2011 Toyota Tacoma Steering

Steering shaft u- joint seizure causing loss of vehicle steering. Very dangerous.

I WAS DRIVING AND AT ANY SPEED THE STEERING WOULD LOCK UP WHILE TURNING. THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT HAS DETERIORATED TO FAILURE. I'M GLAD THAT I DIDN'T HAVE AN ACCIDENT BUT CAME CLOSE. WHEN SEARCHING THE INTERNET TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM I FOUND THAT IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR ANYONE LIVING IN A AREA (NOT JUST IN THE USA) THAT IS A SNOW AREA WHERE SALT IS USED. TOYOTA CONSIDERS THIS A WEAR ITEM. THIS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A WEAR ITEM WHEN FAILURE CAN HAPPEN AT ANY GIVEN SECOND WHEN DRIVING AND NOT ALLOWING THE VEHICLES DRIVER TO BE IN CONTROL

UPON INSPECTION TO TROUBLESHOOT A MINOR POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK, I NOTICED THAT THE PINION INPUT SHAFT HOUSING (RIGHT SIDE OF POWER STEERING RACK) HAD EXCESSIVE RUST BEYOND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE REST OF THE RACK DID NOT EXHIBIT THE SAME DEGREE OF CORROSION, SUGGESTING A MANUFACTURING OR ASSEMBLY DEFECT. THE CONDITION WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND BY TOYOTA TECHNICIANS. THE CERTIFIED MECHANIC STATES THAT THE CONDITION IS BEYOND NORMAL WEAR BUT THE TOYOTA TECHNICIAN DENIES THAT ANYTHING BUT A BOLT IS CORRODED.

THE POWER STEERING RACK HAS RUSTED TO THE POINT THAT IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. BOTH A LOCAL MECHANIC AND MY DEALER, NEWARK TOYOTA, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE STEERING RACK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT IS NOT SAFE. TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL OR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE PART; HOWEVER, THE PART IS BACKORDERED BY TOYOTA THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY FOR 450 PARTS. THE TECHNICIAN AT NEWARK TOYOTA TOLD ME IT COULD TAKE MONTHS TO GET THE PART BECAUSE TOYOTA CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND. MY OTHER OPTION IS TO HAVE TOYOTA INSTALL AN AFTER MARKET "RETREAD" . I AM FRUSTRATED AND FEEL THAT TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE OF ITS POWER STEERING RACK.

THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT HAS CAUSED MY STEERING TO ALL OF A SUDDEN GO STIFF, I AM AT 97,000 MILES AND NOW IT HAS TO BE REPLACED. WHEN DRIVING IN MOTION ON A CURVE IT WAS LIKE I LOST POWER STEERING COMPLETELY AND WENT INTO MANUAL WORSE WHEN HAVING TO SLOW OR STOP AND START AGAIN ON A CORNER. THIS IS NOT SAFE AND NOT OK WHEN THERE IS ON COMING TRAFFIC ETC.

INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WORN OUT. VERY HARD TO TURN AND DOES NOT RECOVER FROM TURNING A CORNER (ACTS LIKE MANUAL STEERING).

MY STEERING WHEEL HAS BECOME STIFF ON AND OFF AT REGULAR INTERVALS AT ANY SPEED. NO NOISE IS HEARD AND FLUID LEVEL AND QUALITY IS FINE. PROBLEM NOTED AT LOWER STEERING SHAFT UNIVERSAL DUE TO NEEDLE BEARING FAILURE. WATER/ RUST BUILD UP DEGRADING UNIVERSAL JOINT. TRUCK HAS ONLY 48 K ON IT AND I LIVE IN PHILADELPHIA AREA. I LOOKED INTO THIS ON VARIOUS INTERNET SITES AND FOUND IT TO BE RATHER COMMON BUT NO RECALL OR TSB ISSUED TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN.

LOWER STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT RUSTED

I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY STEERING BINDING IN MY 2011 TACOMA. I NOTICE THAT WHEN DRIVING IN STRAIGHT LINE I HAVE TO USE MORE THAN NORMAL FORCE TO ADJUST THE WHEEL TO STAY IN LANE. I ALSO NOTICE IT WHEN TURNING CORNERS, IT WILL BE MOVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN BIND UP AND IT TAKES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE TURN. THIS SEEMS LIKE A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND I TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND HAD THEM CHECK THE STEERING FLUID. THEY ENDED UP PERFORMING A STEERING FLUSH. I STILL HAD THE ISSUE AND I FOUND THAT THE LOWER U-JOINT IN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS RUSTY AND BINDING UP. I SPRAYED IT WITH PENETRATING LUBE AND IT HAS FREED UP (FOR NOW). I WILL BE ORDERING A NEW ONE ASAP. I DO FEEL THAT THIS SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA BUT AT THIS TIME THEY SAY THAT IT IS NOT.

I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE STEERING ON MY 2011 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. THERE IS NO PROTECTION AGAIN RUST AT ALL ON THIS PART. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. MY TRUCK IS 6YEARS AND A HALF OLD AND THE STEERING IS JAMMED. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT' NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A MAJOR SECURITY FAILURE AND IT SHOULD HAVE A SECURITY RECALL ON THESE VEHICULES.

THE STEERING IS VERY STIFF. VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO DRIVE. CONSTANTLY FEELS LIKE YOU'RE FIGHTING IT. FOR INSTANCE GOING DOWN THE INTERSTATE IN A SLIGHT CURVE, FEELS LIKE PULLS BACK. VERY STIFF STEERING, ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING. LOOKED UP SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE. FROM WHAT I READ, IT APPEARS TO BE POSSIBLE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. FROM THE DESCRIPTIONS I'VE READ, IT'S A POOR DESIGN. MAYBE NEEDS SOME PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTS. LIKE A RUBBER BOOT TO PROTECT IT FROM THE ELEMENTS. JUST VERY STIFF STEERING AND DIFFICULT TO STEER.