2002 Toyota Prius

I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER MULTIPLE TIMES ABOUT SHAKING IN THE STEERING COLUMN. AFTER SEVERAL INSPECTIONS WHERE THEY FOUND NOTHING, I TOLD THEM TO CHECK THE RACK & PINION. THEY FOUND THAT TO BE THE CAUSE. TOYOTA PAID FOR THE NEW PARTS AND I PAID FOR THE LABOR TO GET IT REPLACED. LESS THEN 13 MONTHS LATER, I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE INCIDENTS OF MY POWER STEERING GOING OUT MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO DRIVE THE CAR. THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGED THERE IS A PROBLEM, AGAIN, WITH THE RACK AND SAYS I NEED TO REPLACE IT.

CONSUMERS 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS LOSS OF POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND VIOLENT SHAKING IN THE STEERING SYSTEM. *TS THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER MADE ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING THE ELECTRONIC MODULE EXCHANGE AND THE GAS TANK. HOWEVER, THE ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. ALSO, THE VEHICLE HAS AN ONGOING, UNRESOLVED PROBLEM WITH VIOLENT SHAKING IN THE STEERING SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY THE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING AND AT OTHER TIMES DURING COLD WEATHER. THE POWER STEERING WILL COMPLETELY CUT OUT AFTER HOURS OF OPERATION, ESPECIALLY DURING HOT WEATHER. *JB

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN IN MY 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 30MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCKED. I DID MANAGE TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN AND FORCED THE WHEEL INTO COMPLETING THE TURN AFTER HEARING A CRACKING SOUND. I WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FAULTY SENSOR AND THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK HAD TO BE REPLACED. I HAD JUST EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND WAS LUCKY THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES OR PEDESTRIANS AROUND. THIS SITUATION OCCURRED 08/15/08. THIS IS AFTER I HAD BROUGHT IN BOTH MY 2002 PRIUS AND MY 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IN FOR NUMEROUS SENSOR DEFECTS THAT WERE EITHER FIXED OR REPLACED. I CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER AS WELL. THE LAST ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE WAS OIL THE CONSTANT LOSS OF ENGINE OIL. TO BE MORE DETAILED, I LOST 8 QUARTS OF OIL IN APPROXIMATELY 2000 MILES. THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION GIVEN CONSIDERING THERE WERE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF LEAK OR BURNING. THIS WAS THE REASON I NO LONGER OWN THIS VEHICLE BUT UNFORTUNATELY STILL OWN THE PRIUS. [XXX] *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS THAT I'VE HAD FOR SOME 7 YEARS. THE STEERING IS VERY SENSITIVE MAKING IT NECESSARY TO ALWAYS ATTEND TO ACCURACY IN STEERING. I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A CHACTERISTIC OF THE DESIGN, BUT NOW I WONDER IF THIS IS ACTUALLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT BECAUSE OF REPORTS I SEE ON OTHER MODELS" ""IF YOU TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD FOR A SECOND, THE CAR WILL DRIFT INTO ANOTHER LANE," SAID ONE DRIVER AN OCT. 18 COMPLAINT. ANOTHER DESCRIBES IT AS THE MOST TERRIFYING THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO THEM." THIS DESCRIBES MY EXPERIENCE. *TR

TLA*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, SUDDENLY, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY WITH EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE STEERING MECHANISM CHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER FORCED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AS A RESULT OF THE WHEEL UNLOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME TO NORMAL OPERATION. AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE IS NOT BEING DRIVEN DUE TO THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 03/01/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLD, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE SHAKING WOULD STOP WHEN THE WHEEL WAS STRAIGHTENED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE COMPUTER CHIP. UPDATED 07/19/10*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN JANUARY 2002. HE STATED THAT THERE WAS EXCESSIVE SHAKING IN THE STEERING WHEEL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. INTERMITTENTLY THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHILE MAKING RIGHT AND LEFT TURNS. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED AND ERROR CODES INDICATED THAT THE TORQUE SENSOR FAILED. A DEALER STATED THAT THE REPAIR COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $2,000; ALTHOUGH, THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 00V285000, HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNDER 89,000. UPDATED 04/05/10 *BF UPDATED 05/05/10.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 65 MPH, THE EMERGENCY AND POWER STEERING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE POWER STEERING WOULD LOCK AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OFF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED, THE WARNING INDICATORS WOULD NO LONGER ILLUMINATE; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A LOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS; THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE LIABILITY OF THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 96,000. UPDATED 3/16/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS AN OCCASSIONAL SHIMMY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. UPDATED 03/19/09.*JB

WHILE ON A TRIP AND AFTER START UP ON A COLD MORNING, I LEFT THE HOTEL PARKING LOT AND WAS PROCEEDING TO THE ON RAMP FOR THE INTERSTATE. WHILE I WAS TURNING LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY FOR 3-4 SECONDS BEFORE IT SUBSIDED. I NOTICED THIS SHUTTERING OR STIFFNESS A FEW MORE TIMES BEFORE WE RETURNED FROM OUR TRIP. AFTER RETURNING HOME, WE TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER. THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND STATED, "CHECKED TO FIND POWER STEERING RACK & PINION GEAR IS CAUSING PROBLEM EST $2160.85. WOULD NEED TO ORDER PART # 44200-49055." *TR