2005 Toyota Camry steering problems

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The contact owns a 2005 Toyota Camry. The contact’s brother performed brake repair on the vehicle and added Prestone DOT 3 brake fluid to the brake reservoir. The contact stated that several days later, while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the brakes locked up and the vehicle failed to move. The vehicle was taken to the brother’s residence by her brother while driving and depressing the accelerator and brake pedal simultaneously. The contact’s brother flushed the brake lines however, the failure persisted. The contact’s brother became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24E101000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Steering) from the NHTSA.gov website. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was cross contamination of the braking system and the entire braking system needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA complaint #11678790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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TAKATA RECALL, MY POWER STEERING HAS BEEN LEAKING. 05/2018 I NOTICED IT WHEN I WAS PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, I REVERSED OUT AND STARTED TO TURN A LITTLE BIT AND IT STARTED TO MADE A GRINDING NOISE AND KIND OF HARD TO TURN.(2) TAKATA RECALL MY CAR IS OVERHEATNG AS I WAS PULLING INTO A DRIVEWAY I STOPPED PUT IT IN NEUTRAL PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SAT THERE FOR 3 MINUTES AND THE DIAL WENT TO EXTREMELY HOT, I TURNED IT OFF IMMEDIATELY. EVER SINCE THEN IT DRIVES HOTTER THAN USUAL NOT AS HOT AS IT WAS THAT DAY AND I CAN SMELL BURNT RUBBER WHEN I'M DRIVING OR BURNT SOMETHING I'M NOT GETTING GOOD GAS MILEAGE IT IDLES ROUGH AFTER IT'S BEEN WARMED

NHTSA complaint #11111315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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STEERING WHEEL MAKING KNOCKING NOISE WHILE TURNING. TOOK IT TO REPAIR SHOP , WAS TOLD MOST OF CAMRYS PRODUCED IN THAT YEAR RANGE ARE AFFECTED AND HAVE SIMILAR NOISE. NOISE IS THERE WHETHER IN MOTION OR STATIONARY.

NHTSA complaint #11066034 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 203,000.

NHTSA complaint #10928252 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A NEW TENSIONER PULLER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,000.

NHTSA complaint #10904285 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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MY SERPENTINE BELT RECENTLY STARTED SQUEALING, SO I BOUGHT A NEW ONE AND CHANGED IT MYSELF. UPON CHANGING IT, I REALIZED THAT MY CRANKSHAFT PULLEY HAD CHUNKS OF RUBBER THAT HAD COME OFF OF IT, AND IT SEEMED TO BE MAKING THE BELT RUB ON THE SIDE OF THE ENGINE BLOCK ON ONE OF THE TENSION PULLEY'S. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND THAT IN 2011, TOYOTA HAD RECALLED 402,000 VEHICLES BECAUSE OF A FAULTY CRANKSHAFT PULLEY, THAT CAUSED POWER STEERING TO GO OUT, AND CAUSE ACCIDENTS. HOWEVER, IN CALLING TOYOTA, THEY STATE THERE ARE NO OPEN RECALLS ON 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY'S, EVEN THOUGH THE WEBSITE THAT I FOUND INCLUDED 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY'S IN THEIR RECALL LIST. EVEN NOW WITH A NEW BELT ON, THE BELT IS JUMPING BACK AND FORTH ON THE TENSION PULLEY CAUSING THE CAR TO HAVE A "JITTERY" FEEL WHILE IDLING. I FEEL IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS BELT IS RUINED AS WELL. I'M NOT SURE HOW CERTAIN MODELS OF TOYOTA CAMRY'S IN 2005 WOULD'VE HAD A DIFFERENT CRANKSHAFT PULLEY, THAT HAPPENS TO BE DOING THE SAME THING THAT MINE IS DOING NOW (RUBBER SEPERATING FROM THE METAL), YET THEY WERE RECALLED AND MINE WAS NOT.

