Bulletins

BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
STEERING
TSB-0318-08 REV110/20/200810034224Toyota: steering intermediate shaft noise. may hear a clunk, pop, or knock type noise when turn in the steering wheel left or right. a new intermediate shaft has been developed to address this condition. *pe10/27/2010
0050609/01/20070050610020124Electric power steering: mil on dtc u0105 & u0121. *tt updated 10/26/07. *nj07/24/2006
STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT SECTOR
ST001-0802/08/200810024291Steering intermediate shaft noise - when turning the steering wheel left or right. *nj04/02/2008
STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
TSB-0157-1208/25/201210046300Toyota: procedural information provided for rear tie rod adjustment to assure proper sequence of tightening and use whenever performing toe adjustment during wheel alignment. models 2006-11 rav4. *pe10/03/2012

Consumer Complaints

Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
STEERING
01/11/201250000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel made a loud noise whenever the wheel was turned. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 55,000. mah
01/11/201250000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would make a loud noise whenever the wheel was turned. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 55,000. pm
05/01/2012650001
 The rav4 has a well-known problem with the driver's side sun visor in which it will not stay in place. the visor frequently and without warning abruptly drops to a straight-down position. in this position it impairs forward visibility, and for tall drivers it can block the view of the road completely. there is also a widely-reported problem with the steering (there are 166 reports on this site at the time of my filing) which is noticed in the form of a knocking or clunking noise which can also be felt in the steering wheel. many owners, including me, are concerned that this could be a precursor to a steering component failure. *tr
05/01/201265000
 The rav4 has a well-known problem with the driver's side sun visor in which it will not stay in place. the visor frequently and without warning abruptly drops to a straight-down position. in this position it impairs forward visibility, and for tall drivers it can block the view of the road completely. there is also a widely-reported problem with the steering (there are 166 reports on this site at the time of my filing) which is noticed in the form of a knocking or clunking noise which can also be felt in the steering wheel. many owners, including me, are concerned that this could be a precursor to a steering component failure.
12/16/2008464991
 A noise came from steering wheel. this had been going on for sometime. toyota replaced r&r steering intermediate shaft. eventually steering wheel airbag had to be replaced due to severance of the spiral cable. no doubt these were related. unknown to me at the time of the repair toyota issued a technical service bulletin on 2-8-08 covering this issue. they refused to reimburse me for the repair. the defective part started to fail from the day i bought the car. both of the issues are safety related items. waiting for the steering to fail would be absurd. a look at the internet shows this was a widespread problem for this model year of the rav4. please issue a safety recall for the steering wheel problems for the 2006 rav4. *tr
05/01/201265000
 The rav4 has a well-known problem with the driver's side sun visor in which it will not stay in place. the visor frequently and without warning abruptly drops to a straight-down position. in this position it impairs forward visibility, and for tall drivers it can block the view of the road completely. there is also a widely-reported problem with the steering (there are 166 reports on this site at the time of my filing) which is noticed in the form of a knocking or clunking noise which can also be felt in the steering wheel. many owners, including me, are concerned that this could be a precursor to a steering component failure.
12/16/200846499
 A noise came from steering wheel. this had been going on for sometime. toyota replaced r&r steering intermediate shaft. eventually steering wheel airbag had to be replaced due to severance of the spiral cable. no doubt these were related. unknown to me at the time of the repair toyota issued a technical service bulletin on 2-8-08 covering this issue. they refused to reimburse me for the repair. the defective part started to fail from the day i bought the car. both of the issues are safety related items. waiting for the steering to fail would be absurd. a look at the internet shows this was a widespread problem for this model year of the rav4. please issue a safety recall fot the steering wheel problems for the 2006 rav4.
12/16/2009645591
 Steering mechanism was not smooth in movement and made popping noise. it appears by searching online that several other owners have had same trouble. fortunately, we never had an accident due to this manufacturer's defect. we had repair performed at adams toyota lee's summit, mo. dealership replaced defective lower steering intermediate shaft. repair was corrective and cost $262.85 before taxes. thank you. *tr
12/16/200964559
 Steering mechanism was not smooth in movement and made popping noise. it appears by searching online that several other owners have had same trouble. fortunately, we never had an accident due to this manufacturer's defect. we had repair performed at adams toyota lee's summit, mo. dealership replaced defective lower steering intermediate shaft. repair was corrective and cost $262.85 before taxes. thank you.
06/01/20101
 When making slow turns to the left or right, i hear a clunking sound coming from behind the steering wheel. a mechanic i took the vehicle to recently found that the steering shaft is failing. this is the second steering shaft that has gone bad; i had the first one replaced 4 years ago with a supposedly improved version. evidently, whatever changes were made to the design did not prevent the same problem from occurring. i started to hear the same noise approximately 2 years after having the replacement installed. *tr
06/01/2010
 When making slow turns to the left or right, i hear a clunking sound coming from behind the steering wheel. a mechanic i took the vehicle to recently found that the steering shaft is failing. this is the second steering shaft that has gone bad; i had the first one replaced 4 years ago with a supposedly improved version. evidently, whatever changes were made to the design did not prevent the same problem from occurring. i started to hear the same noise approximately 2 years after having the replacement installed.
08/02/2007160001
 Get a clunking in steering,, took it to dealer bad intermediate steering shaft.. they have a tsb on it,, but wont fix due to it currently being out of warranty, am concerned about steering issues and causing a accident. toyota has been aware of this issue and wont recall,, has to think steering probs can be a major risk hazard,, since they knew about it in 2008 read forums.. and seems to be a major widespread issue notjust mine..will it take someone getting killed before this is brought to light? *tr
08/02/200716000
 Get a clunking in steering,, took it to dealer bad intermediate steering shaft.. they have a tsb on it,, but wont fix due to it currently being out of warranty, am concerned about steering issues and causing a accident. toyota has been aware of this issue and wont recall,, has to think steering probs can be a major risk hazard,, since they knew about it in 2008 read forums.. and seems to be a major widespread issue notjust mine..will it take someone getting killed before this is brought to light?
10/15/201265001
 There is a knocking in the steering i took it to a garage they said it was a shaft in the steering column that toyota had a bullentin out about it. i called toyota and they said they have not heard of this problem but according to myself doing research there is a problem and i feel this is a safety issue. *tr
08/02/200716000
 Get a clunking in steering,, took it to dealer bad intermediate steering shaft.. they have a tsb on it,, but wont fix due to it currently being out of warranty, am concerned about steering issues and causing a accident. toyota has been aware of this issue and wont recall,, has to think steering probs can be a major risk hazard,, since they knew about it in 2008 read forums.. and seems to be a major widespread issue notjust mine..will it take someone getting killed before this is brought to light?
10/15/201265001
 There is a knocking in the steering i took it to a garage they said it was a shaft in the steering column that toyota had a bullentin out about it. i called toyota and they said they have not heard of this problem but according to myself doing research there is a problem and i feel this is a safety issue. *tr
10/15/20126500
 There is a knocking in the steering i took it to a garage they said it was a shaft in the steering column that toyota had a bullentin out about it. i called toyota and they said they have not heard of this problem but according to myself doing research there is a problem and i feel this is a safety issue.
10/10/201271000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that whenever he turned the steering wheel, sharply he heard a popping noise. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnosis and the contact was informed that the intermediate string shaft assembly would need to be replaced immediately or the steering would fail. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileage was 71,000.
10/10/201271000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that whenever he turned the steering wheel, sharply he heard a popping noise. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnosis and the contact was informed that the intermediate string shaft assembly would need to be replaced immediately or the steering would fail. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileage was 71,000. kmj
06/01/201260000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that when driving at 5 mph or below, or when in park, the steering wheel would exhibit loud clunking noises. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000. the current mileages were approximately 95,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj
10/10/201271000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated whenever he turned his steering wheel sharply he heard a popping noise. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnosis and was informed that the intermediate string shaft assembly would need to be replaced immediately or the steering would fail. the manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileage was 71,000. dt
06/01/201260000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that when driving at 5 mph or below, or when in park, the steering wheel would exhibit loud clunking noises. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000. the current mileages were approximately 95,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj
12/12/201159000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that the steering failed. the contact stated that the steering was very sluggish and the steering made a cracking sound. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the contact stated the problem was getting progressively worse. the failure mileage was 59,000 and the current mileage was 69,000.pmb
06/01/201260000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving at slow speeds or when in the park position, maneuvering the steering wheel he would hear loud clunking noises. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000. the current mileages were approximately 95,000. the vin was unavailable. tb
12/12/201159000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that the steering failed. the contact stated that the steering was very sluggish and the steering made a cracking sound. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the contact stated the problem was getting progressively worse. the failure mileage was 59,000 and the current mileage was 69,000.pmb
12/12/201159000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that the steering failed on the vehicle. the contact stated the steering is very sluggish and the steering makes a cracking sound. the vehicle had not been to the dealer. the contact stated the problem is getting progressively worse. the failure mileage was 59,000 and the current mileage was 69,000.rl
09/20/201275956
 Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, there was an abnormal knocking and thumping noise heard from the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that the steering shaft assembly needed to be replaced. the dealer replaced the steering wheel and also informed the contact that there were no recalls for the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who confirmed that there were no recalls for the vehicle. the failure mileage was 75,956.
09/20/201275956
 Tl-the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, there was an abnormal knocking and thumping noise heard from the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that the steering shaft assembly needed to be replaced. the dealer replaced the steering wheel and also informed the contact that there were no recalls for the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure who confirmed that there were no recalls for the vehicle. the failure mileage was 75,956. kmj
09/20/201275956
 Tl-the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated while driving 35 mph there was a knocking and thumping noise in the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated the steering shaft assembly needed to be replace. the dealer replaced the steering wheel and also informed her there was no recall for this failure. the manufacturer was notified who stated there was no recall for the failure and they cannot reimburse the amount paid to the dealer. the failure mileage was 75,956. mw
09/07/2012610001
 Steering feels loose and rattles over bumps. toyota said no credit for outside of warranty. cost to repair with redesigned parts is $1,900. vehicle has been exceptionally maintained and should not have any steering problems. i am original owner and have all service records. toyota said this is not a safety problem but the loose steering feeling does not inspire confidence. toyota said i could continue driving with the problems and that it would only be an annoyance. this is a product defect. toyota has redesigned the replacement parts for the intermediate steering shaft. this is evidence the original design was defective. *tr
09/07/201261000
 Steering feels loose and rattles over bumps. toyota said no credit for outside of warranty. cost to repair with redesigned parts is $1,900. vehicle has been exceptionally maintained and should not have any steering problems. i am original owner and have all service records. toyota said this is not a safety problem but the loose steering feeling does not inspire confidence. toyota said i could continue driving with the problems and that it would only be an annoyance. this is a product defect. toyota has redesigned the replacement parts for the intermediate steering shaft. this is evidence the original design was defective.
