this has happend once before.

as the car was moving along the highway. a left curve came up so i started to turn into the direction. right after i start to move the steering wheel to the left the car kepted on going stright for a quick second. I turned the wheel more to the left real quick and it corrected itself. This has happend twice already. Anyone know what could be the problem? I want to try to fix it before it casue me to crash.

 

Really could be anything in the front suspension and/or steering components. Yes, you really need to bring it to a good shop and have in checked.
Could be: tie rod ends, rack mounts/bushings, steering column, ball joints, control arm bushings...hard to say.

 

Maybe it just needs to be realigned...?

 

If that's the only problem with your suspension at this time, it's not the ball joints, nor is it the alignment.

When there's some play in the steering, the likely suspects are steering rack bushings and control arm bushings. The steering rack bushings are hard to get at, so they could be bad even if you've been under the car a lot checking everything else out.

 

Agreed, steering rack bushings, probably the ones on the drivers side. They go bad real fast if they get oil on them.

Telltale signs are if you can turn it and the wheel flops and stays to one side and the car still goes straight.

 

where are the steering rack bushings located?

 

Steering Bushings inside the rack unit? Are we speaking of the "tie rod end"?

 

From the informative steering rack bushing thread https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=178926:

 

ouch. that looks like a P.I.T.A to change. So the ones in the red are the ones i need to change?

that link you posted dont work perryinLA

 

I revised the link- it should work now. The ones labeled "Vlamos" are probably the ones giving you trouble. That thread ( https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=178926 ) gives you ordering information, too.

 

ok, heres the thing. i posted this in the ES300 forum. the problem is for the 1997 ES300. I guess they moved the thread. Would problem still be same? that pic is for the SC isnt it?

 

<< ahem ! >>

 

DOH. didnt see that. thanks for all your help perryinLA.

all those sites only have them for SC models. i gotta find some for the ES.

 

Yeah, I am not a fan of the "Move it to Maintenance" policy- if the thread had stayed in the ES section you might have gotten more help. In any case, the ES bushings should be in roughly the same area- where the steering wheel shaft meets the rack, so look towards the driver's side.