2002 Toyota Highlander Brakes Problems

THE LEFT BRAKE LIGHTS ON MY 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED EDITION 4 WHEEL DRIVE DO NOT WORK. I CHANGED THE BULBS AND THEY STILL DO NOT WORK. I HAVE RESEARCHED POSSIBLE CAUSES AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT IN THAT IT AROSE SUDDENLY, FOR NO REASON, AND COMPROMISES THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLES ABILITY TO WARN OTHER DRIVERS THAT THE CAR IS BRAKING. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT RECALLED THE CAR FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT MALFUNCTION. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE BREAK LIGHT FAILURE ON 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN OTHER DRIVERS CANNOT SEE YOU BREAK PARTICULARLY FROM THE RIGHT ANGLE. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS HAPPENED TO MANY DRIVERS OF THE SAME MODEL YEAR. SEE THE WEB POSTS AT HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.NET/FORUM/AUTOS/TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER/T7H7LD934GSQLC6BE I AM CONVINCED IT IS A DEFECT IN THE 2002 MODEL AND AS SUCH SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE BROUGHT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER IN MANCHESTER NH 5 TIMES REPLACING LAMP SOCKETS AND OTHER ATTEMPTS AND IT STILL DOES NOT WORK. I HAVE TO BRING IN AGAIN. THERE SHOULD BE A STANDARD WAY TO FIX IT.

2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. CONSUMER STATES BRAKE FAILURE CAUSING AN ACCIDENT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED HER TO ROLL DOWN A HILL AND FLIPPING OVER THREE TIMES. SHE WAS TRAPPED UPSIDE DOWN IN THE VEHICLE. *JB

LEFT (DRIVER SIDE) FRONT ABS BEGAN ACTIVATING SPONTANEOUSLY AS MY 02 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER CAME TO STOP. SERVICE AGENCY FOUND NO CODE. REMOVING FUSE ON ABS SENSOR ELIMINATED 'FALSE ACTIVATION' PROBLEM, BUT DISABLED ABS; REPLACING SENSOR HAD NO EFFECT. DISCOVERED BROKEN SENSOR RING ON REAR AXLE, DUE TO CORROSION. (NECESSARY REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE AXLE) ELIMINATED ABS ACTIVATION ON BRAKING, BUT INDUCED ABS ACTIVATION ON ACCELERATION FROM STOP. REPLACEMENT OF ANOTHER SENSOR (ALSO CONTAMINATED/DAMAGED BY AXLE CORROSION/INFILTRATION) SEEMED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT I NOW EXPERIENCE NOISE/ACTIVATION WHEN REAR WHEEL DRIVE ENGAGES IN WINTER DRIVING. MY ONLINE RESEARCH (AND SERVICE AGENCY) INDICATE THIS IS A RECURRING, GROWING PROBLEM IN HIGHLANDERS AND LEXUSES AND OTHER TOYOTA MODELS SHARING THE REAR AXLE ASSEMBLIES, THAT ARE PRONE TO INFILTRATION CORROSION DAMAGE, ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHERN STATES. *TR

2002 HIGHLANDER LTD, 48K MILES, WELL MAINTAINED. ABS SYSTEM AWRY, ACTIVATING LEFT FRONT BRAKES AS BRAKES APPLIED, MOST SEVERE AS COMING TO STOP. NO CODE, NO REMEDY WITH REPLACEMENT OF REAR SENSOR. PRESENTLY DRIVING WITH ABS DISABLED, SERVICE PROVIDER SEEKING SOLUTION. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA WITH 62,000 MI. I HAVE BEEN TO TWO TOYOTA DEALERS TO FIGURE OUT MY PROBLEM. THE VSC TRAC, VSC OFF, ABS AND BRAKE LIGHTS ARE COMING ON. FINALLY AFTER @$700 OF MY MONEY, THEY FIGURED OUT THE PROBLEM TO BE THE ECU. THIS WILL NOW COST ME @1800 FOR PARTS, AND WHO KNOWS YET FOR LABOR. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT MANY OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE SITUATION, UNLESS YOU HAVE THE EXT. WARRANTY. I FEEL THAT TOYOTA NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, MAYBE RECALL THIS AND FIX THESE CARS BEFORE THERE IS AN ACCIDENT. I LIVE IN NEW YORK WHERE THERE IS ALOT OF SNOW. MY VSC WILL NOT WORK UNTIL I GET THIS FIXED. I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND HAVE TO RELAY ON STANDARD BRAKES IN THE SNOW UNTIL THIS IS FIXED. TOYOTA SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR REPUTABLE NAME AND FIX THESE PROBLEMS ASAP..... *TR

IN 30 MPH HIGHWAY TRAFFIC, SEVERAL CARS STOPPED SUDDENLY. I QUICKLY STOMPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT SEEMED LIKE THE WHEELS LOCKED UP, ESPECIALLY THE LEFT FRONT (LIKE SKATING ON ICE AND APPLYING YOUR TOE PICK (BRAKE)). THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. CAME VERY CLOSE TO HITTING THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME AND GETTING HIT FROM BEHIND. THERE IS NO DRIVER CONTROL OF THE BRAKES IN SUDDEN STOPS. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE AND IS VERY SCARY. *JB

