NHTSA Complaint #10104474 — 2000 TOYOTA ECHO

IN MARCH 2002 THE STEERING COLUMN TILT LOCK MECHANISM BROKE PERMITTING THE COLUMN TO FREELY MOVE UP AND DOWN. TOYOTA OF FORT WORTH (THEN MCKINNEY TOYOTA) REPLACED THE BROKEN PARTS AND INSTALLED A REINFORCEMENT KIT. IN DECEMBER 2004 THE REPLACEMENT PARTS BROKE AND TOYOTA OF FORT WORTH AGAIN REPLACED THE PARTS. IN DECEMBER 2004 WHILE AWAITING REPLACEMENT PARTS TO ARRIVE AT TOYOTA OF FORT WORTH, WHILE DRIVING ON AN EXPRESSWAY IT WAS NECCESSARY FOR ME TO PERFORM VERY HARD BRAKING TO AVOID HITTING A VEHICLE WHICH CUT ME OFF VERY CLOSE. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES MY TORSO WAS THROWN FORWARD BY THE SUDDEN DECELERATION (WITH SAFETY BELTS ON) AND NATURALLY THE FORCE WAS TRANSMITTED TO THE STEERING WHEEL THROUGH MY HANDS, WHICH CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN TO THE LEFT AND THE CAR TO OF COURSE SWERVE TO THE LEFT UNINTENDED. FORTUNATELY THE LEFT LANE WAS VACANT AT THAT TIME, OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE COLLIDED WITH A VEHICLE THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ALONGSIDE TO THE LEFT. CONSEQUENTLY I WAS ALERT TO THIS AND HAD NO FURTHER INCIDENTS WHILE AWAITING PARTS TO ARRIVE AND BE INSTALLED BY TOYOTA OF FORT WORTH. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE THE EXACT SAME AS ORIGINAL PARTS, SO IN ABOUT 2-3 YEARS THEY WILL AGAIN BREAK.*AK