NHTSA Complaint #10619454 — 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS

THE BUTTONS ON THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO STOP WORKING. ONE BY ONE, EACH BEGAN TO FAIL. I WASN'T TOO WORRIED SINCE THEY'RE SIMPLY THE CLIMATE AND STEREO CONTROLS, HOWEVER, AS I BEGAN RESEARCHING ALL SIGNS POINTED TO THIS BEING THE "CLOCK SPRING" ASSEMBLY. THIS ALSO CONTROLS THE AIRBAG AND IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. I WENT TO THE DEALER WHO CONFIRMED AND SAID THIS WOULD COST $500 TO REPAIR. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE AIRBAG THEY SAID THEY DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT I DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE AIRBAG "MIGHT NOT WORK" ANYMORE. AFTER SEEING A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF POSTS HERE, I WANTED TO ALSO ADD MY FEEDBACK AS IT APPEARS THIS IS FAR MORE WIDESPREAD THAN JUST AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I HAVE DRIVE 4 OTHER (NON-TOYOTA) VEHICLES FOR WELL ABOVE 200,000 MILES AND NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE. MY FATHER (AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC FOR ANOTHER CAR BRAND) SAID HE'S NEVER HAD ANYONE COME IN WITH THIS ISSUE BEFORE. CONSIDERING THAT TOYTA PRIDES THEMSELVES AS HAVING SAFE VEHICLES, I WOULD HOPE THAT THEY CONSIDER A RECALL ON THIS LIFE-THREATENING PART FAILURE. *TR