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NHTSA safety investigation

NHTSA Investigation PE87051

Preliminary Evaluation · Toyota Motor Corporation · STEERING

ClosedPreliminary Evaluation

An investigation is not a finding that a defect exists.

NHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.

Model years namedModel years in our database that NHTSA associated with this inquiry. Being named in an investigation says nothing about whether an individual vehicle has any problem.
1
1 model
Opened
Aug 25, 1987
Preliminary Evaluation
Closed
Dec 9, 1987
No associated recall recorded

What NHTSA is examining

The agency's own description of the inquiry, quoted as published

STEERING MALFUNCTION

===REPAIR COST REIMBURSEMENT THAT MIGHT BE MORE FORTHCOMING IF A STEERINGCONTROL PROBLEM WERE ALLEGED.TOYOTA IS CONVINCED THAT NO COMMON FAILUREEXISTS THAT COULD CAUSE A SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL.ANALYSIS:BASED UPON THE INFORMATION PRESENTED BY CONSUMERS AND TOYOTA,NO COMMON FAILURE MODE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED.THAT IS, THE MONTHS, MILES,AND CALENDAR DATE OF FAILURE DO NOT INDICATE AN INFANT MORTALITY OR AFATIGUE TYPE OF PATTERN.PART SALES DATA PROVIDED BY TOYOTA INDICATES THATTHE STEERING MAIN SHAFT ASSEMBLY FOR USE IN MANUAL STEERING HAD A SALESRATE FOUR TIMES THAT OF ITS' POWER STEERING COUNTERPART.IN ADDITION,SALES DATA INDICATED A REPLACEMENT RATE OF THE MANUAL STEERING SLIDING YOKESUB-ASSEMBLY TO BE TWICE THAT OF ITS' POWER STEERING COUNTERPART.THESALES DATA DOES NOT APPEAR TO INDICATE ANY PARTICULAR PATTERN WITH RESPECTTO A DEFINABLE FAILURE MODE.TOYOTA CHANGED THE SHAPE OF THE MAIN ANDINTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND SLIDING YOKES IN 1987 FOR EASE OF ASSEMBLY.PROPOSED ACTION:CLOSE THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.

Investigation details

Identifiers, dates and outcome as recorded by NHTSA

Action number
PE87051
Investigation type
Preliminary Evaluation (PE)
Status
Closed
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Corporation
Component
STEERING
Opened
Aug 25, 1987
Closed
Dec 9, 1987
Associated recall campaign
None recorded

Vehicles named in this investigation

1 model year across 1 model

Being named here means NHTSA included the vehicle in the scope of its inquiry. It is not a statement that these vehicles have a defect.