NHTSA Complaint #10305738 — 2001 TOYOTA PRIUS

WHILE INVESTIGATING THE PRIUS FOR ACCELERATOR ISSUES, I THINK YOU SHOULD ALSO FOLLOW-UP ON THE WELL KNOWN POWER STEERING ISSUE WITH THE '01 AND '02 MODELS. THERE ARE LIKELY STILL HUNDREDS OF THESE VEHICLES STILL ON THE ROAD. WORSE, EVEN THOUGH THIS ISSUE WAS ADDRESSED BY A FACTORY RECALL (NHTSA ASSIGNED RECALL NO. 00V-285) TOYOTA PLACED A 5 YEAR LIMIT ON THE WARRANTY SERVICE. WHAT IS WORSE, ONCE THE RECALL REPLACEMENT HAS BEEN PERFORMED, TOYOTA WILL NO LONGER PERFORM FURTHER REPLACEMENTS AT THEIR COST. IF THE FAILURE SHOULD HAPPEN AGAIN, AS IT DID FOR ME AS A THIRD OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, IT IS AN EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT (AT OVER $1,300 USD). AT THIS POINT TO MY BEST KNOWLEDGE ANY CURRENT OWNER OF AN '01 PRIUS OR CERTAIN MODELS OF THE '02 PRIUS ARE GAMBLING THAT AN ESSENTIAL SAFETY RELATED COMPONENT OF THE CAR SUCH AS THE ELECTRIC ASSIST POWER STEERING WILL NOT FAIL. IT REMAINS COMPLETELY UNCLEAR TO ME THAT THE REPLACEMENT POWER STEERING ASSIST UNITS ON THESE MODELS ARE ANY MORE HEALTHY AND IMMUNE TO THE PROBLEM THAT WERE THE ORIGINAL UNITS THAT WERE SUBJECT TO RECALL, SINCE MINE FAILED ON ME AFTER HAVING BEEN REPLACED. AS FURTHER EVIDENCE I CITE THE OPERATION FLOW CHART I IN THE SSC Y05 TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION UPDATE FROM YOUR OWN WEBSITE AT WHICH SHOWS THAT EVEN FOR VEHICLES THAT FELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY TIME PERIOD, TOYOTA FELT THAT IF THE WORK HAD BEEN DONE ONCE, IT DID NOT HAVE TO BE DONE AGAIN. HTTP://NHTHQNWWS112.ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/ACMS/DOCSERVLET/ARTEMIS/PUBLIC/RECALLS/2000/V/RCORRD-00V285-3651.PDF IN MY CASE, THE REPAIR WAS EXPENSIVE ENOUGH I TRADED THE VEHICLE RATHER THAN REPAIR IT. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THE DEALER REPAIRED THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT WAS RESOLD AND THAT IS MY GREATEST CONCERN. I URGE THE NHTSA TO RE-OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE, SINCE THE PRIUS IS ALREADY UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR ACCELERATION ISSUES. *TR