NHTSA Complaint #10837396 — 2006 LEXUS IS 350

THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS DUE TO THE ELECTRIC P/S FAILING, INCLUDING A NEAR MISS WHEN MY FRAIL WIFE LOST THE ASSIST. IN MY SEARCH FOR THE CAUSE, I HAVE FOUND THAT LEXUS IS REPLACING THE ENTIRE STEERING RACK AS THE "FIX". LEXUS IS SIMPLY INSTALLING A REPLACEMENT STEERING RACK THAT HAS THE SAME MANUFACTURING DEFECT AS THE ORIGINAL STEERING RACK, COSTING SOME OWNERS $1000 PLUS. AFTER A FEW YEARS, THE REPLACEMENT POWER STEERING RACK WILL FAIL, JUST AS THE ORIGINAL DID. WHEN I PURCHASED MY LEXUS, IT WAS ALREADY 10 YEARS OLD. THAT CAUSED ME TO DECIDE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE P/S FAILURE AND REPAIR IT MYSELF, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. EACH TIME THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE P/S ASSIST, I FOUND THAT IF I SHUT THE POWER OFF AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE THE PROBLEM WOULD BE GONE. HOWEVER,IT WAS JUST A TEMPORARY FIX. THE MORE OFTEN THE PROBLEM RECURRED, THE INTERVAL BETWEEN FAILURES WAS LESS. I FOUND THAT ONE PARTICULAR ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ON THE P/S RACK HAS 4 VERY SMALL PINS IN IT. IN FACT, THEY ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE FEMALE PART OF THE FITTING. THE MATING OF THE 2 PARTS OF THE CONNECTOR SHOULD HAVE A SNUG FIT. THEY DON'T! WITHOUT A SNUG CONNECTION, OXIDATION OCCURS. THAT PREVENTS THE CURRENT FROM GOING THROUGH THE CONNECTOR AS WELL AS IT SHOULD. CLEANING THE CONNECTION WILL TEMPORARILY ALLOW THE P/S RACK TO FUNCTION PROPERLY, BUT ONLY UNTIL THE OXIDATION RECURS. DE-MATING AND RE-MATING THE CONNECTOR WILL HAVE THE SAME EFFECT. THAT WILL ONLY WORK FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, EVENTUALLY CAUSING MULTIPLE FAILURES IN A SINGLE DAY. MY REPAIR WAS TO SNUG UP THE 4 FITTINGS BY INSERTING A SMALL STRAND OF COPPER WIRE IN EACH OF THE FOUR FEMALE CONNECTIONS. IT HAS NOW BEEN 3.5 MONTHS WITHOUT A FAILURE. LEXUS SHOULD MODIFY THE FAULTY PARTS AND INITIATE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED!