2005 Toyota Sienna Electronic Stability Control Esc Problems

I HAVE A TOYOTA SIENNA 2005, MILEAGE 178000, SLIP INDICATOR TURNS ON RANDOMLY AND CAUSING THE CAR LOST CONTROL. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WHEN IT HAPPENED OUT OF ZERO WARNING. IT'S NOT ONLY SCARE ME BUT ALSO MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENED FOR OVER A YEAR SINCE SEPT. 2019. IT USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING ON DRY CURVING ROADS AT SPEEDS 35-75 MPH. WHEN IT HAPPENED, THE ANTILOCK BRAKES ENGAGE, SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT COMES ON, AND ALARM SOUNDS, THE CAR'S BRAKES GRAB AND PULLS THE CAR TO THE SIDE. IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY, GOES AWAY, AND BACK TO NORMAL. I HAVE SENT THE MINI VAN TO A FEW MECHANICS FOR MULTIPLE TIMES BUT THEY CAN'T FIND OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT. I HAVE REPLACED 4 BRAND NEW TIRES, DONE THE ZERO-POINT-CALIBRATION, MECHANICS COULDN'T FIND CODES FOR THE ISSUES, THEY HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX THE PROBLEMS BUT IT JUST NEVER WORK. I LOVE MY MINI VAN BUT NOW I FEEL VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE MY FAMILY WITH THIS MINI VAN. IT BOTHERS ME A LOT WHEN DRIVING THIS MINI VAN. MY ANXIETY LEVEL GO UP, ESPECIALLY, WHEN DRIVING ON CURVING ROADS. I WISH THIS SAFETY COMPLAINT WOULD CATCH THE ATTENTION. HOPEFULLY, TOYOTA WOULD RECALL THE VEHICLES AND FIX THE ISSUE FOR THEIR LOYAL CUSTOMERS, AND ALSO THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES RIDING THIS MINI VAN.

SLIP INDICATOR SENSOR TURNS ON ,BRAKES WHILE TURNING CAUSES ME TOO LOOSE CONTROL WHILE DRIVING VERY UNSAFE

THE PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN GOING OUT A VARIATION OF SPEEDS 35 ON THE STREET OR 60 ON THE HIGHWAY 45 ON THE FREEWAY REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE'RE TURNING OR GOING STRAIGHT BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAVE CAN I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH HER WE DID NOTICE THAT IT'S HAPPY AND TENDS TO HAPPEN MORE ON A TURN. THE CAR WILL COME TO A ROUTE ABRUPT STOPPED AND THE SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT WILL COME ON FOR A BRIEF SECOND MAKING A NOISE AND THEN SIMPLY DISAPPEAR AND THIS HAPPEN SPONTANEOUSLY OR SPORADICALLY WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS.

VSC SYSTEM ACTIVATES THE ABS WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS. USUALLY ON INTERSTATE ENTRANCE/EXIT RAMPS, THE VSC LIGHT COMES ON WITH LOUD BEEPING NOISE AND ACTIVATES THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES. THE VEHICLE PULLS EITHER TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT AND ACCELERATION IS AFFECTED. IT'S VERY SCARY! SPEED LIMIT ON RAMP IS 55MPH AND IT HAPPENS WHEN GOING 45-50MPH. IT'S ALSO HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. IT HAPPENS AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS. I'VE HAD THE CAR CHECKED BY 3 DIFFERENT SHOPS AND NOBODY CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON. IT'S A WEEKLY OCCURRENCE.

VSC KEEPS ENGAGING / WITH LIGHTS AND ALARMS, THE CAR LOOSES POWER AND PULLS TO RIGHT. THIS OCCURS UNNECESSARILY AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS BELOW 20 MPH AND AT 65 MPH ON A FREEWAY STRAIGHT AWAY AND ON & OFF RAMPS OF THE FREEWAY. THIS IS HAPPENING WITH DRY / GOOD WEATHER OPERATION. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 1 WEEK AND HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN AT LEAST A DOZEN TIME.

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 - 15 MPH UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT ON A GENTLY CURVING OVERPASS, THE STABILITY CONTROL ENGAGED, SHARPLY JERKING THE STEERING UNCONTROLLABLY IN THE WRONG DIRECTION AND HINDERING MY ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE OR BRAKE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE PREVIOUSLY, BOTH ON CURVES, AND ON NEITHER OF THOSE OCCASIONS WAS I EXCEEDING THE SPEED LIMIT, NOR WAS THERE ANY REASON FOR THE SYSTEM TO ENGAGE.

