NHTSA Complaint #10312666 — 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA

I HAVE 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA LIMITED AWD. I HAVE ABOUT 16500 MILES. MY PROBLEM STARTED WHEN THE CAR HAD ABOUT 1000 MILES. ON PARKING WHEN I TURN THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, SHORTLY AFTER I STARTED TURNING THE WHEEL I COULD HEAR AND FEEL (ON THE WHEEL) A CONSTANT CLICKING NOISE. THIS NOISE SHOWS UP ONLY WHEN YOU TURN TO THE RIGHT. IT DOES NOT SHOW WHEN YOU TURN TO THE LEFT. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO TOYOTA OF ALEXANDRIA, VA. THE CAR SPEND DAYS THERE AND THEY SAID THAT THEY DON'T HAVE CLUE WHAT IS THE PROBLEM! THEY OPENED A CASE WITH TOYOTA AND I HAD A MEETING WITH A TOYOTA FIELD SPECIALIST. I HAD MULTIPLE QUESTIONS - WHY THE PROBLEM DETERIORATED, WHY IT SHOWS UP ONLY WHEN YOU TURN TO THE RIGHT AND NOT TO THE LEFT, ETC. MY QUESTIONS WERE UNANSWERED. THIS PERSON WAS NOT TRYING TO FIX MY PROBLEM. HE REPEATED WORD BY WORD DEALERSHIP FOREMAN'S WORDS. I THOUGHT THEY HAD A PREDEFINED SCRIPT. I BROUGHT IT TO OURISMAN CHANTILLY TOYOTA, VA. THEY REPLACED CV HALF SHAFT ASSEMBLY. THAT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED SOP-SHAFT AND THAT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. I PICKED UP MY CAR AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM IS AIRBAG CLOCK SPRING. I WAS TOLD REPLACING THE CLOCK SPRING WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE ALL OF THEM WILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT'S A COMMON ISSUE ON ALL TOYOTA SIENNA AWD VANS. AGAIN IN THE PARKING START TURNING TO THE RIGHT, BEFORE THE WHEEL LOCKS I CAN FEEL AND HEAR CLICKING NOISE. I BROUGHT IT TO FITZGERLAD TOYOTA, GAITHERSBURG, MD. REPLACED THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT AND PUT A SPECIAL GREASE. THE NOISE WENT AWAY FOR ABOUT 1500 MILES, BUT SLOWLY STARTED COMING BACK. IT IS GETTING FRUSTRATING AND IS GETTING LOUDER AS I PUT MORE MILES. AS PER THE DEALER, THE KEY IS A SPECIAL GREASE AND IT IS A SPECIAL ORDER. I WAS ON THE BACK ORDER LIST AND WAS #78 FOR THE REGION. IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A LOT OF DEMAND FOR THIS AND TOYOTA KNOWS THAT. MY CONCERN IS THAT NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND IF THAT PROBLEM PRESENTS A SAFETY ISSUE. THANKS A LOT! *TR