NHTSA Complaint #10353534 — 2001 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA

I'VE OWNED MY 2001 SOLARA SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW IN APRIL 2001. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY REAL PROBLEMS WITH IT (I'VE HAD ALL OF THE NORMAL MAINTENANCE, WEAR & TEAR STUFF DONE), UNTIL ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO. MY WIFE & I WERE OUT OF TOWN AND WERE TURNING AROUND AT A STRIP MALL SHOPPING CENTER WHEN THE STEERING LOCKED UP. IT HAD JUST RAINED EXTREMELY HEAVILY AND THERE WAS A LOT OF SURFACE WATER ON THE ROAD. I JUST ASSUMED THAT PERHAPS THE POWER STEERING DRIVE BELT GOT WET AND WAS SLIPPING (ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T HEAR ANY SQUEALING). AFTER THAT THE STEERING SEEMED OK. THEN ABOUT A YEAR AGO, I STARTED NOTICING THE PROBLEM MORE REGULARLY, MOSTLY WHILE "UN-PARKING" THE CAR FROM A PARALLEL PARKING SPOT. I CAN BACK UP OK, BUT WHEN I STEER THE CAR TO BEGIN DRIVING, THE STEERING LOCKS UP & I HAVE TO STOP, BACK UP AGAIN, & "STEER OUT OF IT." ANYONE ELSE HAVE THIS KIND OF STEERING PROBLEM? I HAVE 125,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I KNOW THAT TOYOTA HAS DONE A RECENT RECALL ON CRACKED STEERING BOXES ON CERTAIN MODELS. I HAD A '76 CELICA ONE TIME THAT DEVELOPED A CRACK IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION CASTING AT ABOUT 80 OR 90,000 MILES. *TR