NHTSA complaint: 2009 TOYOTA COROLLA — STEERING
THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE AN INTERMITTENT DELAY UPON START UP AND INTERMITTENT POWER STEERING "LOCK UP" WHEN MAKING SHARP TURNS. DURING THE POWER STEERING FAILURE THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO LOSE RADIO AND A/C AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS POWERING DOWN. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE LESS THAN A MONTH BEFORE THESE ISSUES. MY FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT IN FRONT OF ANOTHER VEHICLE LUCKILY, THE OTHER DRIVER WAS PAYING ATTENTION AND DID NOT HIT ME. ANOTHER INCIDENT HAPPENED ON AN EXIT OFF RAMP WHICH WAS A VERY SHARP CIRCULAR PORTION OF ROAD, THE POWER STEERING COMPLETELY WENT OUT AND I HAD TO "MUSCLE" THROUGH THE TURN, SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN WHICH ALMOST CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO ME GOING FROM USING ALL MY MIGHT TO TURN BACK TO THE VEHICLE WORKING PROPERLY. MY SERVICE DEALERSHIP RECALIBRATED STEERING TORQUE SENSOR AND FOUND TSB 0182-09 FOR HARD START CONDITION, REPROGRAMMED ENGINE COMPUTER AND ADDED FUEL TANK ADDITIVE PER BULLETIN INSTRUCTIONS. I DROVE THE VEHICLE A FEW DAYS UNTIL ONCE AGAIN MY CAR HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. TOOK MY VEHICLE BACK TO MY DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE AGAIN. SERVICE ORDER STATES; INSPECT STEERING OPERATION FOUND EPS WILL CUT OUT AND CAUSE RADIO, HEADLIGHTS TO CUT OUT. SCAN CHECK RECORD AND FLAG EVENTS. TEST AND RECHARGE BATTERY PASS. OPEN TECH LINE CASE REVIEW DATA. ZERO POINT AND MONITOR AGAIN PER TECH ASSIST FAILED AFTER 3 TURN. S/O POWER COLUMN ASSY. REPLACED POWER ST
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation