NHTSA complaint: 1999 TOYOTA TACOMA — STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A KNOWN RESIDENTIAL AREA NEAR MY HOME AND APPROACHING A SLIGHT S-CURVE IN THE ROAD, THE STEERING BEGAN TO NOT RESPOND AS EXPECTED. IT HAD WORKED PREVIOUSLY, LESS THAN A MINUTE BEFORE, MOVING THROUGH CURVES IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD. AS I APPROACHED THE S-CURVE I ATTEMPTED TO STEER TO THE RIGHT, AND MID-WAY THROUGH THE CURVE THE STEERING BECAME WEAKENED AND LESS RESPONSIVE. THIS CAUSED THE TRUCK TO CONTINUE IN A NEAR STRAIGHT LINE OF DIRECTION TOWARDS A YARD. TO COUNTER THIS LOSS OF CONTROL I RESPONDED BY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL MORE TOWARDS THE RIGHT UNTIL IT WAS LOCKED ALL THE WAY RIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE TRUCK WAS STILL NOT TURNING TOWARDS THE RIGHT, AND SENT ME ACROSS MY LANE AND OFF THE ROAD. ONCE MY LEFT-FRONT WHEEL WAS OFF THE ROAD, AND DUE TO IT BEING TURNED TOWARDS THE RIGHT IN FULL, MY TRUCK SWUNG IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE LEFT-FRONT WHEEL BACK ONTO THE ROADWAY. WITH THAT SUDDEN EMERGENCY SEEMING TO BE NEARLY UNDER CONTROL I REALIZED I WAS TRAVELING TOWARDS A PARKED CAR. I BEGAN TO STEER TO THE LEFT AROUND THE NEXT CURVE AND FOUND MY STEERING WHEEL WAS STUCK TO THE RIGHT, AND WOULD NOT MOVE TO LEFT AS THOUGH IT WAS SOMEHOW LOCKED OR FROZEN INTO THAT POSITION. IN EXTREME PANIC I RIPPED THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT AS HARD AS POSSIBLE AND BROKE IT FREE OF IT'S LOCKED POSITION, ONLY TO FIND THE WHEEL SPINNING FREELY TO THE LEFT AND STILL ROLLING TOWARDS THE OTHER CAR. ONCE THE WHEEL HAD SPUN TO THE LEFT COMPLETELY AND I WAS STILL GOING IN A FORWARD DIRECTIO
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation