2008 Toyota RAV4 Steering

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FRACTURED STEERING ROD. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,901.

CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL.

WE RECENTLY TOOK OUR RAV4 IN FOR RECALL WORK. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DECIDED TO DO A COMPLIMENTARY INSPECTION ON MY RAV4. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT HAD NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM BEFORE. NOW, THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS SQUEALING ON TIGHTER THAN REGULAR CORNER TURNING. I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. THE DISTURBING, MORE CONSTANT COMPLIANT IS THAT THE POWER STEERING ON MY YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL WILL FAIL INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN SUDDENLY FAIL. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE SINCE MOST OF THE DRIVERS ON THE ROAD ARE USED TO POWER STEERING AND MAY NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO IF THE POWER STEERING SHOULD SUDDENLY FAIL WHILE DRIVING. I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT I AM NOT BLAMING THE DEALERSHIP OR THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THEY GAVE US A HEADS-UP ON WHAT WE HAD NO IDEA WAS ABOUT TO BECOME A PROBLEM. THE POWER STEERING PUMP PROBLEM IS A SERIOUS ISSUE, THE RAV4 IS A FAMILY CAR FOR THE MOST PART.

MAKES A CLUNKING SOUND WHEN I TURN AND I FEEL A "BUMP" IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS CHARGED $594.45 AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE REPAIR REPLACE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. AFTER SEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE ENFORCE A VEHICLE RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTING TO GO IN REVERSE, THE POWER STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THE ELECTRIC STEERING CONTROL MODULE AND STEERING COLUMN MOTOR ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. TOTAL COST WAS $3,300. THIS IS BECOMING A COMMON COMPLAINT AND, CONSIDERING THE COST INVOLVED, SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY REVIEWED BY THE NHTSA.

POWER STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT,DEALER REPLACED STEERING COLUMN. PROBLEM WITH SENSOR LOCATED AT COLUMN. COST TO ME $1260.00. *TR

HAVING JUST EXITED I-95, I WAS TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT TO PULL UP TO THE CURB AT THE PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT TO PICK UP A PASSENGER. UPON DOING SO, THE STEERING COLUMN MADE A LOUD POP OR CLUNK SOUND, AND THE STEERING WHEEL IMMEDIATELY LURCHED APPROXIMATELY 6-8" TO THE LEFT - AND NEARLY OUT OF MY HANDS - ALMOST CAUSING ME TO CRASH INTO THE CROWD AT THE CURB. AFTER THIS SOUND OCCURRED, THE STEERING WHEEL (AS IN A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT IN 2013) WAS STILL OPERATIONAL, HOWEVER WAS ABLE TO MOVE APPROXIMATELY 6 - 9" UP, DOWN, RIGHT, OR LEFT WHILE STILL REMAINING OPERABLE. UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, I WAS ASKED IF I HAD BEEN IN A FRONT-END COLLISION (ANSWER, "NEVER"), AS A FACTORY WELD HAD FAILED THAT KEEPS THE STEERING COLUMN ATTACHED TO A SAFETY ROD IN THE DASH. REPAIRS ARE EXPECTED TO RUN APPROXIMATELY $3,700. MATTER HAS BEEN SENT TO TOYOTA CORPORATE, HOWEVER NO WORD HAS COME BACK. IT APPEARS AS IF I WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FULL REPAIR COST, DESPITE FAILURE IN FACTORY WELD. APPARENTLY NO FAIL-SAFES ARE IN PLACE SHOULD THIS WELD FAIL, SUCH THAT A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ARISES, ESPECIALLY IF THIS HAD HAPPENED THREE MINUTES EARLIER WHEN I WAS IN VERY HEAVY INTERSTATE TRAFFIC, INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING EXITED, AND MOVING AT 10 MPH OR LESS.

CLUNKING NOISE FROM STEERING SHAFT THAT IS BOTH AUDIBLE AND FELT THROUGH STEERING WHEEL. OCCURS TURNING BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT, GOING FORWARD OR REVERSE, BUT NOT WHEN DRIVING STRAIGHT. *TR

REQUESTED STEERING SHAFT REPLACEMENT DURING INSPECTION (NEED ATTENTION SOON). THOUGHT THAT WAS ODD. WENT ONLINE AND APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA VEHICLES. CALLED TOYOTA 800 331-4331, THEY DIDN'T CARE. THOUGHT I FILE A COMPLAINT TO GET IT RECALLED. *TR

I WENT TO THE DEALER BECAUSE I HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THEY DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING AND I COULD NOT DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. A YEAR LATER, AT A ROUTINE CHECKUP, THEY SAID THEY HEARD THE SOUND AND IT WAS A DAMAGE STEERING SHAFT AND RACK & PINION. A YEAR LATER THE SAME SOUND, BUT ONLY THE STEERING SHAFT WAS REPLACED. THE YEAR AFTER THAT, THE NOISE AGAIN AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFT AND RACK AND PINION. TODAY I WAS TOLD THAT I HAVE TO CHANGE THE RACK AND PINION. I READ ON INTERNET THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THROUGHOUT RAV4 2008, BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING CONTROL UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR WAS MADE AND THE STEERING OPERATED NORMALLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,262. UPDATED 9/8/14*CN

VEHICLE MAKES NOISE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURN. DIAGNOSED WITH RACK & PINION PROBLEMS BY THE TOYOTA DEALER AT 20, 070 MILES. *TR

AFTER BEING TOLD I NEEDED A STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT, I STARTED INVESTIGATING ON THE INTERNET AND COME TO REALIZE THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE DATING BACK TO 2007. WHEN STEERING I HEAR A CRACKING SOUND AND FEEL THAT IT IS A DEFECT. ALL OF THE RAV 4'S ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THIS CAN REALLY CAUSE INJURY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE WHILE TURNING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND STEERING THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000.

