NHTSA Complaint #10502237 — 2007 LEXUS IS

VEHICLE OWNER OBSERVED NOISE THAT APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE STEERING ASSEMBLY. AT LOW SPEEDS SUCH AS BACKING UP, WITH LARGE STEERING MOTION, NOISE IS MOST PRONOUNCED. WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AT ANY SPEED, VEHICLE TENDS TO "SKIP" AND "JUMP" TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, AS IF STEERING BECOMES LOOSE AND JERKS ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER. NOISE AND MOTION HAS BEEN GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE SINCE THE INCIDENT DATE. ON OR ABOUT 2/18/13, OWNER BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS. THAT SHOP CONFIRMED THE NOISE, BUT STATED IT NEEDED TO BE BROUGHT TO THE DEALERSHIP. OWNER BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP ON 2/22/13. DEALER STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING ASSEMBLY HAS FAILED, NEED TO REPLACE THE RACK AND STEERING SERVOMOTORS WHICH COMES AS ONE PART, BEING LE44200-53151 ELECTRIC LINK ASSEMBLY. THIS IS A PART THAT IS SEALED AND COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED BY EITHER THE OWNER OR ANY REPAIR SHOP. COST TO REPLACE THE ASSEMBLY IS $4472.17 INCLUDING LABOR, MATERIALS AND TAX. OWNER BELIEVES THIS IS AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT, AND REPRESENTS ABOUT 20 - 25% OF THE VEHICLE VALUE. THE FAILURE OF THIS PART IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, THE VEHICLE OWNER SHOULD BEAR NO RESPONSIBILITY TO REPLACE THIS PART. OWNER HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE LEXUS DEALERSHIP OR MANUFACTURER TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO THE OWNER TO MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS. OTHER THAN POSSIBLY THE BRAKES, STEERING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF A VEHICLE, IT SHOULD REMAIN FUNCTIONAL FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR. INTERNET SEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT OTHER LEXUS VEHICLES OF THIS VINTAGE HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS, DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE. IT APPEARS THAT A FAULTY PART HAS BEEN INSTALLED IN THIS VEHICLE, DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. THIS ISSUE COULD RESULT IN TOTAL STEERING LOSS, WHICH IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. *TR