NHTSA Complaint #10379577 — 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH 140K MILES ON IT. THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY LAST FALL WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. IT NOW DOES THIS AT LOW SPEEDS, PARTICULARLY AROUND CORNERS AND IS BECOMING AN INCREASING PROBLEM AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THE POWER STEERING CUT OUT ON THE FREEWAY AT 70 MILES PER HOUR LAST WEEK. THAT CONVINCED ME I NEED TO GET A NEW CAR. I TRIED TO TRADE IT IN AT A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER LAST SUMMER AND COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WOULDN'T GIVE ME MORE THAN $2.5K FOR IT AS I HAD PAID $15K FOR IT 2.5 YEARS EARLIER. ADMITTEDLY, I HAD BEEN T-BONED AND A LOT OF WORK HAD BEEN DONE ON THE CAR, BUT MY DEALER HAD IT FIXED IT TO WHERE YOU WOULDN'T KNOW IT WAS IN AN ACCIDENT UNLESS IT WAS POINTED OUT. I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEMS ONLINE AND FOUND THIS IS A WELL -KNOWN DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THE CARS STEERING RACK. I CAN'T SELL IT TO ANYONE AS IS. I'M STUCK WITH HAVING TO DO A $3K REPAIR TO A CAR THAT'S WORTH LESS THAN THAT TO ITS DEALERSHIP. IT SCARES ME TO DRIVE IT. THEY ONLY MADE 26K OF THESE CARS. DOES EVERY ONE HAVE THIS PROBLEM? I SPOKE WITH TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THEY DID OFFER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY REPAIR ON THIS, BUT SINCE MY CAR HAD >100K, THE BURDEN WOULD BE MINE. THEY SHOULD BE WILLING TO RESOLVE THIS DESIGN FLAW. WHAT IS MY RECOURSE? AGAIN, I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AS I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN. *TR