NHTSA Complaint #10311331 — 2010 TOYOTA COROLLA

I BOUGHT A 2010 TOYOTA COROLLA FOR MY AWAY-FROM-HOME COLLEGE-STUDENT DAUGHTER. WE WERE AWARE OF THE FLOORMAT PROBLEM WHEN WE BOUGHT THE CAR AND TOOK DELIVERY ON OCTOBER 28, 2009. THE ACCELERATOR ISSUE BECAME KNOWN IN JANUARY, 2010. THE POWER STEERING ISSUE JUST BECAME PUBLIC THIS WEEK. I DROVE THE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS AFTER TAKING DELIVERY TO CHECK IT OUT FOR ANY MANUFACTURING DEFECTS AND TO BREAK IT IN. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY UNUSUAL BEHAVIORS FOR ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING AROUND TOWN DURING THIS BREAK-IN PERIOD. HOWEVER, I DID NOTICE WHEN I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE WHILE DELIVERING THE CAR TO MY DAUGHTER THAT THE ELECTRICALLY-ASSISTED POWER STEERING HAD AN UNUSUAL VAGUENESS TO IT. THE CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS BEING BUFFETED BY HIGH WIND OR TURBULENCE FROM FOLLOWING A TRACTOR-TRAILER TOO CLOSELY, EVEN THOUGH THE WIND WAS CALM AND THERE WERE NO TRUCKS WITHIN ONE MILE OF ME. AS I MADE VERY MINOR COURSE CORRECTIONS AS THE ROAD CURVED OR TO CHANGE LANES, IT FELT LIKE THE STEERING WAS BEING OVER-BOOSTED, WHICH CAUSED A BIGGER PATH CORRECTION THAN INTENDED OR EXPECTED. THEN I GOT A SIMILAR REACTION IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHEN I TRIED TO CORRECT THE OVER-CORRECTION. I THINK IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY THAT THE STEERING WHEEL FELT AS IF IT WAS CONNECTED TO THE FRONT WHEELS WITH A ROPE. THE CAR HAS GOODYEAR EAGLE RS-A TIRES; I HAVE HAD SEVERAL SETS OF THESE TIRES OF DIFFERENT SIZES IN THE PAST, AND DON'T BELIEVE THEY ARE A PROBLEM. I HAVE DRIVEN OTHER VEHICLES WITH ELECTRICALLY-BOOSTED POWER STEERING AND AND I DON'T RECALL SUCH BEHAVIOR. INDEED, I HAVE A CLASS B CDL TO DRIVE MOTORCOACHES AND THE OLDER ONES WITH OVER 1/2 MILLION MILES ON THEM HAVE MORE DIRECT STEERING. THIS SITUATION HAS NOT CAUSED AN ACCIDENT; I JUST WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM. I HAVE OFFERED MY DAUGHTER ANOTHER CAR TO DRIVE, BUT SHE INSISTS ON DRIVING THE COROLLA. *TR