NHTSA Complaint #10625986 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

ON 08/09/14 WE WERE DRIVING IN PARKING LOT WITH 5 PEOPLE IN CAR. STARTED DRIVING AND ENGINE SUDDENLY STOPPED. CAR GLIDED TO A STOP WITH GEARS AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. CALLED AAA FOR A TOW 20+ MILES AWAY TO CLOSEST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEN GOT TRANSPORT FOR OURSELVES TO HOTEL FOR THE NIGHT. NEXT MORNING GOT RENTAL CAR TO DRIVE TO TOYOTA DEALER WHERE CAR HAD BEEN TOWED TO. REPAIR WAS SIMPLY A BLOWN FUSE FOR VEHICLE REMOTE STARTER WHICH WAS ODDLY LOCATED UNDER STEERING WHEEL. SIMILAR INCIDENT HAPPENED (03/12/08) WHILE DIVING IN CANADA AND REPAIRED THEN AT A TOYOTA DEALER AT 12,101 KM. THE REMOTE STARTER WAS PART OF ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON THE NEW CAR. NOW, WE FEAR DRIVING RAV4 ON HIGHWAY AT ANY SPEED FOR FEAR CAR WILL SUDDENLY STOP AND STEERING WILL LOCK UP. REMOTE STARTER NEEDS TO BE REMOVED OR FIXED AT IT IS NOT SAFE. *TR