2004 Toyota Avalon Steering

MY STEERING WHEEL WILL LOCK WHEN I TURN LEFT OR RIGHT WHILE DRIVING ..THIS MORNING I WAS JUST STARTING MY CAR AND WAS TURNING LEFT AND MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND I WENT UP THE SIDEWALK AND ALMOST HIT THE FENCE AND I COULDN'T MOVE IT I REVERSED BACKWARDS A LITTLE BIT AND WIGGLE THE STEERING WHEEL AND IT WOULDN'T BUDGE THEN I WENT FORWARD AND WIGGLED AND IT FINALLY LOOSENED. THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES NOW USUALLY IN THE MORNING. AND MY MILEAGE IS 140,822

I WAS DRIVING ON AN EXPRESSWAY AT APX 65 MPH GOING ONTO THE OFF RAMP GOING DOWN TO 25MPH THE STEERING BECAME VERY TIGHT AND THEN AS I DROVE HOME THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED CLICKING. I CHECKED FLUIDS AT HOME AND THEY LOOKED OK. DROVE AROUND THE BLOCK AND POWER STEERING WAS GONE LEFT AND RIGHT THEN HEARD A GRINDING NOISE, IT FELT OK GOING STRAIGHT. AFTER I DROVE IT IT BECAME MORE INTERMITTENT WITH POWER COMING AND GOING ALTOGETHER. ON 8/26/15 HAD A SMALL ACCIDENT ON THE FRONT QUARTER PANEL. IT WAS AT BODY SHOP FOR 4 DAYS. I HAD ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE STEERING AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE RACK AND PINION. CALLED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THE RECALL IN 2010 WAS FOR A DIFFERENT STEERING ISSUE THAN THE STEERING PROBLEM THAT I MENTIONED. TOYOTA SAID THEY CANNOT HELP ME. I INFORMED THEM OF A DISABILITY I HAVE AND MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO ADJUST TO IT. TOO BAD!

I WAS JUST COMING OFF THE EXPRESSWAY DRIVING FROM 75 MPH, DOWN TO 35 GETTING OFF THE RAMP. AS I EXITED ONTO THE RAMP I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WAS GETTING REALLY HARD TO CONTROL AND HAD A POUNDING NOISE . FROM THAT LOCATION IT TOOK ABOUT THREE MORE BIG TURNS WHERE I HAD AN EXTREMELY HARD TIME TURNING THE WHEEL. WHEN I GOT HOME, CHECKED LEVELS IN POWER STEERING FLUID, WHICH NEEDED A LITTLE MORE, SO I FILLED IT ,AND COOLANT LEVELS LOOKED NORMAL. I DROVE AROUND THE BLOCK TO SEE IF IT MADE A DIFFERENCE. IT WAS ACTUALLY GETTING WORSE. NOW THE POUNDING NOISE GOT LOUDER AND IT WAS STILL REALLY HARD TO TURN, AND EVENTUALLY DEVELOPED A CLICKING/GRINDING NOISE. SO NOW I'M GOING TO CALL TOYOTA TO SEE IF THEY HAVE A RECALL TO COVER WHAT IS GOING ON.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING SPEEDS OVER 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE AND VIBRATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THE WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT LATER, WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO AN INTERNAL LEAK IN THE RACK AND PINION. NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000.

STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RETURN TO STRAIGHT FORWARD DIRECTION AFTER A TURN. FORCE WAS REQUIRED TO BRING VEHICLE BACK TO STRAIGHT PATH. PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY INTERNAL LEAKING OF STEERING FLUID. DEALER REPLACED STEERING RACK. POWER STEERING LINES HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO RUSTING. *TR

TOYOTA DEALER IN MERRITT ISLAND, FL ADVISED ME "POWER STEERING RACK IS LEAKING..." 2-2-2012 MY SON IN HAS A TOYOTA 2005 SIENNA IN ANNAPOLIS, MD WAS ADVISED THAT HIS POWER STEERING RACK WAS LEAKING. 7-17-2012 A FRIEND WITH A TOYOTA CAMRY IN BOWIE, MD WAS ADVISED THAT HIS POWER STEERING RACK IS LEAKING. *TR

IN DECEMBER, I TOOK MY 2004 AVALON TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE STEERING COLUMN BRACKET RECALL. SHORTLY AFTER, I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP COMPLAINING ABOUT MY ODD STEERING. I COULD FEEL THE STEERING STIFFEN, THEN RETURN TO NORMAL, THEN BACK TO STIFFENING. THE DEALERSHIP HAD THE CAR FOR A DAY TO CHECK OUT THE STEERING WHICH THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. NOW, MY STEERING IS STIFF ALL OF THE TIME. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. IT IS NOT SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD. IN RESEARCHING I HAVE NOT FOUND A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. CLEARLY, THERE IS A STEERING PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. A RECALL SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BE ORDERED BY TOYOTA. *TR

2004 TOYOTA AVALON WITH A RECALL FOR THE STEERING COLUMN UPPER BRACKET. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED SHE EXPERIENCED THE STEERING PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE RECALL. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. HE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER REGARDING RECALL 10V345000, STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO BE REPAIRED AND THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAT WAS WORKING NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED IN 2008. THE CONTACT STATED THE HEAT WAS WORKING FINE UNTIL HE TOOK HIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALER; HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND WOULD NOT RETURN HIS CALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,399 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,429.

I GOT A NOTICE FROM TOYOTA THAT MY 2004 AVALON HAD BEEN RECALLED. I HAVE TRIED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF TOYOTA OF ROCKWALL STATES THEY WILL RETURN MY CALL BUT THEY NEVER DO. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. I AM STILL WAITING FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO GET THIS RECALL REPAIRED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING TWICE AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT ON EACH OCCASION. THE REPAIRS DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

2004 TOYOTA AVALON XLS- WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY ONE DAY LAST WEEK, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN. TOOK THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TO THE TOYOTA DEALER THE SAME DAY. WAS TOLD THERE WASN'T ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE NEXT DAY THE SAME PROBLEM, TOOK THE CAR BACK TO DEALER AND ASKED FOR SOMEONE TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR WITH ME. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WITHOUT STRONG FORCE. MY CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 6 DAYS. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES STEERING FELT STIFF. WHEN TURNING, STEERING WHEEL DID NOT RETURN TO POSITION PROPERLY. STEERING WHEEL FEEDBACK DID NOT PROVIDE A SMOOTH MOTION WHEN MAKING TURNS. STEERING EFFORT WAS INTERMITTENT. THIS CONDITION WAS DANGEROUS BECAUSE SINCE STEERING SHOULD BE A SMOOTH PRECISE MANEUVER, ANY UNEXPECTED STEERING RESPONSE IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. BECAUSE THE CAR HAD LOW MILEAGE BUT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, TOYOTA, CORP. PAID FOR PARTS AND I PAID FOR LABOR. TOYOTA DEALER FOUND STEERING SHAFT JOINT BINDING AND REPLACED PART. PROBLEM RETURNED AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES. THIS TIME DEALER REPLACED STEERING MAIN SHAFT ASSY. TILT R&R. AND SHAFT SUB-ASSEMBLY. *TR

STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF. *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA AVALON XLS HAD A PROBLEM. I WAS TRYING TO GO TO MY OFFICE IN THE MORNING AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY TIGHT & HARD TO TURN. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR ROAD POTHOLES INVOLVED IN THIS CASE. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, THE TOYOTA MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT IS BOUND UP/TWISTED. IT IS VERY SHOCKING TO ME THAT SUCH A REPUTABLE TOYOTA CAR HAD THIS LIFE-THREATENING PROBLEM. IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TURN MY VEHICLE AND WOULD HAVE WENT OFF THE ROAD. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 14 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT FAILED DUE TO CORROSION AND THEY REPLACED THE STEERING SHAFT. THERE WERE NO FURTHER OCCURRENCES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,289. UPDATED 01/03/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE PART HAD NO GREASE FITTING. UPDATED 12/12/07.

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA AVALON WITH A CURRENT ODOMETER READING OF 36,080 MILES, WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT T 25 MPH UNDER NORMAL DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING , BUT THE STEERING WAS VERY STIFF AND HARD TO CONTROL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING CAME AND WENT. THE FLUID HAD BEEN CHECKED, AND WAS AT THE CORRECT LEVELS. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH LOST POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE SERVICE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. AFTER INSPECTION THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. *AK UPDATED 1/23/2006 - AT NOT TIME PRIOR TO OR AFTER FAILURE DID THE VEHICLE EXHIBIT ANY EXTERNAL FLUID LOSS. *NM