NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE10-008: Steering Wander or Drift
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE10-008 on February 18, 2010 and closed it on May 4, 2011. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE10-008 (also written PE10008)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed May 4, 2011
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Toyota Motor Corporation
- Component
- Steering
- Vehicles and equipment
- Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-008.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
On February 18, 2010, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE10-008 to investigate complaints of steering wander or drift in model year (MY) 2009 and 2010 Toyota Corolla and Matrix vehicles.
The complaint descriptions indicated dissatisfaction with the on-center steering feel in the subject vehicles. Some drivers (~25%) related the feel to driving in a strong crosswind and others indicated that the effort and attention required to maintain heading increased driver fatigue on long trips.
These complaints all relate to the system operating as designed and do not involve failure of any steering system components.
The subject vehicles are equipped with an electronic power steering system that was introduced in the MY 2009 vehicles.
The power assist, including on-center steering feel, is controlled electronically and is part of the system calibration.
Toyota responded to steering feel concerns from some customers by issuing a technical service bulletin (TSB-0140-10 STEERING ON-CENTER FEEL) that released an optional EPS electronic control unit that has a re-calibrated on-center feel.
Accordingly, this investigation is closed.
The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted by the circumstances.
For further details see the attached VRTC and ODI Closing Reports.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-008. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Toyota
All Toyota recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Toyota VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE10-008
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.