03/01/2007115001
 Early on in ownership of the vehicle a light 'clunking' noise could be heard while turning the vehicle. noise progressively became worse. i repeatedly reported the incident twice to the dealership - toyota lake city, seattle, wa, prior to expiration of vehicle warranty. every time i was advised the dealership staff was unable to duplicate the issue. currently, the noise is extremely loud, and there's a 'popping' feel in the steering column/steering wheel, coupled with a loud clunk. i'm concerned for my, and my family's safety, however i don't have $800.00 to repair an item which shouldn't be having issues. note: i have a 2010 toyota rav4 vin#[xxx], which is beginning to experience the same issue as 2006 toyota rav4. i have researched this issue and toyota is fully aware of the issue via tsb# st001-08. toyota has developed a new steering shaft which remedies the issue. this should be a recall, for it impacts a large majority of the rav4 owners - another toyota issue which they know about, but try to hide! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
11/06/2008341681
 Had a clunking sound in steering column when turning and backing up. steering shaft was replaced under warranty. problem returned and repaired on aug. 27,2012 at 73,852 miles and cost $720. i have been driving for 50 years and never had a car that had a steering problem like this. i was told that if i didn't have it repaired the steering column could lock up. i see there has been alot of complaints about this problem in 2006-2007 rav4's can someone look into this? *tr
03/01/2007115001
 Early on in ownership of the vehicle a light 'clunking' noise could be heard while turning the vehicle. noise progressively became worse. i repeatedly reported the incident twice to the dealership - toyota lake city, seattle, wa, prior to expiration of vehicle warranty. every time i was advised the dealership staff was unable to duplicate the issue. currently, the noise is extremely loud, and there's a 'popping' feel in the steering column/steering wheel, coupled with a loud clunk. i'm concerned for my, and my family's safety, however i don't have $800.00 to repair an item which shouldn't be having issues. note: i have a 2010 toyota rav4 vin#[xxx], which is beginning to experience the same issue as 2006 toyota rav4. i have researched this issue and toyota is fully aware of the issue via tsb# st001-08. toyota has developed a new steering shaft which remedies the issue. this should be a recall, for it impacts a large majority of the rav4 owners - another toyota issue which they know about, but try to hide! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
11/06/2008341681
 Had a clunking sound in steering column when turning and backing up. steering shaft was replaced under warranty. problem returned and repaired on aug. 27,2012 at 73,852 miles and cost $720. i have been driving for 50 years and never had a car that had a steering problem like this. i was told that if i didn't have it repaired the steering column could lock up. i see there has been alot of complaints about this problem in 2006-2007 rav4's can someone look into this? *tr
03/01/200711500
 Early on in ownership of the vehicle a light 'clunking' noise could be heard while turning the vehicle. noise progressively became worse. i repeatedly reported the incident twice to the dealership - toyota lake city, seattle, wa, prior to expiration of vehicle warranty. every time i was advised the dealership staff was unable to duplicate the issue. currently, the noise is extremely loud, and there's a 'popping' feel in the steering column/steering wheel, coupled with a loud clunk. i'm concerned for my, and my family's safety, however i don't have $800.00 to repair an item which shouldn't be having issues. note: i have a 2010 toyota rav4 vin#jtmrk4dv7a5094459, which is beginning to experience the same issue as 2006 toyota rav4. i have researched this issue and toyota is fully aware of the issue via tsb# st001-08. toyota has developed a new steering shaft which remedies the issue. this should be a recall, for it impacts a large majority of the rav4 owners - another toyota issue which they know about, but try to hide!
11/06/2008341681
 Had a clunking sound in steering column when turning and backing up. steering shaft was replaced under warranty. problem returned and repaired on aug. 27,2012 at 73,852 miles and cost $720. i have been driving for 50 years and never had a car that had a steering problem like this. i was told that if i didn't have it repaired the steering column could lock up. i see there has been alot of complaints about this problem in 2006-2007 rav4's can someone look into this? *tr
03/01/200711500
 Early on in ownership of the vehicle a light 'clunking' noise could be heard while turning the vehicle. noise progressively became worse. i repeatedly reported the incident twice to the dealership - toyota lake city, seattle, wa, prior to expiration of vehicle warranty. every time i was advised the dealership staff was unable to duplicate the issue. currently, the noise is extremely loud, and there's a 'popping' feel in the steering column/steering wheel, coupled with a loud clunk. i'm concerned for my, and my family's safety, however i don't have $800.00 to repair an item which shouldn't be having issues. note: i have a 2010 toyota rav4 vin#jtmrk4dv7a5094459, which is beginning to experience the same issue as 2006 toyota rav4. i have researched this issue and toyota is fully aware of the issue via tsb# st001-08. toyota has developed a new steering shaft which remedies the issue. this should be a recall, for it impacts a large majority of the rav4 owners - another toyota issue which they know about, but try to hide!
11/06/200834168
 Had aclunking sound in steering column when turning and backing up. steering shaft was replaced under warranty. problem returned and repaired on aug. 27,2012 at 73,852 miles and cost $720. i have been drivng for 50 years and never had a car that had a steering problem like this. i was told that if i did'nt have it repaired the steering column could lock up. i see there has been alot of complaints about this problem in 2006-2007 rav4's can someone look into this?
08/01/2010400001
 Steering wheel clunks at relatively low speeds - clunking increases over time. concern is if steering fails as a result. toyota's fix is to replace intermediate driveshaft and an alignment. apparently this is a pervasive problem on a number of rav4 model years (based on hundreds of postings on internet discussion sites, at least one of which claims failed steering resulting in multicar crash). per these online discussions, some toyota dealers have stated it is a serious safety issue, some have not. given this problem has existed for a number of years (toyota has two service memos issued on the problem and even developed new replacement parts), if the nhtsa has investigated this issue and determined there is no consumer safety issues, is that conclusion available to the public? would appear this would be proper to disclose, as consumers get very concerned with a potential loss of steering and its potential crash ramifications. *tr
08/01/201040000
 Steering wheel clunks at relatively low speeds - clunking increases over time. concern is if steering fails as a result. toyota's fix is to replace intermediate driveshaft and an alignment. apparently this is a pervasive problem on a number of rav4 model years (based on hundreds of postings on internet discussion sites, at least one of which claims failed steering resulting in multicar crash). per these online discussions, some toyota dealers have stated it is a serious safety issue, some have not. given this problem has existed for a number of years (toyota has two service memos issued on the problem and even devloped new replacement parts), if the nhtsa has investigated this issue and determined there is no consumer safety issues, is that conclusion available to the public? would appear this would be proper to disclose, as consumers get very concerned with a potential loss of steering and its potential crash ramifications.
05/15/20121070001
 There was a rumble in the rear @ 40 mph. i had maplewood toyota check it 2-3 times, they said they couldn't hear it, car was fine; they checked the trans oil once and said it was fine. it's a closed system-you never need to change its oil. (i had asked this question several times over the years and they always told me that i never needed to change the trans oil & the manual does not list it either). they took it for a drive and checked it good-said that 1st gear was going, but it was fine to drive-come back when i couldn't stand the noise and they'd put in a new trans for $4,500. i was going out of town, they said ok, car will be fine. since the rumble was so loud, 3 days later i got a second opinion at a transmission specialist's shop recommended to me by several friends. they put it up on a rack and tested it with a stethoscope type device. they said that the bearing was very bad and that i should not take the car out of town or drive it as it was not safe to drive and could stop at any time. they replaced m,w/s, u240/24e 00-up (cork); filter; bushing, a40 series pump; tc, rav4, med stall, ink 14; center gear bearing, etc. when the toyota technician checked the trans oil, i realized that it was not a closed system! also, the oil was black and i now know that it should be red. i think i should have been changing the trans oil all along and my transmission probably would not have failed. i think they should order a recall on all these transmissions - and pay for the work that i had to have done before my car failed on a freeway somewhere. a transmission should last forever, especially since half of the miles have been freeway miles and i drive my car very gently. i just put in new brake pads for the first time recently and there was still 20-30% left on them. previously i had to pay toyota $400 to repair the steering column-another defect that should be a recall. *tr
05/15/2012107000
 There was a rumble in the rear @ 40 mph. i had maplewood toyota check it 2-3 times, they said they couldn't hear it, car was fine; they checked the trans oil once and said it was fine. it's a closed system-you never need to change its oil. (i had asked this question several times over the years and they always told me that i never needed to change the trans oil & the manual does not list it either). they took it for a drive and checked it good-said that 1st gear was going, but it was fine to drive-come back when i couldn't stand the noise and they'd put in a new trans for $4,500. i was going out of town, they said ok, car will be fine. since the rumble was so loud, 3 days later i got a second opinion at a transmission specialist's shop recommended to me by several friends. they put it up on a rack and tested it with a stethoscope type device. they said that the bearing was very bad and that i should not take the car out of town or drive it as it was not safe to drive and could stop at any time. they replaced m,w/s, u240/24e 00-up (cork); filter; bushing, a40 series pump; tc, rav4, med stall, ink 14; center gear bearing, etc. when the toyota technician checked the trans oil, i realized that it was not a closed system! also, the oil was black and i now know that it should be red. i think i should have been changing the trans oil all along and my transmission probably would not have failed. i think they should order a recall on all these transmissions - and pay for the work that i had to have done before my car failed on a freeway somewhere. a transmission should last forever, especially since half of the miles have been freeway miles and i drive my car very gently. i just put in new brake pads for the first time recently and there was still 20-30% left on them. previously i had to pay toyota $400 to repair the steering column-another defect that should be a recall.
07/24/2012840001
 Steering has clunking noise when turning at slow speed and can be felt in the steering wheel. the forums are full of complaints on this issue which point to intermediate steering shaft. although there have been no fatalities connected to this-it is a safety issue and on the large scale it should be recalled by toyota. what happened to toyotas culture of honor? *tr
07/24/201284000
 Steering has clunking noise when turning at slow speed and can be felt in the steering wheel. the forums are full of complaints on this issue which point to intermediate steering shaft. although there have been no fatalaties connected to this-it is a safety issue and on the large scale it should be recalled by toyota. what happened to toyotas culture of honor?
02/07/2012500001
 Intermediate steering shaft problem. when on slow speed. the steering makes clunking noise when turning both direction. sometime it makes you feel it is so loose that the wheel not turning at all. what happen if i am driving on the road and the wheel won't be able to turn. many many have complaint with the same issue and not a single solution. it must be the problem of the design or defective materials!! *tr
02/07/201250000
 Intermediate steering shaft problem. when on slow speed. the steering makes clunking noise when turning both direction. sometime it makes you feel it is so loose that the wheel not turning at all. what happen if i am driving on the road and the wheel won't be able to turn. many many have complaint with the same issue and not a single solution. it must be the problem of the design or defective materials!!
07/19/20121360001
 We just had our 2006 rav4 state inspection today and the dealership told us we needed to have the front inner tie rod replaced since it has become unstable. they said this cannot be replaced by itself since it is attached to the steering rack, so we will need entire rack replaced, resulting in $2400 in repairs. the dealership also said this should be replaced within the next couple of months for safety reasons, since it can go out of alignment at any time. we've also heard knocking when we turn the car for the past couple of years and have asked about it, but never been given an explanation as to why. the dealership now says this could be the cause. if this is a problem of integrity with the part and not a wear & tear issue then i think this should definitely be a recall since it is a fault of the dealership. *tr
07/19/2012136000
 We just had our 2006 rav4 state inspection today and the dealership told us we needed to have the front inner tie rod replaced since it has become unstable. they said this cannot be replaced by itself since it is attached to the steering rack, so we will need entire rack replaced, resulting in $2400 in repairs. the dealership also said this should be replaced within the next couple of months for safety reasons, since it can go out of alignment at any time. we've also heard knocking when we turn the car for the past couple of years and have asked about it, but never been given an explanation as to why. the dealership now says this could be the cause. if this is a problem of integrity with the part and not a wear & tear issue then i think this should definitely be a recall since it is a fault of the dealership.
08/30/200710
 2006 toyota rav 4. consumer states issues with front steering, suspension and drive train *tgw the consumer stated the problems started with an abnormal noise in the steering system and continued with other problems associated with the steering, front suspension and drive train. various front end components had been replaced 10 times. after the steering shaft was replaced for the second time in august of 2011, the vehicle is now performing as designed. *jb
05/25/2012701621
 Heard abnormal mechanical rattle from the front end going over rough streets in san francisco. took vehicle in suspecting suspension issue to capitol toyota of san jose. diagnosis was steering rack has a known part issue, internal to its design, nothing the dealer could do, as factory did not allow them to open the part up, only replace it. dealer was unable to tell me if the car was safe or not to drive. said only thing they could so was replace the entire steering rack at $2000 +, which is outrageous. they said if i had extended warranty they would swap it out, and this is done all the time for this model and year! this car is serviced regularly and not driven off-road. this is a design defect that could pose a threat if the steering were to lock up/fail while driving, yet toyota refuses to address the issue and says its wear and tear. at 70k miles? this part should last 200k. there are many reports online of issues with the steering system. one such report: http://www.aboutautomobile.com/tsb/2006/toyota/rav4/steering tsb number: 00506nhtsa number: 10020124tsb date: september 1, 2007date added to file: july 24, 2006 failing component: steering summary: electric power steering: mil on dtc u0105 & u0121. *tr
07/19/2012136000
 We just had our 2006 rav4 state inspection today and the dealership told us we needed to have the front inner tie rod replaced since it has become unstable. they said this cannot be replaced by itself since it is attached to the steering rack, so we will need entire rack replaced, resulting in $2400 in repairs. the dealership also said this should be replaced within the next couple of months for safety reasons, since it can go out of alignment at any time. we've also heard knocking when we turn the car for the past couple of years and have asked about it, but never been given an explanation as to why. the dealership now says this could be the cause. if this is a problem of integrity with the part and not a wear & tear issue then i think this should definitely be a recall since it is a fault of the dealership.
08/30/200710
 2006 toyota rav 4. consumer states issues with front steering, suspension and drive train *tgw the consumer stated the problems started with an abnormal noise in the steering system and continued with other problems associated with the steering, front suspension and drive train. various front end components had been replaced 10 times. after the steering shaft was replaced for the second time in august of 2011, the vehicle is now performing as designed. *jb
05/25/2012701621
 Heard abnormal mechanical rattle from the front end going over rough streets in san francisco. took vehicle in suspecting suspension issue to capitol toyota of san jose. diagnosis was steering rack has a known part issue, internal to its design, nothing the dealer could do, as factory did not allow them to open the part up, only replace it. dealer was unable to tell me if the car was safe or not to drive. said only thing they could so was replace the entire steering rack at $2000 +, which is outrageous. they said if i had extended warranty they would swap it out, and this is done all the time for this model and year! this car is serviced regularly and not driven off-road. this is a design defect that could pose a threat if the steering were to lock up/fail while driving, yet toyota refuses to address the issue and says its wear and tear. at 70k miles? this part should last 200k. there are many reports online of issues with the steering system. one such report: http://www.aboutautomobile.com/tsb/2006/toyota/rav4/steering tsb number: 00506nhtsa number: 10020124tsb date: september 1, 2007date added to file: july 24, 2006 failing component: steering summary: electric power steering: mil on dtc u0105 & u0121. *tr
08/30/200710
 2006 toyota rav 4. consumer states issues with front steering, suspension and drive train *tgw the consumer stated the problems started with an abnormal noise in the steering system and continued with other problems associated with the steering, front suspension and drive train. various front end components had been replaced 10 times. after the steering shaft was replaced for the second time in august of 2011, the vehicle is now performing as designed. *jb
05/25/2012701621
 Heard abnormal mechanical rattle from the front end going over rough streets in san francisco. took vehicle in suspecting suspension issue to capitol toyota of san jose. diagnosis was steering rack has a known part issue, internal to its design, nothing the dealer could do, as factory did not allow them to open the part up, only replace it. dealer was unable to tell me if the car was safe or not to drive. said only thing they could so was replace the entire steering rack at $2000 +, which is outrageous. they said if i had extended warranty they would swap it out, and this is done all the time for this model and year! this car is serviced regularly and not driven off-road. this is a design defect that could pose a threat if the steering were to lock up/fail while driving, yet toyota refuses to address the issue and says its wear and tear. at 70k miles? this part should last 200k. there are many reports online of issues with the steering system. one such report: http://www.aboutautomobile.com/tsb/2006/toyota/rav4/steering tsb number: 00506nhtsa number: 10020124tsb date: september 1, 2007date added to file: july 24, 2006 failing component: steering summary: electric power steering: mil on dtc u0105 & u0121. *tr
08/30/200710
 2006 toyota rav 4. consumer states issues with front steering, suspension and drive train *tgw the consumer stated the problems started with an abnormal noise in the steering system and continued with other problems associated with the steering, front suspension and drive train. various front end components had been replaced 10 times. after the steering shaft was replaced for the second time in august of 2011, the vehicle is now performing as designed. *jb
05/25/2012701621
 Heard abnormal mechanical rattle from the front end going over rough streets in san francisco. took vehicle in suspecting suspension issue to capitol toyota of san jose. diagnosis was steering rack has a known part issue, internal to its design, nothing the dealer could do, as factory did not allow them to open the part up, only replace it. dealer was unable to tell me if the car was safe or not to drive. said only thing they could so was replace the entire steering rack at $2000 +, which is outrageous. they said if i had extended warranty they would swap it out, and this is done all the time for this model and year! this car is serviced regularly and not driven off-road. this is a design defect that could pose a threat if the steering were to lock up/fail while driving, yet toyota refuses to address the issue and says its wear and tear. at 70k miles? this part should last 200k. there are many reports online of issues with the steering system. one such report: http://www.aboutautomobile.com/tsb/2006/toyota/rav4/steering tsb number: 00506nhtsa number: 10020124tsb date: september 1, 2007date added to file: july 24, 2006 failing component: steering summary: electric power steering: mil on dtc u0105 & u0121. *tr
08/30/200710
 2006 toyota rav 4. consumer states issues with front steering, suspension and drive train *tgw the consumer stated the problems started with an abnormal noise in the steering system and continued with other problems associated with the steering, front suspension and drive train. various front end components had been replaced 10 times. after the steering shaft was replaced for the second time in august of 2011, the vehicle is now performing as designed. *jb
05/25/201270162
 Heard abnormal mechanical rattle from the front end going over rough streets in san francisco. took vehicle in suspecting suspension issue to capitol toyota of san jose. diagnosis was steering rack has a known part issue, internal to its design, nothing the dealer could do, as factory did not allow them to open the part up, only replace it. dealer was unable to tell me if the car was safe or not to drive. said only thing they could so was replace the entire steering rack at $2000 +, which is outrageous. they said if i had extended warranty they would swap it out, and this is done all the time for this model and year! this car is serviced regularly and not driven off-road. this is a design defect that could pose a threat if the steering were to lock up/fail while driving, yet toyota refuses to address the issue and says its wear and tear. at 70k miles? this part should last 200k. there are many reports online of issues with the steering system. one such report: http://www.aboutautomobile.com/tsb/2006/toyota/rav4/steering tsb number: 00506nhtsa number: 10020124tsb date: september 1, 2007date added to file: july 24, 2006 failing component: steering summary: electric power steering: mil on dtc u0105 & u0121.
03/27/201284986
 Intermediate shaft faulty after first couple years of owning vehicle. clunking noise and clicking feel when turning vehicle. toyota did not want to cover repair. owners have to pay to get it fixed which wasn't cheap. now, after 6 yrs of owning the vehicle, i feel it starting again. they said this was dangerous if left unfixed. it could lead to steering wheel malfunction and loss of vehicle control while driving. this should be recalled by toyota since it's a manufacturer's defect. i don't think it's fair for the vehicle owners to have to deal with this when all we wanted was a safe and reliable vehicle.
09/01/201045000
 My rav4 began making a clunking noise when turning the steering wheel. the dealership identified as a steering column issue. toyota has issued a tsb about it, but does not cover the repair, even though it's a design flaw (and safety issue) on their part. this problem should result in a recall. see toyota tsb st001-08
05/08/201298600
 There is a defect in the steering shaft that results in an audible thump that is felt through the steering wheel when turning 90 degree corners at low speeds. this does not happen on the highway, but rather pulling into parking spaces, turning at intersections, etc. my local toyota dealer lubed the steering shaft at 87,169 mi, and the problem is back again in 11k miles. i know that toyota has recalled several vehicles in the last year or two for steering-related problems, and i feel that this issue with the 2006 rav4 should be added to the list of recalls. thank you for your help.
03/01/2011
 I have 2006 rav4 with steering clonking noise.i spoke with my local dealer in atlantic city nj and he toldme that they are aware of this problem but there is not recall.i have to pay out of my pocket for somthing what is factory problem. i think toyota is aware of this problem and should also initiate a recall for the steering problems.
10/15/201170000
 Purchased a 2006 rav4 sport 4wd v6 back in the summer of 2006 and the car was doing great up until last year (2011) when i noticed the steering wheel starting making this strange clicking noise. i brought the car in back in october of 2011 and they told me it was the rack and pinion making the noise and that over time i could possibly lose steering. they told me it would cost over $2,000 to fix. i asked if i could just drive it until the problem worsened and they seemed to say that was probably ok that it would cost the same to fix so i let it go. fast forward about 6-8 months (april 2012) and now my car is making a knocking noise when i turn right (as described by almost everyone else on the web with this problem). i brought it back in again and they told me it was the same issue and there was a service bulletin put out for this exact problem. they told me it would still cost the same price to fix and i thought that was insane how toyota knew about this problem with so many others and refuse to fix it. it sounds like this is a faulty part on all rav4's around 2006-2007 (maybe more?). most companies will realize they used a faulty part to make a product and replace it free of charge to keep the customer happy. that is not the case here. i called toyota's national customer service phone line and spoke to a nasty person who spoke very condescendingly to me. he kept trying to avoid the issue at hand and eventually just said there was nothing he could do because my car was out of warranty. he filed the complaint with the rest of everyone else and went on his way. i am pretty saddened by this since the automotive industry just went through a painful time how can they turn around and act like this to loyal customers?
01/01/201044502
 In 2010, i complained to the toyota dealer about knocking noise while driving and turning the steering wheel. after two years the noise became more noticable and the toyota mechanic informed me that the lower intermittant steering shaft has excessive play due to worn-out splines. correction: replace lower steering shaft ($359.--). i declined repair since i found that this is a common defect in the 2006 and 2007 toyota rav4 model and a recall would warranted. i feel this is a safety isssue with the possiblity of loss of steering. the mechanic did not think so.
08/15/200952000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav 4. the contact was driving 25 mph when the steering wheel failed to turn properly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 52,000 and the current mileage was 120,000. kmj
08/15/200952000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav 4. the contact was driving 25 mph when the steering wheel failed to turn properly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired and the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 52,000 and the current mileage was 120,000. rds
09/01/2006500
 Intermediate steering linkage makes a popping noise. condition has been addressed under tsb st 001-08: however this condition has grown steadily worse and we fear may lead to steering failure. toyota dealer will not repair under 36,000 mile warranty as 36 months have elapsed since our purchase of this new car. please add our complaint to your data base with the hope that toyota can be forced to issue a recall for this factory steering defect.
08/15/200952000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav 4. the contact was driving 25 mph when the steering wheel failed to turn properly. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired and the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 52,000 and the current mileage was 120,000. rds
09/01/2006500
 Intermediate steering linkage makes a popping noise. condition has been addressed under tsb st 001-08: however this condition has grown steadily worse and we fear may lead to steering failure. toyota dealer will not repair under 36,000 mile warranty as 36 months have elapsed since our purchase of this new car. please add our complaint to your data base with the hope that toyota can be forced to issue a recall for this factory steering defect.
