1999 Toyota 4 Runner

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A 4 LANE HIGHWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY JERKED OUT OF MY HANDS TO THE RIGHT. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BACK TO THE LEFT TO CORRECT. THE ROADS WERE WET FROM AN EARLIER RAIN; THERE WAS NO STANDING WATER, NO POT HOLES, OR OTHER VISIBLE DEFECTS IN THE ROAD. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE, TRAVELING ABOUT 60MPH. THE CAR SPUN OUT OF CONTROL - DOING 2 COMPLETE SPINS ON THE HIGHWAY, THEN INTO THE DITCH ON THE RIGHT; HITTING TREES, FLIPPING, HITTING MORE TREES, AND FINALLY COMING TO A HALT STRADDLING THE DITCH PERPENDICULAR TO THE HIGHWAY. SINCE THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DEFECTS IN THE ROAD THAT WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE STEERING TO ACT LIKE THAT, I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY MECHANICAL PROBLEM WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO JERK SO HARD TO THE RIGHT AND KEEP ME FROM BEING ABLE TO CORRECT IT. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT PERHAPS THE FRONT RIGHT BRAKE LOCKED UP, THE TIE ROD BROKE, OR SOME KIND OF STEERING DEFECT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I SHOULD LOOK FOR.

CONSUMER STATES STEERING WHEEEL VIBRATES BETWEEN 50 AND 60 MPH. CONSUMER HAS HAD VEHICLE ALIGNED, AND NEW TIRES AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURING.*JB THE VIBRATION SLOWS OR STOPS WHEN VEHICLE IS PUT INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE. THE FRONT HAS BEEN ALIGNED TWICE, BEFORE AND AFTER THE TIRES. CONSUMER HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH A 1996 TOYOTA TACOMA. THIS SITUATION NOW CAUSES THE ENTIRE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AT THE SAME SPEED BETWEEN 50 THRU 70 MPH. *JG

EXPERIENCING VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 65MPH,AND THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO VEER TO THE LEFT, VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE FOR AN ALIGNMENT THAT DID NOT ALLEVIATE PROBLEM, CONSUMER RETURNED AND THEN WAS ADVISED A CROSS ROTATION OF THE FRONT TIRES WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED THAT TIRES WERE CHOPPED BUT NOT TO THE POINT OF REPLACEMENT, WITH THE VIBRATION STILL OCCURING THE VEHICLE IS NOW VEERING TO THE RIGHT, MECHANIC ADVISED CONSUMER THAT EVEN THOUGH TIRES WERE CHOPPED REPLACING THEM WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY A MECHANIC AT FIRESTONE THAT IT WOULD NOT BE NECCESARY TO REPLACE TIRES, AND THAT OTHER VEHICLES HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, MECHANIC BELIEVED IT TO BE THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. *JB