NHTSA Complaint #10522434 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 WAS BEING DRIVEN BY MY WIFE AND SHE NOTICED INDICATOR LIGHTS SUDDENLY COMING ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE VEHICLE SPUTTERING AND STARTING TO STALL. PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE STALLING, SHE NOTICED THE POWER STEERING INOPERABLE AND SHE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY STEERING TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER LANE AND TO A STOP. SHE CALLED ME AND I CALLED FOR EMERGENCY ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. AT THIS TIME, AS THE ENGINE RAN, THE POWER STEERING WAS STILL INOPERABLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNDRIVABLE. IT WAS THEN TOWED HOME. MY MECHANIC CHECKED AND FOUND THE BATTERY TO BE UNDERCHARGED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE ALTERNATOR NOT PROPERLY CHARGING THE BATTERY. THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED AND THE POWER STEERING AND ALL OTHER FUNCTIONS RESUMED BACK TO NORMAL. MY SAFETY CONCERN IS THAT THE POWER STEERING UNIT SHOULD NOT HAVE STOPPED FUNCTIONING AS LONG AS THE ENGINE WAS IN OPERATION. IF THE BRAKING SYSTEM CONTINUED TO OPERATE NORMALLY AS THE ENGINE RAN, THE POWER STEERING UNIT SHOULD ALSO CONTINUE TO OPERATE SO THAT THE DRIVER CAN STAY IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. IF MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED AND ON A BUSY INTERSTATE FREEWAY, THE OUTCOME COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. PLEASE LOOK INTO GETTING TOYOTA TO RECALL AND CORRECTING THIS SAFETY ISSUE ON MINE AND OTHER 2007 RAV4S. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. A REPLY WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *TR