Toyota Sequoia Electronic Stability Control (esc) Problems
Owners have filed 730 complaints with NHTSA about electronic stability control (esc) problems on the Toyota Sequoia across 13 model years. The 2002 model year has the most (196). The words owners use most often: “vsc trac” (34% of reports).
- 730electronic stability control (esc) complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $3,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 38%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Vsc trac: mentioned in 251 of 730 complaints (34%)
- Skid control: mentioned in 118 of 730 complaints (16%)
- Grinding noise: mentioned in 92 of 730 complaints (13%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electronic stability control (esc) repair on the Toyota Sequoia at $3,050, and half of them between $2,100 and $3,550.
Based on 41 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2007–2020), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electronic stability control (esc) problems happen?
Based on 674 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 730 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury.
Toyota Sequoia electronic stability control (esc) complaints by model year
| Model year | Electronic Stability Control (esc) complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Sequoia | 4 | 20% | 1,725 |
| 2015 Sequoia | 1 | 11% | 4,400 |
| 2012 Sequoia | 4 | 20% | 34,000 |
| 2010 Sequoia | 1 | 3% | 52,000 |
| 2009 Sequoia | 1 | 17% | 72,000 |
| 2008 Sequoia | 2 | 3% | 118,000 |
| 2007 Sequoia | 12 | 9% | 94,638 |
| 2006 Sequoia | 36 | 18% | 91,000 |
| 2005 Sequoia | 93 | 26% | 92,736 |
| 2004 Sequoia | 98 | 26% | 87,600 |
| 2003 Sequoia | 158 | 28% | 89,625 |
| 2002 Sequoia | 196 | 29% | 128,000 |
| 2001 Sequoia | 124 | 23% | 135,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Electronic stability control (esc)
Model years: 2018
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Tundra and Sequoia vehicles. Electrical interference within the power supply circuit may cause the vehicle's electronic stability control system to be deactivated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: Deactivation of the vehicle stability control system can increase the risk of a crash in certain conditions.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's software, free of charge. The recall began March 14, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0H. Note: This recall has been superseded by 18V-685. The software remedy for 18V-685 includes the updates to the software for this recall.
Traction control system; electronic stability control (esc)
Model years: 2003
Problem: 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.
Risk: Should this occur, the vehicle may not accelerate as quickly as the driver expects, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will reflash the ecu. 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. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
Trac off light and vac trac lights on all the time! Grinding noise when brakes applied at random times. Cause for concern! Have had everything replaced that could cause this over the past 2 years and still having the same issue!
As i drive down a highway, gravel road, driveway, street, anywhere, going slow or the speed limit, all of a sudden my vsc light and traction control light on the dash will start flashing accompanied by an alarm in the dash, causing the car to momentarily feel almost as if its hydroplaning. Then all…
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…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Sequoias have electronic stability control (esc) problems?
No. NHTSA has 730 owner complaints about electronic stability control (esc) for the Toyota Sequoia. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Toyota Sequoia electronic stability control (esc)?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list electronic stability control (esc). Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix electronic stability control (esc) problems on the Toyota Sequoia?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,050 (half paid between $2,100 and $3,550), from 41 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electronic stability control (esc) problems on the Toyota Sequoia?
The most frequent phrase is “vsc trac”, in 251 of 730 complaints, followed by “skid control” (118).
Other Toyota Sequoia problems
See all Toyota Sequoia problems.