TWO INSTANCES IN OCT 2017 OF BRAKES ACTIVATING WITHOUT DRIVER ACTION. BRAKING ACCOMPANIED BY BEEPING - POSSIBLY ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) ACTIVATION SIGNAL. BRAKING REDUCED SPEED APPROXIMATELY 10-15MPH. BOTH INSTANCES OCCURRED ON THE SAME ROAD, A CURVY 45MPH LIMIT ASPHALT 2-LANE. CONDITIONS DRY, ~50 DEG F. BRAKING OCCURRED ON A STRAIGHT SECTION AND DID NOT PULL THE CAR TO ONE SIDE. DO NOT BELIEVE ANTI-LOCK ENGAGED. VAN HAS 137K MILES.TOYOTA SERVICE (11/9/17) : "NO PROBLEMS FOUND NO CODES STORED NO VEHICLE EVENT LOG (VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE THAT CAPABILITY) MORE OBVIOUS AND LIKELY CAUSE COULD HAVE BEEN THE FACT THAT THE FRONT TIRES WERE AT 20 PSI AND THE REAR AT 35 PSI, THE DISPARITY IN WHEEL SPEED SIGNALS COULD HAVE TRIGGERED A FALSE EVENT." VERBAL REPORT CONFIRMED "NO PROBLEMS FOUND" INCLUDING STEERING RACK BUSHINGS, STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, AND WHEEL SPEED SENSORS. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, WITH 6 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS A MECHANIC, SAID HE HAD ENCOUNTERED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE BUT IT WAS RARE. HE ALSO STATED THAT AN APPARENT DIFFERENCE OF ONLY 1MPH IN WHEEL SPEED COULD BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE INADVERTENT ESC ACTIVATION. HOWEVER, HE WAS UNSURE WHY THE PROBLEM, IF IT WAS CAUSED BY THE FORE/AFT INFLATION DIFFERENCE, WAS SO INTERMITTENT. THE DEALER WAIVED THE $98 DIAGNOSTIC FEE. A DRIVE ON THE SAME ROAD ON 11/10/17 DID NOT PRODUCE THE UNEXPECTED BRAKING, BUT IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THIS MEANS THE EQUAL TIRE INFLATION FIXED THE PROBLEM AS, AS STATED, THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. SYSTEMS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE SAFETY SHOULD FAIL IN WAYS THAT DO NOT COMPROMISE DRIVER CONTROL AND OWNERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF CRITICAL MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES TO AVOID SUCH FAILURES. FAILURE OF ACTIVE SAFETY SYSTEMS SUCH AS ESC, RISKS DELAYING ACCEPTANCE OF INCREASING LEVELS OF DRIVER ASSISTANCE INCLUDING FULL AUTONOMOUS CONTROL, AN ADVANCE THAT PROMISES DRAMATIC REDUCTION IN ROAD MORTALITY.

WHILE DRIVING ON A NORMAL DAY NO RAIN OR ANY SLIPPERY CONDITION ON THE ROAD GOING ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR MY VEHICLE ANTI SLIP SYSTEM INGAGED AND BREAK MOMENTARY AND VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN THIS HAPPENS SEVERAL TIME WHY IS THIS SYSTEM ENGAGING WHEN IT'S NOT RAINING OR NO SLIPPERY CONDITION EXISTING ON THE ROAD.

SIENNA WAS ACCELERATING FROM 40-45 MPH AND A SLIGHT RIGHT TURN ON A CITY STREET, WHEN THE VSC LIGHTS TURNED ON AND APPLIED BRAKES. CITY STREET WAS DRY, WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND SUNNY.

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL (VSC) ON MY 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA AWD XLE (127,000 MILES) IS ACTIVATED SUDDENLY AND FOR NO REASON. THIS IS INTERMITTENT AND HAPPENS WHEN ON A CURVE AT VARYING SPEEDS ON PERFECT ROAD AND WEATHER CONDITIONS. A BUZZER SOUNDS, VSC LIGHT COMES ON, BRAKES SLAM ON AND VEHICLE PULLS TO THE RIGHT. MECHANIC COULD FIND NOT ANYTHING. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. A GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALED MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. THIS IS FRIGHTENING, DANGEROUS AND CREATES UNSAFE CONDITIONS FOR PASSENGERS IN MY VEHICLE, AS WELL AS OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD AS THE CAR SUDDENLY AND DRASTICALLY REDUCES SPEED AND PULLS TO THE RIGHT. MANY OTHERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. ANY DEFECTIVE PART THAT POSES A SAFETY RISK SHOULD BE RECALLED BY LAW! IT SEEMS THAT MOST PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM ARE OUTSIDE OF THEIR WARRANTY.

