I WAS DRIVING IN A SNOW STORM AT APPROXIMATELY 20MILES/HR.THE ROAD HAD NOT BEEN PLOWED RECENTLY, SO THERE WAS SOME SNOW THAT HAD ACCUMULATED, BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY PASSABLE AND I WAS DRIVING A 4 WHEEL,TOYOTA, RAV 4, 2008, IN EXCELLENT UPKEEP. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED DRIFTING TO THE RIGHT, WHEN I TRIED TO SLOWLY CORRECT THE DIRECTION OF THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WOULD NOT WORK. I COULD NOT MOVE THE WHEEL, THE BRAKSE DID NOT WORK, EVERYTHING IN THE CAR FROZE. I WAS HELPLESS AND HAD TO WATCH AS THE CAR SLOWLY DROVE ITSELF OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO A DEEP DITCH. HALF WAY THROUGH THIS HARROWING TIME SPAN A BEEPING NOISE CAME ON(THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM?), BUT ONLY AFTER THE CAR WAS INCAPACITATED FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE MINUTES. I WAS ON A STRAIGHT AWAY AND THERE WERE NO HILLS AT THIS LOCATION. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 300+ FEET, AS EVIDENCED BY THE TRACK MARKS LEFT IN THE SNOW. LUCKILY THE DITCH WAS FILLED WITH SNOW, SO I DID NOT CRASH INTO A TREE OR ROLL OVER. THE SNOWPACK STOPPED THE CAR AND IT ENDED UP TILTED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE, BURIED ALMOST TO THE TOP OF THE PASSENGER WINDOW. WHEN I TRIED TO OPEN THE RIGHT WINDOW TO CRAWL OUT, IT WAS INOPERABLE. I WAS TOWED OUT OF THE DITCH AND BECAUSE OF THE SOFT SNOW COVER THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE CAR. I HAVE ALSO HAD 1 OTHER STEERING PROBLEM WITH THE CAR WHEN IT DID NOT RESPOND AS EXPECTED(ALTHOUGH THE STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT FROZEN) AND I SUBSEQUENTLY SIDE SWIPED A CAR I WAS PASSING WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING GARAGE. I AM AN EXCELLENT NEW ENGLAND DRIVER WITH A STELLAR DRIVING RECORD. THIS CAR HAS BEEN A DISASTER THE INFREQUENT TIMES I IT. IT USUALLY SITS IN THE GARAGE, SINCE I PREFER MY 109,000 MILE, RELIABLE, 2001, MERCURY MOUNTAINEER; AFTER EXPERIENCING THE FIRST STEERING EVENT WITH THE RAV4, WHICH I KNOW WAS NOT MY FAULT. I DROVE THE RAV 4 DURING THE SECOND INCIDENT BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE SAFER, BEING A NEW CAR! HA *TR