On dec 18, 2015, driving at about 20 MPH on a neighborhood street which curved left, the steering wheel on my 2002 prius began shaking violently. I lost control of the car and struck a large landscaping rock. The car had $2233 in damages to the right front bumper, fender, wheel and tie rod. There were no injuries. After repair, the mechanic could not replicate the shaking. Prior to the accident, the prius on rare occasion had brief episodes of steering wheel shaking, only while backing out of the driveway on cold mornings. In early jan 2016 the steering vibration occurred again while driving on neighborhood streets and could be stopped only by turning the car off. We ceased driving the car. I talked to our toyota dealer and were advised the probable cause was a defect in the electronic power steering system and to contact toyota. I communicated by phone, email and letter with toyota, provided a video of the shaking, and requested replacement of the power steering system. I got a case number and was scheduled for an inspection by toyota at the dealer. Toyota by letter on 3/22/16 stated 'we did not find any evidence that this incident was the result of any type of manufacturing or design defect.' when I picked up the vehicle, the violent steering shaking occurred in the dealer's parking lot and was witnessed by the technicians. This problem is well known to toyota. In 2011 we received both a safety recall notice to replace the eps pinion nuts and a notice of warranty extension until dec 2013 for problems related to unusual steering vibration. We had the eps pinion nuts replaced on 12/30/2011 under the safety recall. Many 2002 prius are still on the road. As evidenced by the warranty extension toyota knows about the power system flaws. My experience shows is dangerous to drive the car with these flaws. I request that toyota be required to fix this problem.
2002 Toyota Prius steering complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 80, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. While driving 55 MPH, the steering wheel vibrated uncontrollably and the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 00v285000 (steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure was intermittent. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. The contact stated that the steering wheel shook in very cold weather, but operated normally once the vehicle warmed up. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 140,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. The contact stated that when making turns or reversing at a slow speed, the steering wheel would shake violently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 147,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. While driving approximately 40 MPH and making a left turn, the steering wheel became difficult to turn without warning. The failure recurred on several occasions while turning left. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the rack and pinion failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 11v304000 (steering). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 197,000.
I was driving onto the freeway, turning right onto the ramp that circled into the southbound interstate when the a red hazard triangle popped up and the screen on my car stated ps error. The steering wheel locked for a bit but fortunately I was still able to steer. I got off on the next exit and was barely able to turn. I turned off the car and looked up the error code to find out it was power steering, I checked the fluids and everything was ok. Turned on the car and the ps error had disappeared, it drove normally the rest of the way home.
When in cold temperature the steering wheel will violently shake when making a turn at slow speeds.
In a model 2002 toyota prius with less than 60000 miles, while starting out from park going into reverse the electric power steering violently started shaking and pulled the steering wheel from the drivers hands. This caused a temporary warning/caution light that quickly went out. After the incident the problem became more frequent, happening while driving at any speed and while stopped. Eventually the problem caused the steering assist to fail completely. When toyota was contacted, they knew about the problem and said they had recalls on other year prius models for the same issue. They reported the gear rack electronic sensor fails and the rack must be replaced but unfortunately the 2002 wasn't under the recall. When asked why, nobody seemed to know.
Made a left turn out of my driveway after starting vehicle. Steering began to violently shudder and shake, causing temporary loss of control (my grip was lost on the wheel). I was able to grab the wheel more forcefully and regain control and complete the turn. Had this happened on an interstate ramp, I may not be here to file this complaint. According to the toyota national service registry, my vehicle has already received the service covered under the federal safety agency campaign 11v304000 which makes me very, very very nervous. Please contact me for further details.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. The contact stated that without warning, the steering shook violently when making a turn. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering rack and the nuts in the steering linkage needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the federal safety agency campaign number 11v304000 (steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 109,000.
Turned on car in cold weather (under 10degf). Started up and tried to turn right. Steering wheel shook very hard, fast, and loudly. Turned off car and restarted, did ok for one shallower turn. 50 feet later again tried to turn right and same thing happened. Let it shake for a few seconds then turned off car and restarted. Less than a minute after restart it happened again. After that left car off for a few hours. Restarted. Let car warm up for 2-3 minutes before moving. Drove straight out of driveway. Right turn 100ft later was ok. Problem did not recur on 30min drive. This is the second day I've had this problem. The first was a few weeks ago, also in very cold weather and also on a right turn when car was first started. So far I haven't had it happen on a left turn, but maybe that's just because I don't do one of those immediately on startup. I've never seen the problem if temps are above about 10 degrees f.
I was driving along the interstate I-75 returning from east ridge, tn, and the power steering light and warning lit-up on the screen panel. The steering wheel became very rigid while I was driving, and I had to clasp the steering wheel firmly to control the steering of the vehicle.
Violent shaking in steering wheel upon ignition; sporadic jerky steering; repeated loss of power steering at various speeds including highway speeds. This seems to the same phenomenon that was the subject of a safety recall of 2001 priuses. The recall should be broadened.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. The contact stated that the vehicle would shake abnormally when first started. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and serviced under the federal safety agency campaign number 11v304000 (steering), however the failure was not corrected. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 170,000.
I was exiting off (turning) the highway in exit 10 .270 md, when the steering wheel became really hard and a warning ps signal appeared, I had to pull over and after switching off the engine and back on. I continued driving.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. The contact stated that while attempting a right turn, the power steering assist failed and the steering wheel seized. The power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel as the failure occurred. The contact spoke with the manufacturer and was told that entire power steering and motor system needed to be replaced. The VIN was not available. The failure and the current mileages were 147,800.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. The contact stated that while driving various speeds, the power steering assist failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 11v304000 (steering). The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. The contact stated that immediately after starting the vehicle, the steering wheel would shake violently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the rack and pinion was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 58,000 and the current mileage was 68,000. *tr updated 04/30/13*lj the consumer stated when she attempted to make a turn, the steering wheel would shake violently. The dealer stated the the rack and pinion was defective and needed to be replaced. The consumer was quoted a price of $ 3,000.