I HAD JUST DROPPED OFF MY FIANCE AT WORK AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO TURN AROUND IN THE PARKING LOT WHEN MY STEERING WHEEL DROPPED ROUGHLY 8 INCHES HITTING MY LEG. THE STEERING WHEEL CAN BE MOVED 8 TO 12 INCHES UP AND DOWN WITH LITTLE RESISTANCE. IT CAN ALSO MOVE BE MOVED 6 TO 8 INCHES LEFT TO RIGHT WITH NO RESISTANCE. IT'S NOT GUIDED IN ANY WAY, YOU CAN MOVE IT AROUND IN A LARGE CIRCULAR MOTION. THE CAR AMAZINGLY ENOUGH STILL STEERS. THE STEERING ASSEMBLY IS STILL ATTACHED TO THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AS WELL AS THE RACK AND PINION. THOUGH WHEN YOU DO ATTEMPT TO STEER, IT MAKES A HORRIBLE POPPING SOUND, WHICH MAKES SENSE BECAUSE THE SHAFT IS NO LONGER IN A FIXED POSITION. UPON INVESTIGATION IT LOOKS LIKE A FACTORY WELD HAS FAILED. FOR A 2008 RAV4, THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY IS MOUNTED TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL REINFORCEMENT BAR. THIS IS A LARGE BAR THAT RUNS THE LENGTH OF YOUR DASHBOARD. THIS BAR HAS A FEW WELDED MOUNTS ON IT THAT ALLOW YOU TO BOLT ON THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY, WHICH HOLDS THE STEERING WHEEL IN PLACE, IT IS THESE WELDS WHICH HAVE FAILED. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE, IF THE STEERING WHEEL HAD DROPPED 5 MINUTES EARLIER WHEN I WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS I COULD HAVE EASILY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR HAD 65,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT. *TR

RESISTANCE IS FELT AT INTERVALS WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. STEERING FEELS LOOSE, UNRESPONSIVE AND DANGEROUS. DEALER RECOMMENDED REPLACING INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. ONLINE RESEARCH SHOWED THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND AN UPGRADED PART EXISTS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. CONTACTED TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE. HAD COMPLAINT ESCALATED TO TOYOTA CORPORATE REGIONAL MANAGER. WAS ONLY OFFERED 15% OFF REPAIR AT DEALER. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE CREATED BY A DEFECTIVE PART. THANK YOU. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING BECOMES TIGHT DOES NOT SMOOTHLY GO INTO A CURVE AS IF THE STEERING NEEDS TO BE LUBRICATED THROWS OFF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE I HAVE TO JERK THE WHEEL.I AM AFRAID I'M GOING TO HAVE A CRASH DUE TO THIS. *TR

THERE IS A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT. *TR

CPSC#I1210211A. 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 93 ONE OF THE REAR TIE RODS FELL APART, CAUSING HIM TO SWERVE BACK AND FORTH ACROSS FOUR LANES. *LN THE CONSUMER STATED THE COST TO REPLACE THE TIE ROD WAS $500. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO WEAR AND TEAR.

STEERING COLUMN CLUNKING SOUND WHEN EVER YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT OR GOING AT SPEEDS OF 25-35 AND 55-70. THE NOISE WAS NARROWED DOWN TO THE STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY. *TR

I HAVE EXPERIENCED A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AT LOW OR NO SPEEDS FOR MUCH OF THE TIME I HAVE OWNED THE CAR. IT WAS REPORTED AND CHECKED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER MADE AN ADJUSTMENT BUT DID NOT RECORD IT IN THEIR SERVICE RECORDS. NOW, AT 42,159 MILES, THE NOISES HAVE BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND I CAN FEEL IT WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL. TODAY, THE DEALER FOUND A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR INTERMEDIATE SHAFT NOISE AND ARE RECOMMENDING REPLACEMENT OF THE SHAFT. CHECKING THE WEB I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ON THIS WITH 2006 - 2008 RAV4'S INCLUDING NUMEROUS REPORTS TO THE NHTSA. IT IS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE. I CONTACTED TOYOTA TODAY AND WAS TOLD THERE IS NO RECALL ON THE VEHICLE FOR IT AND THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I WILL HAVE TO PAY THE COST FOR THE SHAFT REPLACEMENT. SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN SAFETY PROBLEM, I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON IT AND TOYOTA SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE REPAIRS AT NO COST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER TIE ROD FAILED, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIE ROD SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE. BOTH REAR TIE RODS WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ASSISTED WITH REPAIRS TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 77,000. UPDATED 04/27/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS REIMBURSED 1/4 OF THE PRICE AND WAS TOLD THE ISSUE WOULD NOT BE LOOK IN TO ANY FURTHER. UPDATED 04/27/12

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL HAD BECOME STIFF AND HARD TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT NOT TO DRIVE UNTIL THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 25,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE, BUT BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE BATTERY AND VARIOUS OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 40,000.

EVERY TIME I MAKE A TURN (RIGHT OR LEFT), I HEAR THIS KNOCKING SOUND ON MY STEERING WHEEL. IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS ABOUT TO BREAK. I JUST NOTICED THIS RIGHT AFTER I REPLACED THE BATTERY. *TR