2009 Toyota Tacoma Steering

excessive play in steering wheel

HAD JUST ENTERED MY DRIVEWAY AND TACOMA CABIN SUDDENLY FILLED WITH HEAVY SMOKE AND SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. STOPPED VEHICLE, SET BRAKE AND GOT AWAY FROM IT AFTER OPENING BOTH DOORS. SHORT TIME LATER OPENED HOOD TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHAT HAD GONE WRONG EXPECTING S RADIATOR HOSE LEAK. AFTER EXAMINING FLUIDS, ONLY THE POWER STEERING TANK WAS EMPTY AND PASSENGER SIDE OF ENGINE SMELLED LIKE CABIN DID. HAD TACOMA TOWED TO DEALER TO DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG. THEIR MECHANIC FOUND MASSIVE CORROSION OF THE POWER STEERING RACK AND LINES WERE SPLIT/ROTTEN BLOWING POWER STEERING FLUID ONTO MANIFOLD AND LOWER STEERING SHAFT FREEING UP. THEY HAD TO REPLACE POWER STEERING RACK, LINES, OUTTER TIE RODS AND STEERING SHAFT. THEN DID AN ALIGNMENT. BTW THIS TACOMA HAD A FRAME REPLACEMENT ABOUT A YEAR AGO. I FIRMLY BELIEVE POWER STEERING RACK COULD HAVE BEEN STRESSED DURING THAT TIME. ALSO THEY SHOULD HAVE DETECTED THE CORROSION PROBLEM THEN. THE MECHANIC AND SERVICE ADVISOR SHOWED ME WHAT WAS LEFT LEFT OF PSR...SEVERE CORROSION HAD LEFT PIECES OF IT FLAKING OFF. I'M NOT HAVING MUCH SUCCESS GETTING TOYOTA TO COVER PARTS $$$ REPLACEMENT AND I AM A 4 TIME BUYER OF TOYOTA VEHICLES SINCE 1980'S. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED I WOULDN'T BE WRITING THIS.

STEERING SHAFT JOINT FAILED (PN 45203-04021), CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF STEERING/ BINDING STEERING

IT JUSS STARTED A WEEK OR SO AGO.THE POWER STEERING IS INTERMITTENT GOIN OUT.IT'S VERY SCARY.I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS BUT IT GETS STIFF LIKE THERE'S NO POWER STEERING. THAN IT WILL COME BACK.

POWER STEERING GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY. HIGHWAY OR BACK ROADS MAKE NO DIFFERENCE. TURNING THE WHEEL SUDDENLY GETS STIFF, THEN CAN SLIP BACK INTO POWER STEERING AND TURN VERY QUICKLY.

STEERING IS STIFF AND JERKY CAUSING DRIVING CONCERNS AT ALL SPEEDS. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT MAKING IT AN ISSUE AS CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME. NOT POWER STEERING RELATED.

STEERING SHAFT BINDING UP WHILE TURNING. THERE ARE NO GREASE FITTINGS OR BOOT ON UNIVERSAL JOINTS

STEERING WAS VERY STIFF AND STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT RETURN AFTER CORNERING CAUSING THE TRUCK TO CONTINUE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. THE STEERING IS STIFFER IN SOME POSITIONS THAN IN OTHERS.

STEERING SHAFTKNUCKLE IS EXPOSED AND CORRODES RESULTING IN STIFF STEERING. STARTS OUT INTERMITTENT THEN GETS REALY HARD TO TURN, TRUCK HAS ONLY 62269 MILES ON IT AND THIS IS A COMMAN PROBLEM WITH THIS VECHICE ,NO RECALL AND AFTER REPAIR VECHILE HAS TO BE REALIGNED AND AT A TOTAL COST OF $567.58 ALL WORK DONE

STEERING IS LOCKING UP WHEN I TURN VERY DANGEROUS!!! SHOULD BE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED!!!!

POWER STEERING ASSIST SEEMED INTERMITTENT. THE POWER STEERING LOWER SHAFT AT THE UNIVERSAL JOINT HAS BECOME CORRODED MAKING STEERING DIFFICULT (TO OVERCOME THE CORROSION) AS WELL AS DANGEROUS WHEN FURTHER CORROSION LEADS TO STEERING FAILURE. MANY ON-LINE FORUMS MAKE NOTE OF THIS PROBLEM. IT APPEARS TO BE A SYSTEMATIC DESIGN FLAW THAT CAN LEAD TO DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES. IMAGINE LOSING STEERING CONTROL AT HIGH SPEED. SINCE TOYOTA IS ADDRESSING FRAME RUST FOR THE SAME YEAR, WITH EITHER A REPLACEMENT FRAME OR A PROTECTIVE COATING, WHY ISN'T THIS OF EQUAL CONCERN ON SOME KIND OF RECALL. IT LOOKS LIKE I'VE ADDRESSED THE ISSUE WITH A $600 REPAIR TO PROTECT MY SAFETY, HOWEVER AS THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM, WHY IS IT NOT A VOLUNTARY OR MANDATORY RECALL TO ADDRESS THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. THIS CONDITION STARTED THE DAY AFTER THE TRUCK WAS RETURNED TO ME AFTER GETTING THE FRAME UNDERCOATING. THIS CONDITION HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED, LEFT OR RIGHT TURNS, WHEN COLD OR WARMED UP. IT IS MOST NOTABLE WHEN COLD AT SLOW SPEED (FIRST STARTED UP, TURNING AROUND IN THE DRIVEWAY).