11/10/201017000
 Clunking sound ( and feel) coming from steering column when turning either left or right, particularly at slower speeds. clunking is worse in colder weather, but has been happening more often as time passes. no loss of steering ability - yet. why is this not being addressed by toyota? a simply internet search indicates it is a well known issue and yet toyota will not take care of this. dealership was not interested in speaking to me about this as the car was out of warranty, other than to fix the problem at my cost. must we experience a serious accident to get toyota's attention?
12/15/201128000
 There's a weird clicking/gringing noise coming from my steering when turning. i was making a u-turn (not even 5mph) when i first heard it and has heard it almost everyday since. its terrifying while driving to think that my steering can fail. my machenic will let me know if it can be fixed and how much it will cost. i have to say... i'm considering trading that sucker in
08/17/201120000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that the steering wheel would exhibit an abnormal clicking sound when turned. the failure recurred whenever the steering wheel was turned. the dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that the intermediate steering shaft needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was 20,000 and the current mileage was 29,000. kmj
08/17/201120000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated the steering makes a clicking sound when ever the is turned. the failure occurs when turning left or right. the dealer looked at the vehicle and stated the intermediate steering shaft needed to be replaced. the failure mileage was 20,000 and the current mileage was 29000.rl
04/15/2010400001
 Steering makes a bumping sound when it is turned in any direction. my son commented that he noticed it in 2010. last week my mechanic mentioned it and said that it should be fixed. another mechanic at the same shop also mentioned it to me after he drove the vehicle. *tr
04/15/201040000
 Steering makes a bumping sound when it is turned in any direction. my son commented that he noticed it in 2010. last week my mechanic mentioned it and said that it should be fixed. another mechanic at the same shop also mentioned it to me after he drove the vehicle.
02/06/2006100
 While making a turn of a highway exit, my steering wheel locked, on the 4th day of owning my brand new vehicle. not only was i talked down to and treatly rudely by toyota staff, i was dismissed, as if this was not a serious concern. toyota did fix the vehicle, and assured me that this would not happen again. only a few months later, my car was back at toyota, will rotten struts, on a 6 month old vehivle. again the struts were replaced, but there was no help from toyota will acknowledging that this vehicle was clearly faulty and dangerous to drive. 2 years to the month of purchase, the steering wheel locked on me again while driving, this time toyota replaced the computer, being sure to state a different reason for the same issue, to insure that my vehicle did not qualify for the lemon law. now, less that 2 years after the 2nd instance, the steering wheel locked for a 3rd time while driving. i am very lucky to be alive, and that in all 3 instances there were no other vehicles in close proximity to me, and i was on an open road, where i was able to come to a stop before seriously injuring myself or others. after this many repeat serious issues, i can't understand how no one at toyota cares to further look into the recall of this vehicle or replacement of. if i had actually crashed or god for bid been seriously injured, i'm sure that my claims would have been taken seriously. why does someone have to die, before toyota can take responsibilty for a defaulted vehicle?
10/05/201154000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that the intermediate steering column failed while driving 35 mph. in addition, the vehicle exhibited a noise from the steering column. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the noise was coming from the intermediate steering column, but there were no recalls for the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified who advised that they were investigating the problem. the manufacturer offered no assistance. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 54,000. kmj
10/05/201154000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated the intermediate steering column has fail. while driving 35 mph there was a noise coming from the steering column. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated the noise was coming from the intermediate steering column, but there are no recalls or warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified who stated they are investigating the problem. they offered no assistance. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 54,000. mw
09/26/201151000
 Clinking and grinding coming from the steering wheel. the dealership informed us it was the steering shaft is worn and would cost between $800- $1000 to repair. this is not covered since the warranty has expired. the dealership reported it's a common problem. i feel this is a safety issue and needs to be looked at.
09/08/201040000
 My 2006 toyota rav4 has a clunk noise when turning the steering wheel at slow or no speed. the repair costs are very high i was told by the local toyota dealer it was the steering column and it would cost close to $800 to repair. i've researched this issue online and have found hundreds of thousands of people with the same complaints. i work for vw and know that when there is an issue that affects this many vehicles and a steering concern that there is always a saftey recall issued i don't understand why toyota has not addressed this issue already. is it really going to take another gas pedal incident to make them take care of it?
09/26/201151000
 Clinking and grinding coming from the steering wheel. the dealership informed us it was the steering shaft is worn and would cost between $800- $1000 to repair. this is not covered since the warranty has expired. the dealership reported it's a common problem. i feel this is a safety issue and needs to be looked at.
09/08/201040000
 My 2006 toyota rav4 has a clunk noise when turning the steering wheel at slow or no speed. the repair costs are very high i was told by the local toyota dealer it was the steering column and it would cost close to $800 to repair. i've researched this issue online and have found hundreds of thousands of people with the same complaints. i work for vw and know that when there is an issue that affects this many vehicles and a steering concern that there is always a saftey recall issued i don't understand why toyota has not addressed this issue already. is it really going to take another gas pedal incident to make them take care of it?
09/26/201151000
 Clinking and grinding coming from the steering wheel. the dealership informed us it was the steering shaft is worn and would cost between $800- $1000 to repair. this is not covered since the warranty has expired. the dealership reported it's a common problem. i feel this is a safety issue and needs to be looked at.
09/08/201040000
 My 2006 toyota rav4 has a clunk noise when turning the steering wheel at slow or no speed. the repair costs are very high i was told by the local toyota dealer it was the steering column and it would cost close to $800 to repair. i've researched this issue online and have found hundreds of thousands of people with the same complaints. i work for vw and know that when there is an issue that affects this many vehicles and a steering concern that there is always a saftey recall issued i don't understand why toyota has not addressed this issue already. is it really going to take another gas pedal incident to make them take care of it?
09/26/201151000
 Clinking and grinding coming from the steering wheel. the dealership informed us it was the steering shaft is worn and would cost between $800- $1000 to repair. this is not covered since the warranty has expired. the dealership reported it's a common problem. i feel this is a safety issue and needs to be looked at.
09/08/201040000
 My 2006 toyota rav4 has a clunk noise when turning the steering wheel at slow or no speed. the repair costs are very high i was told by the local toyota dealer it was the steering column and it would cost close to $800 to repair. i've researched this issue online and have found hundreds of thousands of people with the same complaints. i work for vw and know that when there is an issue that affects this many vehicles and a steering concern that there is always a saftey recall issued i don't understand why toyota has not addressed this issue already. is it really going to take another gas pedal incident to make them take care of it?
09/01/201151000
 2006 toyota rav 4 sport has chronic problems with intermediate steering shaft. low speed turning produces a clunking sound and unstable sensation in the steer column.
08/23/201026600
 Heard a clunking noise in steering wheel. arranged service appointment with dealer. dealer said it was necessary to replace complete steering rack and steering shaft with an intermediate shaft. $2.563.64. i was not advised what would happen if not replaced. i contacted toyota and was told it was too bad that my warranty had expired. i understand others with 2006 & 2007 rav4s have had same issue. safety issue? no recall!
09/01/201151000
 2006 toyota rav 4 sport has chronic problems with intermediate steering shaft. low speed turning produces a clunking sound and unstable sensation in the steer column.
08/23/201026600
 Heard a clunking noise in steering wheel. arranged service appointment with dealer. dealer said it was necessary to replace complete steering rack and steering shaft with an intermediate shaft. $2.563.64. i was not advised what would happen if not replaced. i contacted toyota and was told it was too bad that my warranty had expired. i understand others with 2006 & 2007 rav4s have had same issue. safety issue? no recall!
09/01/201151000
 2006 toyota rav 4 sport has chronic problems with intermediate steering shaft. low speed turning produces a clunking sound and unstable sensation in the steer column.
08/23/201026600
 Heard a clunking noise in steering wheel. arranged service appointment with dealer. dealer said it was necessary to replace complete steering rack and steering shaft with an intermediate shaft. $2.563.64. i was not advised what would happen if not replaced. i contacted toyota and was told it was too bad that my warranty had expired. i understand others with 2006 & 2007 rav4s have had same issue. safety issue? no recall!
05/24/201164443
 I took my 2006 rav4 into the leith toyota dealership in raleigh, nc for the accelerator peddle recall. service manager calls me and said that there is a banging vibration and noise coming from the steering column when the steering wheel is turned. (this did not exist before.) the manager said there is a technical service bulletin on the manufacture's defective design and that failure to correct the problem could result in an accident. this repair is nearly $400 and is not covered under any recall nor my now expired warranty. when i next drove the rav4 the banging was so strong that the front seat passenger could feel it. i call toyota customer care program, who confirmed the technical service bulletin but said that the problem is not a safety issue and that i should contact the dealership to inquire about them paying for the repair. the dealership said that the repair is not covered and that toyota customer care would contact me as to what further would be done. after waiting more than 60 days for toyota to call me, i called customer care again only to be told that nothing more would be done. i asked to speak to a supervisor, but none was available. i was told that a supervisor would call me back within 24 hours. 30 hours later toyota customer care left a phone message for me to call them back. i have also had electrical problems that have caused this rav4 to loose power and stop while traveling down the road and the battery goes dead about every two months.
01/01/201148000
 There is a very loud clunking noise when turning steering wheel. noise is getting louder and feels like steering is being affected.
06/21/201142900
 2006 toyota rav 4 - steering - i have presented my vehicle for inspection at a local toyota dealer service company last week on tuesday, july 5th, 2011 for a noticeable clunking sound coming from the the steering column and front end. the service manager scheduled a 2nd visit for my vehicle on july 7th, in order for a service mechanic to test drive the car. he first told me that the unit would need to be opened and re-packed with grease to make the noise go away (without batting an eye). on the second service visit july 7th, the mechanic said the unit would require a rebuilding with at least $ 400.00 of parts. this is the case after i brought the vehicle in with 43k original miles on it. after i had a third party look at the same issue, they said that it did not present a danger, however, new tires and a front end alignment were suggested to see whether any improvement would be noticeable.. afterwards, i started my investigation of this matter, whereby, i now know that hundreds of cases have been previously reported, and, the manufacturer, toyota, has passed the buck on the blame and repair, charging as much as $ 1,200 for the steering on the 2006 rav 4 model to be repaired. sounds like a scam to me. just because no one has gotten hurt yet, doesn't mean there isn't a problem here. cars are controlled through the ability to steer the vehicle. in october 1976, i survived an accident in my brand new ford granada, when the suspension arm nut was sheered off when taking a curve on a local road with the vehicle at 20-25 mph. three people walked away from an accident that took out the whole front bumper, back to the driver's side door. as the car was repaired, ford motor corp. gathered all of the accident photos from the body shop, preventing disclosure of a potential problem (back before the lemon laws were put in place). do not let this problem slip away. the lives of owner / operators + passengers are at stake !
06/22/2011
 I own a 2006 toyota rav 4 with steering shaft issues. the shaft makes grinding/knocking noises when turning the vehicle. the dealership notified me of this issue and stated that i should replace the shaft. i argued that toyota should cover the costs, but they would not concur. i started researching the issue online and discovered a technical service bulletin (tsb) for this exact issue. they have even already developed a new intermediate shaft to correct the issue. it is clear that they recognize this as a design/engineering issue. furthermore, this defect could eventually lead to the vehicle not being able to steer, which is a safety issue. this in my opinion, merits a recall.
