2002 TOYOTA PRIUS Steering Problems

TLA*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, SUDDENLY, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY WITH EXCESSIVE VIBRATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE STEERING MECHANISM CHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTION. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER FORCED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT AS A RESULT OF THE WHEEL UNLOCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESUME TO NORMAL OPERATION. AT THIS TIME THE VEHICLE IS NOT BEING DRIVEN DUE TO THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 03/01/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLD, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE SHAKING WOULD STOP WHEN THE WHEEL WAS STRAIGHTENED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE COMPUTER CHIP....

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 65 MPH, THE EMERGENCY AND POWER STEERING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE POWER STEERING WOULD LOCK AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OFF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED, THE WARNING INDICATORS WOULD NO LONGER ILLUMINATE; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A LOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS; THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH THE LIABILITY OF THE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 96,000. UPDATED 3/16/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WAS AN OCCASSIONAL SHIMMY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. UPDATED 03/19/09.*JB

WHILE ON A TRIP AND AFTER START UP ON A COLD MORNING, I LEFT THE HOTEL PARKING LOT AND WAS PROCEEDING TO THE ON RAMP FOR THE INTERSTATE. WHILE I WAS TURNING LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY FOR 3-4 SECONDS BEFORE IT SUBSIDED. I NOTICED THIS SHUTTERING OR STIFFNESS A FEW MORE TIMES BEFORE WE RETURNED FROM OUR TRIP. AFTER RETURNING HOME, WE TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER. THEY CHECKED IT OUT AND STATED, "CHECKED TO FIND POWER STEERING RACK & PINION GEAR IS CAUSING PROBLEM EST $2160.85. WOULD NEED TO ORDER PART # 44200-49055." *TR

ON COLD DAYS WHEN THE CAR IS FIRST STARTED THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES UNCONTROLLABLY WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE. THE CAR HAS TO BE TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED TO GET IT TO STOP. THIS CONTINUES WHEN RESTARTED. THE CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN DUE TO THIS SHAKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL. *TR

2002 TOYOTA PRIUS, THIS CAR SUFFERS FROM AN INTERMITTENT STEERING SHAKE. WHAT HAPPENS: OFTEN AT PARKING LOT SPEEDS AND SOME TIMES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE STEERING PULSES VIOLENTLY AND STEERING CONTROL IS TEMPORARILY LOST. *TR

INTERMITTENT SEVERE STEERING WHEEL MOVEMENT AT LOW SPEED AND STEERING FAILURE WHICH ILLUMINATED THE PS FAILURE LIGHT. STEERING WAS DIFFICULT AFTER FAILURE. SYSTEM RESET AFTER IGNITION TURNED OFF. STILL HAVE SEVERE WHEEL VIBRATION. TOYOTA DEALERS STATE AN INTERNAL FAILURE IN THE RACK AND PINION.

JUST WANTED TO ALERT YOU THAT THERE MAY BE A POTENTIAL DEFECT WITH THE TORQUE SENSOR, WHICH AFFECTS THE POWER STEERING. I RECENTLY ENCOUNTERED THIS IN MY 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS WITH 43,000+ MILES ON THE VEHICLE.*AK \ BASICALLY, THERE ARE NO PRECEDING SYMPTOMS BEFORE THE POWER STEERING FAILS. UPON FAILURE, THE PRIUS CENTRAL COLOR TOUCHSCREEN LCD DISPLAY SHOWS THREE ICONS, WITH THE "PS" ICON IN RED. YOU WILL ALSO SEE AN EXCLAMATION POINT ICON LIT ON THE GREEN LCD DISPLAY NEXT TO THE SPEEDOMETER. AT WHICH POINT, YOU HAVE NO POWER STEERING AND THE CAR WILL BE HARD TO STEER. \ WHEN THIS OCCURS, THERE MAY BE A TEMPORARY FIX, WHICH WORKED FOR ME. PULL OVER TO A SAFE AREA AND TURN OFF THE CAR. WAIT 30 SECONDS, AND THEN TURN ON THE CAR. YOU HAVE EFFECTIVELY REBOOTED THE PRIUS COMPUTER SYSTEM WITH THE TORQUE SENSOR, AND THE POWER STEERING...