2007 Toyota RAV4 Steering

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 222,822.

AT 65270 MILES RAV4 FAILED STEERING INSPECTION WHICH IS MANDATED BY NC. PARTS REPLACED PASSED INSPECTION BUT SQUEALING CONTINUES GETS WORSE AFTER ABUT 15 MINUTES OF CITY DRIVING - METAL TO METAL CONTACT? 265 COMPLAINTS SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE OVERALL STEERING SYSTEM SQUEALING OCCURS AT IDLE WITH BRAKE DEPRESSED, RELEASE BRAKE TURN LEFT OR RIGHT SQUEALING STARTS UNTIL ENGINE SHUTDOWN. NO VIBRATIONS FELT STEERING WHEEL. SUNDAY IN CITY DRIVING - 15 MINUTES AFTER START UP.

KNOCK IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING AND HAVE PAID OVER $2,500.00 WITH THE PROBLEM NEVER GETTING FIXED BECAUSE EVERYONE THINKS IT IS SOMETHING ELSE AND THEY ARE ALWAYS WRONG.

TOYOTA 2007 RAV4 STEERING MAKES A KLUNKING / POPPING NOISE WHILE DRIVING, WHEN TURNING EITHER DIRECTION, WHILE PULLING OUT OF DRIVING. NO SOUNDS ON FREEWAY. ISSUES SEEMS TO BE STEERING COLUMN.

DEFECTIVE STEERING ASSEMBLY, MAKES A CLUNKING SOUND WHEN TURNING SLOWLY. I FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND A SERIOUS ACCIDENT RESULTED WHEN THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF STEERING

MY 2007 RAV4 IS EXPERIENCING A CLUNKING SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN TURNING AT LOW SPEEDS AND THE STEERING FEELS SUSPECT AT TIMES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. A ONLINE SEARCH, REVEALED THAT THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM FOR SOME TIME WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR. TOYOTA DIAGNOSES THIS AS A PROBLEM WITH THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING COLUMN.IS THE NHTSA AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND IS IT A SAFETY CONCERN?

AUDIBLE CLUNK SOUND IN THE STEERING WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DRIVER CAN ALSO FEEL A KNOCK THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. I AM WORRIED THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE FOR THIS MODEL AND YEAR (E.G., ABOUT 40 COMPLAINTS OF THIS KIND HAVE BEEN FILED FOR 2007 RAV4S ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM). IT APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT; TOYOTA HAS FOR EXAMPLE ISSUED TSB 0318 08 TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO OUR TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, IT IS DUE TO A SHAFT TOLERANCE THAT IS TOO LOOSE; THE CLUNK SOUND WOULD ONLY BE AN ANNOYANCE, BUT NOT A SAFETY CONCERN. GIVEN THAT THE STEERING IS CRITICAL FOR CONTROL AND SAFE OPERATIONS OF THE CAR, I FEEL THAT ANY NOISE IN THE STEERING MIGHT INDICATE A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. WE BOUGHT THE CAR USED WITH 107874 MILES (FROM THE FIRST OWNER) ON 05/09/2014, AND NOTICED THE PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY DURING THE FIRST WEEKS OF USE. WE BELIEVE THE CONDITION HAD ALREADY EXISTED BEFORE WE PURCHASED THE CAR, BUT WE HAVE NO INFORMATION AT WHICH MILEAGE THE PREVIOUS OWNER STARTED TO NOTICE IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS MAKING A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A METAL TO METAL GRINDING NOISE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN MIDDLE SHAFT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

ONGOING AND VERY LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHEN THE WHEEL IS TURNED AT LOW SPEEDS, AT TIMES THE NOISE CAN ALSO BE HEARD WHEN GOING STRAIGHT. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS RAV4 MODEL AND IT SEEMS TOYOTA HAS NOT TAKEN ANY STEPS TO REMEDY THIS. IT IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN, THE PROPER FUNCTION OF THE STEERING MECHANISM IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS AT ALL TIMES.

CONSTANT CLUNKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL

WHENEVER YOU MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THERE IS A CLUNKING NOISE. I HAVE CONTACTED SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS REGARDING THIS ISSUE FOR OVER 5 YEARS & YET THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BY A REMEDY. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE FIXED BY TOYOTA. I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO MAKE THIS COMPLAINT. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE & FIX THE DANGEROUS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS ALL THE TIME WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ON HIGHWAYS & CITY STREETS.

