2001 Toyota Prius Steering

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. SHE STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUDDER AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD VIBRATE WHEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL FOR POWER STEERING GEAR RACK AND PINION (NHTSA CAMPAIGN #00V285000). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 92,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000. UPDATED 01-15-08. *KB UPDATED *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES WHEN TURNING IT IN ANY DIRECTION. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE THE SUMMER OF 2006. ON JULY 16, 2007, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING GEAR RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY HAS AN INTERNAL GEAR THAT FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE CONTACT COULD PAY FOR THE REPAIR IN FULL AND THEY WOULD REIMBURSE HIM FOR THE PARTS. THE POWERTRAIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33,837 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

2001 TOYOTA PRIUS, 60649 ODOMETER MILES. AFTER BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY AND COMING TO A FULL STOP, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VIOLENTLY BACK AND FORTH (RIGHT AND LEFT), TRAVELING AT LEAST 1 (MAYBE 2) INCHES IN EACH DIRECTION. BETWEEN 5 AND 10 OSCILLATIONS OCCURRED. I WAS NOT TRYING TO TURN THE WHEEL AT THE TIME AND THE MOTION JERKED THE STEERING WHEEL OUT OF MY HANDS (I WAS QUITE SHOCKED). IT WAS ALL OVER IN LESS THAN 2 SECONDS. I THEN DROVE THE CAR BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY (NO PROBLEM) AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE CAR DEALER. DEALER FOUND BAD SENSOR IN THE STEERING RACK REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE RACK. *NM

MY STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN OF MY 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS INTERMITTENTLY SHAKES VERY VIOLENTLY! I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER BUT THEY SAY THAT THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA USA HEADQUARTERS IN TORRANCE, CA, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM IF THE DEALER COULD NOT REPRODUCE IT. I TOLD THEM THAT MY WIFE IS SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE VIOLENT SHAKING AND THAT I CANNOT BELIEVE THEY COULD BE SO CAVALIER AND NEGLIGENT ABOUT A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE CAR'S STEERING SYSTEM. ON TOP OF THIS, I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THAT TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN TO ITS DEALERS ABOUT DEFECTS AND FAILURES IN THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM OF THE 2001 PRIUS! IT TURNS OUT THAT THEY HAD TO COMPLETELY REDESIGN THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM FOR THEIR HYBRID VEHICLES AND THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH STEERING SYSTEMS OF THE EARLY PRIUS MODELS. THEY ARE JUST BEING TOO CHEAP TO FIX THE PROBLEM THEY CREATED. I THINK THESE CARS SHOULD BE RECALLED SO THAT THIS PROBLEM CAN BE FIXED FOR ALL OF THE OWNERS TO AVOID ACCIDENTS, INJURIES AND DEATH. ON BEHALF OF MY FAMILY AND ON BEHALF OF THEIR SAFETY THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND HELP IN THIS MATTER! SINCERELY, JOSEPH KREBS AUSTIN, TX. *NM

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN VEHICLE. TOOK TO DEALER FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING RACK HAD A MALFUNCTION AND NEEDED REPLACED. THEY REPLACED THE RACK AND ELECTRIC LINK ASSEMBLY AND DID A FRONT END ALIGNMENT AT A COST TO ME OF $1500 DOLLARS. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD US THAT THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME THIS YEAR THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM . AFTER RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM FURTHER, I FOUND THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR A FAULTY PART? *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. WHEN THE WHEEL WAS IN CERTAIN POSITION IT SHUTTERED VIOLENTLY. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT. THIS HAPPENED JUST A FEW TIMES SINCE 2001, AND IN THE LAST WEEK, IT WAS HAPPENING DAILY. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE CAR TO THE REPAIR SHOP PRIOR TO THIS WEEK. THE CONTACT WAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR A CHECK UP ON THE STEERING. THERE HAS BEEN NO SUCCESS IN CONTACTING TOYOTA AS OF NOW. SHE WILL CONTACT TOYOTA SOON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THERE HAS BEEN NO NEAR MISSES, BUT THIS CONDITION WAS VERY SCARY.*AK UPDATED 12/27/05. *JB

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING THE STEERING BOLTS BECAME LOOSE AND CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO JUMP AROUND, WHICH MADE THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT TO STEER. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK VEHICLE PULLED SIGNIFICANTLY WHILE DRIVING. THE TIRES WERE INSPECTED AT 15,536 MILES, BUT AT 18,800 MILES ONE OF THE TIRE BLEW REVEALING THE TIRES WERE BALD. LATER, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE ALIGNMENT WAS OUT AND TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. *PH *JB

STEERING RACK PROBLEM.....NEEDS REPLACEMENT DUE TO A BROKEN ITEM IN THE STEERING RACK. CAUSES HIGH PITCHED NOISE WHENEVER STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED. TOYOTA AGREED TO REPLACE PART, BUT REQUIRES US TO PAY FOR THE LABOR TO REPLACE THE PART. ($500). *AK

HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE; STEERING RACK FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE TO PULL FROM SIDE TO SIDE. *AK *NLM

THE POWER STEERING CUTS OUT AT RANDOM TIMES. THE DEALER SAYS I NEED A NEW STEERING RACK, BUT IT HAS BEEN WEEKS AND NO RACK HAS SHOWN UP. NOW I'M HEARING FROM OTHER PRIUS OWNERS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AND TOYOTA IS REDESIGNING THE WHOLE STEERING SYSTEM. MEANWHILE I'M STUCK WITH A CAR WHERE THE POWER STEERING CAN CUT OUT AT ANY TIME.

DEALER INFORMS THAT 2 OTHER VEHICLES ARE IN FOR REPAIR FOR THE SAME FAILURE. ALL THREE VEHICLES CAME IN WITHIN A 2 WEEK PERIOD. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN ESTIMATE OF TIME TO REPAIR RANGING FROM 2 TO 4 WEEKS BECAUSE OF UNAVAILABILITY OF PARTS. DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT FEELS THAT THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. STEERING WHEEL EXPERIENCES "MINOR JERKS OR TICS". SERVICE WRITTER SAYS THIS IS BECAUSE OF ERRANT ELECTRICAL SIGNALS BEING SENT TO POWER ASSIST.*AK

STEERING HAS PROBLEM OF POOR RETURN REQUIRES CONSTANT INPUT TO THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP THE CAR ON THE ROAD. *AK