1997 Toyota Avalon

I PURCHASED A 1997 TOYOTA AVALON XLS WITH 55,000 MILES ON IT FROM LEITH TOYOTA IN RALEIGH NORTH CAROLINA IN MARCH OF 2002. I NOW HAVE 74,000 MILES ON IT AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND COMPLETE POWER STEERING RACK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $1200.00. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. I HAVE REVIEWED THE NTSB WEBSITE AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL? I TRIED TO GET THE DEALERSHIP TO COVER SOME OF THE COSTS AND ALL THEY OFFERED WAS A FREE RENTAL. MAYBE I SHOULD WRITE OPRAH, SEEMS EVERYONE LISTENS TO HER AND SEE IF SHE CAN MAKE IT PUBLIC!

I PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 1997 TOYOTA AVALON FOR MY WIFE. THE VEHICLE HAS JUST RECENTLY TURNED OVER 29,000 MILES, AND OBVIOUSLY HAS PASSED THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY. HOWEVER, IT HAS YET TO REACH THE NORMAL 36,000 MILE WARRANTY MARK. ON JANUARY 18, 2003 I NOTICED A LARGE PUDDLE OF FLUID UNDERNEATH THE CAR. I CHECKED THE FLUID LEVELS, AND FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR WAS ALMOST EMPTY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK WAS LEAKING, AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $850.00 PLUS TAX, FOR A RE-MANUFACTURED PART. I CONTACTED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP WITH THE DEALERSHIP, AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE HAD SUCH LOW MILEAGE. HE SUGGESTED I CONTACT TOYOTA CORPORATE, BUT THAT DUE TO THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, THAT TOYOTA WAS NOT BEING VERY GENERIOUS WITH "GOOD WILL" COMPENSATIONS. I CALLED TOYOTA COROPORATE IN CALIFORNIA AND LODGED MY COMPLAINT. WHILE I HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM (IT IS NOW FEBRUARY 6, 2003) I WAS GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT NOTHING WOULD BE DONE TO HELP ME DEFREY THE COST OF THESE REPAIRS. I HAVE SINCE DONE CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH VIA THE INTERNET, AND ON THE NHSTA WEBSITE ALONE, I FOUND A LARGE PORTION OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT HAD BEEN FILED REGARDING THIS VEHICLE WAS THE RESULT OF THE POWER STEERING RACK LEAKING FLUID, AND REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. HOW MANY OTHERS ARE OUT THERE THAT HAVE NOT FILED A REPORT. I BELIEVE THIS PROBELM COULD RESULT IN SOME ONE BEING KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED SHOULD THE STEERING LOCK UP OR BECOME TOO HARD TO MOVE BECAUSE OF ALL THE FLUID LEAKING FROM THIS DEVICE. I FURTHER BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA SHOUL BE INSTRUCTED TO RECALL AND REPAIR, OR REIMBURSE ANYONE WHO HAS ONE OF THESE VEHICLES.

IT APPEARS THAT THE COMMON PROBLEM OF RACK AND PINION FAILURE HAS FINALLY OCCURRED ON MY VEHICLE. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND DEALER AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THE PART WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I ASKED THE QUESTION THAT IF YOU KNEW A PART WAS CERTAINLY GOING TO FAIL AFTER WARRANTY AND IT COST ROUGHLY $1000 WOULD YOU BUY THAT VEHICLE? I THINK THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATE FURTHER AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL.*AK