I AM DEALING WITH UNDERSIZED BRAKE CALIPER AND ASSOCIATED ROTOR AND BRAKE PAD QUALITY PROBLEMS. THE CARS SHAKES VIOLENTLY QWHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. THEY ARE CAUSING THE ROTORS TO OVERHEAT CAUSING THE ROTORS TO WARP AND EXCESS WEAR. WHILE TOYOTA RECOGNIZED THAT THE CALIPERS ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE 2002 SEQUOIA, THEY WOULD ONLY REPLACE THEM UNDER WARRANTY. NOT SURE WHY THEY ARE ONLY TOO SMALL UNDER WARRANTY. DO THEY GROW AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRES? THIS IS BAD POLICY. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED I SPEND THE $2000 TO FIX THE PROBLEM, WHICH TOYOTA SAYS IS NOT A PROBLEM AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRES. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE LOCAL DEALER,BOULDER TOYOTA, HE STATED IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, ONLY A QUALITY QUESTION. I SEEM TO GET TWO DIFFERENT STORIES FROM THE DEALER AND TOYOTA "CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE". I HAVE RESEARCHED A NUMBER OF SITES INCLUDING NHTS AND AUTOBYTEL. APPARTENTLY I AM NOT UNIQUE AND MANY OTHERS ARE CLAIMING PROBLEMS WITH TOYOTA SEQUOIA BRAKES. THIS IS NOT THE QUALITY I EXPECTED FROM A TOYOTA.

STRONG VIBRATIONS FROM FRONT BRAKES

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA LIMITED. THE BRAKES NEEDED REPLACING AT 21000 MILES.THIS IS CONCIDERED NORMAL , FOR THIS HEAVY CAR. THE DEALER REQUESTED $330.00 TO REPLACE PADS I SHOPPED AROUND GOT THE JOB DONE FOR $250.00. BUT THE BRAKES STARTED VIBRATING WHENEVER I APPLIED THEM. TOOK IT BACK TO REPAIR CENTER THEY RE-DID THE ENTIRE BRAKE JOB WITH DIFFERENT FACTORY PADS (26000 MI) , SAME RESULT. I THEN TOOK IT TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM (33000 MI) , THEY CHECKED IT OUT, PROBLEM NOT OCCURING AT THIS TIME. NO REPAIR DONE. I TOOK IT TO THE TIRE CENTER I ALWAYS USE FOR TIRES, THEY REPLACED REAR ROTORS, PROBLEM NOT FIXED. I THEN REPLACED THE FRONT ROTORS & PADS MYSELF. VIBRATION STILL OCCURING. I HAVE SPENT $800.00 TO FIX THE VIBRATION. TALKED TO TOYOTA ABOUT IT THERE IS A SERVICE BULITTEN ABOUT THIS COMPLANT, IT SHOULD BE FIXED FREE OF CHARGE. BUT THE CAR IS AT 41000 MI NOW. THE WARRANTY IS 36000 MILES.TOYOTA REFUSED TO MAKE NECESSARY REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH COMPLAINT WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED DURING WARRANTY PERIOD. REPAIR COST APPROX $2000.00 PER SERVICE WRITER. I WILL NEVER DEAL WITH TOYOTA AGAIN! *AK

2002 TOYOTA SEQUOIA BRAKES VIBRATE SEVERELY. VSC SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT FREQUENTLY COMES ON. PROBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE CAR HAD 10,000 MILES, NOW HAS 36,000 AND DEALER AND TOYOTA CLAIM IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. TOYOTA CLAIMS THAT CAR HAS NO BRAKE PROBLEMS, NO SAFETY PROBLEMS AT ALL, AND THAT ORIGINAL BRAKES ARE NOT DEFECTIVE IN DESIGN. I AM INFORMED THAT TOYOTA ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN, ALTHOUGH TOYOTA DENIED THIS THE DEALER ADMITTED THAT IT EXISTED, BUT I HAD TO SPECIFICALLY COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SPECIFIC BRAKE PROBLEM, OR THEY WOULD NOT AND DID NOT ADVISE ME OF THE REMEDY. THESE BRAKE ISSUES ARE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT LESS THAN 20 MPH, THE DRIVER IN FRONT SLAMMED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF THEM (NO BRAKE LIGHTS). I IMMEDIATELY STOMPED ON THE BRAKES... THE HIGHLANDER SLOWED VERY BRIEFLY AND THEN WENT "NUMB". THE HIGHLANDER CAME TO A STOP ONLY BY HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WAS PLENTY OF ROOM TO STOP AND IT SHOULD HAVE. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THE HIGHLANDER HAS "LOCKED UP" ON SUDDEN SHORT STOPS.*AK

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY FORTY FIVE MINUTES AND WITHOUT WARNING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE RELEASED AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. (MODEL/MR2 SPYDER) SCC *JB

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN AN INCLINED SPOT. PARKING BRAKE ENGAGED. PARKING BRAKE FAILED AND CAR ROLLED OVER A CURB INTO A METAL POLE ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES AFTER THE CAR WAS PARKED. *PH (2002 TOYOTA MR2) *JB **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS**768022

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING 30MPH AND SLAMMED ON BRAKES TO AVOID A COLLISION. ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM DID NOT WORK PROPERLY. CONSUMER HEARD A GRINDING NOISE, AND VEHCILE SKIDDED AND COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. CONSUMER HAD ABOUT 5 CAR LENGTHS BETWEEN HIS VEHICLE AND OTHER VEHICLE.*AK