STEERING IS GETTING STIFF, ESPECIALLY AT LOWER SPEEDS, TIGHTER TURNS. CAUSED BY CORROSION GETTING INTO THE U JOINT OF THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. POOR DESIGN, DOES NOT PROTECT FROM WEATHER / ROAD CONDITIONS.

STEERING SHAFT BOUND UP THIS AM AND I ALMOST KILLED MYSELF AND ANOTHER PERSN IN THE OTHER CAR CALLED DEALER HE SAID IT IS COMMON PROBLEM AND THEY CHANGE THEM DAILY. HE SAID TOYOTA IS AWARE BUT FEELS ITS NOT A PROBLEM VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN IT HAPPENED AS I WAS TURNING IT LOCKED UP . THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND IDEALER KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG. I WENT ONLINE AND TYPED IN TACOMA STEERING BINDS AND THERE ARE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THE UJOINT OG THE STEERING SHAFT IS EXPOSED TO ALL THE ELEMENTS AND IT IS AS COMMON AS THE TOYOTA RUSTY FRAME RECALL.. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED WITH THIS PROBLEM.

NEW BRUNSWICK CANADA BOUGHT THE 2009 TOYOTA TACHOMA 4X4 EXTENDED CAB-OFF ROAD TRUCK LAST MAY 2-16 AT SAINT JOHN TOYOTA AND SHORTLY AFTER NOTICED THAT SOME TIMES THE STEERING WOULD GET STIFF AND IT FELT LIKE MANUAL STEERING. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTING WRONG. WHEN ON THE HIGHWAY AND COMING TO A TURN I GRIP THE WHEEL WITH 2 HANDS AND BACK OF ON THE GAS. IN MARCH I HAD THE FRONT SHAFT CHANGED AND ON APRIL 7TH I HAD A NEW RACK AND PINION AND PRESSURE LINE FROM STEERING PUMP AND STEEL LINES ON THE PUMP REPLACED IT COST ME $1,200.00. I DROVE ABOUT 20 KILOMETERS AND THE STEERING WORKED GREAT AND I SHUT IT OFF AND WHEN I STARTED HOME IT WENT STIFF AGAIN. I'M HAVE BEEN AFRAID THAT IF SEIZES UP I'LL BE OFF THE ROAD OR HAVE A HEAD ON COLLISION. THE DAY I BOUGHT THE TRUCK I WAS INFORMED BY A TOYOTA EMPLOYEE THAT THEY HAD JUST RECEIVED A RECALL ON THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS AND THEY REPLACED THEM THAT DAY. IF YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST OWNER DOES ANYONE FROM TOYOTA CONTACT YOU?

STIFF STEERING. STEERING SHAFT KNUCKLE IS EXPOSED AND CORRODES RESULTING IN THE STIFF STEERING. STARTS OUTS AS INTERMITTENT. OCCURS AT ANY SPEED, TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT, ALL ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. VERY UNSAFE. WIDELY KNOWN ISSUE

PROBLEM WITH TURNING LEFT AND RIGHT, VERY STIFF, LIKE THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING. BROUGHT IT TO MY MECHANIC, HE HAD TO INSTALL THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT. HE CALLED ARE LOCAL DEALER FOR THE PART, THEY SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM, THEY JUST SOLD 3 THAT DAY. MY QUESTION IS IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, WHY ISN'T TOYOTA TALKING CARE OF THIS! THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE! THIS ENDED UP COSTING ME $400. VERY UNFAIR, THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT.

THE UNIVERSAL JOINT ON THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BECAME CORRODED, CAUSING THE JOINT TO BIND AND CAUSE STEERING TO BECOME EXTREMELY STIFF.

INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT PROBLEM SEEMS LIKE THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE LESS WHEN THERE IS WEIGHT IN BACK OF TRUCK.

