2002 Toyota Prius

TURNED ON CAR IN COLD WEATHER (UNDER 10DEGF). STARTED UP AND TRIED TO TURN RIGHT. STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VERY HARD, FAST, AND LOUDLY. TURNED OFF CAR AND RESTARTED, DID OK FOR ONE SHALLOWER TURN. 50 FEET LATER AGAIN TRIED TO TURN RIGHT AND SAME THING HAPPENED. LET IT SHAKE FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN TURNED OFF CAR AND RESTARTED. LESS THAN A MINUTE AFTER RESTART IT HAPPENED AGAIN. AFTER THAT LEFT CAR OFF FOR A FEW HOURS. RESTARTED. LET CAR WARM UP FOR 2-3 MINUTES BEFORE MOVING. DROVE STRAIGHT OUT OF DRIVEWAY. RIGHT TURN 100FT LATER WAS OK. PROBLEM DID NOT RECUR ON 30MIN DRIVE. THIS IS THE SECOND DAY I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM. THE FIRST WAS A FEW WEEKS AGO, ALSO IN VERY COLD WEATHER AND ALSO ON A RIGHT TURN WHEN CAR WAS FIRST STARTED. SO FAR I HAVEN'T HAD IT HAPPEN ON A LEFT TURN, BUT MAYBE THAT'S JUST BECAUSE I DON'T DO ONE OF THOSE IMMEDIATELY ON STARTUP. I'VE NEVER SEEN THE PROBLEM IF TEMPS ARE ABOVE ABOUT 10 DEGREES F. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE ABNORMALLY WHEN FIRST STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 11V304000 (STEERING), HOWEVER THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 170,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING A RIGHT TURN, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AS THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT ENTIRE POWER STEERING AND MOTOR SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 147,800. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE POWER STEERING RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V304000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE RACK AND PINION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,000. *TR UPDATED 04/30/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE DEALER STATED THE THE RACK AND PINION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $ 3,000.

TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL IN AUGUST 2011 ON GEN. 1 PRIUS FOR A STEERING ISSUE. WE TOOK THE PRIUS INTO LOCAL DEALER AND THEY REPLACED STEERING NUTS PER RECALL. WITHIN A WEEK AFTER RECALL FIX, WE NOTICED A VIOLENT SHAKE TO THE STEERING WHEEL DURING A COLD MORNING START. IT HAD NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE THE RECALL. WE TOOK THE CAR IN AFTER IT OCCURRED AGAIN AND WERE TOLD THAT OUR RACK AND PINION WAS WORE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DURING THE RECALL WORK, THE DEALERSHIP DID A COMPLETE INSPECTION OF THE CAR AND NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS NOTED. HOW DID THEY DO WORK ON A RACK AND PINION AND NOT NOTICE WEAR ON IT THEN? WE BELIEVE WHEN THEY TORQUED THE NEW NUTS TO THE STEERING PINION, THIS CREATED UNDO STRESS ON THE TORQUE SENSOR AND IS WHY THE AFTERWORK SHAKING IS OCCURRING. TOYOTA NEEDS TO COME CLEAN AND REPLACE THESE RACKS FREE OF CHARGE FOR POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO ALOT OF GEN. 1 PRIUS'S WHEN THEY DID THE NUT RECALL. THERE IS MORE OF A SAFETY ISSUE NOW WITH THE VIOLENT STEERING WHEEL SHAKING OUT OF UNSUSPECTING DRIVERS THAN A NUT THAT'S GOING TO BREAK OFF. NHTSA, FORCE THEM TO DO A RECALL NOW!!!! *TR