NHTSA Complaint #10578456 — 2008 TOYOTA SIENNA

IN MAY OF 2013, I WAS TOLD BY ROSNER TOYOTA OF STAFFORD VA, THAT MY VEHICLE, WITH LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT, WOULD NOT PASS A SAFETY INSPECTION BECAUSE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING SYSTEM WAS LEAKING FLUID. NOT WANTING TO DRIVE AN UNSAFE VEHICLE, I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FIX IT. I PETITIONED TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS ABOUT THIS, AND THEY AGREED TO COVER $900.00 OF THE $1,300.00 BILL. I THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE COVERED THE ENTIRE AMOUNT, BUT I ENDED UP SHELLING OUT $300.00 FOR A NEW BOOT TO TEMP FIX THE PROBLEM, AND THEN THE REMAINING $400.00 TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION. NOW, LESS THAN 1 YEAR FROM THE REPLACEMENT OF THE RACK AND PINION, ROSNER OF TOYOTA TELLS ME THAT THE SAME SIDE OF THE RACK AND PINION IS AGAIN LEAKING FLUID AND THAT IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ROSNER REPLACED THE PARTS, BUT I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS JUST A TEMPORARY FIX TO A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM. THIS IS THE THIRD RACK AND PINION FOR THIS VEHICLE IN LESS THAN 6 YEARS. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE FOR OPERATION. PLEASE ADVISE AND THANKS. *TR