Found out today (the hard way) that

[martinsane]

So this morning I am driving up the 1-5 to sell some cd's, I know strange to hear from me, but I need the $$$! Been out of work for almost a year now and things are stretched cellaphane thin.

 

Anyway, I run an 09' Toyota Corolla and hey Toyota's are the shit right? So no worries. Well I guess I was wrong. As I am cruising along at 60mph in the middle of 5 lanes, the car suddenly jerks right, then left, then right and the next thing I know I am out of control spinning doughnuts at 60 mph on the interstate!

 

I keep spinning cirlces floating left and the passenger rear quarter panel slams into the jersey barrier taking the front end into it next, then sending me spinning in the opposite direction ACROSS all 5 lanes of traffic, still moving at about 40 + I assume and as visors are flapping and lights and bells are going off in the car and my head is spinning like a top, the car proceeds to spin back to the left!! I come to a stop in the fastlane pointing west to east and at that point I collect my witts and limp onto the shoulder out of harms/traffics way.

 

Unknown to me is WHY no other cars slammed into me or each other (thankfully) and for fucks sake WHY did not a car even stopped to see if I was alright!????

 

As I sit on the shoulder with the hazzards on telling my wife the good news and trying to decide what to do next, our local men in blue decide to stop by and right me a ticket/accident report for my troubles. The ticket for "Defective Tires" WTF? and the accident report so the DOT can contact my insurance company to get re-imbursed for the damage to the gaurd rail... Which if wasn't there I would have made a comfy stop in the 500ft wide grassy gully between north and south bound lanes! Which would have meant, no DAMAGE to my flippin' car...

 

After getting home, changed the right rear tire which imploded on impact, fortunately the car is not a total loss, major damage to the entire passanger rear and side, both doors... I get online and discover that the feeling I have had since buying the car, the feeling of driving through syrup or a random windstorms, was not my immagination, but the car has MAJOR defect in its power steering computer that "assists" when not necessary and doesn't when necessary, etc... Apparently over 300 people have filed complaints in regards to this "condition", about a third have had similar accidents too mine!

 

So now we wait for the repair estimate, the Toyota Corperate offices to return my call and the insurance company to hopefully stand tall and help us recooperate from this untimely incident.

 

My apologies for the diatribe, please return to happy thoughts of cd's, movies and partially clothed ladies...

[Jeff]

Wow, good thing you didn't flip that thing, get smashed by another vehicle or something. Glad you're alright.

Toyota had a bad rap going with some accelerator issues last year I think.

Defective tires...I'd take that one to court...what a crock of shit.

[Fat Freddy]

Daaaaaaamn Terry, that had to be scarier 'n' shit. Glad to hear you came out of it unscathed.

[cdjunky41]

Thank God your o.k Terry..

 

F*ckin' cops!!!

I'm sure those scumbags gave each other a high-five by giving you a ticket as well... Get yourself a bloodthirsty lawyer and go after everyone..

[melodicrockoz]

glad ya ok.

[Wotty]

Terry.....Major relief you're ok !!!!!!!!

[whiplash1972]

Damn, what a harrowing experience. Glad to hear you're ok man.

[Evil Rick]

Holy cow, glad you walked away from that one in one piece. Toyota has been having a hell of a time with the vehicles they've been putting on the market. My buddy has a 2010 Toyota Camry and in the 18 months he's owned it he has had to take it in for 3 major recalls.

[wubby]

yikes. Feel blessed that you made it through that without being injured. I definitely would look into challenging this in court if possible. Keep us posted on what Toyota says.

 

Mike

[martinsane]

Thanks for all the well wishes gang! Certainly wasn't inviting you all to my pity party, but again, THANKS it is good to have friends.

 

No new news yet, just a follow up "interveiw" with my insurance company and now we await the "verdict" of the repair shop and Toyota to see if they will admit any "steering issues" or try and chock it up to driver error or heaven forbid "defective tires".

 

Will certainly look forward to hearing your well wishes and I will certainly post up any new developments.

 

If you are so inclined, do a quick Google search on 2009 Toyota Corolla steering or even go to the NHTSA website and read up on this problem and certainly if you know of anyone driving this vehicle, let them kow that it is not safe.

 

More to come.

Terry

[relivinthe80's]

Glad to hear that you weren't hurt Terry!!

[eaglesfan3000]

I'm glad you OK, I have an 08 Corolla and I've had zero problems with it.

 

I guess it goes to show you when you start building cars in America they go to shit. Before Honda and Toyota had plants here they were the best cars on the road and you could get 300,000 miles out of them.

[Jacob M.]

The cops giving you a ticket adds insult to injury. An awful situation made even worse.

 

I had an awful night last night. Guess I don't have much to complain about in comparison.

[martinsane]

The cops giving you a ticket adds insult to injury. An awful situation made even worse.

 

I had an awful night last night. Guess I don't have much to complain about in comparison.

 

We are all amongst friends here Jacob complain away!

 

 

Update:

 

My insurance company "approved" the shops quote of $9,000!!! to repair my $11,000 car??? You would think they would total it at this point? But what do I know.

 

I am still going to push the issue of this steering mechanism issue (I have to go o the shop tomorrow and go over the estimate and such)and either way, we will be unloading this car. Which sucks since we have only had it about 10 months and as Bob mentioned it was supposed to me the 300,000 mile commuter, but I don't feel comfortable driving it, especially on the highway (now) and I would NEVER NEVER let my family in it again...

