NHTSA Complaint #10311536 — 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY

I PURCHASED A PRE OWNED 08 TOYOTA CAMRY THIS PAST SUMMER AND HAD NOTICED PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING IN THAT IT OVER COMPENSATED WHEN MAKING A 90 DEGREE TURN. AT A CERTAIN ANGLE - FOR ME 90 DEGREES HARD LEFT - THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS INSTEAD OF COMING BACK TO "NEUTRAL" WHEN YOU LIFT YOUR HANDS. IF I LIFT MY HANDS SLIGHTLY OFF THE WHEEL AND REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE GAS THE CAR WILL "TURN ITSELF" INTO MY GARAGE. A DRIVER EXPECTS THE WHEEL TO COME BACK AND "SLIDE THRU" YOUR HANDS TO NEUTRAL. IN THIS CASE IT DOES NOT COME TO NEUTRAL, YOU HAVE TO ACTIVELY "CORRECT " THE STEERING. IT ALSO SEEMS TO SPEED UP. MY 26 YEAR DAUGHTER COMMENTED THAT IT "TOOK HER BY SURPRISE" AND "TAKES SOME GETTING USED TO." I CALLED TOYOTA IN RESPONSE TO THE PEDAL RECALL AND WHILE ON THE PHONE ASKED THEM ABOUT THE STEERING. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP SAID SHE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT AND COULD NOT ADDRESS IT. SHE TRANSFERRED ME AN I WAITED ON HOLD UNTIL I GAVE UP. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND DESCRIBED THIS PROBLEM. THEY KEPT IT FOR TWO DAYS AND SAID THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. PULLING OUT OF THE SERVICE BAY I REPLICATED IT - STEERING WHEEL LOCKING AND FOOT OFF THE GAS;CAR KEPT GOING BY ITSELF, HARD LEFT - ALMOST RUNNING OVER THREE OF THE TOYOTA STAFF . I HAD TO FIGHT THE CAR TO GET IT TO STRAIGHTEN OUT. THEY OBSERVED FOR THEMSELVES BUT JUST ASKED IF I WAS OK . TOYOTA HAS OVER ENGINEERED THEIR PRODUCT. THE STEERING PROBLEM IS ALSO ON THE CAMRY. *TR