2009 Toyota RAV4 Steering

STEERING COLUMN CREAKS AND STICKS. AT TIMES IT DOES NOT RETURN TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION. ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO SERVICED MY CAR FOR TIRES TODAY ALMOST HIT A RETAINING POST DUE TO THIS ISSUE. I HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE STICKING OF THE STEERING IN ONE POSITION AND HAD TO FORCIBLY RETURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION. I AM NOT FEELING SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE AND KNOW THAT THIS ISSUE IS IMPACTING THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA RAV4. WHEN THE CONTACT TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL EMITTED A LOUD THUMPING NOISE AND FELT LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING ON A BUMPY ROAD OR MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL MADE A KNOCKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING RACK WAS LEAKING FLUID AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,192.

AT 47,500 MILES, STEERING STARTED MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN WHEEL TURNED ALL THE WAY TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER. USUALLY IT OCCURRED WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL BACK TO CENTER BUT NOT ALWAYS. TENDED T HAPPEN IN A PARKING LOT OR WHEN A SHARP TURN WAS REQUIRED. DEALER REPAIRED AT A COST OF ALMOST $700. CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT REPAIR. (COST OF REPAIR COVERED UNDER EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN WHICH WAS PURCHASED WHEN CAR WAS PURCHASED.) THIS TYPE OF SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AT UNDER 50,000 MILES OR EVEN EVER.

WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL EITHER DIRECTION AT LOW SPEEDS A CLUNKING NOISE WAS AUDIBLE. CAR HAS ONLY 50,000 MILES. LOOKED ON INTERNET AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF THE PROBLEM IN MULTIPLE MODELS AND OVER MANY YEARS. THE CAUSE IS THE STEERING COLUMN SHAFT. TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THAT WAS EXACTLY THE PROBLEM! $600 TO REPAIR ! FURTHER RESEARCH INDICATES THAT JAPAN HAS RECALLED THESE CARS FOR THIS REASON ALREADY. RECALL THESE CARS NOW!! STEERING FAILURE CAN EVENTUALLY HAPPEN!!

WOULD HEAR AND FEEL A POPPING SOUND WHEN TRUING RIGHT OR LEFT. HAD CAR SERVICED A 75000 MILE REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO BECK TOYOTA. THEY SAID THIS WAS CAUSED BY A BINDING OG THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AND COST 544.68 DOLLARS TO REPLACE. I DID NOT HAVE THE SHAFT REPLACED BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO ORDER ONE. I CAME HOME AND DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE WEB. I SEEMS THAT OVER A 100000 PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. SOME HAVE HAD THE SHAFT REPLACED TO HAVE IT FAIL AGAIN IN A SHORT LENGTH OF TIME. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE SHAFT WAS TO HARD BIND A PERSON COULD WRECK.

THERE IS A NOTICEABLE THUMPING, LIKE A BELT SLIPPING OR A GEAR MISSING, WHEN MAKING SHARP TURNS. THE FREQUENCY OF THE ISSUE BECOMES MORE PREVALENT THE LONGER YOU DRIVE. ON 12/22/14, YORK AUTO GROUP, MY LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT, DETERMINED THERE IS A FAILURE IN THE RACK AND PINION. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM MY RESEARCH THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE MANAGED TO GET THIS REPAIR COVERED BY TOYOTA SINCE IT IS A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AND BECOMING MORE FREQUENT IN THIS MODEL. I DID CONTACT TOYOTA AND OPENED CASE # [XXX] TOYOTA WAS LESS RESPONSIVE IN MY CASE. IF THIS IS BECOMING A KNOWN ISSUE, I WOULD LIKE THEM TO COVER THE REPAIR AND POSSIBLY ALERT OTHER RAV4 OWNERS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE HEARD FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES LOUD "CLUNKING" NOISE AND NOTICEABLE SHAKING IN STEERING WHEEL WHILE TURNING AT SLOWER SPEEDS. THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND I AM SERIOUSLY CONCERNED OF STEERING OR RELATED SUBCOMPONENT FAILURE WHILE DRIVING IN THE MIDST OF TRAFFIC. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I NOTICED MY SYMPTOMS ARE FAIRLY WIDE-SPREAD AMONGST OTHER RAV 4 OWNERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A POLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, A STRANGE NOISE WAS EMITTED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHILE MAKING A TURN. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 10 AND 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND AN INSPECTOR WAS SENT TO FURTHER ASSESS THE VEHICLE FAILURE. THE INSPECTOR WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000.

I STARTED MY CAR AND ATTEMPTED TO REVERSE OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY - BUT IT STARTED THEN STOPPED AND WOULD NOT MOVE - THE POWER STEERING EMERGENCY LIGHT HAD TURNED ON AND THE POWER STEERING WASN'T WORKING. I TOWED THE CAR TO MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THE COMPUTER WAS FAULTY (ON A 3 YEAR OLD CAR ?!!) AND I NEEDED A NEW ONE AT A PART COST OF ABOUT $700 AND LABOR COST OF $300-$400. THE CAR WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY BUT THEY AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PART IF I PAID FOR THE LABOR. I WAS SUSPICIOUS OF WHY THEY AGREED TO DO THIS, BUT I AGREED. THE FOLLOWING WEEK I DROVE MY CAR DOWN MY DRIVEWAY AND ONTO THE ROAD AND AS I WAS TURNING THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN, THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, AND I COULD NOT STEER SO I CRASHED INTO A HEDGE. (BUT I COULD HAVE CRASHED AT HIGH SPEED AND BEEN KILLED) . I TOWED THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP - NOW THEY TELL ME THEY ARE REPLACING THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN, AT NO COST TO ME. OBVIOUSLY THEY KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM. IF YOU GOOGLE IT, LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD POWER STEERING ISSUES AND EVEN CRASHED AT HIGH SPEEDS. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING FAULT. PLEASE LOOK FOR A PATTERN. *TR

I HAVE A 2009 TOYOTA RAV4. THE STEERING COLUMN STARTED MAKING A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT AT LOW SPEEDS. LOOKS LIKE OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. NO RECALL THAT I KNOW OF, BUT THERE SHOULD BE. NOTICED PROBLEM SHORTLY AFTER 36,000 MILE WARRANTY EXPIRED SO ALL OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE. HAD TO REPLACE STEERING SHAFT AT DEALER FOR $378. OUCH! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS SAFELY MANEUVERED ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND SHUT OFF. UPON RESTARTING THE VEHICLE IT BEGAN TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,000.