Three problems related to power steering failed have been reported for the 2002 Toyota Prius. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2002 Toyota Prius based on all problems reported for the 2002 Prius.
Tl the contact owns a 2002 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that the electric power steering failed without warning. Also, the steering wheel veered to the right, which caused the contact to drive over a curb. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 11v304000 (steering); however, the vehicle exhibited the same failure as listed in the recall campaign. The dealer (larry h. Miller liberty Toyota colorado springs, 5115 new car dr, colorado springs, CO 80923, (719) 419-5832) indicated that the vehicle was excluded from a warranty campaign and the steering gear and computer may need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. The failure mileage was not available.
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Prius. The contact stated that while driving various speeds, the power steering assist failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the power steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA campaign id number: 11v304000 (steering). The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Just wanted to alert you that there may be a potential defect with the torque sensor, which affects the power steering. I recently encountered this in my 2002 Toyota Prius with 43,000+ miles on the vehicle. \ basically, there are no preceding symptoms before the power steering fails. Upon failure, the Prius central color touchscreen lcd display shows three icons, with the "ps" icon in red. You will also see an exclamation point icon lit on the green lcd display next to the speedometer. At which point, you have no power steering and the car will be hard to steer. \ when this occurs, there may be a temporary fix, which worked for me. Pull over to a safe area and turn off the car. Wait 30 seconds, and then turn on the car. You have effectively rebooted the Prius computer system with the torque sensor, and the power steering should return for the time being. \ the vehicle should be taken to the nearest official Toyota service shop (aka dealership) and have them run a diagnostic check. They should see code "c1513 torque sensor abnormal" in the Prius' memory banks. Then sit down for the price tag: $3159 - $4,160 to replace the entire power steering rack, since the sensor is integrated in the rack itself. This includes the labor of about $261. \ it is recommended not to accept any "cost coverage offer" from the service shop until you call the Toyota consumer support line at 1-800-331-4331. Make sure you have a service quote from the shop, then call the support line and complain. The support line will assign you a case worker and provide a case number. They will contact the shop and make arrangements to repair the vehicle. Toyota covered the cost of the part 100% for me, and all I had to do was pay for the labor since my car was out of warranty per the 36,000 bumper-to-bumper coverage. \ in conclusion, I am very happy on how Toyota handled the power steering issue. This is to inform other 2000-2003 Prius owners if they encounter a similar problem.