1999 Toyota Tacoma

TRANSFER CASE SEIZED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO COME TO COMPLETE STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTION. VEHICLE WAS RENDERED IMMOBILE. DEALER STATED THAT SUCH OPERATION "IS NORMAL ON HARD SURFACES." IN MY OPINION, UPREDICTABLE DRIVELINE SEIZURE IS DANGEROUS AND INDICATIVE OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT WHICH WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF NOT CORRECTED. NORTHCUTT TOYOTA WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM.

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A KNOWN RESIDENTIAL AREA NEAR MY HOME AND APPROACHING A SLIGHT S-CURVE IN THE ROAD, THE STEERING BEGAN TO NOT RESPOND AS EXPECTED. IT HAD WORKED PREVIOUSLY, LESS THAN A MINUTE BEFORE, MOVING THROUGH CURVES IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD. AS I APPROACHED THE S-CURVE I ATTEMPTED TO STEER TO THE RIGHT, AND MID-WAY THROUGH THE CURVE THE STEERING BECAME WEAKENED AND LESS RESPONSIVE. THIS CAUSED THE TRUCK TO CONTINUE IN A NEAR STRAIGHT LINE OF DIRECTION TOWARDS A YARD. TO COUNTER THIS LOSS OF CONTROL I RESPONDED BY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL MORE TOWARDS THE RIGHT UNTIL IT WAS LOCKED ALL THE WAY RIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE TRUCK WAS STILL NOT TURNING TOWARDS THE RIGHT, AND SENT ME ACROSS MY LANE AND OFF THE ROAD. ONCE MY LEFT-FRONT WHEEL WAS OFF THE ROAD, AND DUE TO IT BEING TURNED TOWARDS THE RIGHT IN FULL, MY TRUCK SWUNG IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE LEFT-FRONT WHEEL BACK ONTO THE ROADWAY. WITH THAT SUDDEN EMERGENCY SEEMING TO BE NEARLY UNDER CONTROL I REALIZED I WAS TRAVELING TOWARDS A PARKED CAR. I BEGAN TO STEER TO THE LEFT AROUND THE NEXT CURVE AND FOUND MY STEERING WHEEL WAS STUCK TO THE RIGHT, AND WOULD NOT MOVE TO LEFT AS THOUGH IT WAS SOMEHOW LOCKED OR FROZEN INTO THAT POSITION. IN EXTREME PANIC I RIPPED THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT AS HARD AS POSSIBLE AND BROKE IT FREE OF IT'S LOCKED POSITION, ONLY TO FIND THE WHEEL SPINNING FREELY TO THE LEFT AND STILL ROLLING TOWARDS THE OTHER CAR. ONCE THE WHEEL HAD SPUN TO THE LEFT COMPLETELY AND I WAS STILL GOING IN A FORWARD DIRECTION WITH NO SCREECH OF THE TIRES SO I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES UNTIL I WAS IN A SKID ACROSS THE THE ROADWAYAND HIT THE OTHER CAR. WHEN I LANDED THE TRUCK WAS NOT RUNNING, AND THERE WERE NO DAMAGED ENGINE PARTS. ALSO MY STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT, AND THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS TOO, BUT THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS TURNED OUT TOWARDS THE RIGHT! THE BALL JOINT ON THE TIE-ROD END HAD COME LOOSE ON THAT RIGHT-FRONT WHEEL, BUT HAD NOT BROKE.