Aha - you work for Toyota! You may be able to offer some advice - lumbered with a Japanese Estima import which my husband thought was a good idea and the power steering is getting very hard going until the engine has warmed up - do I add steering fluid? Live in the Highlands of Scotland so when I mention import to any garage (including the Toyota main dealer) they don't want to know so I am becoming a mechanic in my spare time.
Firstly Charlie - I am amazed that garages in Scotland are wealthy enough to turn work away. Import on no import the basics are the same and it seems more of a bad attitude not to help you rather than a problem that's hard to fix. Check the level of your steering fluid and the densidy - but don't just add for the sake of it. (You may need a mechanic to check this for you.) Check that the PAS belt is not slipping also as this could be your problem.
Not easy to diagnose over the web - but ...
Firstly Charlie - I am amazed that garages in Scotland are wealthy enough to turn work away. Import on no import the basics are the same and it seems more of a bad attitude not to help you rather than a problem that's hard to fix. Check the level of your steering fluid and the densidy - but don't just add for the sake of it. (You may need a mechanic to check this for you.) Check that the PAS belt is not slipping also as this could be your problem.
Not easy to diagnose over the web - but those would be my first checks.