Investigations
SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE06055 — closed, opened 2006-11-21 and involving the TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID.
NHTSA investigation PE06055 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2006-11-21 and currently closed. The subject of record is TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID, which places this file inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue for TOYOTA. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2007-03-28 — NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE06055 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED PE06-055 BASED ON TWO COMPLAINTS OF LOSS OF EPS ASSIST IN 43,931 MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID VEHICLES. ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS ALLEGED THAT A LOSS IN POWER STEERING ASS..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time. Related TOYOTA files, listed below, give context on whether this is an isolated concern or part of a broader pattern across the brand.
Investigation Summary
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED PE06-055 BASED ON TWO COMPLAINTS OF LOSS OF EPS ASSIST IN 43,931 MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID VEHICLES. ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS ALLEGED THAT A LOSS IN POWER STEERING ASSIST RESULTED IN A CRASH. IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER FROM ODI, TOYOTA SUBMITTED INFORMATION ABOUT 6 ADDITIONAL CONSUMER COMPLAINTS, INCLUDING 2 ALLEGING CRASHES, AND 109 WARRANTY CLAIMS RELATED TO THE EPS ASSEMBLY IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. ODI¿S ANALYSIS OF THE CRASH INCIDENTS REVEALED THAT EACH INCIDENT OF ALLEGED LOSS IN POWER STEERING ASSIST OCCURRED AT VERY LOW SPEEDS AND PRESENTED MINOR SAFETY CONSEQUENCES. TOYOTA'S RESPONSE ALSO IDENTIFIED THREE POTENTIAL ISSUES THAT COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF EPS ASSIST IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. TWO OF THE CONDITIONS ARE RELATED TO ELECTRICAL CURRENT SURGES WITHIN THE EPS ECU. THE OTHER IS RELATED TO EPS MOTOR MAGNETS BECOMING DISLODGED BECAUSE OF POOR ADHESION. THE TWO ISSUES RELATED TO CURRENT SURGES CAN ONLY OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING PARKED OR BEING OPERATED AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. THE THIRD ISSUE COULD THEORETICALLY OCCUR AT ANY SPEED, BUT OCCURS AS A RESULT OF A SPECIFIC TYPE OF IMPACT TO ONE OF THE FRONT WHEELS. TOYOTA STATES THAT IN ALL THREE CASES, AND DURING ANY LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST TO THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT WHEELS CAN STILL BE DIRECTED WITHOUT ASSIST, MANUALLY, VIA THE STEERING WHEEL. ODI'S ANALYSIS OF THE COMPLAINT DATA AND OTHER INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY TOYOTA INDICATES THAT THERE IS A LOW OVERALL FAILURE RATE FOR ALL OF THE CONDITIONS COMBINED THAT CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF EPS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES (18 COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 VEHICLES AND A 0.2% WARRANTY CLAIM RATE) AND THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY FAILURE THAT COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. THE CHANGE IN STEERING EFFORT IS GREATEST AT VERY LOW SPEEDS WHEN THE STEERING IS AT OR NEAR END OF TRAVEL. ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
Other TOYOTA Investigations
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
Electrical problems / No-start
Joyson Passenger Side Air Bag Cushion
Battery Hold Down Bracket Thermal Events
Brake Actuator Valve Wear
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. Learn more.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.