2001 Toyota Prius

I HAVE A 2001 PRIUS. I BOUGHT IT IN 2003. EVER SINCE I BOUGHT IT, THE STEERING WHEEL SOMETIMES WOBBLES WHEN I BACK UP AND TURN THE WHEEL. THIS HAS BEEN CONSISTENT SINCE 2003. THIS WINTER, WHEN THE WEATHER HAS BEEN VERY COLD, THE STEERING WHEEL HAS SHUDDERED VIOLENTLY SEVERAL TIMES, WOBBLED WHILE DRIVING FORWARD TWICE, AND NOW THE WARNING LIGHT FOR POWER STEERING IS ON. I AM TAKING IT TO THE DEALER TOMORROW, JAN 21 2011. I HAVE READ ABOUT THE WOBBLING STEERING WHEEL WHILE BACKING UP SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. I AM ALSO SEEING THAT THERE WAS AN EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY ON THE STEERING COLUMN, BUT I NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE, AND MY DEALER DENIES ANY RECALL REGARDING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL IMMEDIATELY BECAME STIFF AND HARD TO CONTROL. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY AND WHEN DOING SO, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD ALSO SHAKE ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT WOULD SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WHEN RESTARTING, THE STEERING WOULD RESUME NORMAL OPERATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V285000 (STEERING: GEAR BOX -OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) THEREFORE THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 205,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH SHE NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS EASY TO TURN TO THE LEFT AND SHE HAD TO APPLY EXTREME PRESSURE IN ORDER TO GET THE STEERING WHEEL TO RETURN TO THE CENTER POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED OF A STEERING RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED HER THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 00V285000, STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 103,000.

POWER STEERING REPEATEDLY FAILS ON 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS REQUIRING THAT VEHICLE BE STOPPED AND RESTARTED TO CLEAR FAILURE. EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD WHEN DRIVING ON ROADS AT ALL SPEEDS AND IN CURVES. OCCURS AFTER VEHICLE DRIVEN MORE THAN 500 MILES CONTINUOUSLY. POWER STEERING STILL FAILING AS OF 7/29/2010. DEALER REFUSES TO FIX DESPITE WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTICE. REQUEST NHTSA ISSUE NATIONWIDE RECALL FOR ALL 2001-2002 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH SIMILAR POWER STEERING PROBLEM AS FAILURE OF POWER STEERING UNIT IS EXTREME HAZARDOUS CONDITION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. UPON RESTART, THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NORMAL FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES BEFORE THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ABOUT TWELVE TIMES WHILE DRIVING FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY A PRIOR OWNER FOR THE RECALL 00V285000 (STEERING: GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 109,000. UPDATED 10/20/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE STILL HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. UPDATED 10/21/10*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 65 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN SHAKING EXCESSIVELY. IMMEDIATELY, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE WARNING PANEL FOR A FEW MINUTES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING DOWNHILL WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE PEDAL WOULD VIBRATE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THREE SEPARATE TIMES UNDER VARIOUS RECALL CAMPAIGNS BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. THEY WERE UNWILLING TO ASSIST WITH ANY FURTHER REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000 AND THE CURRENT WAS 118,000.

THE STEERING WHEEL ON MY 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS SUDDENLY STARTS SHAKING VIOLENTLY WHEN I START UP THE CAR. IT SEEMS TO OCCUR DURING COLD WEATHER. I HAVE TO STOP THE CAR WHEN IT HAPPENS BECAUSE STEERING IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE WHEN THE SHAKING HAPPENS. THIS SHAKING HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST 5 TIMES. IF I LET THE CAR WARM UP FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE DRIVING IT SEEMS TO REDUCE THE OCCURRENCE OF THE SHAKING. *TR

WHILE INVESTIGATING THE PRIUS FOR ACCELERATOR ISSUES, I THINK YOU SHOULD ALSO FOLLOW-UP ON THE WELL KNOWN POWER STEERING ISSUE WITH THE '01 AND '02 MODELS. THERE ARE LIKELY STILL HUNDREDS OF THESE VEHICLES STILL ON THE ROAD. WORSE, EVEN THOUGH THIS ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED BY A FACTORY RECALL (NHTSA ASSIGNED RECALL NO. 00V-285) TOYOTA PLACED A 5 YEAR LIMIT ON THE WARRANTY SERVICE. WHAT IS WORSE, ONCE THE RECALL REPLACEMENT HAS BEEN PERFORMED, TOYOTA WILL NO LONGER PERFORM FURTHER REPLACEMENTS AT THEIR COST. IF THE FAILURE SHOULD HAPPEN AGAIN, AS IT DID FOR ME AS A THIRD OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, IT IS AN EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT (AT OVER $1,300 USD). AT THIS POINT TO MY BEST KNOWLEDGE ANY CURRENT OWNER OF AN '01 PRIUS OR CERTAIN MODELS OF THE '02 PRIUS ARE GAMBLING THAT AN ESSENTIAL SAFETY RELATED COMPONENT OF THE CAR SUCH AS THE ELECTRIC ASSIST POWER STEERING WILL NOT FAIL. IT REMAINS COMPLETELY UNCLEAR TO ME THAT THE REPLACEMENT POWER STEERING ASSIST UNITS ON THESE MODELS ARE ANY MORE HEALTHY AND IMMUNE TO THE PROBLEM THAT WERE THE ORIGINAL UNITS THAT WERE SUBJECT TO RECALL, SINCE MINE FAILED ON ME AFTER HAVING BEEN REPLACED. AS FURTHER EVIDENCE I CITE THE OPERATION FLOW CHART I IN THE SSC Y05 TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION UPDATE FROM YOUR OWN WEBSITE AT WHICH SHOWS THAT EVEN FOR VEHICLES THAT FELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY TIME PERIOD, TOYOTA FELT THAT IF THE WORK HAD BEEN DONE ONCE, IT DID NOT HAVE TO BE DONE AGAIN. HTTP://NHTHQNWWS112.ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/ACMS/DOCSERVLET/ARTEMIS/PUBLIC/RECALLS/2000/V/RCORRD-00V285-3651.PDF IN MY CASE, THE REPAIR WAS EXPENSIVE ENOUGH I TRADED THE VEHICLE RATHER THAN REPAIR IT. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT WAS RESOLD AND THAT IS MY GREATEST CONCERN. I URGE THE NHTSA TO RE-OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE, SINCE THE PRIUS IS ALREADY UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ACCELERATION ISSUES. *TR