Problems · by component
2003 Toyota Sequoia service brakes, hydraulic problems
93 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Toyota Sequoia cite service brakes, hydraulic, 14% of all 684 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
93
14% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“RECEIVED TOYOTA FACTORY RECALL FOR CORROSION-RESISTANT COMPOUND DUE TO EXCESSIVE FRAME RUST. CALLED LOCAL DEALER AND ALSO FACTORY TOYOTA FOR APPOINTMENT. TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP. ONE DAY LATER RECEIVED PHONE CALL THAT MY VEHICLE WAS SAFE AND THAT THEY HAD SPRAYED THIS COATING ON THE VEHICLE. I PICKED UP VEHICLE AND THIS CORROSIVE CHEMICAL IS DRIPPING OF THE VEHICLE AND IS NOT DRYING. CONCERNED FOR ENVIRONMENT AND ALSO, I HAVE NO IDEA OF HOW VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED ASSURING THAT THE FRAME IS SAFE.”
“VSC AND VSC OF LIGHTS ARE ONCODES C1223 ABS CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, C1231 STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, AND C1247 STROKE SENSOR INDICATES NEEDS THE SKID CONTROL ECU T 2.0 REPLACED SKID CONTROL ECU 08/01/2010 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FOUND P0031 AF SENSOR B1S1 T1.0 PARTS REPLACED. 6/01/2013 AGAIN VSC TRAC OFF SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ON AND DEALERSHIP WANTS 1400.00 FOR NEW COMPUTER. *TR”
“I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2003 SEQUOIA AND HAVE BECOME AWARE THAT THE VSC TRAC, VSC OFF, ABS LIGHTS ALWAYS REMAIN ON. MY MECHANIC RAN THE CODES AND HAS ADVISED ME THAT I NEED A NEW DECELERATION SENSOR. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ONLINE I SEE THAT I AM NOT ALONE AND SO WOULD LIKE TO VOICE MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS FAULTY SENSOR AND ASK THAT TOYOTA GIVE A RESPONSE TO WHY SO MANY VEHICLES OF THIS ERA HAVE THIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM. *TR”
“VSC TRAC VSC OFF ABS WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON, TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND HAD THE BRAKE BOOSTER REPLACED THE WARNING LIGHTS RETURNED, SEARCHING THE NET MANY OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS HAVE SEEN THIS PROBLEM, THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL SINCE BRAKING IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR”
“A FEW MONTHS AFTER WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN DECEMBER 2004 WE NOTICED THAT THE TRACTION LIGHTS ARE COMING ON PERIODICALLY. WE TOOK THE CAR TO TOYOTA SERVICE TO CHECK THE ISSUE AND BEEN CHARGED HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR DIAGNOSIS AND SENSOR REPLACEMENT. HOWEVER THE PROBLEM WAS NOT SOLVED AND EVEN GOT WORST: THE TRACTION AND BRAKE LIGHTS WERE CONTINUOUSLY ON NOW. IN 2010 WE RECEIVED A NOTICE ABOUT A RECALL WITH REGARD TO THE ABOVE ISSUE AND BROUGHT THE CAR TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP LOCATED AT 4248 MORSE RD., COLUMBUS, OH 43230. THE CAR WAS SERVICED BUT A FEW HOURS AFTERWARDS ALL THE LIGHTS WERE ON AGAIN. WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT WE WERE TOLD THAT THE RECALL WAS ON THE VEHICLE COMPUTER ADJUSTMENT, WHICH WAS DONE, AND THAT AND ANY ADDITIONAL SERVICES WILL BE CHARGED IN FULL. WE LOOKED UP THE RECALL DOCUMENT AND REALIZED THAT IT IS CLEARLY SPECIFIED UNDER REMEDY THAT: IF THE REFLASH CANNOT BE COMPLETED ON A PARTICULAR VEHICLE, THE ECU WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. SINCE THE MANUFACTURER DEALERSHIP IS REFUSING TO COMPLY WITH THE RECALL REQUIREMENTS WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING THE ISSUE TO…”
“I JUST PURCHASED A USED 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5 2 DAYS AGO FROM THE DEALER. ALTHOUGH, THE VEHICLE COMES UNDER NO WARRANTY, I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A DEFECT THAT HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA SR5 OWNERS. THE PROBLEM ' TRAC OFF LIGHT CAME ON, VSC LIGHT CAME ON AND THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY NEED TO SEE THE VEHICLE AND IT WAS THE SKID ECU AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT $1200.00 FOR THE PART AND $232.30 FOR LABOR. THE SERVICE TECH TOLD ME THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS THIS IS THE BRAIN OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND THE ABS WILL LOCK UP AND THE BRAKES WILL FAIL. THE LIGHTS REMAINED ON UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. I WENT ON LINE TO RESEARCH THE CAUSE AND DEFECT AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM I HAVE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND HOPING TO RESOLVE THIS MALFUNCTION BEFORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED.”
Showing 6 of 93 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.