2003 Toyota Prius steering problems

“The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the steering wheel began to vibrate with an unknown message displayed on the instrument panel. As the failure persisted, the message disappeared, and the contact was able to drive to her destination. Upon restart of the vehicle, the contact received a do not drive message on the instrument panel with the steering wheel vibrating. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a defective steering sensor. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V304000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred her to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 176,000.”

“IT'S MOSTLY WHEN I'M TURNING RIGHT THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT WILL COME AND THERE WILL BE NO POWER STEERING. I HAVE SEE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. SOMETIMES AS I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY OR JUST AS I'M STARTING TO DRIVE”

“WE PURCHASED A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS IN JUNE OF 2018. IT HAS APPROXIMATELY 140,000 MILES ON IT. WHEN THE WEATHER STARTED GETTING COLDER IN OCTOBER OF 2018, THE CAR EXHIBITED THE FOLLOWING PROBLEM: CAR STEERING WHEEL SHAKES VIOLENTLY FOR SEVERAL SECONDS WHILE EXITING THE DRIVEWAY USUALLY AS WE ARE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN THE SHAKING OCCURRED AND IT WAS OFTEN AFTER MAKING A TURN AND/OR STRAIGHTENING THE STEERING WHEEL. IN ORDER TO STOP THE SHAKING, THE CAR HAS TO BE STOPPED. WE HAVE DONE SOME SEARCHES ONLINE AND IT APPEARS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON FOR THE 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. HOWEVER, WE CALLED 3 DEALERS AND THEY ALL SAY THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT AND THEY HAVE TO SEE THE CAR AS IT IS SHAKING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ISSUE. SINCE THE WEATHER IS NOW WARMER, IT IS UNLIKELY IT WILL OCCUR UNLESS WE GET A COLD MORNING. WE CANNOT LEAVE THE CAR AT A DEALERSHIP INDEFINITELY. WE WERE PLANNING A TRIP TO IDAHO AND ARE AFRAID TO HAVE THE CAR ON THE ROAD BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT? SHOULD WE CONTACT TOYOTA DIRECTLY?”

“THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES INTERMITTENTLY; THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES WHEN BACKING OUT OF THE GARAGE TURNING INTO THE "TURN-AROUND" SPOT, IT HAS ALSO HAPPENED WHILE TURNING INTO MY DRIVEWAY. MOSTLY AT SLOW SPEEDS, THERE IS A NOISE, GRINDING TYPE, COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE DEALER SAID THE BRAKES COULD BE DOING IT, SO THEY REPLACED THE FRONT PADS AND RE-SURFACED THE ROTORS, (AFTER THE $175) THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. WHEN I PUT MY VIN INTO THE NHTSA WEBSITE, THEY TELL ME THERE IS NO RECALL BUT ON .NHTSA.GOV/RECALLS#VEHICLE IT IS INCLUDED, BY YEAR AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN MADE BEFORE 12-31-2002 BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE GOT IT. MOST RECENTLY ON 02/27/2017, BUT HAS BEEN GOING SINCE NOV. OF 2016”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE FOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V304000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK INTENSELY. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V304000 (STEERING), BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000.”