Toyota Sequoia VSC Warning Issue

ukgofferukgoffer Member Posts: 3
edited July 2015 in Toyota
I have a 2002 Sequoia - 114k miles - one owner. Dealer serviced. About three months ago I took it in for service before leaving on a weekend roadtrip - about 500 miles round trip. We stopped for gas about two hours in and when I pulled back out onto the highway, the VSC warning light began to flicker. I was going 60 - 65 mph on clean, flat, dry pavement. The RPMs revved but the car slowed to about 50MPH. The transmission was not making any noises. If I remained in the mid 50's or less, no problem. If I accelerated, the VSC would flicker and the car would slow. I drove on to our overnight in Vermont, nursing it along. The next day, we got in the car and headed off home with no issues. Stopped for gas about 2 hours in and then the same problem repeated as we got back onto the highway. I took it to the dealer. They kept it for three days but could not recreate the problem. The computer did not register that the VSC Warning was ever activated but they did find that the steering was slightly out of alignment which they said could cause the VSC Warning to activate. The car drove fine in May and June but I can't recall any long drives. Two weeks ago, mife wife drove to Laguardia to drop off my son for a flight. about two hours round trip in traffic. 90 minutes in on the way back on Hwy 95, the VSC Warning light flickers again - same issue. It stops before she gets home and seems to be driving fine. Last weekend I drive an hour North to Brownstone and on the way back it acts up again. It has now been at the dealer for 5 days and they can't recreate the issue or find a problem. Computer doesn't register the issue. CV boots are all fine. This I know they checked (was part of the service back in April before issue started). I don't know what else they have checked. We're stumped. Has anyone else experienced this issue or have any ideas? The truck is clean and has never been in an accident.


See Also
RepairPal: Problem with VSC and Brake Light Coming On

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Comments

  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Equal wear and inflation for ALL 4 tires...?

    My best guess is that you have a brake dragging, one tire is "overheating" as a result. Sticking rear e-brake most likely.
  • 911lil911lil Member Posts: 1
    Having the same problem with my 02 Sequoia. Wife took it on a long road trip last weekend and had "vsc trac" indications on two different occasions. She said it beeped and from what she described, the vehicle pulled to one side. The temperatures were well above 100 degrees both days. I have also been experiencing a shaking in the rear end while applying braking pressure. Even made nervous while driving in the mountains going down a decline. Had the same thing a couple of years ago and replaced the front rotors. Any ideas?
  • ukgofferukgoffer Member Posts: 3
    We didn't experience pulling. The VSC warning light flashed intermittently and the vehicle slowed to ~50mph. RPMs would increase with the accelerator but mph would not. In at least 4 of the 5 occurrences, we had been driving for an hour or more and stopped briefly (3 times for gas and 1 time I recreated the scenario by stopping in a rest stop). The problem started when we got back on the highway. I drove straight to the dealer when it occurred the last time, left the vehicle running but, alas, nothing registered on the computer. 3 days at the dealer and we couldn't recreate the issue. They cleaned the speed sensors (found oil on one) and now we are keeping our fingers crossed. I'm heading out on Tuesday and will see if I can recreate the issue.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Most likely a loose, failing yaw sensor, second possibilty, much less likely, a interittent stearing wheel rotational position sensor. Sounds as if the VSC is trying to correct for a yawing condition (over-under stearing) that doesn't actually exist.

    Light shaking in the rea rgoing downhill, especially in the "wet" seems somewhat normal (2001 F/awd RX300), it's the automatic brake pressure distribution system activating.
  • ukgofferukgoffer Member Posts: 3
    Well, my test on Tuesday didn't go so well. I was able to make the issue occur again so it appears the speed sensor is not the issue. This time, I had been driving about 45 minutes. I turned the cruise control on and as soon as I accelerated, the warning light flickered and the car slowed - no beep, no engine light. I then put the car in NEUTRAL and the warning light would flicker again when I pressed on the accelerator. So here is what I can tell you:
    It has happened 9 times.
    7 times followed a stop for gas during a trip that was an hour or longer.
    2 times the cruise was on.
    2 were during short trips accelerating above 60 MPH.
    All instances were on flat dry pavement.
    When at highway speeds, the car will slow to 50MPH even when the RPMs redline.
    The warning light will flicker when at highway speeds, with the car in neutral and the accelerator is pressed.
    The steering wheel alignment has been checked.
    The speed sensors have been cleaned.
  • blackpacific1blackpacific1 Member Posts: 27
    This one is easy. We just had the same problem, my wife fixed it yesterday. Go buy yourself a pint of brake fluid, top off the reservoir. Problem solved.

