NHTSA Complaint #10319317 — 2009 TOYOTA RAV4

ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING (EPS) AND FUEL GAUGE PROBLEMS: I BOUGHT MY BRAND NEW 2009 TOYOTA RAV4 SPORT V6 4X2 ON MAY 09, 2009 IN HOUSTON TEXAS. IT WAS ON DEC. 13, 2009 THAT I WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY I-10 FROM HOUSTON TO NEW YORK CITY. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF I-10 BETWEEN EXIT 775A AND 776A. I WAS TRAVELING AT 65 MPH. SUDDENLY, I HEARD A "CLICK" FROM THE DASH BOARD AND THE EPS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN I LOST THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING, I FELT MY STEERING WHEEL SO HARD AND COULD NOT TURN IT. I REALIZED THAT I WAS IN THE VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATION. I TRIED TO CALM DOWN AND PUT MY FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND STARTED SLOWING DOWN MY CAR. IT TOOK ME ALMOST TEN MINUTES TO MOVE MY CAR TO THE ROAD SHOULDER AND STOPPED. I CALLED MR. ZHU - A MANAGER OF SALES DEPARTMENT AT MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN HOUSTON TEXAS IMMEDIATELY AND REPORTED THIS INCIDENT. HE FOUND ME A PHONE NUMBER OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT FRED HAAS TOYOTA NEARBY AND ASKED ME TO CALL THEM AND GET MY CAR TOWED AND CHECKED. I CALLED THE NUMBER A COUPLE OF TIMES HOWEVER, NOBODY WAS THERE THEN. I TRIED TO RESTART CAR ENGINE FOR FIVE TIMES OR MORE, I FINALLY SOLVED THE EPS PROBLEMS. I CALLED MR. ZHOU AGAIN, AND TOLD HIM THAT NOBODY WAS THERE ANSWERING MY PHONE CALL. I ASKED HIM FOR THE ADDRESS OF THE FRED HAAS TOYOTA. I DROVE MY SICK CAR FOR 30 MINUTES VERY CAREFULLY TO FRED HAAS TOYOTA; UNFORTUNATELY, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS CLOSED ON SUNDAY. I CALLED MR. ZHU AGAIN AND TOLD HIM ABOUT IT. THEN I DROVE MY CAR BACK TO HOUSTON ON INTERSTATE I-45, AFTER 15 MINUTES DRIVING, THE SAME PROBLEMS HAPPENED AGAIN... ...AFTER THAT MY FUEL GAUGE WAS NOT READ CORRECTLY, IT SHOWED ONLY 1/2 FUEL OF MY FUEL TANK AFTER I FILLED IT UP. MOVING STRAIGHT FORWARD AND MAKING TURNS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE. I BELIEVE EPS PROBLEMS ARE MORE SERIOUS THAN THE GAS PEDAL PROBLEM, BECAUSE THIS EFFECTS IMMEDIATELY AND DIRECTLY. I HAVE BEEN WORRYING ABOUT MY SAFETY DRIVING MY CAR SINCE I EXPERIENCED THE DANGERS! *TR