NHTSA Complaint #11321520 — 2006 TOYOTA TACOMA

STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN YESTERDAY. UPON MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT A FAMILIAR INTERSECTION, IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO MAKE THE TURN DUE TO VERY STIFF STEERING. THE FRONT END OF MY TRUCK CAME VERY CLOSE TO A VEHICLE COMING INTO THE INTERSECTION FROM THE STREET I WAS TURNING INTO, AND THEN THE USUAL RETURN OF MY WHEELS TO STRAIGHT AHEAD DID NOT OCCUR AS EXPECTED, AND I HAD TO QUICKLY FORCE THE STEERING WHEEL BACK BEFORE I RAN UP OVER THE CURB ON MY RIGHT. LUCKILY THE CAR COMING INTO THE INTERSECTION HAD BEEN FAR ENOUGH BACK FROM THE INTERSECTION THAT WE DID NOT COLLIDE, AND IF I HAD NOT FORCED THE STEERING WHEEL BACK AT THE END OF THE TURN I MAY HAVE HIT PEDESTRIANS ON THE SIDEWALK. UPON INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM WITH A MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE INCIDENT (YESTERDAY AFTERNOON) AND AT ONLINE FORUMS, THE MOST LIKELY CAUSE SEEMED TO BE THE U-JOINT ON THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN DOWN JUST BEFORE THE STEERING GEAR, JUST INSIDE THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL. PER SOME ONLINE FORUM ADVICE, I USED PENETRATING OIL ON THAT U-JOINT TO LOOSEN IT, WITH GOOD RESULTS (STIFFNESS IS NOW GONE). BUT THIS SEEMS MOST LIKELY TO BE A TEMPORARY FIX. I DOUBT THAT LOOSENING THE U-JOINT TODAY WILL KEEP IT FROM A REPEAT PERFORMANCE AT SOME UNKNOWN AND UNPREDICTABLE TIME. CLEARLY THIS COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS, AND PER ONLINE FORUMS, IT HAS APPARENTLY BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE FOR A WHILE. THERE ARE NO GREASE FITTINGS ON THE U-JOINT, SO THERE IS NO WAY TO PUT A MORE PERMANENT LUBRICANT (GREASE) INTO THE BEARINGS OF THE U-JOINT. ALSO, THE U-JOINT IN QUESTION IS NOT PROTECTED BY A RUBBER BOOT, AND IS COMPLETELY EXPOSED TO ALL THE WATER, DIRT, AND SALT THAT SPLASHES UP WHILE DRIVING. OTHERS HAVE NOTED THAT SPRAYING WITH PENETRATING OIL OR THE LIKE IS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX, AND THE STIFF STEERING PROBLEM RETURNS AFTER A TIME, MAKING AN ACCIDENT MUCH MORE LIKELY.