NHTSA Complaint #10312429 — 2010 TOYOTA COROLLA

PURCHASED A NEW 2010 COROLLA 4-DOOR SEDAN S; IMMEDIATELY A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES AND STEERING WAS NOTICED UPON FIRST LONG DRIVE. WHEN DEPRESSED THE BRAKES WOULD GO ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. STEERING THE CAR IN A STRAIGHT LINE DOWN THE FREEWAY WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT CONSTANT CORRECTIONS, I CALL IT NERVOUS STEERING, WHICH AFTER MORE THAN 50 MILES BECAUSE VERY STRESSFUL AND TIRING. PURCHASE DATE 8-22-09. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP LOCATED IN VICTORVILLE, CALIFORNIA EARLY SEPT 09. THE BRAKES WERE EXAMINED AND AFTER CERTAIN CORRECTIONS THE BRAKE PEDAL IS BETTER BUT NOT PERFECT. AS FOR THE STEERING..THE TECHNICIAN SAYS IT'S WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS...WHAT EVERY THAT MEANS. THERE IS DEFINITELY A DEFECT WITH THE STEERING SYSTEM; AFTER REVIEWING THE VEHICLE BROCHURE REGARDING THE STEERING SYSTEM IT READS "ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) HELPS GIVES COROLLA STEERING RESPONSE THAT'S EFFORTLESSLY ACCURATE" HOWEVER NOTHING COULD MORE FROM THE TRUTH. IT'S BEEN MY EXPERIENCE AFTER 7000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER...THAT WHEN STEERING THE CAR DOWN THE HIGHWAY...THE CAR WILL LITERALLY LEAVE THE LANE YOUR DRIVING IN WHICH REQUIRES STEERING CORRECTION TO KEEP IT IN THE DRIVING LANE YOU'RE TRAVELING. THE BROCHURE FURTHER READS THAT "EPS ALSO ELIMINATES HYDRAULIC-ASSIST COMPONENTS THAT CAN REDUCE FUEL ECONOMY" HOWEVER I WOULD SAY AT WHAT COST...IF THIS NEW SYSTEM RENDERS THE STEERING PROCESS A VERY NERVOUS AND TIRING EXPERIENCE FOR THE DRIVER. A FATIGUED DRIVER IS AN UNSAFE DRIVER...I CREDIT THE FAULT WITH THIS NEW SYSTEM "EPS" AS A POTENTIAL DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. IT'S MY ASSESSMENT AFTER OWNING THIS VEHICLE NOW 6 MONTHS...THAT TOYOTA NEEDS TO REVISIT THIS "EPS" SYSTEM AND CONSIDER RETURNING TO THE FORMER HYDRAULIC-ASSIST COMPONENTS...IT MAY MORE COSTLY FOR THEM TO BUILD...BUT AT LEAST IT WORKED. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE IT HAD A REPUTATION FOR SAFETY AND RELIABILITY HOWEVER IT'S BEEN THE ABSOLUTE WORST PURCHASE EVER IMAGINED. *TR