My son’s 99 Lexus ES had the steering wheel come off in his hands! He was able to stick it back on again and get home. It has been at a reputable repair shop for a couple days and they can’t figure out what happened. Anyone know about this?
No way a steering wheel just comes off without a lot of help. Did he hit something? Is that his story, and he’s sticking to it?
I don’t have time to search through it, but here’s a place to look for a safety report or recall for this issue (and many others). http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchSafetyIssues
Good luck.
It got fixed. Somehow a big nut that holds everything together came off and fell down inside the steering wheel. Oh well.
No mystery at all; the big nut was not tightened correctly during original (or a subsequent) assembly.
That’s deeply insightful.
Any of the cars I’ve pulled the steering wheel off of have both the nut and a clip holding it on, plus installed on a splined shaft.
Hopefully they used loctite! Keep a pair of vice grips handy just in case?
Instead of taking the guy’s keys, they took his steering wheel-but he was an innovator.
I’m curious – right-hand-drive car (Toyota, I think), speedo in metric, labels in English – what country/ies have that combination?
Australia.
The problem really was the nut behind the wheel.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
The odds of the nut being left loose at the factory when the car was built are close to microns.
The odds of someone having been into that steering wheel for removal and not properly tightening the nut are much higher.
If the car has had an alignment it’s possible that someone re-centered the steering wheel after the alignment. That method is incorrect but it has been known to happen. The proper method is to center the wheel by adjusting the tie rods and toe.
@art1996 Malaysia, for one, has metric speedometers in English and RH drive, as does Singapore and Japan (Japan would have Japanese characters), of course. Australia and New Zealand have this as well. The only holdouts using MILES are the USA, Britain, Myanmar, and Yemen, I believe.
I had a Proton Waja (locally designed & built) in Malaysia and there was only English on the instruments, since English is the official second language there. The Malay language has few technical words, and every person who can affords a car there can speak English.
markmast Duct Tape Specialist
9:06AM
The problem really was the nut behind the wheel.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
LOL
Although this only lists 1994-1998 ES300’s it not a mystery.
Report Receipt Date: NOV 01, 1999
NHTSA Campaign Number: 99V307000
Component(s): STEERING
All Products Associated with this Recall close
Vehicle MakeModelModel Year(s)
LEXUSES3001994-1998
TOYOTACAMRY1995-1998
Details close
4 Associated Documents expand
Manufacturer: TOYOTA MOTOR CO., LTD.
SUMMARY:
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED CAUSING STEERING VIBRATION AND LOOSENESS.
CONSEQUENCE:
THIS CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.
REMEDY:
DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE STEERING WHEEL SET NUT.
NOTES:
TOYOTA RECALL NOS. X06 AND XL7. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN NOVEMBER 30, 1999. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987. ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
I would think that if a nut had been left loose it would have been apparent long before 16 years has passed.
Several other car companies have also had recalls issued for loose steering wheel nuts and those issues were overblown.
Subaru had one back in the 80s that is almost word for word what the Toyota bulletin has stated and no loose steering wheel nuts were ever found. My understanding is that some service manager at a dealership in MN or WI jumped the gun and called the Feds while making a mountain out of a molehill.
Always make sure you update the manufacturer of address changes just for recalls such as this. In your owners manual is a change of address card to fill out so they know where you are without going through DMV.
Is there a way to make sure you hear about recalls if you are the second or third owner of a used car?
Thanks for the answers about RHD, etc. Next thought: In Southern Hemisphere, would that have to be left-handed ViceGrips?
Sorry ;>)
On my first trip South of the Equator (Peru), I filled the wash basin in my hotel room, pulled the plug and, yes, the water turns in the opposite direction of North of the equator.