05/22/201144000
 Steering column on toyota 2006 rav 4 showing signs of bad u-joint/thrust collar bearing. car has 43,000 miles and makes loud clunking noise from steering column when turning. toyota has a tsb but says it is not yet a safety issue so no refund and no price cut on $500 repair. if steering column u-joint fails what happens to steering???
05/23/201140000
 Toyota rav4 steering noise
05/22/201144000
 Steering column on toyota 2006 rav 4 showing signs of bad u-joint/thrust collar bearing. car has 43,000 miles and makes loud clunking noise from steering column when turning. toyota has a tsb but says it is not yet a safety issue so no refund and no price cut on $500 repair. if steering column u-joint fails what happens to steering???
05/23/201140000
 Toyota rav4 steering noise
05/22/201144000
 Steering column on toyota 2006 rav 4 showing signs of bad u-joint/thrust collar bearing. car has 43,000 miles and makes loud clunking noise from steering column when turning. toyota has a tsb but says it is not yet a safety issue so no refund and no price cut on $500 repair. if steering column u-joint fails what happens to steering???
05/23/201140000
 Toyota rav4 steering noise
05/22/201144000
 Steering column on toyota 2006 rav 4 showing signs of bad u-joint/thrust collar bearing. car has 43,000 miles and makes loud clunking noise from steering column when turning. toyota has a tsb but says it is not yet a safety issue so no refund and no price cut on $500 repair. if steering column u-joint fails what happens to steering???
05/23/201140000
 Toyota rav4 steering noise
03/11/200725000
 Like many other 2006 rav4 owners, i have experience the so-called klunking noise with the steering column. this appear to be a know problem (design flaw) with this model, yet toyota fail to take full responsibility and initiative to correct the problem. do we have to experience such catastrophic events as the acceleration issue, before toyota decide to do something about it?
03/15/200720000
 Toyota tsb-0308-08 for a steering clunk on 2006 and later toyota rav4's should be a recall, before steering goes out in these vehicals. the tsb indicates that beefed up steering shafts have been produced to solve the problem. but many cars are now out of warranty because the dealers claimed not to be able to hear the noise. now that many of these cars are out of warranty, the cost to fix is excessive. toyota needs to address and fix this problem on all affected vehicles before there is a fatality from it. any toyota forum on the internet has scores of complaints from rav4 owners, and stories of indifference on the part of the toyota dealers. problem: steering audible clunk and the fell of the clunk, while turning left of right at low speeds.
02/15/201138106
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav 4. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact stated that she heard a loud popping noise when she noticed that the vehicle became to difficult to steer. the dealer informed the contact that there was a technical service bulletin issued; however, there were no related recalls. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who performed a diagnostic test which concluded that the steering unit needed to be replaced. the contact did not inform the manufacturer nor was the vehicle repaired. the current and failure mileages were 38,106. bw
07/15/20068000
 Clunking noise comming from front end any time i do a slow turn. sounds as though something in the steering mechanics is slipping out of joint.
02/15/201138106
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav 4. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact stated that she heard a loud popping noise when she noticed that the vehicle became to difficult to steer. the dealer informed the contact that there was a technical service bulletin issued; however, there were no related recalls. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who performed a diagnostic test which concluded that the steering unit needed to be replaced. the contact did not inform the manufacturer nor was the vehicle repaired. the current and failure mileages were 38,106. bw
07/15/20068000
 Clunking noise comming from front end any time i do a slow turn. sounds as though something in the steering mechanics is slipping out of joint.
12/27/201032000
 Intermediate steering shaft has to be replaced due to normal wear. we understand that many rav 4 and other toyota models have the same problem or failures and must be replaced. is this a possible recall issue. updated 01/20/11 *bf
12/27/201032000
 Intermediate steering shaft has to be replaced due to normal wear. we understand that many rav 4 and other toyota models have the same problem or failures and must be replaced. is this a possible recall issue.
01/02/201163607
 2006 toyota rav 4. problem began on jan. 2 2011. while slowly turning left i detected clunking sound in the steering column. every time i turn left i hear this noise, and knowing toyota has had some steering wheel problems in the past i became extra nervous. i went online and found quite quickly that this is a well-known problem with rav 4s but no recall can be issued until there are enough complaints, and owners are paying up to $1000 to get this fixed.
01/16/200726737
 My 2006 rav 4 has had a series of front end problems dating from jan 2007 to april 2009. it had been in the shop 9 times (warranty work) with numerous parts being replaced before toyota had their southern california rep come and look at it. they ended up replacing just about all of the front end component parts except the steering. that was the 10th time the car was in. now after 21 months the sound is back and i can even feel vibration knock in the steering. this car was purchased new in july 2006. mileage at the first sign of trouble was 4847. mileage in april 2009 was 26737. current mileage is 41800. i don't feel safe driving this car with the feeling that something is going to break while i'm making a sharp turn.
12/22/201079000
 We had the toyota dealer check a noise in the steering on a 2006 toyota rav4. they diagnoised the noise as noise from the steering shaft. since the vehicle was out of toyota warranty, tsb st001-08, they refused to fix the issue. we contacted the extended warranty service and they also refused to repair the issue. the extended warranty service indicated that the part would have to physically break before it could be fixed. researching the issue indicates that there have been no accidents or injuries yet due to the defect. when an issue indicates a possible failure we like to have it repaired before damage occurs.
01/16/200726737
 My 2006 rav 4 has had a series of front end problems dating from jan 2007 to april 2009. it had been in the shop 9 times (warranty work) with numerous parts being replaced before toyota had their southern california rep come and look at it. they ended up replacing just about all of the front end component parts except the steering. that was the 10th time the car was in. now after 21 months the sound is back and i can even feel vibration knock in the steering. this car was purchased new in july 2006. mileage at the first sign of trouble was 4847. mileage in april 2009 was 26737. current mileage is 41800. i don't feel safe driving this car with the feeling that something is going to break while i'm making a sharp turn.
12/22/201079000
 We had the toyota dealer check a noise in the steering on a 2006 toyota rav4. they diagnoised the noise as noise from the steering shaft. since the vehicle was out of toyota warranty, tsb st001-08, they refused to fix the issue. we contacted the extended warranty service and they also refused to repair the issue. the extended warranty service indicated that the part would have to physically break before it could be fixed. researching the issue indicates that there have been no accidents or injuries yet due to the defect. when an issue indicates a possible failure we like to have it repaired before damage occurs.
01/16/200726737
 My 2006 rav 4 has had a series of front end problems dating from jan 2007 to april 2009. it had been in the shop 9 times (warranty work) with numerous parts being replaced before toyota had their southern california rep come and look at it. they ended up replacing just about all of the front end component parts except the steering. that was the 10th time the car was in. now after 21 months the sound is back and i can even feel vibration knock in the steering. this car was purchased new in july 2006. mileage at the first sign of trouble was 4847. mileage in april 2009 was 26737. current mileage is 41800. i don't feel safe driving this car with the feeling that something is going to break while i'm making a sharp turn.
12/22/201079000
 We had the toyota dealer check a noise in the steering on a 2006 toyota rav4. they diagnoised the noise as noise from the steering shaft. since the vehicle was out of toyota warranty, tsb st001-08, they refused to fix the issue. we contacted the extended warranty service and they also refused to repair the issue. the extended warranty service indicated that the part would have to physically break before it could be fixed. researching the issue indicates that there have been no accidents or injuries yet due to the defect. when an issue indicates a possible failure we like to have it repaired before damage occurs.
12/21/201030000
 On my 2006 toyota rav4, i can hear and feel a klunking or popping noise and sensation in the steering wheel while turning. the feel is as if the linkage(s) in the steering wheel have some interference or have become prematurely worn to the point where they are rubbing on each other and produce a popping sensation in the steering wheel while turning. the popping noise/sensation occurs every time i turn the car through turns greater than about 45 degrees, left or right. the sensation started about two years ago when the car had about 30,000 miles on it. the car currently has about 67,000 miles on it.
07/17/201048000
 Tl-the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4 with 48000 miles.the contact stated while driving at low speed and turning the steering wheel he would hear a knocking sound.this failure only happens at low speeds. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and was told that the steering shaft bushing was dried out. the vehicle has not been repaired. bl
11/01/2010
 Heard a noise in my steering column . took car for an oil change and asked them to check the noise. they discovered that the universal steering shaft needed to be replaced which was an item that toyota recalled in october 20, 2008 for this problem 2006 - 2008 rav 4's. i never received a recall notice. when i called toyota they told me my vin number was not in the recall and i was over the 36 months time frame. however i only had 30,000 miles on my car at the time and just started to experience the problem. i do not feel i should have to pay for this as the problem could have occurred in any of the vin #'s of those years. i'm having the same problem that they recalled the other vin #'s for.
11/01/201056000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2006 rav 4. while driving 10 mph and making a turn the contact experienced a clunking noise coming from the steering column, while turning the steering wheel. the contact stated it occurs every time whether he makes a left or a right turn.the vechile was not taken to a dealer or mechanic for repair. the failure mileage was 56,000. ds
03/01/2010
 My steering has developed a serious knocking. initially it was light but is now rapidly increasing specifically when making short turns like exiting my garage and/or backing up. the car has 47000 miles and i don't think a defect like this should happen. it certainly is not part of regular maintenance. checking the web i notice that many complaints have been filed about this problem and i wonder why toyota has not recalled the model to fix this obvious- and possibly dangerous - defect.
09/01/2007
 Clunking steering column when turning. started at about 15k miles. now 45k and noise much more pronounced. read this is rod/shaft problem with 2006s, see that majority of complains filed w/ nhtsa relate to this issue. why is toyota not recalling? they claim not safety issue. clunking noise while turning can't be good for future integrity of vehicle's steering. it's not a problem until there is a serious injury or death. read toyota recalled 2005s for same issue, and read no post-2006 models suffer same problem. come on toyota, fix this problem on 2006s.
04/06/201039000
 2006 rav4 steering clunk
09/01/2007
 Clunking steering column when turning. started at about 15k miles. now 45k and noise much more pronounced. read this is rod/shaft problem with 2006s, see that majority of complains filed w/ nhtsa relate to this issue. why is toyota not recalling? they claim not safety issue. clunking noise while turning can't be good for future integrity of vehicle's steering. it's not a problem until there is a serious injury or death. read toyota recalled 2005s for same issue, and read no post-2006 models suffer same problem. come on toyota, fix this problem on 2006s.
04/06/201039000
 2006 rav4 steering clunk
10/29/201050000
 Steering column making a clicking sound when turning the wheel at a slow speed going both forward and in reverse. clicking has gotten more frequent and stronger over the past months.
10/01/20102
 2006 toyota rav4. s10 appropriate handling- letter from regarding toyota problems *tgw the consumer stated her make, model and year vehicle has a widely known defect in the steering column and the ecm computer is also defective and needs to be replaced. there is also an associated rattling sound. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer on two occasions regarding the problems. the consumer was given an estimate of close to two thousand dollars for the repairs. in addition, the mechanic stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive because the steering could fail at any time. also, the tires were leaking air. *jb
09/01/2007
 Clunking steering column when turning. started at about 15k miles. now 45k and noise much more pronounced. read this is rod/shaft problem with 2006s, see that majority of complains filed w/ nhtsa relate to this issue. why is toyota not recalling? they claim not safety issue. clunking noise while turning can't be good for future integrity of vehicle's steering. it's not a problem until there is a serious injury or death. read toyota recalled 2005s for same issue, and read no post-2006 models suffer same problem. come on toyota, fix this problem on 2006s.
04/06/201039000
 2006 rav4 steering clunk
10/29/201050000
 Steering column making a clicking sound when turning the wheel at a slow speed going both forward and in reverse. clicking has gotten more frequent and stronger over the past months.
10/01/20102
 2006 toyota rav4. s10 appropriate handling- letter from regarding toyota problems *tgw the consumer stated her make, model and year vehicle has a widely known defect in the steering column and the ecm computer is also defective and needs to be replaced. there is also an associated rattling sound. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer on two occasions regarding the problems. the consumer was given an estimate of close to two thousand dollars for the repairs. in addition, the mechanic stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive because the steering could fail at any time. also, the tires were leaking air. *jb
09/01/2007
 Clunking steering column when turning. started at about 15k miles. now 45k and noise much more pronounced. read this is rod/shaft problem with 2006s, see that majority of complains filed w/ nhtsa relate to this issue. why is toyota not recalling? they claim not safety issue. clunking noise while turning can't be good for future integrity of vehicle's steering. it's not a problem until there is a serious injury or death. read toyota recalled 2005s for same issue, and read no post-2006 models suffer same problem. come on toyota, fix this problem on 2006s.
04/06/201039000
 2006 rav4 steering clunk
10/29/201050000
 Steering column making a clicking sound when turning the wheel at a slow speed going both forward and in reverse. clicking has gotten more frequent and stronger over the past months.
10/01/20102
 2006 toyota rav4. s10 appropriate handling- letter from regarding toyota problems *tgw the consumer stated her make, model and year vehicle has a widely known defect in the steering column and the ecm computer is also defective and needs to be replaced. there is also an associated rattling sound. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer on two occasions regarding the problems. the consumer was given an estimate of close to two thousand dollars for the repairs. in addition, the mechanic stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive because the steering could fail at any time. also, the tires were leaking air. *jb
04/06/201039000
 2006 rav4 steering clunk
10/29/201050000
 Steering column making a clicking sound when turning the wheel at a slow speed going both forward and in reverse. clicking has gotten more frequent and stronger over the past months.
10/01/20102
 2006 toyota rav4. s10 appropriate handling- letter from regarding toyota problems *tgw the consumer stated her make, model and year vehicle has a widely known defect in the steering column and the ecm computer is also defective and needs to be replaced. there is also an associated rattling sound. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer on two occasions regarding the problems. the consumer was given an estimate of close to two thousand dollars for the repairs. in addition, the mechanic stated the vehicle was unsafe to drive because the steering could fail at any time. also, the tires were leaking air. *jb
10/10/201023000
 Toyota 2006 rav4 4 cyl automatic 4 wheel drive has frequent clunking sound when turning the wheel at low speeds. after searching for similar problems online i found numerous complaints others have had regarding steering intermediate shaft noise rav4. it seems to be a very common problem that is not covered once out of warranty and it seems there is a real concern that failure of the part could lead to a real safety problem.
05/01/200936000
 My 2006 toyota rav4 has a clunking noise when turning. the dealer said i would need to replace the steering column for $300.00 if i wanted to eliminate the noise. i declined. they said it was not a safety issue. now the power steering warning light has come on.
10/15/201095000
 Our 2006 rav4 has a knocking sound when you turn. we took it in for 90k service at the toyota dealership and they said it was a steering rod/shaft issue that would cost $2000 to replace. we asked if it was safe to drive because we can't afford that repair and wanted to shop for other pricing, and they said we could but to be careful because it could cause additional damage at any time. i've read about several other complaints and how this is a toyota defect and not a driver fault, so i'm concerned why this hasn't yet been recalled. i saw there were was a recall for 2005 and earlier models for the same issue, why is it now not being addressed since it could cause further damage and safety issues?
05/01/200936000
 My 2006 toyota rav4 has a clunking noise when turning. the dealer said i would need to replace the steering column for $300.00 if i wanted to eliminate the noise. i declined. they said it was not a safety issue. now the power steering warning light has come on.
10/15/201095000
 Our 2006 rav4 has a knocking sound when you turn. we took it in for 90k service at the toyota dealership and they said it was a steering rod/shaft issue that would cost $2000 to replace. we asked if it was safe to drive because we can't afford that repair and wanted to shop for other pricing, and they said we could but to be careful because it could cause additional damage at any time. i've read about several other complaints and how this is a toyota defect and not a driver fault, so i'm concerned why this hasn't yet been recalled. i saw there were was a recall for 2005 and earlier models for the same issue, why is it now not being addressed since it could cause further damage and safety issues?
05/01/200936000
 My 2006 toyota rav4 has a clunking noise when turning. the dealer said i would need to replace the steering column for $300.00 if i wanted to eliminate the noise. i declined. they said it was not a safety issue. now the power steering warning light has come on.
10/15/201095000
 Our 2006 rav4 has a knocking sound when you turn. we took it in for 90k service at the toyota dealership and they said it was a steering rod/shaft issue that would cost $2000 to replace. we asked if it was safe to drive because we can't afford that repair and wanted to shop for other pricing, and they said we could but to be careful because it could cause additional damage at any time. i've read about several other complaints and how this is a toyota defect and not a driver fault, so i'm concerned why this hasn't yet been recalled. i saw there were was a recall for 2005 and earlier models for the same issue, why is it now not being addressed since it could cause further damage and safety issues?
05/01/200936000
 My 2006 toyota rav4 has a clunking noise when turning. the dealer said i would need to replace the steering column for $300.00 if i wanted to eliminate the noise. i declined. they said it was not a safety issue. now the power steering warning light has come on.
10/15/201095000
 Our 2006 rav4 has a knocking sound when you turn. we took it in for 90k service at the toyota dealership and they said it was a steering rod/shaft issue that would cost $2000 to replace. we asked if it was safe to drive because we can't afford that repair and wanted to shop for other pricing, and they said we could but to be careful because it could cause additional damage at any time. i've read about several other complaints and how this is a toyota defect and not a driver fault, so i'm concerned why this hasn't yet been recalled. i saw there were was a recall for 2005 and earlier models for the same issue, why is it now not being addressed since it could cause further damage and safety issues?
10/01/200740000
 This defect is with regard to my 2006 toyota rav4. turning the steering wheel at low speed causes multiple loud clunking sounds, and the steering wheel vibrates along with clunk. it's almost like a ratcheting behavior on the shaft connecting the steering wheel to the steering mechanism. this defect began at approximately 40,000 miles. the car has 83,000 miles and the clunking is becoming more pronounced. there is at least one toyota technical bulletin on the defect: #st001-08. it describes a new series of parts redesigned to correct the issue. when i brought car to dealer for repair, they said parts are on backorder and toyota isn't offering a recall or assistance in covering the cost of the repair. as it requires redesigned parts, is a prevalent defect, and directly involves the steering integrity of the vehicle, i would contend that toyota should recall the affected cars and replace these defective parts without charge and without delay.
04/18/201020000
 2006 toyota rav 4 with 23,500 miles. steering knocking noise and klunking. started at 20,000 miles approx. i went on line and found this to be a comon complaint with rav owners yet there has been no recall. why? i can't get a straight answer as to whether this is a noise problem or will be a steering problem
09/28/201032000
 Vehicle purchased new in june 2006 returned to dealer in march 2008; approx 32k miles. complained to service rep. of clunk sound in the steering mechanism during low speed operation. tech standing nearby stated, in effect, they do that alot. (he is now probably unemployed) dealer replaced (at their cost) the steering shaft, part #45260-42090. in august 2010, approx 70k miles; vehicle was returned to dealer for state inspection with, again, complaint of clunk noise in steering mechanism at low speed. the state inspection was completed; dealer found no fault with the steering mechanism. on 09/28/10; 72k miles, vehicle returned to dealer for replacement of faulty door latch and complaint saa. clunk dealer replaced stering shaft, part #45221-42070 *the two parts are both part of the steering column; but are not the same component the first shaft replaced was a lower shaft the part replaced on 09/28 is the intermediate shaft although toyota has issued service bulletinsconcerning steering collumn shaft failures; the company refuses to acknowledge that there is an existing design flaw an internet google search for clunking noises in the 2006 rav4 retrieves many similar complaints. (not exactly evidence i ould want to walk into a courtroom with) i sugest that the only reason there have not been a rash of steering related accidents is that the consumer can identify the noise and correct the defect prior to a catastrophic failure. i am certain that a review of vehicle repairhistories of this vehicle will reveal an alarmingly high incidence of failure for the steering column.
09/01/201048000
 Clunking is heard and felt from the steering column when turning corners. this occurs about 80% of the time and is getting worse. toyota has addressed that this problem is in the intermediate shaft of the steering column and needs to be replaced at a cost of $530 cdn.
04/18/201020000
 2006 toyota rav 4 with 23,500 miles. steering knocking noise and klunking. started at 20,000 miles approx. i went on line and found this to be a comon complaint with rav owners yet there has been no recall. why? i can't get a straight answer as to whether this is a noise problem or will be a steering problem
09/28/201032000
 Vehicle purchased new in june 2006 returned to dealer in march 2008; approx 32k miles. complained to service rep. of clunk sound in the steering mechanism during low speed operation. tech standing nearby stated, in effect, they do that alot. (he is now probably unemployed) dealer replaced (at their cost) the steering shaft, part #45260-42090. in august 2010, approx 70k miles; vehicle was returned to dealer for state inspection with, again, complaint of clunk noise in steering mechanism at low speed. the state inspection was completed; dealer found no fault with the steering mechanism. on 09/28/10; 72k miles, vehicle returned to dealer for replacement of faulty door latch and complaint saa. clunk dealer replaced stering shaft, part #45221-42070 *the two parts are both part of the steering column; but are not the same component the first shaft replaced was a lower shaft the part replaced on 09/28 is the intermediate shaft although toyota has issued service bulletinsconcerning steering collumn shaft failures; the company refuses to acknowledge that there is an existing design flaw an internet google search for clunking noises in the 2006 rav4 retrieves many similar complaints. (not exactly evidence i ould want to walk into a courtroom with) i sugest that the only reason there have not been a rash of steering related accidents is that the consumer can identify the noise and correct the defect prior to a catastrophic failure. i am certain that a review of vehicle repairhistories of this vehicle will reveal an alarmingly high incidence of failure for the steering column.
09/01/201048000
 Clunking is heard and felt from the steering column when turning corners. this occurs about 80% of the time and is getting worse. toyota has addressed that this problem is in the intermediate shaft of the steering column and needs to be replaced at a cost of $530 cdn.
04/18/201020000
 2006 toyota rav 4 with 23,500 miles. steering knocking noise and klunking. started at 20,000 miles approx. i went on line and found this to be a comon complaint with rav owners yet there has been no recall. why? i can't get a straight answer as to whether this is a noise problem or will be a steering problem
09/28/201032000
 Vehicle purchased new in june 2006 returned to dealer in march 2008; approx 32k miles. complained to service rep. of clunk sound in the steering mechanism during low speed operation. tech standing nearby stated, in effect, they do that alot. (he is now probably unemployed) dealer replaced (at their cost) the steering shaft, part #45260-42090. in august 2010, approx 70k miles; vehicle was returned to dealer for state inspection with, again, complaint of clunk noise in steering mechanism at low speed. the state inspection was completed; dealer found no fault with the steering mechanism. on 09/28/10; 72k miles, vehicle returned to dealer for replacement of faulty door latch and complaint saa. clunk dealer replaced stering shaft, part #45221-42070 *the two parts are both part of the steering column; but are not the same component the first shaft replaced was a lower shaft the part replaced on 09/28 is the intermediate shaft although toyota has issued service bulletinsconcerning steering collumn shaft failures; the company refuses to acknowledge that there is an existing design flaw an internet google search for clunking noises in the 2006 rav4 retrieves many similar complaints. (not exactly evidence i ould want to walk into a courtroom with) i sugest that the only reason there have not been a rash of steering related accidents is that the consumer can identify the noise and correct the defect prior to a catastrophic failure. i am certain that a review of vehicle repairhistories of this vehicle will reveal an alarmingly high incidence of failure for the steering column.
09/01/201048000
 Clunking is heard and felt from the steering column when turning corners. this occurs about 80% of the time and is getting worse. toyota has addressed that this problem is in the intermediate shaft of the steering column and needs to be replaced at a cost of $530 cdn.
09/28/201032000
 Vehicle purchased new in june 2006 returned to dealer in march 2008; approx 32k miles. complained to service rep. of clunk sound in the steering mechanism during low speed operation. tech standing nearby stated, in effect, they do that alot. (he is now probably unemployed) dealer replaced (at their cost) the steering shaft, part #45260-42090. in august 2010, approx 70k miles; vehicle was returned to dealer for state inspection with, again, complaint of clunk noise in steering mechanism at low speed. the state inspection was completed; dealer found no fault with the steering mechanism. on 09/28/10; 72k miles, vehicle returned to dealer for replacement of faulty door latch and complaint saa. clunk dealer replaced stering shaft, part #45221-42070 *the two parts are both part of the steering column; but are not the same component the first shaft replaced was a lower shaft the part replaced on 09/28 is the intermediate shaft although toyota has issued service bulletinsconcerning steering collumn shaft failures; the company refuses to acknowledge that there is an existing design flaw an internet google search for clunking noises in the 2006 rav4 retrieves many similar complaints. (not exactly evidence i ould want to walk into a courtroom with) i sugest that the only reason there have not been a rash of steering related accidents is that the consumer can identify the noise and correct the defect prior to a catastrophic failure. i am certain that a review of vehicle repairhistories of this vehicle will reveal an alarmingly high incidence of failure for the steering column.
09/01/201048000
 Clunking is heard and felt from the steering column when turning corners. this occurs about 80% of the time and is getting worse. toyota has addressed that this problem is in the intermediate shaft of the steering column and needs to be replaced at a cost of $530 cdn.
08/13/201085000
 The steering column clunks when you turn the wheel. my vehicle has 85,000 miles. the clunking is getting worse. toyota should recall this vehile! there are many others who are experiencing this problem
09/10/201031566
 My 2006 toyota rav-4 makes a clunking noise when i turn a corner. at first, it was only when i turned to the left. now the noise is worse and it makes the noise no matter which way i am turning. i have reported it every time i take my vehicle in to toyota for servicing, but they claim they can't find a problem. my car has 31,000+ miles on it.
08/13/201085000
 The steering column clunks when you turn the wheel. my vehicle has 85,000 miles. the clunking is getting worse. toyota should recall this vehile! there are many others who are experiencing this problem
09/10/201031566
 My 2006 toyota rav-4 makes a clunking noise when i turn a corner. at first, it was only when i turned to the left. now the noise is worse and it makes the noise no matter which way i am turning. i have reported it every time i take my vehicle in to toyota for servicing, but they claim they can't find a problem. my car has 31,000+ miles on it.
09/03/2010
 The steering column 'clunks' when you turn the wheel. my vehicle has 85,000 miles, and i was recently informed by the dealership that i will need to get it repaired, but since there's no recall for this defect, i will have to pay for it myself! meanwhile, the clunking is getting worse. toyota should recall this vehice! there are many others who are experiencing this problem.
08/20/201088000
 When slowly turning and applying the brakes, there is a clunking in the wheel as you turn. many others have complained about this being the intermediate steering shaft. if this many people are complaining, i don't know why a recall hasn't been issued. i have contacted toyota to question this; however i have yet to hear back from them.
08/10/201052000
 2006 toyota rav4 clunking/popping noise when turning steering wheel. dealer says i need interm. steering shaft, clamps and hose for a total of $597.49. this seems to be a widespread problem, why no recall? gear shifter and gear shifter slide became problematic at 49,000 miles but was covered by warranty.
08/20/201088000
 When slowly turning and applying the brakes, there is a clunking in the wheel as you turn. many others have complained about this being the intermediate steering shaft. if this many people are complaining, i don't know why a recall hasn't been issued. i have contacted toyota to question this; however i have yet to hear back from them.
08/10/201052000
 2006 toyota rav4 clunking/popping noise when turning steering wheel. dealer says i need interm. steering shaft, clamps and hose for a total of $597.49. this seems to be a widespread problem, why no recall? gear shifter and gear shifter slide became problematic at 49,000 miles but was covered by warranty.
08/20/201088000
 When slowly turning and applying the brakes, there is a clunking in the wheel as you turn. many others have complained about this being the intermediate steering shaft. if this many people are complaining, i don't know why a recall hasn't been issued. i have contacted toyota to question this; however i have yet to hear back from them.
08/10/201052000
 2006 toyota rav4 clunking/popping noise when turning steering wheel. dealer says i need interm. steering shaft, clamps and hose for a total of $597.49. this seems to be a widespread problem, why no recall? gear shifter and gear shifter slide became problematic at 49,000 miles but was covered by warranty.
08/01/200630000
 My 2006 toyota rav 4 has steering problems.the streeing colum is loose and toyota will not fix it.$1700 to fix it, don,t have money.could come apart? there has been lots of complaints about the rav 4,they need to do a recall.
07/13/201027334
 My 2006 toyota rav-4 with 27,000 miles developed a clunking, grinding noise when turning the steering wheel. it was so severe that i even checked the wheels to make sure that they were not loose. i took the car to my dealer, tansky toyota, 6300 sawmill rd., dublin, oh 43017, on july 13, 2010 for servicing. they discovered a broken intermediate shaft [part #45221-42071] on the steering column which they replaced at a cost of $439.50. while my car had only 27,334 miles, i took delivery on 8/25/06 so it was out of warranty. together with wheel alignment, the total cost to me was $523.00. the service staff acted as if they had not heard of such a failure, but after checking the nhtsa website, i found a number of reports of similar problems for 2006 rav-4
04/01/200927000
 We hear a continuous popping/clunking noise from our 2006 toyota rav4 when turning the steering wheel to the right or to the left. when this happens, a slight increase of the force is required to turn the steering wheel. this problem is well documented in toyota t-sb-0318-08: some customers may hear a clunk, pop, or knock-type noise when turning the steering wheel left or right. a new intermediate shaft has been developed to address this condition. it shows that toyota originally used defective intermediate shafts. warranty application is limited to correction of a problem based upon a customer
05/16/200946000
 There is a loud klunk in steering and you can actually feel it in the turns. mechanic feels it should be fixed (about $800) and checked with toyota to see fix. there is a recommendation, but no recall. what the heck?! sounds like defective work to me - and this wasn't a cheap car. does somebody have to die before they take care of this? i hope this isn't becoming toyota's policy. waiting for toyota to take action.
08/01/200630000
 My 2006 toyota rav 4 has steering problems.the streeing colum is loose and toyota will not fix it.$1700 to fix it, don,t have money.could come apart? there has been lots of complaints about the rav 4,they need to do a recall.
07/13/201027334
 My 2006 toyota rav-4 with 27,000 miles developed a clunking, grinding noise when turning the steering wheel. it was so severe that i even checked the wheels to make sure that they were not loose. i took the car to my dealer, tansky toyota, 6300 sawmill rd., dublin, oh 43017, on july 13, 2010 for servicing. they discovered a broken intermediate shaft [part #45221-42071] on the steering column which they replaced at a cost of $439.50. while my car had only 27,334 miles, i took delivery on 8/25/06 so it was out of warranty. together with wheel alignment, the total cost to me was $523.00. the service staff acted as if they had not heard of such a failure, but after checking the nhtsa website, i found a number of reports of similar problems for 2006 rav-4
04/01/200927000
 We hear a continuous popping/clunking noise from our 2006 toyota rav4 when turning the steering wheel to the right or to the left. when this happens, a slight increase of the force is required to turn the steering wheel. this problem is well documented in toyota t-sb-0318-08: some customers may hear a clunk, pop, or knock-type noise when turning the steering wheel left or right. a new intermediate shaft has been developed to address this condition. it shows that toyota originally used defective intermediate shafts. warranty application is limited to correction of a problem based upon a customer
05/16/200946000
 There is a loud klunk in steering and you can actually feel it in the turns. mechanic feels it should be fixed (about $800) and checked with toyota to see fix. there is a recommendation, but no recall. what the heck?! sounds like defective work to me - and this wasn't a cheap car. does somebody have to die before they take care of this? i hope this isn't becoming toyota's policy. waiting for toyota to take action.
08/01/200630000
 My 2006 toyota rav 4 has steering problems.the streeing colum is loose and toyota will not fix it.$1700 to fix it, don,t have money.could come apart? there has been lots of complaints about the rav 4,they need to do a recall.
07/13/201027334
 My 2006 toyota rav-4 with 27,000 miles developed a clunking, grinding noise when turning the steering wheel. it was so severe that i even checked the wheels to make sure that they were not loose. i took the car to my dealer, tansky toyota, 6300 sawmill rd., dublin, oh 43017, on july 13, 2010 for servicing. they discovered a broken intermediate shaft [part #45221-42071] on the steering column which they replaced at a cost of $439.50. while my car had only 27,334 miles, i took delivery on 8/25/06 so it was out of warranty. together with wheel alignment, the total cost to me was $523.00. the service staff acted as if they had not heard of such a failure, but after checking the nhtsa website, i found a number of reports of similar problems for 2006 rav-4
04/01/200927000
 We hear a continuous popping/clunking noise from our 2006 toyota rav4 when turning the steering wheel to the right or to the left. when this happens, a slight increase of the force is required to turn the steering wheel. this problem is well documented in toyota t-sb-0318-08: some customers may hear a clunk, pop, or knock-type noise when turning the steering wheel left or right. a new intermediate shaft has been developed to address this condition. it shows that toyota originally used defective intermediate shafts. warranty application is limited to correction of a problem based upon a customer
05/16/200946000
 There is a loud klunk in steering and you can actually feel it in the turns. mechanic feels it should be fixed (about $800) and checked with toyota to see fix. there is a recommendation, but no recall. what the heck?! sounds like defective work to me - and this wasn't a cheap car. does somebody have to die before they take care of this? i hope this isn't becoming toyota's policy. waiting for toyota to take action.
08/01/200630000
 My 2006 toyota rav 4 has steering problems.the streeing colum is loose and toyota will not fix it.$1700 to fix it, don,t have money.could come apart? there has been lots of complaints about the rav 4,they need to do a recall.
07/13/201027334
 My 2006 toyota rav-4 with 27,000 miles developed a clunking, grinding noise when turning the steering wheel. it was so severe that i even checked the wheels to make sure that they were not loose. i took the car to my dealer, tansky toyota, 6300 sawmill rd., dublin, oh 43017, on july 13, 2010 for servicing. they discovered a broken intermediate shaft [part #45221-42071] on the steering column which they replaced at a cost of $439.50. while my car had only 27,334 miles, i took delivery on 8/25/06 so it was out of warranty. together with wheel alignment, the total cost to me was $523.00. the service staff acted as if they had not heard of such a failure, but after checking the nhtsa website, i found a number of reports of similar problems for 2006 rav-4
04/01/200927000
 We hear a continuous popping/clunking noise from our 2006 toyota rav4 when turning the steering wheel to the right or to the left. when this happens, a slight increase of the force is required to turn the steering wheel. this problem is well documented in toyota t-sb-0318-08: some customers may hear a clunk, pop, or knock-type noise when turning the steering wheel left or right. a new intermediate shaft has been developed to address this condition. it shows that toyota originally used defective intermediate shafts. warranty application is limited to correction of a problem based upon a customer
05/16/200946000
 There is a loud klunk in steering and you can actually feel it in the turns. mechanic feels it should be fixed (about $800) and checked with toyota to see fix. there is a recommendation, but no recall. what the heck?! sounds like defective work to me - and this wasn't a cheap car. does somebody have to die before they take care of this? i hope this isn't becoming toyota's policy. waiting for toyota to take action.
