2001 Toyota Prius

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

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

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

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

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS ANOTHER FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING. FIRST BLOWOUT WAS IN AUGUST 2002 WITH ABOUT 21,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. SECOND TIRE BLOWOUT OCCURRED WITH 27,000 MILES ON AN EIGHTEEN MONTH OLD CAR. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, BUT IT WAS VERY SCARY, AND IT FELT UNSAFE. WHEELS VIBRATED FOR A FEW MONTHS, SMALL AMOUNT, BUT DEALER SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. FINALLY, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH RACK AND PINION STEERING, AND IT NEEDED REPLACEMENT.*AK

POTENZA 175/65/R14XL (OEM TIRES) WHICH ARE SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR THE PRIUS, WEAR QUICKLY AND ON THE EDGES. THIS RESULTED IN MY TIRE TREAD HAVING A 1/32 RATING, WHILE THE MIDDLE OF THE TIRE STILL HAD A LONG LIFE LEFT.*AK WHEN MAKING SHARP TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS (ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR IS COLD), THE STEERING WHEEL WILL VIBRATE (SOMETIMES AUDIBLY, SOMETIMES NOT). WERE THIS TO HAPPEN AT EVEN A SLIGHTLY HIGHER SPEED, ACCIDENTS MAY OCCUR. THIS PROBLEM HAS BECOME MORE FREQUENT IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. IT NOW OCCURS AT LEAST EVERY OTHER DAY.