NHTSA complaint #10872978 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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A YEAR AGO IN MAY OF 2015, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER TOYOTA CAMRY WHEN THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY WENT OUT ON HER WHILE DRIVING AND ALMOST CAUSED HER TO CRASH. WE BROUGHT IT TO A MECHANIC WHO WAS MYSTIFIED, HE SAID HE'D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE, IN HIS WORDS, "IT LOOKS LIKE THE PULLEY BENT ON IT'S OWN AND THEN THE BELT CAME OFF." HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD CAUSED THE PULLEY TO GET OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND CHARGED ME ALMOST $500 TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE. NEARLY A YEAR LATER, I'M INVESTIGATING BRAKE ISSUES WITH CAMRYS AND I CAME ACROSS THIS RECALL WHICH DESCRIBES PERFECTLY WHAT THE MECHANIC COULDN'T FIGURE OUT. WHY WAS I NEVER INFORMED OF THIS RECALL? MY CAMRY IS A 2005, IT CLEARLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED. TOYOTA'S NEGLIGENCE ON THIS COULD HAVE COST MY WIFE HER LIFE IF SHE HADN'T NARROWLY AVOIDED THE CRASH THE FAILURE OF HER POWER STEERING ALMOST CAUSED. THIS COULD HAVE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED BY TOYOTA LONG BEFORE THE INCIDENT OCCURED THROUGH THE RECALL. I WANT THE COST OF MY REPAIRS REFUNDED BY TOYOTA AND ANY ADDITIONAL REPAIRS TO GET IT UP TO THE STANDARDS OF THE RECALL PAID BY THEM.

NHTSA complaint #10860224 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AND MAKING A TURN TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT, THE STEERING COLUMN MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS GETTING LOUDER AND MORE FREQUENT. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

NHTSA complaint #10705913 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT ABOUT 35MPH WHEN ROUGH, SOMEWHAT GRINDING NOISES CAME FROM UNDER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR HOOD OF THE 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY. THESE NOISES CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN I HAD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AND ATTEMPTED TO PROCEED, I FOUND I COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS INOPERABLE BUT WHEN I EXERTED GREAT EFFORT, THE WHEEL DID TURN. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO TURN A CORNER AND MOVE INTO A PUBLIC PARKING LOT. AGAIN WITH GREAT STEERING DIFFICULTY AND NOISE FROM BELOW THE CAR HOOD, I DROVE THE CAR ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE TO MY HOME AND THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE CENTER. *TR UPDATED 4/14/16

NHTSA complaint #10690484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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UPON HAVING THE VEHICLE SERVICED ON JULY 30 TH 2014 ON OUR WAY TO LAS VEGAS TO SURPRISE MY FATHER IN LAW FOR 90 YEARS YOUNG I WAS INFORMED BY THE GOOD YEAR SERVICE TECHNICIAN THAT WHAT HE WAS ABOUT TO SHOW ME WAS RECALED 2005 9 YEARS AGO! RACK AND PINION STEERING LEAKAGE AND OTHER KNOWN STEERING PROBLEMS. BEING A MECHANIC ALL MY ENTIRE WORKING AND MILITARY LIFE US NAVY .THERES NOT ALLOT OF MECHANICS I DON'T KNOW. FROM THE LEAKY BOOT AND STEERING PLAY THIS WAS A MESS. WHY DIDN'T TOYOTA INFORM ME OF THIS RECALL?. I WILL HOW EVER BRING MY VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALER TO LET THEM SEE FOR THEM SELVES THAT THE PROBLEM IS REAL.AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED 9 YEARS AGO!. ITS ALREADY BEEN RECALLED AND THEY SHOULD HONOR THE PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10621144 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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STARTED NOTICING A WORSENING CLICK IN THE STEERING WHEEL UNTIL TURNED INTO A BIG CLUNK. THE WORK COST ME $2000 THROUGH A PRIVATE MECHANIC. I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND MADE A BIG STINK BECAUSE THE CAR WAS UNDER 60K BUT OVER 5 YEARS OLD. BUT THE CAR WAS ALREADY TAKEN APART AND I NEEDED TO GET IT ON THE ROAD FOR WORK.