ON MARCH 15, 2016, THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL ON MY 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA XLE ACTIVATED SUDDENLY AND FOR NO REASON. I WAS IN A LEFT TURN MERGING LANE FROM ONE MAJOR HIGHWAY TO A BUSY INTERSTATE. I WAS GOING ABOUT 50 MPH WHEN IT ACTIVATED. THE ACTIVATION CAUSED MY CAR TO RAPIDLY DECELERATE FROM 50 MPH TO 20 MPH IN A MATTER OF 3 SECONDS AND CAUSED MY WIFE AND I TO LURCH FORWARD. VSC ALSO CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO SWERVE SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT. I HAD IMMEDIATELY LOST CONTROL! THIS PUT ME AND MY FAMILY IN MORTAL DANGER ALONG WITH THE OCCUPANTS OF VEHICLES AROUND US. THEY WERE COMPLETELY UNPREPARED FOR MY SUDDEN AND UNWARRANTED STOP! I BELIEVE TOYOTA HAS SOLD A VEHICLE THAT HAS A HARDWARE AND/OR SOFTWARE ERROR IN IT THAT CAN RESULT IN FATAL INJURIES TO THE DRIVER, PASSENGERS AND OCCUPANTS OF SURROUNDING VEHICLES. THIS IS WHY I BELIEVE THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION SAFETY ADMINISTRATION SHOULD REQUIRE TOYOTA TO ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL THAT PERMANENTLY ELIMINATES THIS PROBLEM FOR TOYOTA OWNERS LIKE ME. (AS BACKGROUND, I DID SOME INTERNET RESEARCH TO SEE IF OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS. I'VE ATTACHED MY FINDINGS OF 23 IDENTICAL INCIDENTS EXPERIENCED BY SIENNA OWNERS. I STOPPED AT 23 - THERE WERE MORE.) I BELIEVE THIS SITUATION IS FAR MORE SERIOUS THAN YOUR RECENT RECALL OF THE TOYOTA SHIFT LEVER ASSEMBLY TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENTAL ROLL AWAY. (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V429000). IN OUR CASE WE ARE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR SUDDENLY SLAMS ON THE BRAKES AND VEERS TO THE RIGHT. I BELIEVE THIS CALLS FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ACTION. PERSONALLY, I THINK THIS IS JUST AS SERIOUS AS A CAR GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THAT SUDDENLY BURSTS INTO FLAMES. I KNOW YOU WOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO THAT CAR COMPANY AND I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD ISSUE A SIMILAR RECALL TO TOYOTA.

2005 SIENNA XLE LIMITED. THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ACTIVATES RANDOMLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY IN DRY CONDITIONS - MOST OFTEN ON DOWNHILL, ANGLED TURNS, AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 25 MPH AND 60 MPH. A SUDDEN DASH-BOARD ALARM SOUNDS WITH VEHICLE SKID LIGHT. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THERE IS A SUDDEN, INDEPENDENT ACTIVATION OF FRONT BRAKES, GRINDING NOISES, THE STEERING WHEEL SHUTTERS WILDLY, AND THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTS TO PULL TOWARDS ONCOMING LANES. IT REQUIRES GREAT EFFORT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL. THE IMMEDIATE RESULT IS A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL! THIS DEFECT HAS OCCURRED 8 TIMES IN 3 MONTHS. SERIOUS FEARS ABOUT OPERATING THE VEHICLE WITH MY FAMILY. A FRONT-END ALIGNMENT WAS DONE ON THE VEHICLE. PROBLEM PERSISTS. MULTIPLE REPORTS HAVE BEEN FILED THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY DEFECT AND THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE RECALLED TO PREVENT INJURY OR FATALITIES! THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD THAT CAN LEAD TO A SERIOUS HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS!

DRIVING AT A STEADY SPEED ON CLEAN, DRY PAVEMENT THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVATED (AS INDICATED BY THE DASHBOARD INDICATOR LIGHT). SUBSEQUENTLY THE BRAKES ACTIVATED CREATING A HAZARDOUS SITUATION. *TR