| Subject: | Steering intermediate shaft failure |
| Components covered: |
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| Investigations Summary: | On January 30, 2013, mr. William rosenbluth, of automotive systems analysis, inc. In reston, va, petitioned (odi 10495921) the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) to open a defect investigation concerning the upper coupler of the steering intermediate shaft on model year (my) 2004-2009 Toyota prius vehicles. The petition was based on an inspection of a client's (mr. George richwine of san diego, CA) vehicle, 2005 Toyota prius. Mr. Richwine had expressed this concern to NHTSA via odi 10437229 in late 2011. The petition consists chiefly of the vehicle inspection and repair records. It includes images that illustrate wear and corrosion on the splines at the base of the steering column and indicates that these conditions indicate partial engagement to the upper intermediate shaft coupler. The petition also reports that no known service took place that would account for this condition since the time of vehicle production. |
| Vehicles Affected by this investigation: |
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