NHTSA Complaint #10915070 — 2011 TOYOTA VENZA

WHILE I WAS TRYING TO TURN INTO THE DRIVEWAY OF A RELATIVE APARTMENT, THE STEERING WHEEL GOT REALLY TIGHT AND EVENTUALLY LOCKED UP GIVING VERY LITTLE TO NO TIME TO PULL OVER FOR SAFETY. THE ENGINE THEN SHUTS DOWN. I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW DANGEROUS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING 65MPH PLUS ON A FREEWAY. I'VE HAD THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP ON ME BEFORE WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED AND ENGINE OFF, AND I WAS ABLE TO GET IT UNLOCKED BY MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AND FORTH. HOWEVER, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME AND A SCARY ONE WHERE THE STEERING LOCKED UP WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STILL MOVING. I WAS LUCKY WE WERE AT A RESIDENTIAL AREA WHEN THIS HAPPENED. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A FREEWAY WHERE OTHER CARS ARE ZOOMING BY, HOW DANGEROUS IS IT TO HAVE A VEHICLE TO ALL OF A SUDDEN LOCKS ITSELF UP AND SHUTS DOWN GIVING PRACTICALLY NO TIME TO PULL OVER? I SHOULD MENTION THOUGH THAT THE BATTERY LIGHT DID JUST COME ON ABOUT TWO AND HALF TO THREE HOURS BEFORE THE INCIDENT HAPPEN. EVEN SO, I DON'T THINK IT'S NORMAL OR SAFE FOR SUCH A SHORT WARNING PERIOD.