Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||||||||||||
| 12V537000 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing | from 08/05/2003 to 03/30/2009 | V (Vehicle) | 669705 | 12/20/2012 | MFR | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 11/14/2012 | 11/14/2012 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 prius vehicles manufactured august 5, 2003, through march 30, 2009. the affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. these splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. the recall began during december 2012. owners may contact their toyota dealer or the toyota customer experience center at 1-800-331-4331. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||
| DP13001 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 02/21/2013 | Steering Intermediate Shaft Failure | |||
| On january 30, 2013, mr. william rosenbluth, of automotive systems analysis, inc. in reston, va, petitioned (odi 10495921) the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) to open a defect investigation concerning the upper coupler of the steering intermediate shaft on model year (my) 2004-2009 toyota prius vehicles. the petition was based on an inspection of a client's (mr. george richwine of san diego, ca) vehicle, 2005 toyota prius.mr. richwine had expressed this concern to nhtsa via odi 10437229 in late 2011.the petition consists chiefly of the vehicle inspection and repair records.it includes images that illustrate wear and corrosion on the splines at the base of the steering column and indicates that these conditions indicate partial engagement to the upper intermediate shaft coupler.the petition also reports that no known service took place that would account for this condition since the time of vehicle production. | ||||||
| STEERING - COLUMN | ||||||
| DP13001 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 02/21/2013 | Steering Intermediate Shaft Failure | |||
| On january 30, 2013, mr. william rosenbluth, of automotive systems analysis, inc. in reston, va, petitioned (odi 10495921) the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) to open a defect investigation concerning the upper coupler of the steering intermediate shaft on model year (my) 2004-2009 toyota prius vehicles. the petition was based on an inspection of a client's (mr. george richwine of san diego, ca) vehicle, 2005 toyota prius.mr. richwine had expressed this concern to nhtsa via odi 10437229 in late 2011.the petition consists chiefly of the vehicle inspection and repair records.it includes images that illustrate wear and corrosion on the splines at the base of the steering column and indicates that these conditions indicate partial engagement to the upper intermediate shaft coupler.the petition also reports that no known service took place that would account for this condition since the time of vehicle production. | ||||||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | ||||||
| DP13001 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 02/21/2013 | Steering Intermediate Shaft Failure | |||
| On january 30, 2013, mr. william rosenbluth, of automotive systems analysis, inc. in reston, va, petitioned (odi 10495921) the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) to open a defect investigation concerning the upper coupler of the steering intermediate shaft on model year (my) 2004-2009 toyota prius vehicles. the petition was based on an inspection of a client's (mr. george richwine of san diego, ca) vehicle, 2005 toyota prius.mr. richwine had expressed this concern to nhtsa via odi 10437229 in late 2011.the petition consists chiefly of the vehicle inspection and repair records.it includes images that illustrate wear and corrosion on the splines at the base of the steering column and indicates that these conditions indicate partial engagement to the upper intermediate shaft coupler.the petition also reports that no known service took place that would account for this condition since the time of vehicle production. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 02/09/2013 | 12000 | ||
| The steering failed on my prius about 45 degrees into a right turn on saturday, 9 feb 2013. i heard a loud pop and my car lost steering completely and immediately. it almost caused an accident with the driver side of a car that was waiting at the stop sign to my right. there was no warning or feeling accompanying the steering loss (i.e. it didn't grab or lock). the steering wheel just suddenly no longer had any effect on the direction of the vehicle. the toyota dealership who investigated found that the spiral cable sub-assembly needs to be replaced, which they claim is not related to any current recall. this doesn't feel like a normal wear and tear issue, because it could have caused a serious accident. | |||
| 03/27/2012 | 100000 | ||
| While driving the power steering went out suddenly causing a total loss of assisted steering. which caused an abrupt change in steering ability almost causing me to hit a car while turning. the dealer determined it was the ecm and needed a new one at an astronomical cost of over $1000 to fix. | |||
| 09/29/2011 | 59980 | ||
| 2007 prius touring was steering at low speed to park when the steering column shaft connection to the gearbox steering rack failed and the car steering wheel turned freely but no longer controlled the front wheels. car could not be steered. electrical warning lights indicating steering slide then vehicle powered down and could not be moved. had vehicle towed to toyota dealership. tech informed me the steering rack was damaged along with the air bag cable coil assembly. upon dissassembly tech found that the steering shaft connecting the column to the steering rack gear box had stripped and also needed replacement. total cost of repairs. $2302.65. out of warranty. 59,980 miles | |||