I WAS GOING INTO A TURN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE STEERING GOT VERY STIFF I HAD A HARD TIME STEERING THE TRUCK. I ALMOST HIT A GUARDRAIL. HAD A MECHANIC CHECK THE TRUCK. HE FOUND OUT THE UNIVERSAL JOINT ON THE STEERING WAS VERY STIFF. HE WAS SURPRISED TOYOTA HAS NO BOOT COVERING THIS LIKE GM DOES. HE CLEAN THE UNIVERSAL AND COVERED WITH A GREASE. NOW WHEN THE STIFFENS COMES BACK I SPRAY WITH A PENETRATING OIL THEN RE-GREASE THE STEERING UNIVERSAL. I HAVE DONE A GOOGLE SEARCH AND THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA. I AM SURPRISED THEIR IS NO RECALL OR ANY MAJOR ACCIDENTS YET.

THE LOWER STEERING LINKAGE U JOINT (INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT) FAILED DUE TO SIMPLE RUST. IT IS UNPROTECTED AND OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS AND THE FAILURE NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE SYMPTOMS WERE EXTREME HARD STEERING AND ALMOST CAUSED ME TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD GOING AROUND A CORNER. THIS WAS A SUDDEN ISSUE, NOT A GRADUAL PROBLEM AND OCCURRED AT ALL DRIVING SPEEDS. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAD 100,000 MILES ON IT.

STEERING VERY STIFF, DOES NOT RETURN TO CENTER, LOCKS UP, FAILS TO MAINTAIN DIRECTION. THE UNIVERSAL JOINT ON THE STEERING COLUMN-STEERING GEAR IS NOT PROTECTED FROM THE ELEMENTS (ROAD SALT, WATER, ETC.) AND HAS SEIZED, CAUSING THE STEERING TO LOCK UP AND LEADING TO A MINOR ACCIDENT.

STEERING BECOMES INTERMITTENTLY 'STIFF'. COMPLAINT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED MANY TIMES BY OWNERS ON FORUMS AND OTHER ON-LINE SITES. APPARENTLY THIS IS A DESIGN ISSUE THAT ALLOWS THE LOWER STEERING JOINT TO SUFFER ACCELERATED CORRODED BY NORMAL USE. DEALERS AND TOYOTA DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IT IS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE THAT CAN CAUSE/CREATE SAFETY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. PROBLEM OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY AT ANY SPEED OF CAN ALSO OCCUR WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN STEERING WHEEL WHEN VEHICLE IS STOPPED. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND VARIOUS DEGREES OF SEVERITY.

VEHICLE HAS 91K MILEAGE 4X4 ALL HIGHWAY MILES. BACKED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND COULD NOT TURN WHEEL. CHECKED FLUID BUT IT WAS FINE. ATTEMPTED AGAIN AND GOT ON LOCAL ROAD ONLY TO FIND TRUCK UNCONTROLLABLE AT ANY SPEED. SAW ANOTHER COMPLAINT ON THIS AFTER I GOT VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO MY HOUSE AND DECIDED TO FILE COMPLAINT. MY TRUCK NEVER HAD AN ISSUE LIKE THIS BEFORE NOW. IT IS DEFINITELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND TOYOTA APPEARS TO HAVE OTHER TACOMA OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE THAT COULD BE FATAL IF IT HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING AT 65 MPH LET ALONE AT SLOWER SPEEDS ON CURVES. I WILL NOT LET MY FAMILY DRIVE THE TRUCK BECAUSE THE STEERING IS SO UNRELIABLE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF TOYOTA WILL REPAIR THIS UNDER A RECALL OR OTHER CAMPS IN. VIN IS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

STEERING , I BOUGHT A NEW 2009 TACOMA WITH THE PLATNUM WARRANTY AND THE STEERING IS NOW NOT WORKING, I FEEL THAT THIS IS UNSAFE AND IS DIFFICULT TO DRIVE. I CALLED THE NUMBER TO TELL THEM THAT I BROUGHT IT TO A DEALER (VANDERSTYNE TOYOTA ROCHESTER NY) TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND THAT I WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO PAY 130.00 FOR DIAGNOSTIC FEES TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH IT AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT IT TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT SEEM SAFE TO DRIVE. I SEE THERE ARE MANY RECALLS ON TOYOTA STEERING PROBLEMS AND I AM FORCED TO CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO SEE IF THIS IS LEGAL ACTION

EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY STEERING, CHECKED AND FOUND POWER STEERING FLUID TO BE LOW, WITH NO EVIDENCE OF LEAKS. PROBLEM CONTINUED AND GOT WORSE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS WARM, WENT TO MECHANIC AN DIAGNOSIS WAS FAILED STEERING RACK, FLUID HAD COLLECTED IN THE RUBBER BOOT ENDS. MY MECHANIC HAS SEEN THIS NUMEROUS TIMES WITH TOYOTAS (AS HE HAS ONE HIMSELF). CORROSION OF THE METAL WAS CAUSE DUE TO LACK OF PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTS. TOYOTA SAVED S FEW DOLLARS AT THE EXPENSE OF SAFETY. NO RECALL YET BUT THERE SHOULD BE, STEERING BEING AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF DRIVING.