NHTSA Complaint #10442805 — 2006 TOYOTA AVALON

MY 2006 TOYOTA AVALON STEERING WHEEL WAS GETTING STUCK WHEN I TURNED THE CAR ON. I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE TO TRY AND TURN THE WHEEL IN ORDER FOR IT TO RELEASE. ADDITIONALLY THE CAR WAS LEAKING FLUID. ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2010 I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE TOYOTA DEALER WHO IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS "STEERING RACK LEAKING FROM RIGHT SIDE CAUSING SUBFRAME TO BE WET WITH POWER STEERING FLUID. REPLACE THE STEERING RACK AND ALIGN". SO AT A COST OF $1338.85 THE STEERING RACK WAS REPLACED. I AGREE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL TO FIX SINCE THEY KNEW ABOUT IT SINCE 2004 AND HAVE ISSUED VARIOUS SERVICE BULLETINS ON SUBJECT. ON JANUARY 7, 2012 I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP BECAUSE I AM STILL EXPERIENCING AN OIL LEAK THAT HAS GOTTEN WORSE. I HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR IN NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE WITH NO RESOLUTION. NOW THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THERE IS A LEAK AT TWO RETURN HOSED IN THE POWER STEERING COLUMN AND ARE CHARGING $500 FOR REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR. SO NOW IN A YEAR AND HALF I HAVE SPENT APPROXIMATELY $2000 TO REPAIR THE STEERING ON A FAIRLY NEW CAR. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS 2006 AVALON STEERING ISSUE. APPARENTLY TOYOTA HAS NEVER RECTIFIED THE PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING AND CONTINUES TO MAKE MONEY ON SUBSTANDARD, DANGEROUS PRODUCTS. THIS IS THE SEVENTH TOYOTA THAT I HAVE OWNED AND THE ONLY ONE THAT I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH AND RECALLS FOR. YOU WOULD THINK THAT FOR THE COST OF THIS CAR, YOU WOULD GET BETTER QUALITY. I MAY HAVE TO RECONSIDER BUYING TOYOTAS IN THE FUTURE IF THIS IS THE QUALITY OF CAR THEY ARE PRODUCING. THIS IS NOT THE ONLY ISSUE THAT I HAVE HAD TO DATE. I HAVE ALSO GONE ON-LINE AND RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE AND HAVE FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY 2006 TOYOTA AVALON OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE. *TR