2006 Toyota RAV4 Steering

For several months the 2006 Rav4 with only 118k miles had been experiencing intermittent failure of power steering while driving at speeds between 5-20mph. These failures resulted in the steering wheel to become extremely difficult if not impossible to turn while the car is driving. In each incident, this resulted in stopping the car and putting on emergency lights until we can safely turn off the car and hopefully the issue goes away several minutes later. This issue has proven to be very dangerous when in traffic with no place to pull over and with the steering tightening up, it is not even possible to pull over in most cases. Four different mechanical shops tried to replicate the issue and none were able to determine the root cause nor replicate it consistently. This issue has been happening more frequently now and the car cannot be taken out safely. As [XXX] drivers, this is not safe by any means and Toyota should consider this a critical safety recall and cover towing costs to move this. There are no signs of instrument lights or any leaks coming from the car. This seems to be entirely a malfunction of steering components. With regard to incidents resulting from this, my mother is the primary driver, she is [XXX] old and injured her wrist trying to move the steering wheel to a safe location. Her wrist is still in pain several days later. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while making a right or left turn, there was a loud popping sound coming from the steering wheel. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the popping noise was progressively louder while steering to make a turn. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering linkage needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

While my son was driving me the vehicles steering wheel locked and he was unable to steer the vehicle. It caused us to go off the road down a steep hill and wreck. I’ve never had any problems with this vehicle so it was completely unexpected. If there had been anyone in our path we wouldn’t of been able to stop from hitting them. It has not been inspected but there are witnesses to the accident

Clunking noise when turning steering wheel right or left. Numerous complaints from 006 RAV 4 owners. Fear that my steering will fail and cause an accident or Death. The issue is a defective intermediate steering shaft. Toyota will not issue a recall and will only repair if vehicle is still under warranty. How many complaints, accidents, or deaths will it take for this manufacturer to do the right thing???

I BOUGHT A USED 2006 RAV4 3.5 L V-6, AFTER A MONTH A BOUGHT IT. I NOTICED WHEN I TURN LEFT OR RIGHT I HEARD A CLUNK SOUND. I FOUND OUT THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT IS THE PROBLEM. THIS COMMON TO MOST RAV4, DEALERSHIP IT'S NORMAL BUT TO ME IT DOESN'T FELL NORMAL WHEN I'M DRIVING, IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS WILL COME OUT OR BROKE OFF. KIND OF SCARY THING TO FEEL WHEN DRIVING. I THINK THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE COULD HURT OR DIE.

STEERING 'CLUNKS' AND CAR WON'T TURN AT LOW SPEEDS/STATIONARY, RADIO MOMENTARILY CUTS OUT AND DASH LIGHTS FLASH. CAN TURN THE STEERING WHEEL FURTHER AFTER A FEW SECONDS. HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, SO FAR ONLY AT LOW SPEEDS/WHILE PARKING OR LEAVING A PARKING SPACE.

VEHICLE DID HAVE AN OFFICIAL RECALL(STEERING SHAFT ASSEMBLY) VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED 2X'S. VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING SAME PROBLEM. STEERING GETS TIGHT AND KNOCKS. SENT LETTER TO TOYOTA IN CALIFORNIA CREATED CASE #[XXX] DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR *TT CONSUMER STATED THERE ARE 2 ODI NUMBERS #352270 AND #1182873. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *LN*JB

HEAR CLUNK SOUND WHEN TURNING THE STEERING. CHECK WITH TOYOTA SUNNYVALE DEALER, THEY SAID THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY TODAY THE CAR DID NOT STALL BUT ALL THE DASH LIGHTS CAME ON AND THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING. LUCKILY I WAS IN THE RIGHT LAND AND ON A STRAIGHT ROADS I GLIDED TO THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED. I COULD NOT START THE CAR SO I JUMPED STARTED THE CAR AND PROCEEDED TO GET OFF NEXT EXIT AND PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN!!!! I READ ABOUT ISSUES WITH THE ELECTRONIC STEERING ON TOYOTA VEHICLES. I AM CHECKING THE CHARGING SYSTEM AND BATTERY BUT WANT TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS A RECALL. THERE WERE OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS ISSUE WHILE SEARCHING THE INTERNET. I UNDERSTAND THAT BATTERIES AND ALTERNATORS DO GO BAD BUT LOSS OF STEERING WHILE MOVING COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT HAD I BEEN IN A CURVE IN THE ROAD. I HAD PREVIOUS CARGO IN THE CAR TOO.....MY 22 MONTH OLD GRANDDAUGHTER!!! PLEASE ADVISE IF THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

STEERING POPS WHENEVER I MAKE A TURN.

THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. SHE COULD NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. LUCKILY SHE DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WAS REPLACED BY MILTON RUBEN TOYOTA AT THE COST OF $1134.00.

PURCHASED VEHICLE IN NOVEMBER 2015 WITH THE NOISE/ISSUE ALREADY OCCURRING. IT IS A POPPING/CLICKING WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT WITH STEERING WHEEL. HAD DIAGNOSIS DONE AT REPAIR SHOP. IT IS THE INTERMEDIATE DRIVE SHAFT THAT IS WORN/DEFECTIVE. TOYOTA HAS HAD KNOWN TSB'S ON THIS PART SINCE 2008, BUT REGARDLESS OF SAFETY CONCERNS, REFUSES TO REPLACE OR REIMBURSE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE SERVICING, A SERVICE MECHANIC AT THE DEALER NOTICED AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PENDING A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL LOUD NOISE PROGRESSING FROM THE AREA OF THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, REVERSING, OR MAKING A TURN. THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE FAILURE. FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WAS REQUIRED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC ALSO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, BUT PROVIDED NO SPECIFIC DIAGNOSIS TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN IF THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

STEERING COLUMN CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL. ON-GOING ISSUE SINCE DECEMBER 2015.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA RAV4 THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL FAILED. THE STEERING WHEEL EMITTED A LOUD METAL NOISE WHILE TURNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

HEAR CLUNK TYPE NOISE WHEN TURN IN THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT

THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT ON THE RAV4 IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. THE CLUNKING NOISE WHEN YOU TURN CAN DEGRADE INTO A STEERING HAZARD.

STEERING COLUMN CLUNCKING NOISE YEAR: 2006 MAKE: TOYOTA MODEL: RAV4/BASE ISSUE: STEERING COLUMN CLUNCKING NOISE. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR ON THE 12TH OF JUNE BUT HAVE SEEN OTHER PEOPLE ONLINE TALKING ABOUT IT.

STEERING CLUNKING NOISE AND LOOSENESS. *TR

U-JOINT IN STEERING COLUMN WEARING OUT AND MAKING NOISE. MECHANIC AT DEALERSHIP SAID COMMON PROBLEM, BUT NOT AT 21,000 MILES. ESTIMATED COST TO REPAIR APPROXIMATELY $400. *JS

CLUNKING NOISES WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL EITHER SITTING STATIONARY OR MOVING. *TR

MY RAV4 MAKES AN ANNOYING KNOCKING/POPPING SOUND WHEN I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT LOW SPEEDS. *JS

I NOTICE A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN I WOULD TURN THE WHEELS TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT GOING AT A LOW SPEED. I LOOKED ON GOOGLE SEARCH ABOUT CLUNKING NOISE IN STEERING . THERE WAS A LOT OF TOYOTA RAV 4 OWNERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY TOYOTA DEALER HE SAID IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH RAV 4'S . I CALLED TOYOTA COMPLAINT LINE AND THEY TOLD MEN A SERVICE BULLETIN WAS OUT ON THE PROBLEM BUT I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME. I KNOW FROM BEING AN AUTO MECHANIC THAT WHEN YOU HAVE LOOSE PLAY IN THE STEERING THAT IT WILL DEVELOP INTO A DANGER DRIVING MY CAR. PLEASE REQUIRE TOYOTA TO HAVE A SAFETY RECALL ON THE STEERING . THANK YOU [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *JS

I HAVE HAD AN ON GOING ISSUE WITH MY 2006 RAV 4 AND A "CLUNKING" NOISE WHILE STEERING. WE HAD THIS REPAIRED ONCE WHEN WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2006. BUT THE EXACT SAME FEEL AND NOISE HAS RETURNED. THE STEERING WHEEL CLICKS WHEN YOU TURN LEFT OR RIGHT, AND YOU CAN FEEL THE "CLICKING" IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND WITH YOUR FEET IN THE CAR. AFTER DOING BASIC RESEARCH ONLINE, IT SEEMS THAT THIS SPECIFIC MODEL OF RAV 4 HAS NOT ONLY HAD MANY RECALLS, BUT THIS STEERING ISSUE IS WIDESPREAD. THANKS! *JS