Problems with 2002 Toyota Prius STEERING

I was driving on the highway and felt a jerking at my steering wheel a few months back, i thought ok maybe the steering wheel loose or something, i was going around 65 mph. fast forward to two weeks ago and the steering wheel completely locks up on me driving to a dr appointment i had to go to. i was going around 30 mph in traffic the steering locked up and the triangle illuminated on my navigation screen and the dreaded trouble sign appeared. once this appeared on my screen the steering wheel felt like it had no power steering. at first i thought, i need to check the power steering fluid, i researched and realized this prius is completely electric power steering. so i arrived at my doctors and turned the car off, when i came back and turned it back on to my amazement the light turned off and the power steering was back. then the week after same problem happened, but i didn't have my obd 2 reader with me, so again i shut off the car and the problem went away. i started to do research and realized this is a serious common problem with the electric power steering, the computer chip that controls the steering malfunctions and needs to be replaced, so i came here to check if any recalls on my vehicle and there is not. the same problem happened again today, this time my girlfriend was driving and was going around 45, she said she almost crashed. this is a serious safety hazard and toyota appears to be behind the eight ball in this as i have read numberous forums of this malfunction, it's a wide spread problem and extremely costly to fix. this problem shouldn't fall onto the owners as it is the manufacturer's fault for not doing their due diligence and addressing this problem at the factory before mass producing and selling to consumers like i.

My steering wheel starts shaking violently when driving under 32 degrees outside and locks up the ability to steer which can be deadly on the highway which i don't drive much luckily and toyota has no open recalls even though i'm not the only one with this. i've has to hurt my hands wrestling with it to pull over which is dangerous on some roads!!!! very dangerous fault in a car this is the 1 part i rely on to save me! can't believe toyota won't fix it!!! also this happens a few times every week though out the entire winter! it happens when driving on winding road at 10-35 mph and sometimes happens when turning right or left! i need advice!

While driving on the freeway in stop and go traffic the steering wheel started to oscillate back and forth it subsided however a few min later as freeway speeds were approached the wheel tried turning hard left then vibrated center to left. if i had been unaware this would have resulted in hitting the center divider at freeway speeds. a brief research online shows this is not the first known issue.. this was very similar to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv-ul1pxj1u very disturbing situation to be in - at first the ps warning indicator came on then said problem solved only to happen again (less pull the 2nd time but still noticeable.)

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. the contact stated that the electric power steering failed without warning. also, the steering wheel veered to the right, which caused the contact to drive over a curb. the contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v304000 (steering); however, the vehicle exhibited the same failure as listed in the recall campaign. the dealer (larry h. miller liberty toyota colorado springs, 5115 new car dr, colorado springs, co 80923, (719) 419-5832) indicated that the vehicle was excluded from a warranty campaign and the steering gear and computer may need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. the failure mileage was not available. *as

When making a turn at slow speeds there is violent back and forth uncontrollable movement in the steering wheel. you have to bring the vehicle to a stop. the problem is your in the middle of a turn or intersection.very dangerous,there are no warnings when this occurs.

While driving lost of steering momentarily for several months but thought it was belt slippage. today (9/28/ 2018) total lost of steering. was able to get vehicle to side of road and shutoff ignition switch. started vehicle again and had normal steering control again. after reviewing recalls noticed that toyota had two voluntary recalls on same problem but have now removed them. what can be done for this problem. (xxxx) parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Vehicle's steering wheel begins to vibrate out of control when attempting turns. this violent shaking poses serious dangers to driver while making turns, and causes driver to pull off of road and completely turn car off. problem noticeable for approximately 1 month intermittently before problem began occurring without fail every single time vehicle was driven. when taken to toyota dealership in bloomington, in, mechanics said entire rack needed replacing, estimating a total much higher than value of car itself. no recall found for this problem, no paperwork provided to customer. once customer paid for diagnostic charges and took vehicle back, power steering warning lights are permanently enabled and steering assist is completely off, causing turning to continue to pose threat, although steering wheel does not vibrate, yet.

