| Components - Details | |
|---|---|
| NHTSA Complaint Number: 006071358 | Incident Date: Jul, 08 2006 |
| Consumer's City: PITTSBURGH | Consumer's State: PA |
| Vehicle Transmission Type: AUTO | Manufacturers Name: Toyota Motor Corporation |
| Model Name: PRIUS | Model Year: 2002 |
| Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No | Component's Description: Steering:electric power assist system |
| Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No | Persons Injured: 0 |
| Vehicle's VIN#: JT2BK18U120 | Date added to File: May, 23 2021 |
| Date Complaint Received: Jul, 13 2006 | Complaint Type: IVOQ |
| Incident Reported To Police: No | Purchase Date: Jan, 07 2002 |
| Was Original Owner: Yes | Anti-lock Brakes: Yes |
| Number of Cylinders: 4 | Date of Manufacturer: - |
| Was Vehicle Towed: - | Description of the Complaints: Continuation of complaint (odi number) 10162367 the steering was each time frozen in the center position with no possibility of turning to the right or left. the earlier problem was not demonstrable to the toyota service manager when the car had been brought in for servicing in october 26, 2005 and march 2, 2006 (during a one week visit), but because i had more time in july, i had scheduled a total inspection for the steering mechanism on tuesday, july 11th. after this catastrophic failure, however, i had the car immediately towed to bi auto toyota in florence for repair. despite the fact that the towing charge was more than $200, i had no confidence that this car could be driven safely to the dealership. at the dealership, the service technicians identified the problem as requiring the replacement of the scatola guida, a part with a price-tag of 2840 euros (approximately $3500). when i called back to my toyota dealer in pittsburgh, i was told that the most expensive steering part that could be purchased was the steering rack which was about $1100. however, the bells and whistles went off when bi auto provided the part number 44200-47060. this same part was replaced by rohrich toyota in pittsburgh on may 14, 2004, at 26,539 miles. replacement was soon followed with a warranty extension. similar experiences to mine are documented at http://www.priusonline.com/viewtopic.php?t=539&highlight=, but as far as i know, no one has reported this second incident two years and 20,000 miles later (the prius odometer now reads approximately 47,000 miles). moreover the symptom for the first replacement was a vibration when starting the engine and shifting into reverse. other individuals have reported the turning stiffness earlier and excessive and uneven tire wear (my rear tires were badly worn at 24,000 miles), but this is the first time for me that this total freezing of the steering wheel in a straight forward position has occurred. *jb |