Violent shaking of the steering wheel while stopped or at slow speeds. Particularly in the winter time, first thing in the morning. Stopping the vehicle and sometimes shutting off and back on will address the issue.
Toyota issued a recall in august 2011 on gen. 1 prius for a steering issue. We took the prius into local dealer and they replaced steering nuts per recall. Within a week after recall fix, we noticed a violent shake to the steering wheel during a cold morning start. It had never done that before the recall. We took the car in after it occurred again and were told that our rack and pinion was wore and needed to be replaced. During the recall work, the dealership did a complete inspection of the car and nothing unusual was noted. How did they do work on a rack and pinion and not notice wear on it then? We believe when they torqued the new nuts to the steering pinion, this created undo stress on the torque sensor and is why the afterwork shaking is occurring. Toyota needs to come clean and replace these racks free of charge for possible damage to alot of gen. 1 prius's when they did the nut recall. There is more of a safety issue now with the violent steering wheel shaking out of unsuspecting drivers than a nut that's going to break off. The federal safety agency, force them to do a recall now!!!!
The vehicle vibrate the steering wheel at low speed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. The contact stated that the steering shake violently while turning, reversing, or in drive. The steering had to be held with both hands to be able to keep the vehicle in lane. The steering would stop shaking whenever the accelerator pedal was released. The manufacturer advised that the vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number: 12v537000 (steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 37,000.
When driving on the freeway, after a 300 mile drive, a pothole was struck. The steering wheel vibrated forcefully from side to side for about a minute, then power steering failed. Steering was possible, but only with great physical effort. After the vehicle rested overnight, symptoms were not present.
I was turning left into a parking spot when the steering sounded and acted odd. The ps light came on. I brought it to a toyota dealer and had to replace the power steering gear mechanism at a cost of over $2600.00. I was told the recall on this was v.I.n. Specific and did not apply to mine. My concern is if this is the same issue that is addressed in the recall, and my car had the issue, why is it not taken care of by the company.
On cold days, when driving for the first time, the steering wheel will start shuddering back and forth violently and rapidly if I try to turn the vehicle. This occurs regardless of the road condition at speeds of less than 10 MPH. The shuddering stops only when I straighten out the wheel.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. The contact stated that there was a malfunction in the power steering system which caused the steering wheel to seize while driving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who replaced the angle sensor. The vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 11v304000 (steering:electric power assist system) prior to the failure. The manufacturer was notified and the contact filed a complaint. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 65,000. Updated 01/04/12*lj the vehicle was towed to the dealer who reinitialized the torqued angle sensor.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. The contact stated that upon starting, the vehicle jerked forward. In addition, while attempting to stop at a stop sign, the contact depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle hesitated to stop. The failure occurred on an intermittent basis. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and an authorized dealer for diagnostics. The technicians were unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 33,000. .. Updated 09/15/11 *bf the consumer stated he/she took the vehicle to the dealer auto shop on august 2, 2011 for the replacement of the electric power steering pinion shaft nuts. They adjusted the gear, accelerator and steering. However, the problem still exists. The vehicle accelerates and moves forward as soon as the consumer starts it. Updated 10/03/11
Day leading up to incident, steering wheel would pull to right very easily or while rolling, but could be pulled back to center without issue. On day of incident, backed car out of parking space and a clunking sound was made under car. Steering wheel would then only turn about a quarter turn and would not turn the wheels at all. We had the car towed to the dealer who determined that the steering rack was bad and the spiral cable which provided power to the airbag was bad as well. This was a very disturbing finding for us as we could've been driving the car on the interstate at interstate speeds when the steering broke. Additionally, the airbag would not have gone off if we had gotten into a crash. Dealership and toyota were contacted regarding warranty replacement of both items. Dealership and toyota refused to provide any warranty or discount to correct the issues. Had the car towed home. Ordered used steering rack and spiral cable and installed them myself. Car is functioning now, but I have concern that the same thing will happen again. I still have the bad steering rack and bad spiral cable.
I have a 2002 toyota prius with 140k miles on it. The steering wheel started to shake violently last fall when I put the car in reverse. It now does this at low speeds, particularly around corners and is becoming an increasing problem at higher speeds. The power steering cut out on the freeway at 70 miles per hour last week. That convinced me I need to get a new car. I tried to trade it in at a local toyota dealer last summer and couldn't understand why they wouldn't give me more than $2.5k for it as I had paid $15k for it 2.5 years earlier. Admittedly, I had been t-boned and a lot of work had been done on the car, but my dealer had it fixed it to where you wouldn't know it was in an accident unless it was pointed out. I researched the problems online and found this is a well -known design problem with the cars steering rack. I can't sell it to anyone as is. I'm stuck with having to do a $3k repair to a car that's worth less than that to its dealership. It scares me to drive it. They only made 26k of these cars. Does every one have this problem? I spoke with toyota and they said they did offer an extended warranty repair on this, but since my car had >100k, the burden would be mine. They should be willing to resolve this design flaw. What is my recourse? Again, I am afraid to drive it as I don't know what will happen.
Steering wheel, uncontrollable shudder, will literally rip itself out of your hand or grip. Usually happens during the first of the day when it's relatively cold. While slowly moving the vehicle, the steering wheel will start to vibrate violently, in an un controllable manner. Sometimes the power steering will just error out while driving down the street during the day, loosing all power steering as well.
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