NHTSA Complaint #11043862 — 2005 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

MY SUV ONLY HAS 66,000 MILES ON IT AND RECENTLY (PAST MONTH) THE STEERING IS VERY LABORIOUS. TO THE POINT THAT I HAVE NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN. THE STEERING IS HARD TO START A TURN (NO MATTER WHAT SPEED) AND AS I CONTINUE TO TURN THE WHEEL IT WILL EASE UP A BIT AND THEN BE HARD TO TURN IT BACK AGAIN TO STRAIGHT. MEANING THAT IT WILL NOT RETURN WITHOUT CONSIDERABLE EFFORT. I WAS ON CARS.COM WEBSITE AS THEY HAD RECALLS LISTED. I LOOKED UP 4 RUNNER STEERING PROBLEMS AND THEY GAVE ME A RECALL NUMBER. WHEN I CALLED TOYOTA THEY TOLD ME THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR MY VIN #. I THINK TOYOTA IS RIPPING ME OFF BECAUSE THE PROBLEM I'M HAVING IS JUST WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN THE SUMMARY. THE COMPONENT LISTED IS STEERING; LINKAGES; ROD; RELAY; CONNECTING. THE CONSEQUENCE LISTED IS IF THE VEHICLE IS CONTINUED TO BE OPERATED IN THIS CONDITION, THE RELAY ROD MAY FRACTURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE RECALL NUMBER IS 05V389000 AND THE RECALL DATE IS 09-06-2005. PLUS MY WIFE AND I DO NOT TURN THE WHEEL UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. WE ARE OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT IS WAS LIKE BEFORE CARS HAD POWER STEERING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! THANKS FOR ANY HELP THAT YOU CAN DO FOR US.