This issue may have initiated in 2009, 1 yr after buying this 2008 NEW. Over the years it seemed intermittent - meaning it would happen to me, last 5-7 miles and then the service station could not replicate it.
I have brought it in 5 times already and now know how to engage the problem DAILY... when the car is under stress 2500-3000RPM, climbing and accelerating I believe the traction control thinks the left wheel is spinning faster than the right and the braking starts pumping on the left wheel to the point it raises the PSI in the tires 5 PSI, then both fronts start pumping and the steering wheel jitters bigtime and it feels like the left front wheel is SQUARE. The car stays going straight but the MPG drops from 30s on highway to low 20s during the trip and the metal rims are hot and smell like welding fumes when stopped. It takes 5-10miles for it to dissipate though not sure why. When it does WATCH OUT, the brake pedal can go to the floor without braking !
I am going back a 6th time in the last 4 years to see if they can fix it this time. They changed out the steering control module and another time the master vacuum pump booster... nothing has fixed this and they don't seem all that interested in helping me, but I am going to try one more time... and and now DeSantis just sold the place to Copeland (the dealer that owns Toyota in town)... so maybe back to square 1 for me though I have been a loyal customer for over 27yrs !
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This issue may have initiated in 2009, 1 yr after buying this 2008 NEW. Over the years it seemed intermittent - meaning it would happen to me, last 5-7 miles and then the service station could not replicate it.
I have brought it in 5 times already and now know how to engage the problem DAILY... when the car is under stress 2500-3000RPM, climbing and accelerating I believe the traction control thinks the left wheel is spinning faster than the right and the braking starts pumping on the left wheel to the point it raises the PSI in the tires 5 PSI, then both fronts start pumping and the steering wheel jitters bigtime and it feels like the left front wheel is SQUARE. The car stays going straight but the MPG drops from 30s on highway to low 20s during the trip and the metal rims are hot and smell like welding fumes when stopped. It takes 5-10miles for it to dissipate though not sure why. When it does WATCH OUT, the brake pedal can go to the floor without braking !
I am going back a 6th time in the last 4 years to see if they can fix it this time. They changed out the steering control module and another time the master vacuum pump booster... nothing has fixed this and they don't seem all that interested in helping me, but I am going to try one more time... and and now DeSantis just sold the place to Copeland (the dealer that owns Toyota in town)... so maybe back to square 1 for me though I have been a loyal customer for over 27yrs !
- tsilvia, Brockton, MA, US