NHTSA Complaint #10966449 — 2006 LEXUS IS 250

RECENTLY I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND MY POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON WHEN THE LIGHT APPEARED THE POWER STEERING WENT AWAY. THE GARAGE NOTIFIED ME THAT MY POWER STEERING ECU HAD FAILED. I HAD THE ECU REPLACED AND STEERING CALIBRATED A FEW DAYS LATER AS I TURNED IN TO MY SCHOOLS PARKING LOT I HEARD A POP BUT WAS NOT VERY ALARMED ABOUT IT UNTIL THAT AFTERNOON I WAS HEADED HOME AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK IN ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER AS I WOULD TURN SLIGHTLY FOR A CURVE. THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD UNLOCK BUT WOULD TAKE BOTH HANDS AND A FIRM TUG TO GET BACK STRAIGHT. THE OTHER MORNING I WAS GOING TO DRIVE IT TO CLASS SINCE THIS IS MY ONLY WAY OF TRANSPORTATION BUT THE STEERING WAS COMPLETELY STUCK IN PLACE SO I HAD TO CALL ANOTHER RIDE. IF THE CAR IS STATIONARY OR MOVING SLOW THE STEERING WHEEL MAKES A HORRIFIC WHINING NOISE AS YOU TURN. I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BECAUSE I CALLED LEXUS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE HOPING TO GET HELP SINCE THERE WAS ALREADY ONE RECALL COMPLETED ON THESE PARTS. LEXUS CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLD ME THEY HAD TO INSPECT IT BEFORE THEY COULD DO ANYTHING. THEY PAID FOR THE INSPECTION AND ADMITTED THE PART REPLACED BY THEM PREVIOUSLY HAD FAILED AGAIN BUT WOULD NOT BE COVERED AGAIN. THEY THEN QUOTED ME A PRICE OF AROUND 3,600 DOLLARS. AFTER SPEAKING WITH MULTIPLE CASE MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS THEY TOLD ME THE CASE WAS RESOLVED ON THEIR END AND I NEEDED TO CONTACT THE NATIONAL DISPUTE SETTLEMENT. I DID CONTACT THEM AND WILL ALSO SUBMIT THE PAPER I SENT THEM TO YOU GUYS. MANY PEOPLE ARE TALKING IN ONLINE FORUMS ARE HAVING THE SAME SAFETY ISSUES. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.