I have toyota prius 2002 i was driving yesterday the steering had been making like a rubber-squeak noise when turned to the right at low speeds.i was driving, and the wheel started to sort of pulse in my hands like it was gaining/losing power assist.about 10 minutes later, failed. big ps button on display, with the red triangle by the odometer. this morning i was driving the car when almost hate someone because a lost the control of the car and the steering was shaking.

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 nhtsa 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.

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.

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 nhtsa 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. *tr

When in cold temperature the steering wheel will violently shake when making a turn at slow speeds. *tr

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 nhtsa campaign 11v304000 which makes me very, very very nervous. please contact me for further details. *tr

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. *tr

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 nhtsa campaign number 11v304000 (steering). the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 109,000.

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. *tr

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. *tr

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.*jb

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. *tr

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 nhtsa campaign id number: 11v304000 (steering). the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000.

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. *tr

The vehicle vibrate the steering wheel at low speed. *tr

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 nhtsa campaign id number: 12v537000 (steering). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 37,000.

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.

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 nhtsa 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.

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. nhtsa, force them to do a recall now!!!! *tr

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. *tr

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. *tr

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. *tr

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. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. the contact was driving approximately 45 mph when the power steering warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering rack would need to be replaced. the dealer deemed as unsafe to drive. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

Repeated problems with steering, including uncontrollable vibration of steering wheel and loss of power steering. car has 39k miles. problem has recently grown worse, with complete loss of power steering and appearance of ps warning on computer screen during highway driving. problem is especially prevalent in cold weather. very dangerous. *tr

Steering wheel shakes violently for a few seconds then stops. up until yesterday it did this sporadically while backing and turning. yesterday, it did it during wet weather, 50 degrees fahrenheit, backing and turning. then it did it again while driving and turning in a parking garage. this was the first time it has ever done it going forward. this problem has been occurring for approx 8 years on and off. toyota dealership says they cannot reproduce problem. *tr

2002 toyota prius steering rack failure. approximately 2 weeks ago the steering in my prius became difficult to turn and pulsated when turning. the toyota dealer, where i had purchased the vehicle, inspected the car and informed me that the steering rack was failing and needed to be replaced at a cost of $3,000. after researching this on the internet i found that this is a problem inherent to these 1st generation prius models. i contacted toyota customer service and opened a case to see if toyota would offer any assistance in the repair of my car. online at owner forums regarding this problem there were many instances where toyota would repair the vehicle at no cost to the owner or at least offer some assistance with the cost. i was refused by toyota with any help of any kind. i believe that since toyota was aware of this defect during the 2001- 2003 model run and changed the steering rack for the 2004 redesign to eliminate this problem that there should be a recall to address this matter. i base this on the volume of cars experiencing this along with the fact that toyota had a special service campaign in place at one point that repaired these affected vehicles when customers experienced this problem. toyota is no longer running this repair campaign. *tr

1. recently, the steering started shaking violently periodically upon turning 2. the steering periodically shakes violently and it becomes difficult or impossible to steer the car 3. i contacted the dealer and the toyota executive offices and they "declined participation" updated ivoq 11/02/10 *tr

Severe shaking in steering of 2002 prius. also encounter loss of power steering for a short time 4 different times. taken to dealer 3 times !st two times i was told it just needed grease on the steering column. 3rd time was told it needed $3400 of working and that the car was dangerous to drive. car had approximately 107,000 miles the third time i took it in. after i contacted toyota corp. the dealer called to say he would work with me on the price, but i can not trust him to do the work. it has not been fixed yet i had ask the service manager if the car was safe to take on a long trip the 2nd time i took it in and he said yes. it was on the way back from the trip that i loss power steering driving on i95. thankfully i was able to control the vehicle until power steering resumed. *tr

The electronic power steering assembly malfunctions and stops providing assistance to the driver on a 2002 toyota prius, on one instance the gasoline motor stopped working and i was left driving at low speed with the assistance of the electric motor only. the latest incident occurred on may 31st, 2010 while driving at about 65 mph on a freeway, the car lost the power steering operation, multiple warning lights came on the screen, the gas motor shut down and the speed of the car dropped to around 23 mph. the accelerator pedal was responsive only in the range of 0~23 mph. i took the car to a service center and the service advisor told me the electric power steering module was defective and needed replacement. reviewing the service records for the cars i found that it presented the same symptoms once in 2006 and three times in 2008. the service center either cleaned a sensor or couldn't replicate the problem. the part was never replaced. while researching nhtsa site i found that toyota has file tsbs back in 2004 recognizing a problem with this particular component and in some cases extended the warranty on the part. i contacted toyota and they refuse to assist in the cost of the car repair. *tr

My 2002 toyota prius's electronic motor steering assembly stops working after approximately 1hr of driving at highway speeds. at 75 miles per hour, warning lights turn on and steering assist fails. steering the car from the road is incredibly difficult. after turning the car off and back on, the steering works once again. the car is not safe to drive as the steering fails unexpectedly at high speeds. the dealer states that the fix will cost $3200, which is over half of the vehicle's kelley blue book trade-in value. *tr

I complained to the dealer multiple times about shaking in the steering column. after several inspections where they found nothing, i told them to check the rack & pinion. they found that to be the cause. toyota paid for the new parts and i paid for the labor to get it replaced. less then 13 months later, i have had multiple incidents of my power steering going out making it very difficult to drive the car. the dealer acknowledged there is a problem, again, with the rack and says i need to replace it.

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. *tr

Steering wheel shakes violently when backing up and turning wheel. happens randomly. sometimes not for months. in january 2010 it happened three times in one week. toyota dealership is unresponsive saying they cannot duplicate the problem. *tr

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

Electronically-assisted power steering rack assembly defective on 2002 toyota prius, particularly vehicle id number [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tla*the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius. while driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, suddenly, the steering wheel began to shake violently with excessive vibration. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. the failure was contributed to the steering mechanism chip. the vehicle was not repaired for the malfunction. on a separate occasion the steering wheel locked without warning. the driver forced the steering wheel to the right as a result of the wheel unlocked. the vehicle was able to resume to normal operation. at this time the vehicle is not being driven due to the potential safety hazard. the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was unavailable. updated 03/01/10 *bf the consumer stated when the weather was cold, the steering wheel would shake violently. the shaking would stop when the wheel was straightened. the dealer informed the consumer there was a problem with the computer chip. updated 07/19/10*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota prius which was purchased in january 2002. he stated that there was excessive shaking in the steering wheel. while driving approximately 25 mph, a warning light illuminated indicating that there was a loss of power steering. intermittently the steering wheel becomes difficult to control while making right and left turns. a diagnostic test was performed and error codes indicated that the torque sensor failed. a dealer stated that the repair cost was approximately $2,000; although, there was a recall for the failure, nhtsa campaign id number: 00v285000, his vin was not included. the current and failure mileages were under 89,000. updated 04/05/10 *bf updated 05/05/10.*jb

While on a trip and after start up on a cold morning, i left the hotel parking lot and was proceeding to the on ramp for the interstate. while i was turning left, the steering wheel began to shake violently for 3-4 seconds before it subsided. i noticed this shuttering or stiffness a few more times before we returned from our trip. after returning home, we took it to a toyota dealer. they checked it out and stated, "checked to find power steering rack & pinion gear is causing problem est $2160.85. would need to order part # 44200-49055." *tr

On cold days when the car is first started the steering wheel shakes uncontrollably when put into reverse or drive. the car has to be turned off and restarted to get it to stop. this continues when restarted. the car cannot be driven due to this shaking of the steering wheel. *tr