NHTSA Complaint #10331774 — 2008 LEXUS RX HYBRID

I DRIVE A 2008 LEXUS RX400H. I EXPERIENCED A SERIOUS ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILURE, WHICH CAUSED ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING. ON OCT 15, 2009, I DROVE MY CAR ON THE FREEWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. LATER THAT DAY, I PARKED MY LEXUS RX VEHICLE, AND IN DOING SO I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT "LOCK' POSITION. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR I MADE A HARD LEFT U-TURN TO EXIT THE PARKING AREA. AS SOON AS I ACCELERATED AND TRIED TO TURN THE WHEEL BACK TOWARDS THE RIGHT TO STEER, I REALIZED MY POWER STEERING HAD FAILED COMPLETELY, AND I COULD BARELY CONTROL THE CAR. AFTER STRUGGLING WITH THE STEERING FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO PARK THE CAR AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED IN THE EVENING AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST LEXUS DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP REPAIR TECHNICIAN INITIALLY REPORTED THAT "STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT WORK" - "TOWED-IN" - "LIGHT IS ON" "CHECK AND ADVISE". UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION, THE LEXUS REPAIR TECH REPORTED A "CODE C1568 POWER STEERING OPEN CIRCUIT". THE LEXUS DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THIS POWER STEERING PROBLEM WAS "COVERED BY WARRANTY". THE LEXUS REPAIR TEAM INSTALLED A COMPUTER ASSY, POWER STEERING 89650-48010. SUDDENLY, LEXUS REFUSED TO COVER ANY COST TO REPAIR THIS FAILURE BECAUSE THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD DETERMINED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILURE COULD ONLY BE CAUSED BY A COLLISION. I DID NOT HAVE A COLLISION. I WROTE TO TOYOTA OF AMERICA, AND THEY CONFIRMED THIS CONCLUSION TO BE CORRECT. *TR