NHTSA reviewing complaints about the Corolla’s steering

The other, other, other shoe has dropped at Toyota.

Toyota Motor Corp. faces yet another possible federal investigation, this time of the electric power steering in 2009 and 2010 Corollas.

An analysis by Automotive News found that the Corolla has been the subject of 83 power-steering complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since April 2008. Seventy-six of those reports note that the vehicle unexpectedly veers to the left or right at 40 miles an hour and up.

“We are reviewing steering complaints with the Corolla to determine if a safety-defect investigation is warranted, as is standard procedure with all complaints,” agency spokeswoman Karen Aldana said. NHTSA reviews and analyzes cases before deciding whether to begin a formal investigation into a potential defect.

Corolla complainants have compared the movement to being buffeted by strong winds, sliding on black ice, or hydroplaning. They said that after trying to straighten the car, it can overcorrect — requiring the driver to use a tight, persistent, two-handed grip on the wheel to travel in a straight line.

via NHTSA fielding complaints about 2009-10 Toyota Corolla steering.

(It’s basically raining shoes at this point.)

Considering that Toyota sold 300,000 Corollas here in 2009, 83 complaints is about one in 3600, but it’s still bad news for the company and its consumers. The complaints cite six accidents resulting in 10 injuries. Thankfully, no deaths have been reported.

One of the complaints, detailed over at AOL’s Auto section was filed at the beginning of the summer and claimed that the steering would pulse when the driver docked a cell phone to the right of the steering wheel. “I can sometimes tell if my Blackberry is going to ring or get an email,” the complainant states. “The steering wheel seems to shake or try to steer on its own. This is similar to my other 2009 Toyota Corolla that I resold to the dealer. I wonder if more shielding is needed to reduce any interference.”

The problem described above (assuming it’s accurate) is clearly electronic in nature, not mechanical, so this might be the first rumblings of a drive-by-wire failure.

It’s too early to tell if there’s any substance to the bulk of these complaints, actually. But please note that the Corolla is one of the smallest and simplest vehicles Toyota sells here. The much larger and heavier LS series has an optional system that will parallel park the car on its own with minimal driver input. I love the LS for providing opulent luxury at an almost affordable price, but perhaps making cars as complex as lunar landing craft isn’t in anyone’s interest.