My vehicle has randomly been flashing vbs/abs/traction control lights. Sometimes nothing happens other than the flashing lights. Other times I’ll be driving & when going around a curve my car makes a beeping noise (sounds like the abs noise activated) & I’ll feel a pulsing under the brake & hear a grinding sound. It doesn’t allow me to brake effectively. Another time I was coming to a stop behind a car at a red light. It was clear as day, roads weren’t wet & I couldn’t have been going over 10 mph. When hitting my brakes, my steering wheel kind of glided back & forth for a sec and it felt like my tires “floated”in the same motion as wheel until it stopped.
Toyota Sequoia abs comes on
413 of the 3,065 owner complaints about the Toyota Sequoia describe aBS light or ABS activating, most of them for the 2003 model year.
- owner complaints
- 413
- worst model year
- 2003
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 94,996
Is there a fix? No recall or service bulletin covers this area of the car yet.
By model year
Often reported together
Grinding brakes 51Check engine light 33Loss of power 16Pulling 14Jerking 13Stalling 12Warning lights 10Hesitation 6
Trouble codes mentioned
C1223 13C1247 12C1310 7C1203 6C1241 4C1244 3C1231 3P1247 1P1223 1P0031 1
What owners say
After several years of fighting problems with, after braking to a brief stop, the loss of power/abs grinding when accelerating and turning right, now the ABS is completely dysfunctional. Both TRC lights will turn on and usually the parking brake, and when braking at speeds less than 10mph the abs will activate and prevent bring the truck to a stop without pumping them, on dry pavement. When the ABS light turns on, then braking is possible, but all pressure is gone from brake booster and brakes sound like they're grinding, not like the sound of abs engaging. Very dangerous to drive in snow as front brakes work but drive axle doesn't disengage when the brake pedal is depressed. Regular mechanic won't engage with diagnosing issues as he feels the problem is partly computer malfunction and Toyota won't allow for used part mismatching. ABS/ECU is failed.
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Sequoia. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound and hesitated to respond. The contact depressed the brake pedal a second time, and the vehicle stopped. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving and depressing the brake pedal. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
I was coming off the highway goi g down the off ramp at a rate of speed in line with the speed limit, and the vsc/abs/brake lights all came on. The truck started making a grinding noise and was difficult to control. I pulled over and checked underneath. Everything was fine and there was no sign of an issue. I turned the truck off and on, and all the lights cleared; however, the lights turn on again when the vehicle is cold. Once it warms up, and you turn the car on and off, the clear. No codes on the scanner. Forums say this happens regularly with this make, model and year, but no one is sure what it is. Everything from emissions, to the brake sensor to the yaw rate sensor.
"VSC OFF, VSC TRAC, and ABS" indicators on the dash. YAW sensor failure which controls wheel speed which will cause vehicle to decelerate and possibly cause an accident. Toyota should issue a nationwide recall. Toyota is aware of the issue but has failed to issue a nationwide recall.
ABS kicks in while driving. It happens at a moderate speeds. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD since I am in the car with my kids and it causes the car to unexpectedly brake. The VSC light come on and blinks, there is a loud grinding sound. This was reproduced by mechanic. SAFETY HAZARD
Vsc, ABS, traction control and brake warning instrument lights on. Abs and traction control and vsc are inoperable due to a computer malfunction. This is an extremely common issue with first generation sequoias. My specific codes are c1241 and c1203. Toyota told me I will need a new computer to controls those systems at a 921 dollar expense. These issues have been ongoing since 2009.
Grinding noise, beeping, warning lights flashing, difficulty steering, difficulty braking, clunking when braking, vsc and ABS lights on. Very scary. I was driving approximately 50 MPH. It also happened when my daughter was driving it. Very intermittent. I was going straight, no turning, no bumps in the road. So random. I have researched the much on youtube and the internet and there are many others who have experienced this scary situation. I am afraid to drive the vehicle and it is a major safety hazard and must be fixed! I heard they recalled the 2003's but not the 2002's but they have the same parts. I will send pictures of others who have similar complaints. If you go to the website I sent you will find many others who have experienced the same thing. I am sending only a sample. Please do something. Serious safety hazard, whatever the problem is! I have not driven it much since it happened. I have been very distracted since my boyfriend passed away. I did call the local toyota dealer after it first happened and also the national number for toyota and was told there is no recall. Yet! Go to carproblemzoo.com and input "brake grinding noise of toyota sequoia ABS and vsc. I tried to upload docs but they were the wrong format.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota sequoia. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the ABS warning light was illuminated and the vehicle began to decelerate independently. The contact parked on the side of the road and restarted the vehicle within two minutes, and continued driving to his destination. The contact stated he continued to experience the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
While I was traveling on the highway at 70 MPH, the right front brake locked up momentarily and lurched the vehicle, the vsc and traction control light started flashing and a warning buzzer went off. After looking into things, there are known issues with the 2001 and 2002 toyota sequoia that cause this exact thing to happen to plenty of other people. I understand that there has already been an evaluation done on this matter and it was ruled that the severity of the issue does not warrant a recall. Why there is no recall being issued on the multiple failure points in the vehicle's system and people are required to spend thousands of dollars in repairs for parts and labor when the manufacturer's design didn't last? I purchased this vehicle for my father to feel more safe in, and that is the last thing that he feels while driving it. I am now required to drive our affected vehicle and have to be constantly paying attention so that the ABS system doesn't shoot me into another vehicle.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Toyota Sequoia abs
Why does the abs come on in the Toyota Sequoia?
Owners who report it most often also describe grinding or squealing brakes, check engine light and sudden loss of power, and the codes they mention most are C1223, C1247 and C1310.
Which Toyota Sequoia years have aBS light or ABS activating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2003 (132 complaints), 2002 (90 complaints) and 2001 (70 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix ABS light or ABS activating on the Toyota Sequoia?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 105 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Toyota Sequoia?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history