NHTSA complaint #10617939 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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THIS INFORMATION IS IN ADDITION TO ODI 10617939 SUBMITTED EARLIER TODAY. THE RACK AND PINION INSTALLED AT 50946 MILES FAILED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE PART AND I WAS CHARGED ANOTHER $450 FOR LABOR PLUS INCIDENTALS. WITHIN 4 MONTHS OF THE REPLACEMENT, CLICKING SYMPTOMS SLOWLY RETURNED IN THE STEERING. I'VE ONLY PUT ANOTHER 12K ON THE CAR SINCE 2011 AND WILL RIDE IT OUT UNTIL THE CLICK TURNS BACK INTO A CLUNK.

NHTSA complaint #10617976 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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PURCHASED THE CAR ON JULY 17, 2013 IN WHICH I FELT A SHAKING IN THE WHEEL AND A SEVER RATTLE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS ASSURED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE CAR NEEDED NEW TIRES AND A BALANCE. (THE TIRES WERE BAD-DEALERSHIP WAS SELLING AS IS) PURCHASED NEW TIRES AND HAD THEM BALANCED IN WHICH THE CAR CONTINUES TO SHAKE AND RATTLE IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAVE TAKEN IT IN TO MANY SHOPS AND THEY THINK THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT MAY BE WEARING. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS EXTREMELY RARE AND WITH THE MILEAGE IT SHOULDN'T BE WEARING.

NHTSA complaint #10605544 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED HE HEARD A KNOCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER STATED THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT ALERTED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,207.

NHTSA complaint #10569395 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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2005 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO HEARING NOISE FROM REAR DRIVERS SIDE OF VEHICLE AND DEALERSHIP MECHANIC REPAIRED BROKEN STRUT BUT NOISE CONTINUED. *SMD WHEN THE CONSUMER RETURNED TO THE DEALER, AND INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THE STRUT WAS BROKEN. THE CONSUMER CONTINUED TO HEAR THE NOISE, SO HE RETURNED TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. THE CONSUMER DID NOT BELIEVE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT.

NHTSA complaint #10563079 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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WHEN I TOOK MY CAR FOR A TEST RIDE AT DEALER I NOTICED THAT THE WHEEL SHOOK AND TOLD THE SALESMAN IT NEEDED TO BE FIXED IF I PURCHASED THE CAR, HE WAS CERTAIN IT WAS JUST A TIRE BALANCING ISSUE AND IT WOULDN'T COST MUCH TO FIX. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE CAR TO LESS SCHWAB WHO COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT COULD POSSIBLE BE WRONG SO WE PUT NEW TIRES ON, STILL SHOOK, THEN HAD WHEELS BALANCED AND ALIGNED SEVERAL TIMES IN FIRST WEEK OF HAVING CAR, THEN REPLACED MOTOR MOUNTS, THEN STRUTS, STILL SHOOK, THEN REPLACED BRAKE PADS, ROTORS, YUP STILL SHAKES. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY STILL SWEAR IT'S JUST A BALANCING ISSUE SO THEY BALANCED THE TIRES, CAR STILL SHAKES VIOLENTLY. I HAVE NOW OWNED THIS CAR FOR 1 YR AND TRIED EVERYTHING POSSIBLE, NOW I FIND OUT IT MAY BE THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS CAR I HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND I'M AFRAID THIS ISSUE MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA complaint #10562777 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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A CONSISTENT GRINDING/KNOCKING/CLUNKING SOUND STARTED COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE STEERING AT LOW SPEEDS (0-30 MPH). ALSO, THE STEERING WHEEL FELT LOOSER THAN NORMAL AT ALL SPEEDS (0-65MPH). THE SERVICE ADVISER AT THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME THAT THIS WAS A COMMON ISSUE WITH A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY, AND THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, I HAD TO COVER THE ~$660 COST. A GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALS SEVERAL SIMILAR ISSUES WITH OTHER LATE MODEL CAMRYS. TOYOTA HAS A TSB T-SB-0296-08 TO "GREASE" THE STEERING SHAFT FOR THE NOISE. HOWEVER, BOTH THE DEALERSHIP, AS WELL AS A GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALED THAT THE GREASE FIX WOULD BE TEMPORARY, AND DOES NOT LAST. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE NEWER REPLACEMENT STEERING SHAFTS ARE BETTER DESIGNED, ARE COMPLETELY SEALED, AND CANNOT BE GREASED. SINCE A TSB IS OUT, IT LOOKS LIKE TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS SAFETY ISSUE. HOWEVER, NO RECALL HAS BEEN MADE.

