NHTSA Complaint #10855660 — 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA

STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF OVER A PERIOD OF A ABOUT 3 WEEKS, ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER. STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT RETURN TO CENTER ON ITS OWN MAKING STEERING DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET TURNED UP HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. IN SOME CASES PEOPLE'S STEERING LOCKED UP ENTIRELY. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE A UNIVERSAL JOINT IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT IS UNPROTECTED AND SUBJECT TO CORROSION. MY TRUCK IS CURRENTLY AT A DEALERSHIP FOR FOUR SAFETY RECALLS, ONE OF WHICH REQUIRES THE WHOLE FRAME TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. I WILL NOT GET THE TRUCK BACK FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS DUE TO A BACKLOG OF PARTS. THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH IN TWO PLACES AND IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN THAT CONDITION. I REQUESTED THAT THE STEERING ISSUE BE LOOKED INTO WHILE IT IS IN THE SHOP AND EVERYTHING IS APART. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE STEERING ISSUE, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON LINE AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM MAY WARRANT LOOKING INTO. IT ALSO SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE FRAME CORROSION ISSUE, FOR WHICH THERE IS A RECALL.