NHTSA Complaint #10343774 — 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2005 - 4 CYL DRIVING IN THE RAIN, OVER PUDDLES OF WATER THAT CREATE A SPLASH UP TO ABOUT 3/4 THE HEIGHT OF THE TIRE (PASSENGER SIDE), WILL CAUSE THE DISCHARGE WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON AND CAUSE LOSS OF POWER STEERING (HARD TO TURN). SUDDENLY, THE WARNING LIGHT WILL GO OFF AND POWER STEERING WILL RETURN. THIS IS MY WIFE'S VEHICLE AND I JUST NOTICED THIS ISSUE RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY RAIN. THE FAULT IS REPEATABLE AS I NOTICED IT FOR A SECOND TIME TODAY, AND I MANAGED TO HAVE IT REPEAT THE FAILURE EVERY TIME. THIS FAILURE CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IN A RAINSTORM IT WILL BE TYPICAL TO CREATE A SPLASH WHEN TURNING INTO ANOTHER STREET, AS IT IS COMMON FOR WATER TO POND AT THE TURN. LOSS OF POWER STEERING WILL CAUSE THE DRIVER TO TURN THE WHEEL HARDER, AND WHEN THE POWER STEERING RETURNS, THEN THE VEHICLE WILL LIKELY OVERSTEER AND SPIN OUT OR HIT ANYTHING ON THE DIRECTION THAT IT IS OVERSTEERED INTO. THIS INCIDENT ACTUALLY OCCURRED IN TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHEN I WAS TURNING IN THE RAIN. THE FIRST WAS INADVERTENT AND AT A HIGHER SPEED SINCE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING (A FEW WEEKS AGO). THE SECOND TIME OCCURRED TODAY. AFTER THE INCIDENT I TRIED TO RECREATE THE FAILURE, THIS TIME SINCE I WAS EXPECTING IT, I DID SO MORE SLOWLY BUT WITH THE SAME RESULT THAT WILL LIKELY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE VEHICLE YET SINCE I HAVE JUST NOTICED THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, WE HAVE AND HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF VEHICLES OF DIFFERENT MAKES, AND NONE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH SPLASHING WATER CAUSING WHAT IS PROBABLY A SHORT AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING. AFTER DRIVING INTO THE GARAGE, I OPEN THE HOOD AND LOOK FROM THE TOP, FROM THE TOP EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE DRY. THE OTHER VEHICLES HAVE BEEN DRIVEN THROUGH LARGER SPLASHES, WITHOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR