2005 Toyota Avalon Steering

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING UNIT. HE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 05V227000 (STEERING:COLUMN) AND WAS INFORMED THAT HIS VEHICLE EXCEEDED ITS WARRANTY; THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY FOR FREE UNDER THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,853 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,468. UPDATED 03/24/09.*JB

MY 2005 TOYOTA AVALON (TOURING MODEL) HAS A DEFECTIVE LOCKING MECHANISM FOR THE STEERING COLUMN. ABOUT EVERY HALF AN HOUR IT WILL COME LOSE AND THE STEERING WHEEL WILL DROP OUT OF MY HANDS AND THE LOCK WILL JAM AGAINST MY LEG, CUTTING ME. I HAVE ALMOST HAD SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. TOYOTA DENIES THERE IS A DESIGN DEFECT. THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE AND UNWILLING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT COULD EASILY RESULT IN DEATH. THE LOCKING MECHANISM IS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE STEERING WHEEL AND EASILY COMES LOSE SIMPLY DUE TO VIBRATION AND THE EFFECT OF GRAVITY ON THE LOCKING DEVICE. THE LAST TIME TOYOTA CLAIMED THEY FIXED IT THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY BENT THE MECHANISM SO THAT IT WOULD NOT COME LOSE AS EASILY. THIS OBVIOUSLY IS NOT A PROPER METHOD OF REPAIRING ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE CAR. *TR

"MAINTENANCE REQUIRED" LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE. AFTER MENTIONING A CONCERN I HAD, I WAS CALLED AND TOLD THAT MY STEERING COLUMN SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I DID NOT FEEL ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE STEERING FROM WHEN I LAST BROUGHT IT IN BEFORE THE WARRANTY WAS UP. NOW, I HAVE A $600 + BILL AT 43,000 MILES. I'VE ALWAYS HAD TOYOTA'S AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING QUITE A FEW PROBLEMS OF LATE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS VEHICLE. *TR

STEERING COLUMN IS DEFECTIVE PER DEALER. I NOTICED A CLUNKING SOUND AND VIBRATION AS I WAS DRIVING. I ASKED DEALER TO CHECK IT OUT. THEY ADVISED ME I NEEDED A NEW STEERING COLUMN AT A COST OF $1835. THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD ONLY GET WORSE IF IT WAS NOT REPAIRED. AFTER SEVERAL PHONE CALLS BETWEEN ME , THE DEALER AND TOYOTA NORTH AMERICA REGARDING WARRANTY AND SAFETY ISSUES, I APPROVED THE REPAIR. THE REPAIR [ REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN] WAS COMPLETED ON AUGUST 28, 2008 AND I HAVE THE REPLACED PARTS. I PAID THE BILL. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA EVEN IF THE VEHICLE IS 5 MONTHS OUT OF WARRANTY. *TR

STEERING COLUMN SEPARATING AS IDENTIFIED IN RECALL YET TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPAIR OR REPLACE DEFECTIVE PARTS. ID 05V227000. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING 5-40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED AND HE HEARD CLICKING NOISE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. THERE IS A RECALL FOR STEERING: COLUMN (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #05V227000) HOWEVER, THE DEALER STATED THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000. UPDATED 01/29/08. *LJ UPDATED *JB

STEERING CLUNKS HEARD WHILE TURNING VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT. AUTO PURCHASED USED, WITH MANUFACTURER WARRENTY AND CERTIFIED BY TOYOTA TO 84 MONTHS OR 100,000. VEHICHLE CURRENTLY HAS 14,000 MILES.

STEERING COLUMN MAKE NOISE WHEN TURNING TO RIGHT: SERVICE DEPARTMENT FIRST REPLACED RIGHT WHEEL BEARING AXLE. WHEN I SAID I HAVE SEEN COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS, THEY REPLACED STEERING SHAFT AND JOINT. FIXED PROBLEM *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL COLLAPSED FROM THE EXTENDED POSITION WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL OR DRIVING 45 MPH. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS FAILURE HAS NEVER BEFORE BEEN SEEN, AND WANTED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FOR SIX MONTHS. THEY CHECKED THE COMPUTER AND FOUND NO RECALLS. THE CONTACT FELT THE LOCKING LEVER DETACHED AND THEN THE STEERING WHEEL DESCENDED. ALSO HEARD A CLICKING NOISE WHEN THE LEVER BEGAN TO DESCEND. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 30,200, AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.*AK

REPORTING A PROBLEM (NOISE IN STEERING) WITH HIS 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. **CC THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT IT WOULD BE A FEW DAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT PART TO ARRIVE. AFTER TWO WEEKS THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN. THIS TIME THE INDICATED THAT THE PART WAS ON BACK ORDER. *NM

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT HEARD A THUMPING NOISE WHEN PARKING THE VEHICLE AND TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS CAUSED BY THE STEERING SHAFT AND THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA RECALL # 05V227000 (STEERING:COLUMN). THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 50,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 02/01/08. *LJ