RoadVitals

NHTSA safety recall

Recall 12V537000: STEERING; STEERING:GEAR BOX:SHAFT SECTOR

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · Reported to NHTSA Nov 14, 2012

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
Units potentially affectedThe manufacturer's own estimate of how many vehicles or items of equipment may contain the defect. It is not a count of failures, and not every unit in the range is necessarily affected.
669,705
Model years coveredModel years in our database that NHTSA matched to this campaign. Whether an individual vehicle is covered still depends on its VIN.
6
Models covered
1
Grouped from the model years above
Reported to NHTSA
Nov 14, 2012
Production Aug 5, 2003 – Mar 30, 2009

What this recall covers

NHTSA's campaign record, quoted as published

The defect

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear. These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.

The risk

Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

The remedy

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

A safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.

Campaign details

Identifiers and dates as filed with NHTSA

Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Manufacturer's campaign number
Not recorded
NHTSA campaign number
12V537000
Units potentially affected
669,705
Report received
Nov 14, 2012
Production range
Aug 5, 2003 – Mar 30, 2009
Campaign type
Vehicle
Federal safety standard (FMVSS)
Not recorded

Vehicles covered

6 model years across 1 model

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.