I HEAR A CLUNK, POP, OR KNOCK-TYPE NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT. TOYOTA WAS ACUTELY AWARE OF THIS ISSUE (PLEASE SEE ATTACHED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ST001-08) AND HAD TO REDESIGN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. UNFORTUNATELY, TOYOTA HAS NOT TAKEN THE STEPS TO RECALL ALL EFFECTED VEHICLES AND REPLACE THIS DEFECTIVE PART. I URGE THE NHTSA TO TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO FORCE TOYOTA TO ISSUE A RECALL AND MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS AS THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN WITNESSED IN A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE 06-07 TOYOTA RAV4 VEHICLES.

CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL ON VERY LOW SPEED OR ON CAR THAT IN NOT MOVING. IT WAS DISCOVERED DURING STATE INSPECTION [CAR WAS IN GARAGE AND WAS NOT MOVING]. CAR HAS JUST ABOVE 30,000 MILES, MOSTLY CITY DRIVING, REGULARLY, BUT SHORT DISTANCE COMMUTE.

THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT IS MAKING CLUNK NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I AM FEARED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AND THE STEERING IS DANGEROUS.

CLUNKING NOISE WHEN STEERING EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT, NOTICEABLE AT SLOWER SPEEDS. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE IT WAS NEW BUT WE WERE TOLD IT WAS THE LEFT FRONT STRUT. ON OUR LAST SERVICE WE WERE TOLD IT INVOLVED THE STEERING. NOTE: RAV'S FRONT BUMPER HAD BEEN REPAIRED, BEFORE VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED TO US. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS MINOR DAMAGE JUST NEEDED REPAINTING..THIS VEHICLE HAS 64,000 ORIGINAL MILES.

I HEAR A CLUNK, POP OR KNOCK-TYPE NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS (TECH SERVICE BULLETIN ST001-08). TOYOTA REDESIGNED THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. HOWEVER, TOYOTA HAS NOT TAKEN THE STEPS TO ISSUE RECALL TO REPLACE THIS DEFECTIVE PART.

LOUD CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AND WHILE BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY NEAR THE STEERING WHEEL. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 2007 AND WITHIN 2 YEARS (~30000 MILES) THE SAME ISSUE HAD OCCURRED AND TOYOTA DEALER REPLACED THE PART UNDER WARRANTY. WITHIN 6 YEARS OF THE FIRST OCCURRENCE I AM FACING THE SAME ISSUE AGAIN. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO TOYOTA FOR A FREE REPAIR BUT TOYOTA HAS REFUSED TO REPLACE THE PART UNDER PRODUCT DEFECT. THIS IS A PRODUCT DEFECT AND ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE AND HENCE TOYOTA SHOULD MAKE A NATIONAL RECALL.

NOTICED CLUNKING IN STEERING WHEN TURNING EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT. LOOKED UP PROBLEM ON INTERNET AND FOUND THAT IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES. ACCORDING TO INTERNET THERE OVER 400,000 COMPLAINTS. CALLED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON THE PROBLEM AND IT REQUIRES REPLACING STEERING SHAFT. I ALSO READ ON THE INTERNET THAT VEHICLES WHO REPLACED THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT OFTEN HAVE TO REPLACE IT AGAIN. THIS SEEMS TO ME THAT TOYOTA CAN NOT FIX THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM AND NOW IT BECOMES THE OWNERS RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP ON CHANGING AN INTRICATE PART TO DRIVING THEIR VEHICLES. WHY WITH SO MANY FAILURES HASN'T YOUR AGENCY WARNED THE PUBLIC OR IS NHTSA SAYING THERE IS NO ISSUE OR SAFETY CONCERN. PLEASE INFORM ME THAT THIS ISSUE IS NOT A PROBLEM AND I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT AND I DON'T HAVE TO SPEND $800.00 TO FIX IT.

AT 51,000 MILES, THERE IS A HEAVY RATTLE IN THE FRONT END WHEN DRIVING ON ROUGH ROADS. AFTER REPLACING SEVERAL PARTS, LOCAL MECHANICS NOW TELL ME THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR NEEDS REPLACEMENT. THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT PROBLEM THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN #T-SB-0319-08. I DO NOT FEEL ANYTHING ABNORMAL IN THE STEERING WHEEL, STEERING IS SMOOTH AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT NOTICEABLE DRIVING ON SMOOTH ROAD SURFACES. THE NOISE SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE WITH TIME, SO I AM CONCERNED THAT THE STEERING COULD FAIL ALTOGETHER.

I PURCHASED MY RAV4 USED ABOUT 12 MONTHS AGO. WITHIN THE PAST 3 MONTHS I'VE NOTICES PROBLEMS WITH MY STEERING. SLOW TURNS MAKE A CLUNKING SOUND WITH LOOSE MOVEMENT AND VIBRATION FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. INITIALLY I WAS TOLD IT WAS A BAD STRUT, WHICH I REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO GET A LITTLE WORSE BY THE DAY. IN CHECKING ONLINE I SEE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME NATURE, SOME RESULTING IN SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. IT APPEARS THAT THE RACK & PINION ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE SINCE THE PROBLEM IS SO WIDESPREAD. I HAVE NOT SEEN A RECALL ON THIS AND WONDER WHY SINCE STEERING IS SO ESSENTIAL TO THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. I WILL BE CONTACTING MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE DEPT. TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE.

WHILE BACKING UP OUT OF A DRIVEWAY THERE IS A LOUD CLUNK AND THE STEER WHEEL SHAKES. WHILE MAKING TURNS AT LOW SPEED AND DRIVING OVER POT HOLES THE SAME LOUD CLUNK. THE DEALER SAID ITS A PROBLEM IN THE STEERING SHAFT THAT HAS 2 DIFFERENT PARTS. I ASKED THE DEALER ABOUT IT BEING COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY SAID NO. I HAVE READ SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SAME ISSUE AND A COUPLE HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY EVEN THOU THE VEHICLE HAD OVER 100000 MILES ON IT. I UNDERSTAND TOYOTA HAS MADE 2 REPLACEMENT PARTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE SO THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A NATIONAL RECALL ON THIS PART AND HAVE TOYOTA COVER THE REPAIRS BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED.

THUMPING SOUND IN STERRING PASSEGER SIDE. TOYOTA DEALER SAID RACK AND PINION MUST BE REPLACED AT 52,000 MILES? THUMPING SOUND IS NOT ALWAYS BUT IS GETTING WORSE AS CAR IS IN MOTION. FRANKLY SEEMS LIKE A DEFECT. FEELS VERY UNSAFE, SHOULD BE RECALLED SINCE IT IS WEAK POINT OF ALL RAV4 FOR YEARS 2007-2008

MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS SOME CLUNKY NOISE AROUND 46,000 MILES, BUT RECENTLY IT IS GETTING LOUDER. IT BECOMES A MAJOR CONCERN FOR MY FAMILY AND ME; THEREFORE, I HAVE BROUGHT IT IN TO A CAR REPAIR SHOP (FIRESTONE) TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED. THE RESULT CAME BACK TO BE THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND RACK. I CALLED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT REPAIRED, BUT THEY SAID THAT IF I ONLY HAVE A EXTENDED WARRANTY THEY WILL REPAIR IT WITH FREE OF CHARGE AND THAT THE WARRANTY ONLY COVERS UP TO 36,000 MILES. IF NOT, THEY WILL CHARGE ANOTHER 130 SOME DOLLARS TO JUST DIAGNOSED AGAIN, BUT WILL WAIVE IT ONCE I DO THE REPAIR WITH THEM. AFTER DOING A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, IT APPEARS THAT MORE PEOPLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO BE A WIDER PROBLEM FOR THIS TYPE MODEL OF CAR. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND PRIOR TO THIS THERE WERE VARIOUS REPLACEMENT RECALL SUCH AS THE SUSPENSION, GAS PEDAL, AIR BAGS, AND ETC. HOW COME THIS ISSUE ISN'T ON THE RECALL LIST?

STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT CLUNK, WHEN I TURN STEERING MAKING NOISE. I TALK TO A MECHANIC HE SAYS NEED TO REPLACE STEERING. IT IS SO EXPENSIVE, MY INCOME IS NOT ALLOWED TO DO THIS. PLEASE GIVE ME ADVICE [XXX]@GMAIL.COM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).? *JB

I WAS DRIVING AT 25MPH WHEN THE RED BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND I LOST THE ABILITY TO STEER. I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO A PARKING LOT WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY. I SHUT THE CAR OFF TO GO INTO A STORE TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS GOING TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED AND WENT BACK TO MY CAR AGAIN TO RESTART. THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. HAD I NOT BEEN ON A HIGHWAY GOING 55 I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT SINCE I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME TURNING THE WHEEL AT ALL.