    We had our 2001 Sequoia brakes worked on right before we went on a long road trip. The mechanic must have spilled some brake fluid. We got VSC OFF, VSC TRAC, and BRAKE indications in the cockpit. Then we started have sudden power dumps while at highway speed. Thought we had a really bad problem, even rented a minivan for a day because we were afraid to drive it, and we had to get somewhere.

    About a year ago we had similar indications, but we also had an ABS light. That problem was a bad O2 sensor, which went away when we replaced the two upstream O2 sensors.

    Check your brake fluid, if it is low, fill it up just past the high mark.
  • motorman64motorman64 Member Posts: 2
    Just saw this post as I was looking for something else and thought I would comment. Was it the gas cap was loose or missing? Toyota has lights for all sorts of systems, yet is the gas cap is not on properly the VSC light comes on!
    Wonder who the dim-witted engineer was that designed that.
  • saram12saram12 Member Posts: 1
    My VSC lights and check engine lights came on and my SR5 was running a little rough. Looked on the forums and reset the gas cap to get lights to go off. A day later they came on again this time with the engine light flashing. I take it to get it looked at and get a call that an ignition coil had gone bad and needed replaced to the tune of $450. Not what I wanted to hear, but not terrible. I get a call today and the price has now gone up to $5500 and the engine needs replaced. According to the technician a spark plugged worked loose allow combustion gases to melt the cylinder head and distort it. They could just replace the cylinder head for $4500 but no guarantee that any other debris might be in the engine and cause further problems. I'm just wondering if anyone else has ever had this issue or heard of this issue.
  • ksayersksayers Member Posts: 59
    Lassen Park, 8400 ft elevation, construction on the road with oil and gravel just applied. Just after changing lanes to the slick gravel lane (forced by cones) both VSC lights and the check engine light lite up.

    I read somewhere... that the VSC system uses magnetic sensors on each wheel assembly. I am 500 miles into a 2000 trip and in the middle of nowhere. Off to a do-it-yourself car wash. I aggressively spray/clean/hose all 4 brake/wheel assemblies twice, actually, three times. I then find a store 50 miles away (Harbor Freight in this case) that sells an OBDII monitor/checker for $75. I don't like spending the money but I don't like staring at warning lights even if the car (Sequoia, 2004) seems to be running just fine with no other apparent issues . I plug in the checker and clear every warning logged into the computer. Checker unplugged, fired up the car, no warning lights. Continued for 1500 more miles with no issues. I don't know if the oil caused ??? to the stick to the sensors or gravel kicked up and did xyz or it was a coincidence or... what... maybe weird tire slippage. Who knows. Did I like spending $75? No. However, its better than someone telling me about $1200 YAW sensors, master cylinders or replacing computers.

    I will always travel with an OBDII tester in the car from now on. This is a 2004 Sequoia 4WD with 195K miles, otherwise a completely error free vehicle.
  • nomoretoyota9nomoretoyota9 Member Posts: 1

    My 2003 Sequoia VSC system has been on and off since the vehicle was few years new. Very disappointing. Toyota has since recall in 2010 and I got my VSC system "fixed" after Toyota Corporate mailed us the recall letter. The lights came on lesser last few years. Last week, my VSC system lights came on AGAIN and never goes off, except when engine is turned off. Now the power brake is gone! I have to Step HARD on the brake to stop the car safely. In order to do that, I have shifted my chair much toward the brake paddle. I emailed Toyota Corporate, Thomas Morita, after providing my VIN #, he told me there was no recall on this issue. Ha! check this link out, he is WRONG. http://pressroom.toyota.com/section_display.cfm?section_id=575 My was "fixed" after the recall. So if you have VSC problem, you should send it to dealer to fix under their recall and hopeful help you to have peace for a little while. As for us, I am still trying to get Toyota Corporate to agree to fix the VSC system free this time too as this is a well known problem - default parts. Please check other links and other drivers' experience and comments. http://www.automotiveforums.com/t544406-sequoia_vsc_trac_problem.html Please read agent_phish and gosi's comment and suggestions file your complaints to Better Business Bureau and Local State Consumer agency. and file a complaint with DOT Office of Defects Notification at www.odi.nhtsa.dot.gov (http://www.odi.nhtsa.dot.gov) and suggest everyone do the same. I will do my part immediately after sharing.

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