NHTSA Complaint #10723196 — 2005 TOYOTA PRIUS

I LEFT MY HOUSE OFF NOBLE ROAD, CORA, WY AND PULLED ON TO WYOMING HIGHWAY 352 HEADED WEST AT ABOUT 11 AM; MY HUSBAND [XXX] WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME AS WERE MY DOGS. THE SLIPPERY ROAD ICON ON THE DASH CAME ON AND THERE WAS A BEEPING NOISE FROM THE DASHBOARD. I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 10 MPH, THOUGH THE ROAD IS A 65 MPH HIGHWAY. THE DAY WAS SUNNY AND I SLOWED DOWN AS THE ROAD WAS DRY AND THE LIGHT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON AND THE BEEPING NOISE WAS A NEW SOUND FOR THIS CAR. AFTER 2 MILES I MADE A LEFT TURN AND PULLED INTO THE FIRST AVAILABLE DRIVEWAY AT MILE 2, CORA ROAD. AS I MADE THE LEFT TURN AT A SLOW SPEED, THERE WAS NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR, THEN I HEARD A SERIES OF CLUNKING NOISES FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. I STOPPED THE CAR IN THE RANCH DRIVEWAY AND READ THE PRIUS MANUAL REGARDING THE ICON AND BEEPING SYMBOLS. THEN I TRIED TO TURN THE CAR AROUND AND NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL JUST KEPT TURNING AND DID NOT TURN THE WHEELS OF THE CAR. [XXX], A RANCHER WHOSE ROAD MY CAR WAS BLOCKING, STOPPED TO HELP ME AND NOTED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT WORKING. HE GAVE MY HUSBAND A RIDE BACK TO OUR HOUSE TO GET OUR OTHER VEHICLE. I CALLED THE LOCAL TOWING COMPANY, T AND L TOWING, AND THEY CAME TO THE SITE. THE CAR WOULD GO FORWARD AND BACKWARD BUT THE WHEELS WOULD NOT TURN. TOM NIXON, TOW GUY, AND I WORKED THE CAR AROUND TO A POSITION WHERE I COULD DRIVE THE CAR FORWARD ON TO HIS TOW TRUCK. THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER WITH PRIUS SERVICE IS IN ROCK SPRINGS, WYOMING, ABOUT 107 MILES AWAY AND TOM TOWED THE CAR TO THEIR SERVICE LOT. I CALLED THE DEALER IN ROCK SPRINGS TO NOTIFY THEM OF MY CAR EN ROUTE TO THEM AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. I ALSO CALLED THE TOYOTA HELP LINE AT 1-800-331-4331 AND TALKED TO SHERYL MEYERS. I EXPLAINED THE INCIDENT TO HER AND SHE ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER OF [XXX] TO MY CLAIM. ON MONDAY JUNE 1, I TALKED TO MY INSURANCE AGENT AT STATE FARM...UPDATED 06-16-15 *BF ...UPDATED 12/29/15 *BF UPDATED 10/18/2018*CN*DT CONSUMER STATED STEERING HAS BEEN REPAIRED IN 2015. ('PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE B