2011 Toyota Tundra Steering

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while driving 40-50 MPH downhill, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, there was an oil leak on the passenger's side of the steering gear onto the ground. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the destination without power steering functionality. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering rack had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the steering rack replacement could not be covered under warranty due the part number. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21E103000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.

Rack and pinion is leaking oil.

My power steering is leaking fluid, I didn't have anymore and had a loss of steering power while driving. So far I have just added more fluid, but haven't driven it since.

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to his residence using physical force to steer the vehicle. An independent mechanic met the contact at his residence and diagnosed that the power steering gear was leaking oil into the boot. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21E103000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the steering wheel was difficult to turn with an unknown warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact noticed that the power steering fluid was leaking out on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, a power steering fluid leak recurred. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the contact was unaware of the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TUNDRA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, THE STEERING SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO DRIVE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING PUMP AND BELT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PUMP AND BELT WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED BY A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PEORIA TOYOTA (7401 N ALLEN RD, PEORIA, IL 61614, (309)-354-3894) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT NO WARRANTIES WERE AVAILABLE AND THE TSB HAD EXPIRED. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1910213072. THE CONTACT REFERENCED TSB NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10134363. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 83,694.

I WAS FINISHED DOING MY OIL CHANGE AND NOTICED MY RACK AND PINION BOOT HAD AN OIL LEAK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, I WIPED IT OFF AND IT SEEMS LIKE A SMALL LEAK FOR NOW. THE TRUCK ON HAS 73.2K MILES ON IT AND IT'S COMPLETELY STOCK, NO MODIFICATIONS AT ALL. IT'S A DAILY DRIVER AND IS STRICTLY STREET DRIVEN, NO OFF ROADING. THE RACK AND PINION SHOULDN'T LEAK AT ALL WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE AND BEING STOCK.

THE STEERING IS VERY DIFFICULT AT TIMES AND FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS BINDING. THERE IS NO STEERING WHEEL RETURN. NO FLUIDS ARE LEAKING AND THE FLUID LEVEL IN THE POWER STEERING RESEVIOUR IS NORMAL. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING AND TURNING. GOING DOWN A STRAIGHT ROAD BINDING CAN BE FELT WHEN YOU MOVE FROM SIDE TO SIDE IN YOUR LANE BY MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT.

RACK AND PINION FAILED,MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER WHILE I WAS DRIVING. FORTUNATELY I WAS IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND WAS DRIVING SLOW.

RACK AND PINION SEAL FAILED, LOST ALL FLUID, LOST POWER STEERING ON HIGHWAY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA TUNDRA. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

POWER STEERING FLUID DRAINED OUT OF THE RESERVOIR AND INTO THE RACK AND PINION BOOT. THERE WERE NO EVIDENCE OF FLUID LEAKS UNTIL THE RACK AND PINION BOOT EXPLODED ON THE DRIVER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND WHEN I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY TO THE LEFT IS WHEN THE BOOT EXPLODED.

RACK AND PINION SEALS FAILED CAUSING THE POWER STEERING FLUID TO LEAK INSIDE THE BOOTS ON THE END OF THE RACK AND PINION ASSEMBLY THEREFORE NOT LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND SO THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM UNTIL THE POWER STEERING FAILS TO WORK PROPERLY WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE DEFECT BUT REFUSES TO ADMIT THERE IS A FAULTY PART OR DESIGN PROBLEM.

WHILE DRIVING MY POWER STEERING BEGAN TO FAIL. AFTER INSPECTION A POWER STEERING LEAK WAS DISCOVERED ON THE DRIVERS SIDE RACK AND PINION UNDER THE BOOT.

POWER STEERING RACK SEAL IS BLOWN AFTER BACKING INTO DRIVEWAY. TRUCK IS STOCK, NO MODIFICATIONS.

THIS SAFETY COMPLAINT RELATES TO THE "TILT LATCH MECHANISMS" OF A 2011 TOYOTA TUNDRA'S STEERING WHEEL, THE SET OF MECHANISMS USED TO RELEASE/SAFELY SECURE THE STEERING WHEEL IN PLACE. THERE WERE AT LEAST TWO PARTS AMONG THE LATCHING MECHANISMS, ONE BEING PLASTIC & THE OTHER BEING A METAL ALLOY, BROKE OFF AND INTO PIECES. IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FOUND WHEN I WENT TO LOWER THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE CLEANING MY VEHICLE. HAD THE PIECES SHATTERED AND FALLEN OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, A FATAL ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN RESULTED FROM LOSS OF STEERING WHEEL CONTROL. AT THE TIME OF THE FINDING, THE VEHICLE HAD 37118 MILES. SUCH SAFETY MECHANISMS OUGHT TO BE DESIGNED WITH SPECIFICATIONS SO THAT THEY WOULD LAST MORE THAN TWO OR THREE TIMES OF USE. I RECALL, AT LEAST ONCE, SEEING THE STEERING WHEEL DROPPED WITH THE LATCH LEVER HANGING DOWN HALF WAY WITHOUT ANYONE TOUCHING IT WITHIN THE FIRST 25000 MILES.BUT MY ASSUMPTION WAS THAT A TECHNICIAN MIGHT HAVE ADJUSTED THE STEERING WHEEL AND DIDN'T LATCH IT BACK PROPERLY. THE TECHNICIAN WHO WAS WORKING ON MY REPAIR HAD TOLD ME THAT MY VEHICLE WOULD BE THE SECOND VEHICLE HE HAD WORKED ON FOR THE SAME ISSUE. AND THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT WHILE THERE ARE NOT A HIGH VOLUME OF COMPLAINT OF THE SAME ISSUE, THERE ARE OWNERS REPORTING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. AS THE TOYOTA DEALER HAD TOLD ME, THEIR TOYOTA REGIONAL SERVICE AND PARTS MANAGER HAD DECIDED TO COVER FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN AND EXPECTING ME TO PAY FOR THE LABOR COST. SHARING THE REPAIRING COST IS NOT AS MUCH OF A CONCERN AS THE MAJOR CONCERN OF SAFETY. AS I HAD MENTIONED ABOVE, THE OUTCOME FROM THE FAILURE OF LATCHING MECHANISM IS UNLIMITED, AND THE COST OF SUCH INCIDENT(S) COULD BE FATAL ACCIDENT AND/OR WOULD BE MANY TIMES THE COST OF REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. THEREFORE, THIS SERIOUS MATTER SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY TUNDRA WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE. I THEN LOST MY STEERING ABILITY. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE ANY TURNS. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO STOP, LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND SAW SOME TYPE OF FLUID LEAKING VERY FAST. I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW I HAVE NO POWER STEERING FLUID. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE POWER STEERING SEAL BLEW CAUSING ME TO LOSE MY STEERING ABILITY. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO AT LEAST 600 OTHER CARS. *KB