Steering Bolt Recall

Paraphrasing Bret Maverick: If you can't trust your Toyota dealer (banker in the 1960's TV program), Who can you trust?

JeffD

ps: If you have an accident traceable to a steering issue you would have a solid lawsuit.

 

When I drive down the highway lately my steering wheel is turned 6 degrees to the left even though the car is tracking straight down the road... Tire wear seems fine, alignment seems ok... Is this problem likely related to the recall? Or is it something else?

 

I share your skepticism. Take a look at the bolt and see if it looks clean and new. Parts on a 2006 shouldn't look shiny new unless they have been replaced. I doubt they would bother wiping the old bolt off if they didn't replace it, but they might have.

 

^^^
Does Safety Recall C0T duplicate Service Campaign 60C? | PriusChat may prove useful.

 

i would try another dealer next time. not sure how you can confirm the repair. i suppose if they were inclined to lie, they would have said they replaced everything.

 

When they replace the shaft. They drive it to see of they got the alignment right.

Either your guy didn't bother checking himself or he did it wrong.

Alan.. Sent with Tapatalk 2

 

There are 2 scenarios.
1. Where the bolt goes into the shaft if it's recessed the whole shaft needs replaced.
2. If it's not recessed, all they need to replace is the bolt. The shaft is good composite and not under recall.

Alan.. Sent with Tapatalk 2

 

I haven't got the recall done yet, this is something that I just noticed recently... Is this problem related to the recall or is it likely something else?

 

The recall has to do with the shaft composite being weak "if you have the wrong lot" and is vulnerable to breaking under extreme stress.
If your needs replacing they should fix your steering at the same time, if only your bolt needs replaced they can probably adjust it for you with little or no charge.
It's just a matter of slipping it out of the yoke, turning it a bit and putting it back in.

Hopefully yours needs replaced.
Makes me wonder if the gear slipped?

Alan.. Sent with Tapatalk 2

 

So weird, I had a very similar problem with my last car, a 92 Subaru... I guess my steering wheel karma turns to left for some reason?

 

Your tie rods get adjusted when you get out of align "or if you hit something", at any rate, when the guy does the alignment he must make sure the steering wheel is straight and then make equal adjustments to each tie Rod.

If he brings the tire into alignment by only adjusting one, it will turn the steering wheel.

Alan.. Sent with Tapatalk 2

 

A week ago my daughter who 'inherited' the Prius called me and said there was a problem with the steering.
Started a video call and the steering is completely gone with no connection to the front wheels at all.
She had just pulled off the freeway into a gas station and as she pulled onto the pub the car went straight but it was at very slow speed this was the least bad outcome in this scenario.
Toyota claim the recall work was completed in 2016 or 2013 (two different stories from two different 'brand engagement specialists')
If this work was actually performed and the incident happened again - should they redo the work or is this now 'wear and tear' at 10 or 7 years since the work was done.
I have been driving for 50 years and never had steering 'wear and tear' issue.
Any ideas - as I am not sure I should spent close to $2000 to fix this issue on such an old car

 

I had a steering wheel repair originally done at my expense twice, but when the second steering recall (there were two separate recalls) occurred, I discussed it with customer service several times and after submitting a bunch of paperwork, they refunded much of my expenses. It may be worthwhile to raise this issue with customer service, especially since it was a dangerous failure.

JeffD

 

The symptoms for this problem before it gets bad is uneven tire wear and that you can grab a front wheel and shake it left to right and it's a tiny bit loose. Your symptoms sound like full blown failure and might not be related to this recall... I've always noticed how employees at the wrecking yard are quick to pull off Gen2 steering racks for resale, so you aren't the only Prius that didn't get the recall done before it expired and it was as easy as adding some bolts. If I were you I'd find a local mechanic with more reasonable rates than a Toyota Stealership to see if there's a repair they can do without replacing the rack and buying a used rather than new rack if it has to be replaced.