2003 Toyota Prius

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HAD EXPERIENCED SEVERAL FAILURES WITHIN THE VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASING THREE MONTHS AGO. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, THE LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD A LEAK AND THE INVERTER WAS REPLACED BECAUSE SEVERAL LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL REMAINED ILLUMINATED. ON DECEMBER 3, 2010, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE CODE. THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

2003 TOYOTA PRIUS STEERING FAILURE - WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC IN LOS ANGELES, TURNING LEFT AT A STOP SIGN THE STEERING SYSTEM LOCKED. I RESET THE CAR AND COULD NOT REGAIN CONTROL UNTIL PUTTING THE CAR INTO REVERSE AND THEN PULLING FORWARD AGAIN. THE CAR THEN CONTINUES TO INTERMITTENTLY LOCK IN THE LEFT TURN POSITION AND YOU MUST USE FORCE TO TRY TO CENTER AND STEER AGAIN. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THE RACK AND PINION SYSTEM HAS FAILED $3500.00 TO REPAIR. THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE UNTIL THE STEERING CAN BE REPAIRED, I REALLY LIKE THIS CAR BUT DON'T KNOW IF I CAN EVER PUT MY FAMILY IN IT AGAIN. THE STEERING FAILURE IS VERY DANGEROUS AND HAD NO WARNING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHEN THE CONTACT WOULD DRIVE THE VEHICLE SHE NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD TURN LEFT AND RIGHT AND WOULD NOT RETURN TO THE CENTER POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHERE THE CONTACT HAD THE RACK AND PINION REPLACED ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

STEERING WHEEL LOCKS WHILE DRIVING. FIRST TIME, NOVEMBER 2007, STEERING RACK REPLACED FREE (STILL UNDER WARRANTY). SECOND TIME, OCTOBER 2009, STEERING RACK REPLACED FOR $1200. UPON COMPLAINT, TOYOTA REIMBURSED ME FOR HALF OF THE COST OF PARTS ($350). BOTH TIMES THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED, BUT I THINK IT MAY NOT BE REALLY THE FAULT OF THE STEERING RACK, BUT A COMPUTER ISSUE. THIS IS A VERY FRIGHTENING SITUATION WHEN ON THE FREEWAY. 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHEN I MADE LEFT TURNS THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD STICK AND I WOULD HAVE TO JERK IT BACK TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE CAR. I TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP AND THE STEERING SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THE REPAIR WAS APPROX. $2800. I AM MAKING A REPORT IN THE EVENT THAT THERE ARE OTHER PRIUS' THAT HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I HAD A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS WHICH I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH. UNEXPECTEDLY, AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND I WAS UNABLE TO NAVIGATE THE CAR. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR IN A NEIGHBOR'S YARD WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY DEALER AND LEARNED THAT THE STEERING WOUD NEED TO BE REPLACED FOR ABOUT $1500 OR MORE. SINCE THE CAR HAD ALMOST 120,000 MILES ON IT, I CHOSE NOT TO REPAIR IT. MY DEALER SUGGESTED I WRITE TO THE TOYOTA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS, WHICH I DID. AFTER A LOT OF WRANGLING, THEY SENT ME A CHECK FOR $1,500 TO COVER THE LOSS OF MY TRADE-IN VALUE BUT ONLY AFTER I AGREED TO PURCHASE A NEW TOYOTA VEHICLE. AT THE TIME, I LET IT GO, BUT REALIZE NOW WITH ALL THE CONCERNS BEING RAISED, THAT PERHAPS MY STORY IS IMPORTANT. THE STEERING FAILURE COULD HAVE OCCURED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH OR WHILE EXITING A HIGH SPEED RAMP. WORSE, IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED ON THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE, WHICH I HAD CROSSED JUST 15 MINUTES EARLIER.

2003 TOYOTA PRIUS, STEERING WHEEL SHAKES WHEN MAKING LEFT TURNS. CAR HAS HAD SCHEDULED SERVICES. SHAKING STARTED AS A RATTLE/GRINDING SOUND AT THE STEERING COLUMN. SHAKING NOW HAPPENS WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT, AT STARTUP OR WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE. MOST RECENTLY STEERING WAS UN RESPONSIVE AT 50+MPH. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN FOR SERVICE 3 TIMES PRIOR TO TODAY WITH NO TROUBLES FOUND. TODAY (3 DAYS AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED) DEALER FINDS CRACK IN STEERING COLUMN SAME AS THAT IN RECALL FOR 2004 - 2006 PRIUS SEE RECALL 06V188000. DEALER WANTS $2500 TO REPAIR. *TR

2003 PRIUS STEERING RACK AND PINION FAILURE, WHEN ENGINE IS COLD AND WHEN IN A FORWARD OR REVERSE AT SLOW RATE OF SPEED (UNDER 5 MPH) STEERING WHEEL WILL SHAKE VIOLENTLY FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, ONCE STOPPED STEERING WHEEL WILL STOP SHAKING. DEALERSHIP REPORTS RACK AND PINION AND STEERING RELATED COMPUTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. 2001 AND 2002 PRIUS MODEL HAD RECALLED ON SIMILAR ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 PRIUS WITH 100K MILES. AT ABOUT 95K MILES I BEGAN TO NOTICE AN ANOMALY IN THE STEERING. WHEN I BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY TO MY RIGHT THE STEERING WHEEL SHUDDERS. THIS HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN IT IS COLD. THE SHUDDER HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY OTHER PLACES, USUALLY AT LOW SPEED. I HAVE READ THE OTHER REPORTS AND WORRY ABOUT THE MORE SEVERE FAILURES OTHERS HAVE REPORTED. MY DEALER QUOTED ME $2300 TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS THE "STEERING BOX". EVEN AT 100K MILES THIS DEFINITELY SEEMS LIKE A RECALL ISSUE TO ME BECAUSE IT IS SO SAFETY CRITICAL. *TR