NHTSA Complaint #10354396 — 2001 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY 2001 TOYOTA FORERUNNER HAS HAD AN ISSUE WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL PULLS TO THE RIGHT AND LOCKS UP FOR ABOUT A SECOND. ON EACH OCCASION I WAS ON A RIGHT HAND CURVE IN THE ROAD AND WAS ACCELERATING THROUGH THE TURN AFTER INITIALLY SLOWING DOWN TO BEGIN THE CURVE. ON EACH OCCASION I WAS OBEYING THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT FOR THE SECTION OF THE ROAD WHERE THE CURVE WAS LOCATED. AS I BEGAN ACCELERATING INTO THE CURVE THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY JERKED TO THE RIGHT, A BEEPING NOISE OCCURRED AND THE VEHICLE MOMENTARILY FELT LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. A MOMENT LATER THE BEEPING STOPPED AND STEERING CONTROL RETURNED. IN EACH SITUATION I WAS ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. IN TWO OF THE THREE OCCURRENCES I HAD A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME. TODAY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK INTO THE ISSUE. I ADVISED THEM THAT I HAD SEEN A RECALL CONCERNING THE TOYOTA AVALON WHICH SEEMED TO BE IDENTICAL TO THE SITUATION I HAD ENCOUNTERED. I INFORMED THEM THAT THE INCIDENTS HAD ALL BEEN ON RIGHT HAND CURVES AND THAT THE OCCURRENCES HAD HAPPENED AT SPREAD OUT INTERVALS OVER THE LAST YEAR. I WAS INFORMED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY HAD BEEN UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY DID NOT EXAMINE THE STEERING SYSTEM BUT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE OUT FOR TEST DRIVES IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXPERIENCE THE ISSUE. I CALLED THE TOYOTA CORPORATE OFFICES AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THEM AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP IN SAN DIEGO. I'VE HAD NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH THEM AND THE DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE I SPOKE WITH WAS UNAWARE IF THE CORPORATE OFFICES HAD CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP REGARDING THE CASE. *TR