NHTSA complaint #10558427 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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CAR MAKES A CLUNK SOUND WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL OR WHEN YOU GO OVER BUMPS. THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT IS NOT GOOD. THAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON 2002-2006 TOYOTA CAMRYS.

NHTSA complaint #10550692 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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AT INSPECTION, THE POWER STEERING UNIT WAS LEAKING AND WAS VERY LOW ON FLUID. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT BOTH TOYOTA AND THE DEALER CLAIM THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A RECALL? YET I FOUND ON THE NET THAT THERE WAS A RECALL. AS USUAL TOYOTA IS TRYING TO GET OUT OF FIXING A KNOWN PROBLEM UNTIL SOMEONE IS KILLED!

NHTSA complaint #10526380 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT IT HAD A FEW STEERING ISSUES. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HAD THEM REPLACE THE FRONT TIE ROD END AND WAS STILL NOTICING THE CLICK/CLUNK IN THE STEERING AS I WOULD TURN. I THEN TOOK IT TO TOYOTA TO HAVE RECALLS PERFORMED THAT HAD NOT BEEN DONE BY THE PRIOR OWNER AND MENTIONED THIS TO THEM. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS VERY MINOR BUT THAT IT WAS THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AND I DIDN'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT. THEY PERFORMED THE RECALLS. I HAVE RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PART FAILING AND MOST ALL AGREE THAT THE UNIT IS FAULTY AND SOME HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS BY THEIR TOYOTA MECHANICS. I ALSO FOUND WHERE THE RECALL ON PRIUS AND COROLLA'S WERE FOR THE SAME THING. I TEND TO BELIEVE THAT THE RECALL MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED TO OTHER TOYOTA MODELS INCLUDING THE CAMRY. I SERIOUSLY AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY HOWEVER HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM IS MINOR.

NHTSA complaint #10492019 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 11V539000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING SHAFT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 125,000. UPDATED 02/27/12

NHTSA complaint #10447987 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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HEAR AND FEEL "CLUNKING" OR "KNOCKING" NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT.

NHTSA complaint #10446295 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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2005 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER EXPRESS DISCONTENT WITH VEHICLE REPAIRS AND REQUEST REIMBURSEMENT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WAS REPLACED, BECAUSE THERE WAS A NOISE EMANATING FROM THE VEHICLE, WHEN THE CONSUMER TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE PART FAILED WITH ONLY 33,103 MILES ON THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #10444269 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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TOYOTA DEALER COMPLETED A 90,000 MILE CHECK AND REPORTED A LEAK ON THE RACK AND PINION WITH NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AREA. DEALER QUOTED APPROXIMATELY $1900 TO REPAIR. A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION AND COMPLETED THE ALIGNMENT FOR APPROXIMATELY $900.

NHTSA complaint #10439996 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, THERE WAS SOME NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND SUDDENLY I LOST POWER STEERING AND LIGHTS FLASHED ON THE FRONT PANEL. I MANAGED HARD TO PULL OFF THE VEHICLE FROM THE HIGHWAY, IT WAS SO HARD MAKE TURNS TO THE RAMP. THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE STARTED TO FLUCTUATE. THERE WAS LITTLE SMOKING COME OUT, I HAD TO STOP THERE. IT WAS TURNED OUT THERE WAS A BELT FELL OUT AND MY ALTERNATOR EVENTUALLY DIED. MY CAR IS 4-CYLINDER, NOT 6.

NHTSA complaint #10438983 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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MY POWER STEERING COLUMN HAS A LEAK. IT WAS FOUND BY THE DEALERSHIP--CONVENIENTLY ONE YEAR OUT OF WARRANTY--THE COLUMN COSTS $1100-1300 TO FIX. I HAVE UNCOVERED MANY POSTINGS ONLINE OF TOYOTA OWNERS WITH POWER STEERING COLUMN PROBLEMS -- MANY -- AND I THINK THAT THIS MAY INDICATE A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT HAS GONE UNCHECKED.

NHTSA complaint #10434340 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.