# 2008 TOYOTA RAV4 — STEERING
> NHTSA complaint `763818` · 2010-02-17 · Toyota Motor Corporation
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** Yes
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** TOYOTA
- **Model:** RAV4
- **Year:** 2008
- **Manufacturer:** Toyota Motor Corporation
- **Component:** STEERING
- **Miles at failure:** 17,000
- **Speed:** 20 mph
## Narrative
I WAS DRIVING IN A SNOW STORM AT APPROXIMATELY 20MILES/HR.THE ROAD HAD NOT BEEN PLOWED RECENTLY, SO THERE WAS SOME SNOW THAT HAD ACCUMULATED, BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY PASSABLE AND I WAS DRIVING A 4 WHEEL,TOYOTA, RAV 4, 2008, IN EXCELLENT UPKEEP. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT, WHEN I TRIED TO SLOWLY CORRECT THE DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WOULD NOT WORK. I COULD NOT MOVE THE WHEEL, THE BRAKSE DID NOT WORK, EVERYTHING IN THE CAR FROZE. I WAS HELPLESS AND HAD TO WATCH AS THE CAR SLOWLY DROVE ITSELF OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO A DEEP DITCH. HALF WAY THROUGH THIS HARROWING TIME SPAN A BEEPING NOISE CAME ON(THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM?), BUT ONLY AFTER THE CAR WAS INCAPACITATED FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE MINUTES. I WAS ON A STRAIGHT AWAY AND THERE WERE NO HILLS AT THIS LOCATION. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 300+ FEET, AS EVIDENCED BY THE TRACK MARKS LEFT IN THE SNOW. LUCKILY  THE DITCH WAS FILLED WITH SNOW, SO I DID NOT CRASH INTO A TREE OR ROLL OVER.  THE SNOWPACK STOPPED THE CAR AND IT ENDED UP TILTED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE, BURIED ALMOST TO THE TOP OF THE PASSENGER WINDOW. WHEN I TRIED TO OPEN THE RIGHT WINDOW TO CRAWL OUT, IT WAS INOPERABLE. I WAS TOWED OUT OF THE DITCH AND BECAUSE OF THE SOFT SNOW COVER THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR.    I HAVE ALSO HAD 1 OTHER STEERING PROBLEM WITH THE CAR WHEN IT DID NOT RESPOND AS EXPECTED(ALTHOUGH THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT FROZEN) AND I SUBSEQUENTLY SIDE SWIPED A CAR I WAS PASSING WHILE DRIVING IN A PA
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*