2001 Toyota Prius Steering Problems
- 26
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 26 stored complaint records:
- 1 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- steering wheel · 25 records
- power steering · 20 records
- warning light · 6 records
- failure mileage · 4 records
- light illuminated · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 9 |
| 30–60k mi | 5 |
| 60–100k mi | 3 |
| 1–30k mi | 2 |
| 150–400k mi | 2 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
I was getting off the freeway and driving 40 mph on the off ramp, when the 2001 toyota prius did a unwanted left turn of the steering wheel, i tried to turn the steering wheel back to correct the car angle, but he steering force was too strong for me to correct back to straight ahead, the left front car the concrete barrier, and the car turn 360 degree around. The rear right bumper hit the concrete barrier. Lucky…
Crash reported
ODI 11288564
Steering
Steering recall i called toyota they said they couldn't do it and it says online it's good for 10 years after recall date.
ODI 11254342
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota prius. While driving 65 mph, the steering wheel shook violently without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin was invalid. The failure mileage was 143,000.
ODI 10953939
Steering
Ps warning light display, car will not start. Parked in home drive way.
ODI 10918020
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota prius. The contact stated that the steering wheel became stiff while making a left turn and the power steering light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v304000 (steering). The failure mileage was approximately 13,620.
ODI 10790550
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility · Steering
I have started having an intermittent power steering issue. As i am driving the steering wheel begins to shake and i receive an error message that there is an issue with the power steering system. Then the error clears and says the problem is solved. This issue happens intermittent and sometimes lasts longer. I know in the past there was a recall on the power steering unit in the past. I believe the previous owner…
ODI 10678640
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota prius. The contact received the recall notice associated with nhtsa campaign id number 11v304000 (steering:electric power assist system). An authorized dealer was notified and the contact was informed that they would inspect the vehicle before performing repairs. The contact stated that according to the recall notice, the dealer was supposed to repair the vehicle if it was included…
ODI 10417673
Steering
While driving into a freeway our 2001 toyota prius experienced a violent shaking of the steering wheel and the ps and exclamation warning lights came on. My wife pulled over and shut the vehicle off and the error cleared. I decided to drive the vehicle to the dealer the previous owner done all the service and repair. As i pulled into the service area the violent shaking happened again. I researched the issue online…
ODI 10402702
Steering
Steering wheel, uncontrollable shudder, will literally rip itself out of your hand or grip. Usually happens during the first of the day when it's relatively cold. While slowly moving the vehicle, the steering wheel will start to vibrate violently, in an un controllable manner. Sometimes the power steering will just error out while driving down the street during the day, loosing all power steering as well. *tr
ODI 10379559
Steering
I have a 2001 prius. I bought it in 2003. Ever since i bought it, the steering wheel sometimes wobbles when i back up and turn the wheel. This has been consistent since 2003. This winter, when the weather has been very cold, the steering wheel has shuddered violently several times, wobbled while driving forward twice, and now the warning light for power steering is on. I am taking it to the dealer tomorrow, jan 21…
ODI 10378036
Steering
My 2001 toyota prius steering 'groans' when the wheels are turned far left or right. This defect occurs more often in warm weather and after the car has been driven. The vehicle has not been in any accidents. *tr
ODI 10358567
Gear Box (Other Than Rack And Pinion) · Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 toyota prius. While driving at approximately 65 mph, the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle lost power steering. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. Upon restart, the vehicle operated as normal for approximately 30 minutes before the failure recurred. The failure occurred about twelve times while driving for at least 30 minutes.…
ODI 10335007
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota prius hybrid. While driving at speeds of 65 mph, the steering wheel began shaking excessively. Immediately, the power steering warning light illuminated on the warning panel for a few minutes. The contact also stated that while traveling downhill with her foot on the brake pedal, the pedal would vibrate. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was repaired three…
