2007 Toyota Tacoma Steering

STEERING ACTUALLY LOCKED UP REQUIRING EXTRA EFFORT TO MAKE A RIGHT CURVE. AFTER STOPPING AND LOOKING FOR AA PROBLEM WORKING THE WHEEL BACK AND FORTH FREED UP THE STEERING ENOUGH TO DRIVE HOME. AN INTERNET SEARCH FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE WITH TACOMAS. LOWER STEERING U JOINT RUSTS AND SEIZES.. LUBED THE SHAFT AND PLAN TO REPLACE THE STEERING KNUCKLE.

WHILE MAKING A TURN ON TO THE ENTRANCE RAMP TO THE HIGHWAY STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO MOVE.

STEERING WHEEL INTERMITTENTLY TIGHTENS UP WHILE DRIVING MAKING IT RATHER DIFFICULT TO TURN. SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO A WORN INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. PERFORMANCE TENDS TO IMPROVE UPON ADDING LUBRICANT TO THE ASSOCIATED U-JOINT, HOWEVER OVER TIME THIS PART BEGINS TO TIGHTEN UP AGAIN. THIS PART WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED...UPDATED 09/22/15 *BF UPDATED 10/26/2017*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FAILURE COULD RESULT IN A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TRY TO MAKE SMALL ADJUSTMENT WITH STEERING WHEEL AND THE STEERING APPEARED TO FIGHT ME. WHEN FIRST STARTING THE TRUCK AND GO TO BACK UP, THE WHEEL IS DIFFICULT TO MOVE. AFTER ROCKING THE WHEEL BACK AND FORTH A NUMBER OF TIMES THE STEERING SEEMS A LITTLE MORE NORMAL. THIS SAME WHEEL FIGHT CAN COME ON EVEN WHEN YOU ARE ON THE ROAD AND TRAVELING THE SPEED LIMIT. SINCE THIS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING, I AM WORRIED THAT IT COULD SEIZE UP AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IF IT WAS JUST MY VEHICLE I WOULD JUST PAY AND GET IT FIXED, AS I AM CURRENTLY DOING, BUT THE INTERNET SAYS THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE VERY SAME COMPLAINT AND THEY HAVE CONTACTED YOU FOLKS. THE RANGE OF MODEL YEAR APPEARS TO BE 2005 AND UP. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS AS IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND PEOPLE COULD DIE.

STEERING IS HARD, BINDING UP AT SEVERAL POINTS IN A 90 DEGREE TURN, AND THEN THE WHEEL DOES NOT RECOVER AUTOMATICALLY AS TURN IS COMPLETED. IT WOULD STAY IN THE "TURNED" POSITION IF I DID NOT MANUALLY RETURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE "STRAIGHT" POSITION.

STEERING RANDOMLY GETS STIFF AND ALMOST LOCKS. RUSTED UJOINT IN INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT.

TIGHT STEERING I THOUGHT DUE TO EXTREME COLD TEMPS IN FEBRUARY. PROBLEM WOULD RESOLVE ITSELF AS THE OUTSIDE TEMPS AND/OR ENGINE TEMP INCREASED. IN APRIL I WAS STILL HAVING VERY TIGHT STEERING INTERMITTENTLY ESPECIALLY ON START UP AND IN THE MORNING (WHEN MY VEHICLE HADN'T SAT IN THE SUN ALL DAY). TOOK IT IN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WAS TOLD THE JOINTS INSIDE THE STEERING SHAFT WERE SEIZING UP AND I NEEDED A WHOLE NEW STEERING SHAFT - TOTAL PRICE $533.00. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BECOME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERETHE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE MAIN STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,857. UPDATED 03/24/15*LJ UPDATED 6/19/2015 *JS

I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE STEERING ON MY 2007 TACOMA IS VERY OFTEN EXTREMELY STIFF TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION LAST YEAR. I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALER TO CHECK IT OUT. WAS TOLD: "LOWER SHAFT STARTING TO GET STIFF". WAS QUOTED A REPLACEMENT/REPAIR COST AROUND $550. COULD NOT AFFORD THAT AT THE TIME. THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN INTERMITTENT BUT NOW HAPPENS NEARLY EVERY TIME I USE THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO PAY TOYOTA TO FIX THIS. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE "STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT NUMBER 2". IT SEEMS THIS PART IS EITHER DEFECTIVE OR POORLY DESIGNED AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON MANY AUTOMOTIVE WEBSITES WHICH SPECIFICALLY CITE THIS VEHICLE FOR A RANGE OF YEARS FROM 2005 ON. *TR

ON OR ABOUT JULY 24, 2014, I NOTICED WHILE PULLING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY THAT MY 2007 TOYOTA TACOMA TRD EXTENDED CAB WITH 62830 MILES THAT THE STEERING WAS QUITE HARD TO TURN. BUT THE PROBLEM SEEM TO GO AWAY AFTER A MINUTE. THIS THEN CONTINUED TO HAPPEN INTERMITTENTLY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS UNTIL I HAD NEAR COLLISION WHILE DRIVING OUT OF TOWN IN NEW JERSEY. WHILE PROCEEDING AT AN INTERSECTION AT ABOUT 20 MILES PER HOUR AND TURNING WITH MULTIPLE VEHICLES PARALLELED TO ME, I NEARLY SWIPED ANOTHER VEHICLE ON MY RIGHT. THIS WAS BECAUSE MY STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF WHICH MADE IT VERY HARD FOR ME TO TURN THE WHEEL. DRIVING MY TACOMA HAD NOW BECOME DANGEROUS AND I COULDN'T TAKE ANY MORE CHANCES. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO TAKE MY TRUCK IN FOR THE FOLLOWING DAY. WHEN I DROP-OFF MY VEHICLE, I INDICATED TO THE ATTENDANT THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT MY BE THE CULPRIT. THIS WAS BECAUSE IN DOING SOME RESEARCH I DISCOVERED THAT THE SAME THING HAD HAPPENED TO A MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE WHO OWN A TACOMA. WELL MY VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, WITH THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM BEING THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. A REPAIR THAT COST ME $579.00 SINCE AS PART OF THE REPAIR THEY HAD TO DO A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. *TR

SIMILAR TO OTHER COMPLAINTS, THE POWER STEERING BECOMES INTERMITTENT AND IT BECOME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE TRUCK WHEN THE POWER STEERING CUTS OUT. THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE VERY DANGEROUS IN CERTAIN DRIVING SITUATIONS. I AM BRINGING THE TRUCK TO TOYOTA FOR INSPECTION AND HOPING TOYOTA WILL PAY FOR THE REPAIR, AS IT SEEMS TO BE A CHRONIC ISSUE FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ONTO ENTRANCE RAMP OF HIGHWAY, ATTEMPTING TO MERGE ONTO TRAFFIC, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY STIFF WITH LOSS OF POWER STEERING. I PULLED HARDER TO ENTER HIGHWAY AND STEERING FINALLY CAUGHT CAUSING ME TO SWERVE OVER ALMOST HITTING VEHICLE IN FAR LEFT LANE. CHECKED POWER STEERING AND IS FULL. DID SOME INTERNET SEARCHES AND HAVE COME UP WITH SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE. THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING COLUMN BECOMES FAULTY AND IS DANGEROUS. THIS CAN CAUSE DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY. TOYOTA SHOULD ISSUE RECALL ON THIS PART AND HAVE REPLACED. STEERING COLUMN JOINT IS NOT PROTECTED FROM THE ELEMENTS AND BECOMES RUSTED AWAY. *TR

PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY TO FIND THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS INTERMITTENTLY STIFF DURING TURNING. BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE UNTIL I TOOK IT TO A DEALER TO FIND THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WAS APPARENTLY BAD. DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. I CAN NO LONGER HAVE MY WIFE OR CHILDREN USE MY TOYOTA TACOMA FOR FEAR THAT SHE DOES NOT HAVE THE PHYSICAL STRENGTH TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TRUCK STEERING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, PARTICULARLY AT LOWER SPEEDS, BECAME STIFF AT TIMES AND REQUIRED MORE FORCE TO MAKE EITHER A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN. IT DID SEEM TO AFFECT THE STEERING WHEN GOING STRAIGHT, MEANING IT DID NOT DRIFT OR PULL TO THE RIGHT OR LEFT, EVEN ON TAPERED ROAD SURFACE. WHEEL DID NOT PULL WHEN BRAKING. I UNDERSTAND THERE MAYBE BULLETIN CONCERNING THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SUDDENLY BECOME VERY HARD TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 145,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,379. UPDATED 04/02/14*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE STEERING ASSIST FAILED AND THE WHEEL TIGHTENED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS ADVISED TO THE CONTACT THAT THE LOWER ASSEMBLY STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,500. *TR

STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH IN THE RAIN AND MAKING A TURN THE VEHICLE FISH TAILED, SPUN AROUND AND CRASDED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A SPINAL ABRASION AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. A POLICE REPORT IS AVAILABLE. THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED; HOWEVER, NO ONE ANSWERED THE TELEPHONE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.