Hearth Record

Steering: gear box: shaft sector; steering (Toyota)

Vehicle recall 12V-537. NHTSA received Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing’s report on Nov 14, 2012.

NHTSA’s own record, on nhtsa.gov

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The short answer

NHTSA received Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing’s report on Nov 14, 2012. Copied from NHTSA on Oct 20, 2026.

Every line below is in NHTSA’s own words, with its source beside it.

What’s wrong with it?

Over time, the splines may wear and eventually fail resulting in a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009.

The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear.

These splines may have been manufactured with an insufficient hardness.

Source:

NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily.

  • NHTSA’s part: Steering: gear box: shaft sector.
  • NHTSA’s part: Steering.

What should you do?

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.

Source:

NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily.

  • How to reach the firm: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
  • Check a vehicle by its VIN at NHTSA: the recalls still open on it are listed there.

Which ones are recalled?

NHTSA counts 669,705 vehicles potentially involved, across everything this recall names.

Source:

NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily.

  • Toyota Priusand 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, before the model years listed here

Who is recalling it?

  • Made by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing.
Source:

NHTSA, Recalls flat file. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily.

What the record doesn’t say

  • NHTSA’s recall file doesn’t say whether anyone was hurt.
  • Whether one vehicle or seat has been fixed: only its maker, or NHTSA’s lookup with a VIN, can say.
  • This recall names only model years before 2015, which have no pages here. Your VIN, at NHTSA, says which recalls are open on a vehicle.
  • How many have been returned or fixed isn’t in the notice.
Source:

Hearth Record wrote these lines.

Sources

  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Recalls flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010).

    Released Oct 20, 2026 and checked Oct 20, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work).

Source:

Vehicle, car seat, tire and vehicle equipment recalls, owner complaints and crash ratings are from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Copied on Oct 20, 2026.

How to read a record

Four things every record does, shown on an example record made up for this guide.

An example record, made up for this guide

An example nursing home

Made up for this guide: no real place is shown

Not fully inspected in over two years (CMS flag)

11 health citations at the latest inspection cycle

The state average is 14.3.

Source:

CMS, State and US Averages and Health Deficiencies. Released Oct 28, 2026. Updated monthly.

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Every fact names its source.

Who published it, when, and how often it changes sit beside each fact, with a link to the agency’s own file.

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