ODI 10319241
Steering
My 2001 toyota prius' steering wheel shaking violently this symptom has been happened to my 2001 prius since 2008. I had been trying to contact toyota for a replacement but no feedback. Lately the symptom getting worse until now. *tr
ODI 10311502
Steering · Suspension
The steering wheel on my 2001 toyota prius suddenly starts shaking violently when i start up the car. It seems to occur during cold weather. I have to stop the car when it happens because steering is no longer possible when the shaking happens. This shaking has occurred at least 5 times. If i let the car warm up for a few minutes before driving it seems to reduce the occurrence of the shaking. *tr
ODI 10311151
Steering
I have a 2001 toyota prius. Sporadically, the steering will shake violently. It seems to happen when i turn the steering wheel. Mechanics cannot figure out what is wrong. This past weekend the power steering warning light when on and i lost power steering. It came back on when i stopped the car so it may be a computer glitch. The shaking is getting worse. *tr
ODI 10294971
Steering
Steering wheel shakes violently when backing when backing up after morning start up, this has been reported to dealer several times and they were unable to confirm problem, the problem continues and we now have light movement of the steering wheel when moving forward at highway speeds in a strait line this movement is a slight tug from left to right. The warning indicator has come on and is reset when restarting,…
ODI 10258719
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 toyota prius. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, an unknown warning light illuminated and the steering wheel immediately became stiff and hard to control. The failure would occur intermittently and when doing so, the steering wheel would also shake abnormally. The contact would shut off the vehicle and when restarting, the steering would resume normal operation. The manufacturer was…
ODI 10368646
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 toyota prius. While driving at any speed, the steering wheel vibrates. The failure worsens when making left and right turns. The failure has occurred ever since the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle has not been taken to a dealer. The current mileage was 69,110 and failure mileage was 69,012.
ODI 10221958
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2001 toyota prius. While driving between 2-5 mph, the steering wheel would intermittently shake. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure mileage was 26,000 and current mileage was 27,000. Updated 01/11/08. *lj the consumer was told he would be charged for replacing the steering rack. Updated *jb
ODI 10202803
Steering
While investigating the prius for accelerator issues, i think you should also follow-up on the well known power steering issue with the '01 and '02 models. There are likely still hundreds of these vehicles still on the road. Worse, even though this issue was addressed by a factory recall (nhtsa assigned recall no. 00v-285) toyota placed a 5 year limit on the warranty service. What is worse, once the recall…
ODI 10305738
Steering
I am the original owner of a 2001 toyota prius. In 2002, we experienced a shutter and loss of power steering when turning the steering wheel at low speeds. The electric motor-assisted power steering (emps) rack had failed at 13,396 miles. Toyota replaced the emps rack under warranty. In 2006 at 65,427 miles, we reported to toyota that the power steering failed while making a turn and the instrument warning lights…
ODI 10235448
Steering
Power steering repeatedly fails on 2001 toyota prius requiring that vehicle be stopped and restarted to clear failure. Extreme safety hazard when driving on roads at all speeds and in curves. Occurs after vehicle driven more than 500 miles continuously. Power steering still failing as of 7/29/2010. Dealer refuses to fix despite warranty enhancement notice. Request nhtsa issue nationwide recall for all 2001-2002…
ODI 10346219
Steering
Dt: the contact stated that 2001 toyota prius was having trouble with the steering wheel. When the wheel was in certain position it shuttered violently. The problem was intermittent. This happened just a few times since 2001, and in the last week, it was happening daily. The contact had not taken the car to the repair shop prior to this week. The contact was taken vehicle to dealer for a check up on the steering.…
ODI 10139562
Steering · Tread/Belt
Potenza 175/65/r14xl (oem tires) which are specifically made for the prius, wear quickly and on the edges. This resulted in my tire tread having a 1/32 rating, while the middle of the tire still had a long life left.*ak when making sharp turns at low speeds (especially when the car is cold), the steering wheel will vibrate (sometimes audibly, sometimes not). Were this to happen at even a slightly higher speed,…
ODI 10029003