2009 Toyota Sienna Steering

TOYOTA 2009 SIENNA LE 2WD POWER STEERING RACK & PINION SEAL FAILED AND LEAKED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AT 85,000 MILES. THE RACK BOOT ALSO TORE BROKEN. REPAIR COST IS ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY $1,300. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ARE POSTED BY OWNERS ON THE INTERNET ALL POINTING TO THE SAME DEFECT. IF DRIVERS ARE UNAWARE, OR IF THE DEFECT IS NOT RESOLVED, POWER STEERING COULD FREEZE AND POTENTIALLY CAUSE LIFE THREATING SITUATIONS.

A DEALERSHIP INSPECTION ON AUGUST 30, 2017, ON MY 2009 SIENNA VAN WITH 76,096 MILES ON IT I WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING UNIT WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE COST WOULD BE 1014.98 PLUS ALIGNMENT, SHOP FEES, AND TAXES. MY DAUGHTER HAS A 2010 SIENNA VAN WITH OVER 100,00 MILES AND HAS NOT HAD THAT PROBLEM. SOMETHING IS AMISS WITH TOYOTA AND THEIR STEERING SYSTEM. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE STEERING LEAKAGE SEEMS TO BE A COMMON.

BOUGHT MY 09 SIENNA NEW. AT 28,000 MILES, HAD TO HAVE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING SHAFT REPLACED DUE TO LEAKING. AT ROUND 60,000 MILES, INFORMED ONCE AGAIN THAT MY RACK AND PINION STEERING SHAFT IS LEAKING AND WILL NEED REPLACED AT A PRICE OF $1,300.00. HOW CAN A CAR THAT WE AVERAGE LESS THAN 8,000 MILES A YEAR GO THROUGH STEERING SHAFTS LIKE THIS?

DRIVER'S SIDE POWER STEERING LEAK. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DETERMINED A NEED TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING RACK, PLUS FLUID AND A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT. TOTAL COST OF PARTS AND LABOR WAS $1397.87. APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL, MAKE AND YEAR VEHICLE.

THE DEALER (AMERICAN TOYOTA LOCATED IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM) HAS ADVISED DURING A SCHEDULED SERVICE ON THE MINIVAN THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT IS LEAKING. THE CAR HAS 41124 MILES ON IT, AND THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE REPAIR IS $1093.00. I LOOKED THIS PROBLEM UP ON THE INTERNET AND IT SOUNDS COMMON TO THIS MODEL. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE THAT I HAVE OWNED, SO I WAS WONDERING IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE COVERED BY A RECALL.

TOYOTA DEALER SAID THE RACK AND PINION STEERING UNIT WAS LEAKING HAD TO BE REPAIRED, AT A VERY HIGH COST. LOOKING ONLINE, I FIND THAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. APPARENTLY MOST PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO REPORT SUCH ISSUES. THERE IS NO REASON WHY A VEHICLE ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD SHOULD BE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I WOULD SUSPECT THAT NEWER AND OLDER MODELS MAY ALSO BE AFFECTED. *TR

INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS 5 YEAR OLD VEHICLE WITH 75,000 MILES IS SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH OLDER MODEL YEAR SIENNAS: A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK DEVELOPS THAT ULTIMATELY REQUIRES A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE POWER STEERING RACK. TOYOTA REFUSES TO PAY FOR REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF AN OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE DESIGN/PART. *TR

WENT TO DEALERSHIP FOR AN ALIGNMENT, CAR DRIFTED TO THE LEFT. THEY TOLD ME THE STEERING SHAFT WAS VERY WORN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. HAD TO INSTALL A NEW STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND SHAFT ASSEMBLY. THIS WAS COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT THERE IS NO WAY A STEERING SHAFT SHOULD BE WORN OUT AT 30000 MILES! THERE HAS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE STEERING SHAFT. LUCKY, I HAD THE ALIGNMENT DONE BEFORE MY PLANNED 700 MILE TRIP. *JB