GAS COMPLETELY FOR A SECOND THEN PROCEED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 22, 2020Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakesODI 11340826
“TRAC OFF VSC TRAC OFF LIGHTS ILLUMINATE. SEEMS TO BE FAULTY SENSOR. BRAKE LIGHT PERIODICALLY COMES ON WITH NO ISSUE WITH BRAKES. BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND EVERYTHING CHECKED. ON 2 OCCASIONS WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT IS ON, THE ANTISKID CONTROL ACTIVATES WHEN THE CAR IS GOING LESS THAN 30 MPH SLOWING DOWN FOR A TURN. THE CAR IS HARD TO CONTROL AND SHAKES. AFTER THE CAR IS TURNED OFF FOR AWHILE THE BRAKE LIGHT DOES NOT ILLUMINATE THE NEXT TIME YOU DRIVE BUT WILL COME BACK ON RANDOMLY. TRAC OFF AND VSC TRAC LIGHTS ILLUMINATE ARE ON.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 24, 2019Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakesODI 11282062
“MY VSC/VTC LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON SINCE I HAVE OWNED MY VEHICLE. I ALSO HAVE A BRAKE LIGHT THAT COMES ON CONSTANTLY. I AM ONLY ABLE TO RESET THE BRAKE LIGHT BY TURNING OFF MY VEHICLE AND RESTARTING. I HAVE REPLACED ALL 4 ROTORS, CALIPERS AND FUEL LINES MORE THAN 3 TIMES SINCE BUYING THE TRUCK NEW. BRAKE PADS ARE CHANGED IN THE FRONT TIRES CONTINUOUSLY! THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM IN THIS TRUCK! I WAS TOLD BY MANY MECHANICS THAT THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE SKID CONTROL / TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS TO TURN OFF IS TO HAVE TOYOTA FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM IN THE SEQUOIA'S. ALSO, I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE ANOTHER WAY TO OPEN THE BACK HATCH TO THIS VEHICLE OTHER THAN THE PLASTIC HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE WHICH BREAKS REPEATEDLY!! IF THERE WERE AN EMERGENCY ON THE INSIDE OF THE TRUCK AND THE ONLY EXIT WERE THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN THE REAR TAIL GATE FROM INSIDE!!! ONCE THAT STUPID PLASTIC HANDLE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE BREAKS, YOU CANNOT OPEN THE REAR HATCH ON THE SEQUOIA!! IT BECOMES A DEATH TRAP IN THE THIRD ROW SEATING AREA!!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 13, 2019Unknown or other, Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakesODI 11166700
“MY 2003 SEQUOIA GOT VSC OFF, VSC TRAC, AND BRAKE INDICATIONS IN THE COCKPIT AGAIN SINCE THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED BY REPLACING THE SENSORS AT DEALER FEW YEARS AGO. VERY DISAPPOINTING. I DON'T KNOW IF TOYOTA HAS EVER SINCE RECALL IN 2010.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 15, 2018Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11140338
“VSC, CHECK ENGINE, BRAKE LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON. NO TRACTION CONTROL WHEN BUTTON PUSHED. DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEED TRACTION CONTROL BEEPS WHEN NOT EVEN APPROPRIATE. HAVE HAD SEVERAL TIMES TRYING TO BRAKE, NO BRAKES LIGHT COMES ON ALMOST CRASHED DUE TO NO BRAKES! I HAVE RESEARCHED RECALL MY VIN# NOT LISTED. THIS IS RIDICULOUS! UNSAFE! TOYOTA NEEDS TO RECALL MORE VEHICLES. NOT A HAPPY TOYOTA CONSUMER!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 21, 2018Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakes, EngineODI 11121297
“VSC AND ABS LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON AND STABILITY CONTROL IS OFF. THIS HAS BEEN IN THIS STATE FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL INTERACTIONS WITH TOYOTA REGARDING REPAIRING UNDER THE RECALL. MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED IN MAY. THE RECALL ONLY COVERS CARS MANUFACTURED THROUGH APRIL. HAVING WORKED IN A TOYOTA PLANT FOR 5 YEARS, I KNOW THAT IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT THE DEFECTIVE PARTS COULD BE IN THE PLANT SEVERAL MONTHS PAST APRIL. YESTERDAY, MY BRAKING SYSTEM WAS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. THE ABS WAS ACTIVATING RANDOMLY, WHEN DRIVING AT SLOW AND HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND THE CAR WAS NOT REACTING NORMALLY TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL.. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANICM. THE TROUBLESHOOTING CODES HAD TO DUE WITH THE STABILITY CONTROL COMPUTER.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 19, 2018Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 11112283

Showing 6 of 192 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Electronic stability control (esc)

Free remedy

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2003 SEQUOIA PASSENGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 1, 2002 THROUGH APRIL 17, 2003. THE CENTER POSITION OF THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR (SAS) MAY NOT BE STORED CORRECTLY DUE TO IMPROPER LOGIC OF THE SKID CONTROL ECU PROGRAMMING. THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL (VSC) SYSTEM COULD ACTIVATE AT LOW SPEED FOR A FEW SECONDS DURING ACCELERATION FROM A STOPPED POSITION.

Electronic stability control (esc)Reported Apr 30, 2010NHTSA 10V176000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 11, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.