2013 Toyota Camry

The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, there was a knocking sound coming from the steering column. The contact stated that while driving downhill on several occasions, the steering column and dashboard vibrated abnormally. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.

This complaint has to do with Toyota's electrical steering. I will begin this complaint by explaining what I've learned about the new Toyota vehicles. I've been having electrical problems with my car for the past year. It started with the radio going in and out about eight months ago, and now it has been out completely for two months. The tire pressure sensor warning light cycled intermittently when the radio went out. When the radio finally quit working, the tire pressure warning light stays on constantly. When I researched replacing the radio with a non-Toyota radio, I had to replace all of the wiring harnesses (steering control and radio, and there is another harness that I can't remember -- this is from BestBuy). If you don't replace all of the wiring harnesses, you lose the functions of the electrical and warning system, for example, the tire pressure warning lights. In my research (on the internet), I found that the electrical steering can go out if the system receives a signal that the tires are out of alignment and tire pressure warnings. I check my tire pressure every week because the warning light is on. I do not have a tire pressure reset button on my car. The computer or the computer board on the radio periodically pings the sensors. I began hearing a humming noise from the front right side of my car. I originally thought it was a tension pully on the belt because of the cold weather and no warning light. I drove my car about ten miles with the humming noise. Then, the power steering came on, and the steering became almost impossible. (I learned to drive in vehicles without power steering.) Within minutes of the power steering light coming on, I had a catastrophic failure of all systems in my car. Every warning light on the dashboard was on. After about two minutes, the lights cycled off. About one minute later, they came back on. The difficulty driving without the power steering would have been a bad accident if I had been on the Interstate.

MY BOYFRIEND WAS DRIVING MY 2013 TOYOTA CAMRY SE ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN OUT OF WITHOUT WARNING THE ABS, BRAKE AND TRACTION LIGHTS CAME ON; THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHTENED AND HE COULD BARELY GET THE CAR TO TURN ONTO THE ON RAMP TO GET OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT. WE ALSO REALIZED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING IS NO LONGER WORKING AS WELL THE GAUGES ON THE DASHBOARD. CONSIDERING WE WERE DRIVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND THE POWER STEERING BASICALLY BECAME INOPERABLE, IT WAS VERY SCARY AND UNSAFE. I SPOKE WITH TOYOTA ABOUT THE RECALL ON THE 2013 VEHICLES FOR THE AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER AND WAS TOLD THAT MY VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THAT PROBLEM. HOWEVER THE CAR WAS REPAIRED FOR THAT RECALL IN 2014, WHICH WAS PRIOR TO ME OWNING THE CAR. AFTER, THE CAR HAS BEEN REPAIR UNDER A RECALL, THERE'S A ONE YEAR WARRANTY ON THAT REPAIR. SO WE'RE BASICALLY OUT OF LUCK AND HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR OURSELVES.

FOR THE LAST WEEK MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN RANDOMLY STALLING OUT INTERMITTENTLY. THERE HAVE BEEN NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS, CODES OR OTHER ISSUES. ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 9TH 2018 MY VEHICLE CONTINUED ACCELERATING WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL. IT BARELY STOPPED CAUSING ME TO GO OVER A CURB DAMAGING BUMPER AND BRAKE CALIPER. I AM NOT DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND IT CANNOT BE LOOKED AT UNTIL JUNE 13

MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. I CONTACTED TOYOTA REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND I WAS TOLD THEY HAVE ALREADY FIXED THE ISSUE AND IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY SO IT IS MY PROBLEM NOW. I DON'T SEE HOW THEY CAN SKIRT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. THEY WERE THE LAST ONES DEALING WITH THE AIRBAGS AND MAYBE WHAT THEY DID WAS NOT A COMPLETE FIX. EVERYTHING ON MY STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT WORK; HORN, CRUISE CONTROL, PHONE, RADIO VOLUME. I DO BELIEVE MY HORN IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN THESE MATTERS.

THE STEERING WHEEL GETS HARD TO MOVE AND APPEARS THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TURNS OFF WHILE DRIVING, YET CAR CONTINUES GOING. BUT WHEN THIS HAPPENS, STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO MOVE AND RADIO, A.C. GOES OFF WHILE EVERYTHING ELSE IS ON MOTION AND MAINLY WHILE TURNING, IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE FIRST TIMES ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO, BUT NEVER AGAIN, THEN IT STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN THIS LAST 2 WEEKS. HOWEVER, YESTERDAY IT HAPPENED MORE THAN 10 TIMES IN 1 HOUR, VERY SCARY. MY HUSBAND TOOK IT YO THE DEALER LAS WEEK AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NO RECALL YET, ON THE INTERNET WE FOUND HUNDREDS OF CARS CAMRY REPORTED WITH SAME PROBLEM. IS SCARY.

CAR STEERING WENT OUT-STARTED GOING TO THE LEFT-I COULD NOT TURN IT BACK-CAR CROSSED THE LEFT LANE-HIT THE DITCH EMBANKMENT-TURNED DOWN THE DITCH-HIT A CULPRIT-CAR FLEW INTO THE AIR-ALMOST HIT A TREE TRUNK-FLEW THROUGH TREE BRANCHES-CAME DOWN AND HIT THE NEXT CULPRIT,-THIS HAPPENED AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A COUNTY ROAD ABOUT 2:00 IN THE AFTERNOON. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW SPEED, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT FAILED TO RESPOND. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A POLE. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LEGS, BACK, AND LEFT ARM THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 08/04/16*LJ