NHTSA Complaint #10407520 — 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS

STEERING FAILURE ON 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS. 2007- SERVICE CAMPAIGN 60C PERFORMED ON THIS PRIUS TO INSPECT/REPLACE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND COMPONENTS. MAY 6, 2011- NOTICED WOBBLE IN STEERING WHEN DRIVING ON SMOOTH HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH. MAY 20, 2011 - TOOK PRIUS IN TO DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR: 1] SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE,(OIL/LUBE, ALIGN FRONT SUSPENSION, CLEAN/ADJUST BRAKES, ETC), 2] SNOW TIRE CHANGE-OUT 3] REQUESTED INVESTIGATION OF PROBLEM WITH STEERING WOBBLE. ITEMS 1 AND 2 WERE COMPLETED. ON ITEM 3, DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT REPORTED THAT THEY DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM AND STATED IT COULD BE RELATED TO SNOW TIRES OUT OF BALANCE. MAY 26, 2011-COMPLETE STEERING FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE TURNING SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AT ABOUT 15 MPH ON A SMOOTH CITY STREET. THE STEERING WHEEL SPUN UNLIMITED NUMBER OF TIMES TO LEFT AND RIGHT WITH NO EFFECT ON THE WHEELS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. MAY 28, 2011 -DEALER COMPLETED REPAIRS. THE INVOICE SAYS THEY REPLACED: 1 04005-72147 SHAFT KIT, STEERING 1 84306-0E010 CABLE SUB-ASSY SPIR, AND PERFORMED ALIGN FRONT SUSPENSION FOR A TOTAL COST OF $798.22. THE SERVICE ADVISOR REPORTED THE SPLINES AT THE END OF THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WERE WORN AND THAT THE TECHNICIAN HAD ONLY SEEN THIS ONCE OR TWICE BEFORE. A COMPLAINT REGARDING SAFETY AND COST HAS BEEN FILED WITH "TOYOTA HELP" (TOYOTA USA). TOYOTA STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT SUPPLY ANY INFORMATION ABOUT INCIDENTS OF THIS TYPE ON OTHER PRIUSES. NEITHER THE SAFETY NOR THE COST COMPLAINT HAS BEEN RESOLVED AT THIS TIME. REPORTED JUNE 20, 2011 *INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT