NHTSA Complaint #11149775 — 2003 LEXUS LX470

MY 2003 LEXUS LX470 HAS FAULTY VGRS ECU. STEERING WHEEL SPINS TO 180 DEGREES. ON OCTOBER 11, 2018, WHEN I BACKED IT OUT FROM THE DRIVEWAY, THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED 180 DEGREES. I DROVE IT TO 35MPH W/ STEERING WHEEL AT CROOKED 25-MINUTE ANGLE AND ON A SHARP RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SPUN 180 DEGREES AGAIN. AFTER ABOUT 2 MILES, IT SETTLED AT 10-O'CLOCK ANGLE. ON 10/18/2018, MATTHEW OF THE ONE AUTO SERVICE AND PERFORMANCE (536 LISBON ST. DALY CITY, CALIF. (650)993-4689) PERFORMED WHEEL ALIGNMENTS & CORRECTED THE STEERING ANGLE THREE(3) TIMES. AFTER 5 HOURS, MATTHEW CALLED ME WHILE HE SAT INSIDE THE CAR IDLING AND HIS SNAP-ON COMPUTER ATTACHED TO THE CAR. HE SHOWED ME HOW HE ZEROD OUT THE 'STEERING ANGLE'. HE SAID THE STEERING SENSOR (VGRS) IS MALFUNCTIONING OR THE ECU COMPUTER IS BAD. AND WHILE HE WAS TALKING, WE BOTH WITNESSED IN HIS SNAP-ON COMPUTER THAT THE STEERING ANGLE CHANGED FROM O DEGREES TO 115 DEGREES'WHILE THE CAR WAS IDLING AND STATIONARY. MATTHEW ALSO TOLD THAT HE EXPERIENCED THAT STEERING WHEEL SPINNING TO 180 DEGREES WHEN HE TEST DROVE THE CAR. ON OCTOBER 19, 2018, I PULLED THE SERVICE RECORD OF THE CAR AND I DISCOVERED THE SAME PATTERN OF COMPLAINTS: AT 27,215 MILES, 'GUEST STATES STEERING WHEEL IS NOT CENTERED WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT.' AT 42,028 MILES, 'STEERING IS OFF'. AT 76,847 MILES, 'ALIGNMENT STEEERING WHEEL IS OFF CENTERED.' AT 71,657 MILES, 'SERVICE: CENTER STEERING WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND VGRS.' AT 113,775 MILES, '' STEERING OFF CENTER'. ON OCTOBER 25, 2018 , ACCORDING TO DEAN DECASTRO (SERVICE ASST MGR LEXUS OF SERRAMONTE), ALL THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE 'STEERING WHEEL NOT CENTERED' IN THE SERVICE RECORDS ARE VGRS ISSUES. ON NOVEMBER 2, 2018, LEXUS OF SERRAMONTE DETERMINED THAT THE VGRS ECU OF THE CAR NEEDS REPLACEMENT.