| 04/07/2011 | 38337 | ||
| Steering wheel and columnof 2007 prius shakes violently and uncontrollably, especially after engine is started for the first time of the day. dealership found c1554 power supply relay failure. after contacting toyota about problem they learned it has been reported at least 10 times before. toyota instructed dealership to replace electronic powersteering ecu and 50 amp fuse/block assembly. this problem seems to be a clear safety-related defect in the vehicle (2007 prius), even after earlier prius models had similar problem with power steering and were recalled. | |||
| 10/01/2009 | 10000 | ||
| Steering wheel clunks as it is turned past certain positions. overall, it has a loose feel. toyota inspected it, said it is not normal, but failed to find a solution. | |||
| 07/31/2010 | 43000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. while driving at approximately 45 mph the vehicle began sliding towards the left. he tried to steer the vehicle towards the right but the vehicle would not change directions. pressure was applied to the brake pedal but the vehicle would not stop, which resulted in a single car rollover crash. the air bags did not deploy. the police appeared on the scene and speculated that the front passenger side tire blew out prior to the crash. an ambulance also appeared on the scene and the driver suffered minor injuries. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to an insurance company lot. the vehicle was not examined for the cause of failure and was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were . sm. | |||
| 12/28/2007 | 4500 | 1 | |
| I bought a new prius 2007 in december 2006 from liberty toyota in new jersey. the car is garaged, serviced regularly, and has never been in an accident. the steering wheel locks up sometimes. we complained about it to the dealership at every service, and we were told that they were unable to get an error code, and hence could not find the problem and correct it. unless toyota acknowledges the problem, and codes the system for such errors, of course the dealership will not get a code. i also pointed out to the dealership that we knew someone who had an accident because her steering in her prius 2006 locked-up and that the 2006 prius had been recalled for faulty air bags (recall id from nhtsa: 06v096000) and electric steering power assist system (recall id from nhtsa: 06v188000). we were then told that the 2007 model could not have the same problem as the 2006 model because toyota would have fixed it. the recall on 2006 model steering was made on may 31, 2006. it was much too late for the 2007 models. they were already shipped out of japan. frustrated by the unresponsiveness of the dealership, i called toyota's customer experience number and i was told by an automated message that i should call the dealership. if i wanted to call the dealership, i would not be calling toyota. i then sent an email complaining, now over a year ago, through their website, but never heard from toyota. . ever since the steering problems surfaced, we have stopped using the car except for very short runs so that the battery gets recharged. now that toyotas flagship model, the corolla, has steering problems, i am truly worried. toyota has been dismissive and non responsive so far. this needs to be addressed before any more lives are lost. thank you for your help. *tr | |||
| 02/08/2010 | 16000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2007 toyota prius. at highway speeds the car pulls or starts to swerve to the right or left on its own, and i have to constantly be alert to pull it back into the center of the lane. i read that the corolla has reports about this problem, which prompted me to report it. i have not discussed it with the dealer. the car has low mileage - about 16,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 05/13/2009 | 30000 | 1 | |
| Toyota prius loss of electical power, loss of steering resulting in crash in may 2009 while driving in a residental neighborhood at low speeds, prius lost all power resulting in loss of steering and loss of brakes resulting in crash into a high curb. i had prius towed to toyota dealership and filed complaint with dealership as well as with main california complaint center. they said that it would take them 4 months to investigate complaint. they recommended my storing car at dealership for four months if i wanted an investigation. they would not investigate otherwise. they told me there was no cause for concern and that the power loss must of resulted after the crash. they said that toyota had no safety complaints about power loss or steering or brake loss. i went on line and found same year model recall in australia. they told me the products were dissimilar and not a cause for concern. i disagreed. my routine mechanic at merchants tire and auto could find nothing wrong. i repaired the structural damage and sold the car since toyota assured me there was nothing wrong. toyota corporation's methodology of investigation appears to be designed to stifle any meaningful determination of baseline safety fault. the requirement to store a car for months at owners expense and for driver to have no access for transportation would appear to discourage any meaningful investigation of safety concern. given the current finding of brake and other safety defects in toyota products, i am concerned that the power loss may have been under-reported because of their unethical business practices. i report it to help you determine if there is a pattern of power loss, loss of steering and loss of braking in the prius. *cn | |||
| 08/14/2009 | 43000 | 1 | |
