NHTSA complaint: 2007 TOYOTA COROLLA MATRIX — STEERING
I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 70MPH ALONG THE BEELINE HIGHWAY OUTSIDE OF PHOENIX AZ AND NEGOTIATING A GENTLE CURVE IN THE ROAD. IT WAS ABOUT 1:30PM ON A CLEAR DAY. I FELT A STRONG LURCH (THOUGHT I HAD BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND ALTHOUGH I KNEW THERE WERE NO CARS AROUND ME) ALMOST IMMEDIATELY I ATTEMPTED TO STRAIGHTEN THE WHEEL AND FOUND MYSELF UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CAR MOUNTED THE MEDIAN ROAD DIVIDER, CAME DOWN, SPUN 360 DEGREES AND GENTLY DRIFTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WAS NOT INJURED BUT THE CAR WAS TOTALED. I LOOKED ON LINE AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND DID FIND SOME ACCOUNTS OF THIS KIND OF FROZEN WHEEL SCENARIO WITH THE LURCH THAT I FELT BUT ALSO AT MUCH LOWER SPEEDS. AS I UNDERSTAND YOU KEEP STATISTICS ON VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONS I FEEL IT IMPORTANT TO REPORT THIS UNUSUAL ACCIDENT TO YOUR AGENCY.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation