ANOTHER Toyota investigation

The latest news on what's happening with the Pontiac Vibe & Toyota Matrix.
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ponta2147
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ANOTHER Toyota investigation

Post by ponta2147 »

Now investigating the Corolla for steering issues:http://www.businessweek.com/ne....htmlI thought it deserved its own thread because it isn't the same issue, but if the mods don't agree feel free to delete or merge away!I just thought it was interesting... if this turns out to be legitimate I wonder if it will apply to any other Toyota cars? I say this because I've actually noticed an issue like this with my car, but thought I must be crazy. I'll be driving along the highway normally when suddenly the car will start to swerve itself one direction or another and I'll have a miniature heart attack. I was starting to get really concerned. I thought maybe it would be due to some wind, since its a slightly taller, lightweight car. But surely it isn't extremely windy every single time I go on the highway??? Well, who knows, it may still turn out that I am crazy. But it is interesting.
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (ponta2147)

Post by KNINE »

I'm glad I never traded my '06 in on the newer models.
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (K-NINE)

Post by VforVIBE »

Quote, originally posted by K-NINE »I'm glad I never traded my '06 in on the newer models. That's funny cause I was starting to wish I hadn't traded my '06 in on a newer model. Toyota keeps digging itself into a bigger and bigger hole.
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Post by Airmack »

I love what you do for me.. Toyota...
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (ponta2147)

Post by djkeev »

It applies, remember, under this Vibe skin sits a Toyota Corolla!!Follow this one!Dave
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (ponta2147)

Post by VforVIBE »

Quote, originally posted by ponta2147 » I've actually noticed an issue like this with my car, but thought I must be crazy. I'll be driving along the highway normally when suddenly the car will start to swerve itself one direction or another and I'll have a miniature heart attack. I was starting to get really concerned. I thought maybe it would be due to some wind, since its a slightly taller, lightweight car. But surely it isn't extremely windy every single time I go on the highway???That is something I would take it back to GM see if it's anything take can be fixed and report it to NHTSA.... http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (VforVIBE)

Post by ponta2147 »

Quote, originally posted by VforVIBE »That is something I would take it back to GM see if it's anything take can be fixed and report it to NHTSA.... http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfmI will, if I continue to notice this problem, or if my husband notices this problem when he drives it. So many things to keep an eye out for with all these issues and recalls! It's almost sad...
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (VforVIBE)

Post by KNINE »

Quote, originally posted by VforVIBE »That's funny cause I was starting to wish I hadn't traded my '06 in on a newer model. And to think, I used to be so jealous of you.
"Don't look to the government to solve your problems, the government is the problem." Ronald Reagan"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Ben Franklin.
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (K-NINE)

Post by VforVIBE »

Quote, originally posted by K-NINE »And to think, I used to be so jealous of you. Sucker lol
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (ponta2147)

Post by star_deceiver »

Ruts in the road like to pull the car here and there on occasion. Oversensitive power steering, I notice it mostly on deeply rutted city pavement. My old Sunfire did it too. It's nothing keeping your hands on the wheel won't solve IMO!
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (star_deceiver)

Post by ColonelPanic »

Quote, originally posted by star_deceiver »It's nothing keeping your hands on the wheel won't solve IMO!Reading some of the complaints on NHTSA's site (67 total for the 2009 model!) that might not even be enough. These things are behaving very erratic and will just steer on their own, often being extremely difficult to control when the car is having these episodes.. One even said they put their blackberry next to the wheel (in two different corollas) and said the wheel would pulse when the phone was receiving data. Yes, the beauty of introducing electronics into something like steering! Go read some of the complaints on the link I posted above, it's scary. Seems worse than the Cobalt's EPS woes.I drove an '09 Corolla as a rental for a few hours and I was ecstatic when I could get rid of that piece of junk and get my Hyundai back. It felt like the steering wheel was connected to a ton of bricks. It was difficult to control in turns at low speeds and the highway. I took it down a twisty backroad and it was fatiguing to drive for even a few minutes, I'd hate to see what it would have been like on a long trip. If the '09-10 Vibe drives like that, !!! It drove fine on straight roads, which is something people complaining to NHTSA are having problems with.
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Post by cptnsolo77 »

I dont know, I guess whatever happens with Toyota cant be worse than what Ford did with the Pinto. After almost 40 years people forget. At least Toyota is taking responsibility. Just my opinion.
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Post by Cougar Vibe »

More innocent people got killed over Superbowl weekend due to alcohol-related accidents than have ever been killed (or even injured) by these Toyota "safety" problems. Do we close bars and ban alcohol sales over that weekend? No. But we turn into FOX/MSNBC/CNN and get all excited about the dangers of Toyota.People really have lost their perspective.
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (ColonelPanic)

Post by ponta2147 »

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »Reading some of the complaints on NHTSA's site (67 total for the 2009 model!) that might not even be enough. These things are behaving very erratic and will just steer on their own, often being extremely difficult to control when the car is having these episodes.. One even said they put their blackberry next to the wheel (in two different corollas) and said the wheel would pulse when the phone was receiving data. Yes, the beauty of introducing electronics into something like steering! Go read some of the complaints on the link I posted above, it's scary. Seems worse than the Cobalt's EPS woes.I drove an '09 Corolla as a rental for a few hours and I was ecstatic when I could get rid of that piece of junk and get my Hyundai back. It felt like the steering wheel was connected to a ton of bricks. It was difficult to control in turns at low speeds and the highway. I took it down a twisty backroad and it was fatiguing to drive for even a few minutes, I'd hate to see what it would have been like on a long trip. If the '09-10 Vibe drives like that, !!! It drove fine on straight roads, which is something people complaining to NHTSA are having problems with.Noticed that someone else reported this same issue for the '09 Vibe... lovely. I will probably do the same the next time I experience it, while it is fresh in my mind. Well despite brake recalls and crappy steering we survived our long road trip, I guess we'll just continue being careful until something is figured out.
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (ColonelPanic)

Post by star_deceiver »

Quote, originally posted by ColonelPanic »It felt like the steering wheel was connected to a ton of bricks. It was difficult to control in turns at low speeds and the highway. I took it down a twisty backroad and it was fatiguing to drive for even a few minutes, I'd hate to see what it would have been like on a long trip. If the '09-10 Vibe drives like that, !!! I can't speak for everyone, but my steering is nothing like what you've described. You can literally steer the car at any speed with 2 fingers. My Crackberry usually sits in the little cubby above the gearshift and I've never had any interference (but my computer speakers sure hate the damn thing). With all the electronics in cars nowadays it's amazing how everything works together so seemlessly! I can see how a Blackberry could cause malfunctioning power steering. But that's a problem between the blackberry and the FCC (section 15 I believe).Only 1 complaint on steering for the Vibe from the NHTSA site. 1 for the Matrix. From what I gather reading the complaints is a wander at freeway speed and the fact that the steering doesn't return on it's own after a turn. The latter I know all too well, no biggie I can deal. I have my tires inflated at 38psi (Winterforce and RS-A's) and there is little wander (one of the complaints matches my opinion - ODI ID Number : 10273747). Maybe the solution is that simple..... or perhaps a little resistor to dull the power steering.
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Post by VforVIBE »

Quote, originally posted by Cougar Vibe »More innocent people got killed over Superbowl weekend due to alcohol-related accidents than have ever been killed (or even injured) by these Toyota "safety" problems. Do we close bars and ban alcohol sales over that weekend? No. But we turn into FOX/MSNBC/CNN and get all excited about the dangers of Toyota.People really have lost their perspective.Toyota fan?Over 2 million healthy animals are put down each year due to overcrowding in shelters, yet we still feel the need to breed them... our perspective was lost a long time ago.
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Re: (VforVIBE)

Post by vibenvy »

Quote, originally posted by ponta2147 »I just thought it was interesting... if this turns out to be legitimate I wonder if it will apply to any other Toyota cars? I say this because I've actually noticed an issue like this with my car, but thought I must be crazy. I'll be driving along the highway normally when suddenly the car will start to swerve itself one direction or another and I'll have a miniature heart attack. I was starting to get really concerned. I thought maybe it would be due to some wind, since its a slightly taller, lightweight car. But surely it isn't extremely windy every single time I go on the highway???I have noticed this with both mine and my mom's '09 GTs. I too thought I was crazy, but now I'm not so sure. It's not severe, it just feels like it's in need of an alignment or something. Just like you I figured I just needed to get used to it after driving smaller cars. I hope it's nothing major. I don't have any regrets about getting my Vibe, but I certainly don't want to keep having issues with it. Thank God for warranties I guess!Quote, originally posted by VforVibe »Over 2 million healthy animals are put down each year due to overcrowding in shelters, yet we still feel the need to breed them... our perspective was lost a long time ago.It's sickening isn't it? It makes me feel better when I look at our three dogs though. Two were rescued from shelters and the third one was rescued from what probably would have been a life of having puppies over and over and living in terrible conditions. I will never be without at least one dog in my life and it will always come from a shelter.
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (ColonelPanic)

Post by j42.snyder »

I find the steering in the Vibe to be the lightest of anything I've ever driven at low speeds - and it gradually backs off the amount of assist as the car goes faster. I quite like the feel of the steering - light and precise for parking, yet allows road feel at speed.I drove a Hyundai Elantra Touring the day before trying a Vibe - and found the steering to feel unusually stiff on center - almost like the steering shaft was binding on something - although it felt more "normal" when actually turning. I had never driven anything like that where there was essentially "no" steering feel when going straight. I know it's based on a different platform than the standard Elantra though - so maybe those are alright - but I wanted a hatchback/wagon for the versatility - so I didn't drive one.Fortunately I haven't experienced any mechanical anomalies with the car yet - but it's only got 31,000km on it so far - so it's a bit early. I wouldn't mind a slightly softer ride though. My wife complains almost every time we're out - and I only have the tires at 32 as specified. I'm pretty used to it now.John
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation (j42.snyder)

Post by ColonelPanic »

I guess that Corolla I drove must have been an outlier... It seems people have complained about the steering being *too* light.
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Re: ANOTHER Toyota investigation

Post by ColonelPanic »

Check out the video. http://www.clublexus.com/forums/5083091 ... ...heelsIt was later suspected that the cause was aftermarket HID's.
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