1997 TOYOTA T100 Steering Problems

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WON'T RETURN TO CENTER UPON COMPLETION OF THE TURN. I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A MAJOR SAFETY VEHICLE RECALL FOR THIS TRUCK HOWEVER TWO DEALERS IN MERCED AND MODESTO, CALIFORNIA HAVE TOLD ME THERE IS NO SAFETY RECALL. THE 1995 TO 1998 RECALL WAS FOR TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING DUE TO A BROKEN STEERING ROD. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK IN CALIFORNIA ONE YEAR AGO AND WE KNOW FOR CERTAIN THAT IT WAS ORIGINALLY SOLD IN TEXAS. *TR

Mileage: 188,000

MECHANICALLY THIS TRUCK IS VERY SOUND, BUT THE FRAME AND MANY PARTS ARE RUSTING EXCESSIVELY. WHEN I FIRST BOUGHT THE TRUCK I HAD IT UNDERCOATED. THIS DIDN'T LAST LONG AND I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE CONTROL ARMS, THE LOAD SENSING PROPORTIONING VALVE AND WAS RECENTLY TOLD THAT I AM AT RISK OF NOT BEING INSPECTED IN JULY DUE TO THE RUST ON THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 153,000 MILES ON IT AND IT SHOULD STILL RUN STRONG, BUT THE FRAME MAY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET MY VALUE OUT OF THE VEHICLE. I FEEL LIKE I WASTED MY MONEY ON A TOYOTA PRODUCT THAT USED TO HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION. *TR

Mileage: 1,404,030

RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR A SPECIFIC PART (STEERING RELAY ROD); TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP FOR REPLACEMENT; DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPLACE THE RECALLED PART, UNLESS WE AGREED TO HAVE A COUPLE OTHER "BAD" PARTS REPLACED & PAYING OVER $1,000 (THOSE PARTS ALSO PERTAINED TO THE STEERING. WE DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE OTHER PARTS TO BE REPAIRED AT THAT TIME, & THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED OUR RECALLED REPLACEMENT... (ALTHOUGH HE DID GIVE US AN OIL CHANGE.) UNSURE OF EXACT MONTH & DAY (GUESSING), BUT WAS IN 2006, JUST AFTER RECEIVING THE FIRST RECALL NOTICE . *JB

WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, AND THEN LOSS STEERING CONTROL. CONSUMER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE TIE ROD BROKE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT TIE ROD BROKE. CONSUMER HAD THE PARTS AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS.*AK THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE STEERING ROD BROKE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE CAST IRON ROD BROKE JUST ABOVE THE BRAKE. *TC

Mileage: 45,700

WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED VEERING TO THE LEFT, THE VEHICLE THEN HIT AN EMBANKMENT AND TURNED OVER. THE TIE ROD WAS SEVERED THROUGH. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE TIE ROD BROKE WHEN THE VEHICLE TIPPED OVER. *JB

Mileage: 107,000

THE CENTRAL STEERING LINKAGE THAT CONNECTS THE TIE RODS WAS DEFECTIVE. THIS DEFECT RESULTED IN A TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING. FORTUNATELY THE STEERING LINKAGE ROD FAILED AS I TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY. I SAVED THE ROD FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS IF YOU WISH TO RETRIEVE THE ROD. THE AUTO SHOP THAT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE HAD NOT SEEN THIS DEFECT, AND IT APPEARED THAT THE ROD WAS MANUFACTURED ABOUT 80% SEPARATED. DESPITE THIS, IT REQUIRED ALMOST 6 YEARS FOR THE ROD TO FRACTURE. THE 80% THAT WAS NOT SOLID WAS NEVER COMPLETELY FORMED. MINUTES BEFORE THE FAILURE , I WAS RETURNING FROM THE HOSPITAL, AND THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 55 MPH. HAD THIS FAILURE OCCURRED ON THE ROAD I WOULD HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC STEERING FAILURE AND RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLY MUCH WORSE. I AM CONCERNED THAT OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES COULD HAVE THIS DEFECT AND LEAD TO ACCIDENTS, AND OR FATALITIES. *LA

Mileage: 92,663

I HAVE A 1997 TOYOTA T-100 4X4 EXTENDED CAB PICKUP TRUCK. THE CENTER DRAG LINK IN THE STEERING FAILED. I AM A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL STRUCTURAL ENGINEER AND HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF METAL FATIQUE, FABRICATION DEFECTS, ETC. THE CASTING APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE. THIS COMPONENT HAS NEVER BEEN ABNORMALLY STRESSED TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. THE RESULT OF THE FAILURE LEFT THE STEERING WHEEL TURNING FREELY WITHOUT CHANGING THE DIRECTION THAT THE WHEELS WERE POINTED. THE FAILURE ACTUALLY OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT, THEREFORE THERE WAS NOT ADDITIONAL DAMAGE. IF THE FAILURE HAD OCCURED MINUTES EARLIER I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE TRAVELING AT SPEED. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN THE CAUSE OF A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO RELATED ACCIDENT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER. I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE FAILURE THAT WERE TAKEN BY THE DEALER. THE PHOTOS ARE DIGITAL AND ARE SUCH THAT THEY CAN BE EMAILED.

Mileage: 13,000

WHY WASN'T THE VEHICLE RECALLED WHEN OTHERS HAD BEEN REPORTED WITH THIS DEFECT--STEERING LINKAGES BROKEN? WITH INSPECTION OF THIS COMPONENT, IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT.

WHILE TRAVELING AT 5 MPH, THE STEERING TIE ROD HAD BROKEN, AND CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. STEERING WHEEL TURNED COMPLETELY AROUND. *AK CONSUMER ALSO FELT THAT FORTUNATELY THE SPEED WAS AT A LOW RATE, BECAUSE DEATH COULD HAVE OCCURRED, RESULTING FROM FAILURE, IN WHICH TOYOTAS CUST/SERV WAS UNCOOPERATIVE. *SCC

WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH RACK AND PINION ARM BROKE AND LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. HAD TOWED TO DEALERSHIP.*AK

CENTER LINK OF THE STEERING WHEEL HAS BROKEN WHILE DRIVING, AUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. PART IS AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING CONSUMER TRIED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, STEERING TURNED BUT THE WHEELS KEPT STRAIGHT. DRIVER FEELS THIS IS VERY UNSAFE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC.*AK

STEERING DRAG LINK BROKE, CAUSING STEERING SYSTEM TO BE INOPERATIVE WHICH MAY RESULTIN LOSS OF VEHICLE AND A CRASH. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK