43 complaints reported

2012 Toyota Highlander Steering

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
43
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Sep 2021

Popping and clunking sound in steering or suspension. Can be produced at speeds and at stand still. Could it be this? https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2013/SB-10075792-2280.pdf https://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Highlander/2013/steering/steering.shtml NHTSA Action Number: EA18006 https://www.consumerclasslawyersblog.com/snap-crackle-pop-intermediate-shaft-noise-coming-from-toyota-highlanders/

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Sep 2021
Jan 2021

WHEN I DRIVE THE VEHICLE YOU CAN HEAR A CLUNKING SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN. IT HAPPENS AT LOW AND HIGH SPEEDS. WHEN MAKE A TURN RIGHT, OR LEFT YOU HEAR CLUNKING IS THE STEERING COLUMN. IT FEELS LIKE THE STEERING WANTS TO COME OFF, TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATE TO FIX IT WILL COST OVER 1000$. I HEAD THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHICH TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT, BUT HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING TO RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Nov 2017
Oct 2020

CRUNCH NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN MAKING TURNS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Nov 2018
Aug 2020

IT MAKES A LOUD CLICKING NOISE WHEN YOU STEER AT ALL TIMES

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2019
Aug 2020

STEERING WHEEL IS CLUNKING WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. SEE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS ON THE INTERNET. NOISE DEFINITELY COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2019
Jul 2020

HAD TO INSTALL A NEW STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY AT THE 5TH YR INSPECTION. THE WARRANTY WAS UP, HAD TO PAY $451.82 MYSELF. PROBLEM AND NOISE FROM DAY ONE. TOLD I COULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT FROM IT. THIS WAS ON 3/29/2017 AT DIEHL AUTOMOTIVE IN BUTLER, PA. ALWAYS CLANKED WHEN TURNING WHEEL, LOUD NOISE. 1ST TIME IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION. MANY OTHERS OUT THERE SAME WAY.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Mar 2017
Jul 2020

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT A POPPING NOISE OCCURS AT LOW SPEED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jul 2020
Apr 2020

STEERING SHAFT CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURN LEFT OR RIGHT AT LOW SPEED. CONFIRMED STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT FAILURE BY IRA TOYOTA TECHNICIAN ON 7/31/2020 . THIS IS 3RD TIMES FAILURE. 1ST FAILURE WAS JAN/2012 AND 2ND TIME FAILURE WAS 11/2013.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jul 2020
Dec 2019

STEERING SHAFT- AFTER EXPERIENCING CLUNKING AND POPPING WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL AT LOW SPEEDS THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY. THIS WILL COST APPROXIMATELY 1000 DOLLARS TO FIX. THIS CAN CAUSE MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES IF NOT FIXED!

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2019
Nov 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE VEHICLE TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. IN ORDER TO RELEASE THE STEERING WHEEL, THE CONTACT HAD TO RETRACT THE STEERING WHEEL QUICKLY TO THE POINT THAT IT WOULD SEIZE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO WEST COAST TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 3399 W. WILLOW ST, LONG BEACH, CA 90806) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE DEALER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Nov 2019
Nov 2019

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL ON MY 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER I EXPERIENCE A "POP" IN THE STEERING WHEEL. MY MECHANIC SAYS THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT BUT IS NOT WARRANTED BY TOYOTA NOTWITHSTANDING THE FACT IT IS A KNOWN AND COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR VEHICLE. IF LEFT UNREPAIRED IT COULD CAUSE A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY PROBLEM.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Apr 2019
Oct 2019

MY 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER STARTED MAKING POPPING NOISES WHEN TURNING RIGHT IN JUNE 2019, LESS THAN 100 THOUSAND MILES. THIS MONTH OCTOBER 2019, JUST ROLLED OVER TO 100,000 AND THE POPPING HAS GOTTEN WORSE(LOUDER) AND NOW POPS WHEN TURNING LEFT AND RIGHT. WE NEVER THOUGHT TOYOTA WOULD NEVER STAND BEHIND A CAR WITH SUCH A SAFETY ISSUE. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED YET! BUT IF SOMETHING DOES, GUARANTEED MY CHILDREN WILL NOT STOP UNTIL SOMETHING HAS APPROPRIATELY BEEN DONE..

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2019
Jul 2019

WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL, THERE IS A LOUD POPPING NOISE. THE STEERING ASSEMBLY ALSO FEELS LOOSE WHEN TURNING. THIS HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS AND WHETHER TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2019
Jul 2019

WHILE TURNING STEERING COLUMN WAS MAKING LIGHT CLICKING NOISE FOR A FEW YEARS. IN 2019 CLICKING RATE AND VOLUME INCREASED AND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A DEFINITE FEEL IN THE COLUMN. RESOLUTION WAS REPLACING INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AT A COST OF FOUR HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR DOLLARS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2019
Jul 2019

WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT, CLUNKING AND POPPING NOISES ARE HEARD. VIBRATION AND PULSING FELT THROUGH STEERING WHEEL WHILE TURNING. INFORMED DEALER. THEY CHECKED IT AND SAID IT WAS THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS MOVING AT ANY SPEED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2017
Jun 2019

WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AND TRAVELING AT LESS THAN 20 MILES PER HOUR, A POPPING NOISE WAS PRESENT WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IN EITHER DIRECTION. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD IT SHOULD BE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST DETECTED AT ABOUT 55,000 MILES.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jun 2019
Jun 2019

STEERING MAKES NOISE (CLANKS) UNDER TURNING AND ACCELERATION. I SPOKE WITH TOYOTA AND THERE IS A TSB FOR THE STEERING COLUMN WHICH HAS SEVERAL REPORTED FAILURES AND MANY COMPLAINS. THERE IS AN ONGOING NHTSA ENGINEERING INVESTIGATION. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WANTS AROUND $1000 TO REPAIR.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Apr 2019
May 2019

HEARING A NOISE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AT LOW SPEED. STARTED AROUND WHEN IT WAS AROUND 45000 MILES BUT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO RECOGNISE IT OR REPRODUCE IT. NOW AT 63000 MILES VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND SERVICE CHARGE FOR REPLACING STEERING SHAFT IS ABOUT $1000, WHICH HAS TO BE SERVICED UNDER WARRANTY WHEN THE ISSUE ARISED. THIS IS A BIG SEVERE FAILURE ON TOYOTA SAFTEY CHECK AND HAS TO BE RECALLED AS MORE AND MORE CUSTOMERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Feb 2019
Apr 2019

UPON TURNING STEERING WHEEL, EVEN SLIGHTLY, AN OBVIOUS "CLUNKING" NOISE IS HEARD AND FELT THROUGH THE STEERING COLUMN. THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR WAS APPROXIMATELY 62K. AT 70K I AM HAVING IT REPAIRED ALTHOUGH I WAS TOLD THERE WASN'T A SAFETY ISSUE. THE SOUND SEEMS TO HAVE INCREASED IN THE LAST 8K MILES.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2018
Mar 2019

NOTICED A SUBTLE KNOCKING SOUND ON THE STEERING WHEEL ONE YEAR AGO. TODAY IT BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED ,LOUDER , AS I TURN THE WHEEL EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT. I WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. AND IS IT SAFE TO DRIVE MY HIGHLANDER ?

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Nov 2019
Feb 2019

I PURCHASED THIS CAR BRAND NEW, I'VE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER/DRIVER. WITH IN THE 3RD YEAR OF HAVING THIS CAR, I START TO HEAR A ( CLANKING) NOISE. THE FIRST THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS , THAT IT WAS THE CV JOINTS. I REALIZE THAT I WAS CLOSE TO THE 36,000 MILES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY CHECKED IT AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING, BUT THAT THEY WOULD CHANGE THE CV JOINTS SINCE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. EVENTHOUGH THEY DID MAKE CHANGE, I CAN STILL HEAR THE NOISE WHEN I TURN EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I WENT BACK AND STILL THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE SHAFT. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING , SO I WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. TILL THIS DAY I STILL HEAR THE CLANKING NOISE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jul 2014
Jan 2019

STEERING COLUMN MAKING TICKING SOUND. TOOK TO A MECHANIC AND HE STATED KNUCKLE JOINT IS BAD. HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING. POTENTIALLY COULD CAUSE STEERING TOFAIL

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2019
Dec 2018

HAVE NOISE IN STEERING SHAFT AT LOW SPEED WHEN TURNING AND BACKING UP AND PULLING FORWARD . TOYOTA DEALER CHECKED AT 50,000 MILE WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE NOISE . WHEN HAVING OIL CHANGE AT 62000 MILES MENTIONED IT AGAIN TO SERVICE MAN AND WAS TOLD IT PROBABLY IS THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT THEY ALWAYS GO BAD IN THAT YEAR AND TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE UNLESS I PAY FOR IT. HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH TOYOTA DIRECTLY AND THEY HAD THE DEALER CALKL ME TWICE TO SET UP APPOINTMENT TO LOOK AT THE CAR. WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO SEE WHAT IS WRONG AND WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS ,I DECLINED ,WAS TOLD THEN THEY WERE GOING TO GET BACK TO TOYOTA FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE , THIS WAS THE WEEK OF 12/10 2018

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jul 2017
Dec 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING STEERING FAILURE. FREEDOM TOYOTA OF HARRISBURG (6060 ALLENTOWN BLVD, HARRISBURG, PA 17112, (717) 545-4726) WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT SEPARATED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000. *DT*JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2018
Dec 2018

MAKING POPPING NOISE IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAVE IT SERVICED AND THEY INFORMED ME IT WAS THE STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY. WHICH COST $273 DOLLARS BEFORE LABOR. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE 2008 TO 2013 MODELS. IN MY OPINION THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2012 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 2018

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2012 Toyota Highlander has 43 Steering complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.