| This was a first time occurrence for my 2007 prius. i was stopped midway on my mountain, long & steep, dirt driveway trying to park along the rock side. it was too tight to park so decided to continue down to the bottom. i was in reverse and shifted, with my foot on the brake, into drive. the car suddenly bolted forward propelling me through the fence and down a steep embankment to our deck where 12 people were having a dinner meeting. my brakes didn't work, nor did the steering. the bolting force was heard by all on the deck. there is no way i would have pressed the gas by mistake for two reasons: your foot must be on the brake to shift; and as is typical on our steep gravel roads, one never presses the gas pedal while proceeding down. the car propelled 10 or 12 feet forward crossing the drive at a diagonal, crashed through the fence boarding the drop off, and proceeded down the embankment stopping only when it hit the big tree by our deck. to my right were all the guests and my husband, just feet away from the oncoming, out of control car. had i missed that particular tree, i would have rolled down an even steeper ravine because of rocks to bounce off and very sharp drop off.*tr | |||
| 02/15/2007 | 1000 | 1 | |
| New 2007 toyota prius touring package #6 - 11k miles at this time. car always leans to the left. steering tugs to the left, but dealer says alignment is fine. dealer said left side is 1/2 lower to ground than right side of car. dealer said that is normal and acceptable. i complained that when i turn right, car seems to roll excessively and feels unstable. when i turn left, car & suspension feel fine - minimal lean or body roll. purchased car new in jan. 2007. had front end alignment within a month or two, which improved pulling to the left. however, handling still felt as described above, so i had dealer check alignment again. dealer said it was within specs. dealer also advised me at that time that the left side of car was 1/2 lower than right side. i've made several return visits to two different dealers [poway toyota and bob bridge toyota in renton, wa]; both dealers say alignment is ok. *tr | |||
| 07/19/2008 | 10714 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2007 toyota prius (only 2 1/2 years old with 10k miles on it) through a curvy road when the vehicle stability control system began turning on and off erratically, much more than was called for on an a mostly smooth road. i could tell something was wrong with the system and that it was malfunctioning, so i pulled over to the side of the road to investigate. unfortunately it was dark and i was on a narrow, windy busy road so i quickly decided there was nothing i could do to diagnose the problem. i got back in my car and continued down the road at a slightly decreased speed 20-25mph. a couple of minutes later i was driving into a curve and tried to turn the wheel. i turned the steering wheel but the wheels didn't react. the steering wheel offered no resistance as i turned it back and forth and i was quickly heading into oncoming traffic and pointed towards a steep dropoff into a canyon. at this time there weren't any warning lights or indicator lights on the dashboard to indicate something was going on, but there was a loud warning beep at some point. after about 2-3 seconds the steering responded again but when it turned back on i was turning so hard on the wheel that my car now veered sharply to my right towards a rock face wall on the side of the road. i recovered on time and pulled over on the side of the road. i was too scared to drive the car, so i had it towed to a toyota dealer. they looked it over and claimed nothing was wrong and that there was nothing more they can do for me. i could have died that night and almost hit many cars. i am petrified to drive my car ever again and worried this could happen to more people, so i wanted to warn your agency. i plan on contacting toyota headquarters as well to complain and insist they check my car because even if this only happens one more time, it could be fatal. *tr | |||
| 02/28/2007 | 20 | 1 | 02/28/2007 |
| Tl*- the contact purchased a 2007 toyota prius on february 28, 2007 with 4 miles from beaver toyota of santa fe new mexico. the day after purchasing the vehicle while driving over 40 mph it did not drive straight, it moved left to right. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer, and was told that this was how the vehicle drove. the service manager explained that these vehicles had many complaints because of the way the vehicle was aerodynamicly made, the vehicle tended to move from side to side going over 40 mph on the highway. the failure mileage was 20, and the current mileage was 300 miles.*ak updated 04/09/07. *jb | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 05/05/2009 | 99000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota prius. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph the steering column locked. as a consequence he crashed into a wall. he did not sustain any injuries. the insurance company will repair the vehicle, and investigate the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was 99,000. the current mileage was 110,000. | |||
| STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 09/05/2007 | 450 | 1 | 09/03/2007 |
| The first sign of a problem was a squeaking sound coming from the steering column. the next couple of times powering on the car, the steering wheel would jerk as soon as the car received power. this jerking became progressively worse. the next couple of starts, the steering wheel would vibrate violently when backing up and starting to move forward. finally, it got to a point where, as i was driving away, the powering steering just became disabled. i was unable to drive the car and the info panel was reporting a major system failure in the steering. i was informed after an initial inspection by the dealership that a fuse had blown. after a longer period of time, i was told that the ecu had gone bad and needed to be replaced. *jb | |||