 

More to come I'm sure.

 

 

And yea the ticket thing just tossed salt in the wound, I mean whats the flippin' point, if only I could have gotten the tire changed and out of there quicker... Which is just pathetic that we have to think that way. I mean, hey I just skirted a major calamity, oh fuck I better scadoodle before I get a ticket for something.

[Chris]

Just glad you are ok Terry. Everything else is fixable.

[Geoff]

Yeah, wowser Terry, glad you got out of that one okay.

 

Traffic cops are generally complete c*nts and these guys seem to be no exception. "Just doing their job" is all very well sometimes, but being a c*nt seems just as valid in more cases than not.

 

I can't believe they're seriously going to repair it rather than write it off. I've had 2 cars written off, both valued around the same mark but with repairs of far less than $9000 pending. Very odd.

[heaven&hell]

Glad you're alright Terry. What a scary experience. That makes me not want a Toyota.

[martinsane]

Thanks guys for the comments and I know WOW on all fronts. Oh and Geoff the repair shop said I had another $5,000 to go?! WHich in my math is the price of the rig off the lot.

 

Toyota Corperate phoned and will be phoning again in the next 3-5 days to determine wether or not in the next 30 days it warrants a feild inspection...

 

The body shop is making the repairs, or started them yesterday, basically just ordering the parts and the tech after really digging into the car was shocked I was standing there unharmed. I quote: "On the rear quarter panel, which needs replacing, both outer and inner, which means the impact had to have been monsterous to fold up that inner panel."

 

SO in about 15 days I should have the car back and then it goes up for sale to be replaced by who knows what, but certainly something safer and older and cheaper. Can't afford any of this at the moment.

 

And Wes, seems from my research this steering issue is in the 2009-2010 Corolla, Corolla/Matrix, Scion's. I have not dug into the 2011's, couldn't afford one of those anyway. It appears the issue is not present in the 2008 and older models. Seems they aren't privilaged to this groundbreaking (and backbreakin) EPS technology...

 

More to come I'm sure.

[Jacob M.]

I was a bit worried about my aunts car after reading your story. She has a Toyota Corolla and I drive it on occasion. I ask her about it. She said it's an 08'. That was a relief to find out.

[T-BONE]

I'd go back to the local copshop and hand them the report on the steering issue and tell them they can EAT the fucking ticket that the mighty officer wrote you for "defective tires". Then make sure you have plenty of neck pain, loss of sexual pleasure, loss of work days, bad nightmares, walk backwards, speak pig latin, and contact a vulture of a lawyer to go after Toyota for your troubles

 

 

Glad you're OK though

[eaglesfan3000]

Thanks guys for the comments and I know WOW on all fronts. Oh and Geoff the repair shop said I had another $5,000 to go?! WHich in my math is the price of the rig off the lot.

 

Toyota Corperate phoned and will be phoning again in the next 3-5 days to determine wether or not in the next 30 days it warrants a feild inspection...

 

The body shop is making the repairs, or started them yesterday, basically just ordering the parts and the tech after really digging into the car was shocked I was standing there unharmed. I quote: "On the rear quarter panel, which needs replacing, both outer and inner, which means the impact had to have been monsterous to fold up that inner panel."

 

SO in about 15 days I should have the car back and then it goes up for sale to be replaced by who knows what, but certainly something safer and older and cheaper. Can't afford any of this at the moment.

 

And Wes, seems from my research this steering issue is in the 2009-2010 Corolla, Corolla/Matrix, Scion's. I have not dug into the 2011's, couldn't afford one of those anyway. It appears the issue is not present in the 2008 and older models. Seems they aren't privilaged to this groundbreaking (and backbreakin) EPS technology...

 

More to come I'm sure.

 

 

I'm glad everything worked out for you. Did you call Toyota directly to let them know what happened? They should be paying for the guard rail not your insurance company. I guess go get yourself a Honda Civic, the only reason I didn't buy one of those is their suspension is much stiffer.

[martinsane]

So I got my car back and it still "performs" the way it did prior to the accident and honestly the frickin' rig scares the poo out of me to drive at highway speeds. Last week it tried very hard to do the exact same thing, but fortunately I keeped it, somehow, from doing it.

 

The Toyota dealership and corperate to this point say there is "nothing" wrong with the car. I've had a grip of people drive it and they all say that. WHich I don't get it is BRUTALLY OBVIOUS that the car has a mind of it's own.

 

I have another call into Toyota of America to furthur discuss the issue. But either way the car is being sold. I just need to figure out what we can get into and feel good about it and still have some $$$$$ left over. The car books for +/- $15,000, we owe about $7,000, so I am currently looking in that $5,000-$7,000 price point for my next/new rig.

 

Occording to a ruling from the federal government handed out in May the "investigation" into the MANY complaints about this issue, they concluded that the steering was OK. That it was "driver preference" and not a "mechanical issue". That first quote kills me, well almost did anyway. Driver preference?! Driver preference to have control over a vehicle...look man that's weird.

 

Oh and lastly, I have my court date later this month for my ticket, we will see how that goes...

 

Thanks again to the HH brethren for their well wishes and comments.

 

More to come I'm sure.

[cdjunky41]

Times like this, you just wanna drive it through the dealership window