TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2001 THROUGH 2003 PRIUS PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 28, 2000, THROUGH MAY 30, 2003. THE STEERING LINKAGE MAY LOOSEN, RESULTING IN REDUCED ELECTRIC STEERING ASSISTANCE WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN.
Safety risk
LOSS OF POWER STEERING, PARTICULARLY WHEN AN OPERATOR IS ACTIVELY INTENDING TO STEER THE VEHICLE, MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Manufacturer remedy
TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE NUTS IN THE STEERING LINKAGE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 8, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DUE TO IMPROPER MOLDING OF THE RESIN BODY OF THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENOR INSTALLED ON THE ENGINE BLOCK, ENGINE OIL MAY PENETRATE THE SEAL AND ENTER THE SENSOR WIRING CONNECTOR. THE WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY ATTACHED TO THE LOCKING TAB OF THE SENSOR WIRING CONNECTOR.
Safety risk
ENGINE OIL INSIDE THE SENSOR WIRING CONNECTOR COULD CAUSE EXPANSION DUE TO THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE AND COULD DEFORM THE SENSOR WIRING CONNECTOR. THE CONNECTOR MAY BECOME DISCONNECTED, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING AND NOT BE ABLE TO BE RESTARTED INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Manufacturer remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 26, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Steering
57
100,000 mi
Electrical system
13
94,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic
13
40,000 mi
Tires
12
23,800 mi
Vehicle speed control
10
42,240 mi
Steering: electric power assist system
8
51,500 mi
Steering: rack and pinion
8
72,000 mi
Electrical system: 12V/24V/48V battery
5
14,000 mi
Suspension
5
27,008 mi
Engine and engine cooling
4
33,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine
4
75,000 mi
Service brakes
4
30,000 mi
Air bags
3
11,000 mi
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
3
27,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission
3
20,624 mi
Power train: axle assembly
3
68,500 mi
Service brakes, electric
3
43,561 mi
Tires: tread/belt
3
20,000 mi
Unknown or other
3
—
Exterior lighting
2
104,000 mi
Steering: hydraulic power assist system
2
100 mi
Steering: rack and pinion: rack
2
14,000 mi
Tires: sidewall
2
5,000 mi
Traction control system
2
40,000 mi
Electrical system: ignition
1
—
Electrical system: ignition: module
1
14,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
241,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline
1
—
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys
1
—
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: catalytic convertor
1
85,000 mi
Exterior lighting: headlights
1
62,000 mi
Fuel system, other: storage: fuel gauge system
1
4,500 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
1
166,914 mi
Power train
1
113,534 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift
1
37,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: torque converter
1
98,000 mi
Seat belts: front
1
—
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
1
—
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist
1
84,000 mi
Steering: column
1
56,200 mi
Steering: gear box (other than rack and pinion)
1
89,000 mi
Steering: gear box: shaft sector
1
83,000 mi
Steering: linkages
1
27,000 mi
Structure
1
29,000 mi
Suspension: front
1
—
Suspension: rear
1
—
Suspension: rear: shock absorber
1
20,000 mi
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems
1
20,000 mi
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
1
—
Vehicle speed control: cruise control
1
14,000 mi
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system
1
129,441 mi
The 2001 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. The 2003 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.