07/01/200960000
 Steering intermediate shaft noise i own a 2006 toyota rav4 and now has about 65000 miles. there is a noticible clunk noise (and feeling) while steering when the car is moving. the noise seems to be more evident in warmer days (summer time) and diminish during winter months. toyota has issued a tsb (toyota service bulletim): st001-08 so they acknowledge that this is a common problem. since this issue has been reported significantly, this tsb should be part of a recall. i do not wish to pay for a service for a problem that toyota new about since the beginning. we should not carry the burden of paying for toyota's incompetence in manufacturing safe vehicles.
06/14/201028500
 There is a clunking noise in the steering column at lower speeds, and in park when just turning the wheel. also can feel the clicks by touching the steering shaft. if possibility of steering wheel separating it is a safety defect. toyota know about the problem (tsbst001-08). toyota refusing to admit defect.
10/10/200930000
 Clunking noise while turning - started at 30,000 miles with slight sound continued to worsen over time now clunk is felt when turning. sounds and feels like something is about to break.
05/17/200815000
 Tl- the contact owns a 2003 toyota rav 4. while driving at various low speeds she notices that there is a clunking noise coming from the steering wheel when turning . the vehicle was then taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and they stated that it was the steering shaft that needs to be replaced. there have been no repairs to the vehicle.the vehicle identification number is not available.the failure mileage was 15000 and current mileage was 20900.cv
06/06/201052000
 Turned on the car, power steering light turned on with complete failure of power steering function. car was pulled to side of road, restarted, and complete return of power steering function.
10/20/200836000
 Toyota rav4, 2006, steering intermediate shaft noise, vehicle does not keep the direction properly
05/01/200634300
 I am hearing a clunk/noise when rotating my steering at very low speeds for the past few weeks. i took my vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis and was advised that the steering column needs to be replaced. based on my research in the internet it looks like it is a very common issue with this model of rav4's.
04/18/2007
 Toyota rav4 steering column clunking noise.
01/19/200760000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact noticed a knocking sound from the steering column. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the steering column and ecu motor needed to be replaced. there was a related service bulletin. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the contact was unable to drive the vehicle due to the failure. the current and failure mileages were approximately 60,000.
05/08/201035000
 There is a klunking-type noice coming from the steering shaft on my 2006 toyota rav 4 when turning the steering wheel.
03/12/200855000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact stated that the steering rods make a
02/03/201020000
 2006 toyota rav 4 with only 20,000 miles regardless of months in service, (incidentely garaged throughout the winters) developed a steering column noise that was heard by a friend. i took it to a dealer who told me outright that this was a problem that has been around. the repairs will cost me several hundred dollars and from what i'm reading online there are a lot of these out there. so if there is a problem with the steering column why isn't there a recall, or isn't the steering of a vehicle a danger to myself or others. after all the other problems toyota has had why has this issue not been addressed by nhtsa.
06/01/2008
 My 2006 toyota rav4/ sport has steering kluncking. there have been recalls for the same problem in other years of toyota rav4's. i feel that with all the complaints that i have been reading about with the same year and model that a recall needs to be issued before someone else dies.
09/14/200912000
 My 06 rav experienced a cracking/grinding noise when turning to the far left or right at low speed. i was terrified!!! i contacted toyota and at the time my car had just came out of warranty 15days earlier but i didnt let that stop me. after some back and forth with the dealer and the regional manager my steering was fixed. there was a tsa report put out about this problem but no actual recall which i think there should be but i sent out blast emails and text to my friends etc to let people know. i've noticed that they're more women driving ravs than men and the thought of a mother and child in an accident over something that cost $600 per vehicle to fix is upsetting. people turn down the music and listen to your cars!!!
04/28/201050000
 Klunking noise coming from steering wheel when turning the wheen left and right under low speeds. this has been an intermittent problem which is becoming more pronounced, a tsb has been issued for this problem, but a recall should be in place due to the number of owners of rav 4's (2006) blogging and reporting this same issue
05/05/201021000
 2006 toyota rav 4 steering clunking noise. car was purchased new and currently has 24,557 miles. the intermediate steering shaft is going out.
04/27/201037000
 Steering intermediate shaft noise (steering gear/linkage) on 2006 toyota rav 4. when turning the steering wheel, you will hear a clunk or knocking-type noice
03/15/201072000
 Noticeable clunk heard and felt in steering 2006 rav4 during left and right turns at low speeds. numerous similar reports--no recall--despite safety issue. toyota has issued a technical service report. in an earlier recall, 2006 prius steering assembly may become loose causing vehicle to lose control .
01/07/200732000
 The intermediate steering shaft has been loose since 30,000 miles on my 2006 toyota rav 4. there was a service bulliten out, but the mechanic claimed that he could not reproduce the problem. it causes inconsistant steering when backing up and turning. i am concerned that this could cause a complete loss of steering capability at high speeds. this has been a widely reported problem with the toyota rav 4 and toyota will not replace the part.
04/28/200610001
 When first driving my new 2006 toyota rav4, i noticed at slow speeds it would sometimes accelerate when i hit the brake. i attributed this to big feet and a new car where i did not yet master the relative positions of the pedals. i started driving with two feet, just as i was taught as a teenager in drivers ed. occasionally, this has happened again in the ensuing 3 years. until this unintended acceleration problem came to light in 2010, i thought it was just operator error. now, i am beginning to think there is some defect - maybe it's hardware linkages, but i suspect there is a software problem in the electronic computer of the car. i also had the steering mid-shaft problem after warranty and screamed until they fixed it under warranty for $50. there was also a runaway fuel pump service bulletin i made them cover as well. i have worked with toyota quality engineers since the 1980s and am disgusted by their responses reported in this odi site. toyota's claim to fame was there quality and customer focus. looks like the current generation of toyota people have lost this, and that points directly to top management there. shame, shame, shame. as they say in japanese, they are on shirazu (do not understand their obligation to their customers). *tr
02/14/2007100001
 When i make a turn at slower speeds there is a loud clunk coming from the tires and i feel it in the steering wheel. *tr
01/10/2009200001
 I have 2006 toyota rav4. the steering has clunk issue when make turn. this caused sometime out of control when make turns. i talked to the dealer and this is known issue. *tr
02/08/2008398171
 My new 2006 toyota rav 4 was in for repairs in february of 2008. the intermediate steering shaft had to be replaced at 39,817 miles, just after the 36,000 mile warranty had expired. every time the steering wheel was turned the steering made a loud clunking sound. it got worse in a couple of weeks and the dealer said it was worn. i asked why after only 39,817 miles and they could not explain. now i have 81,000 miles and the sound is back and the shaft has to be replace for another $4-5 hundred dollars. i have had cars with 250,000 miles on them and never had to replace a steering shaft. now i have had to replace 2 in less then 80,000 miles. i feel this is a defect that toyota is covering up. *tr
10/09/2008400001
 At the end of 2008 i took my 06 rav4 in for it's pre-paid maintenance and told the service attendant that my steering wheel was making a strange noise when i was turning. i said maybe it just needs steering fluid. he got in and turned the wheel a couple of times and said he felt it would be fine. i mentioned the noise at each of the following appts. and was told basically the same thing. well now my car is out of warranty and they now know that it is the problem referred to as service bulletin dated 10-20-2008. they estimated the repair would cost $1,001.00 at my expense. i feel they put of the diagnosis until after my warranty ran out intentionally so toyota would not have to fix it. this should be a recall asap before innocent people are killed. *tr
02/01/2010200001
 2006 toyota rev 4 with 27,000 miles with a steering shaft wearing off. this could create a safety issue if it breaks down on the road. a recall should be considered. *tr
02/18/201095401
 This is an update of complaint 10243141. in august 2006, i purchased a new toyota rav 4/l4 at 4x2. in august 2007 (mileage: 9,540), i took the vehicle to the car dealer because of a strange noise coming from the steering shaft assembly which had to be ordered (part # 45260-42090) and installed. in november 2007 (mileage: 11,989), i took the vehicle to the dealer due to the same noise. i was told there was nothing wrong. in december 2007 i took the car to the dealer again (mileage: 12,717) with still the same problem and noise. dealer personnel determined a damaged steering shaft assembly which was ordered (part # 45260-42090) and installed for the second time. on october 13, 2008, (mileage: 21,152) the car was again making the same noise and taken to the dealer, where the steering shaft was again replaced. i was told that a different part had to be replaced (part # 45221-42070). on july 2, 2009, the vehicle was taken to the dealer for maintenance. i again reported the same noise coming from the steering wheel. the technician drove the vehicle and said everything was fine. on november 6, 2009, i took the vehicle to a different auto shop. the mechanic disassembled the steering wheel and identified the noise. he personally took the car to a different toyota dealership and spoke to a technician. at that dealership, he was told that the noise is a
02/16/2010250001
 Toyota tsb st001-08 - - owners may hear a clunk, pop, or knock type noise when turning right or left. the tsb replaces 2 intermediate steering shafts with redesigned shafts. the replacement of these shafts will only be covered by standard 36 month/36,000 mile warranty. my 2006 toyota rav 4 has this noise, and there is also a pulse in the wheel when it occurs (several times a week). will this ever become a possible recall? is there a history of complaints? *tr
04/01/2009210001
 2006 toyota rav-4 clicking in steering column since early 2009...after research found that it's actually a defect that toyota knows about and put out a service bulletin for (nhtsa item number: 10024291 service bulletin #: st001-08 ) , but refused to fix if problem was discovered after warranty expired (problem started about 1 month after my warranty expired)....next problem: water leak when raining on floor front passenger, leaked to back of vehicle causing mold damage (again toyota refused to fix even though they were aware of issue...my husband researched and fixed it himself). third problem, check engine light, vehicle stability control light, and 4wd light randomly come one (quite often)...have brought to mechanic and diagnostic test comes back with an error code. mechanics have said it's most likely a computer malfunction (which i haven't investigated myself, but have been told is very expensive to fix or worse replace). *tr
11/01/2009380001
 I have a 2006 toyota rav4 that toyota has already issued a technical service bulletin to repair the steering intermediate shaft noise problem that plagues this vehicle. (t-sb-0318-08 october 20, 2008). if the vehicle were under warranty, toyota would make the necessary changes at no cost. our car started to show the symptoms of this problem after 3 year warranty had expired. i am afraid that this problem may progress to a complete loss of steering and result in a serious accident and loss of life. this concern is not only for my car's occupants, but also for other people on the road who i may run into due to this steering problem. in lift of the recent toyota recalls, i would hope the nhtsa would recall the effected vehicles and force toyota to fix this potentially dangerous problem. *tr
06/01/2009360001
 There was an increasing loud noise and vibration through the steering column when i turned the wheel to the far right or left. i investigated toyota tsbs and found my 2006 rav4 has 2 detailed problems, one requires replacement of the connecting shafts and the other the entire steering rack. on inspection by the dealer it was determined i had the first problem, but because i was out of warranty, i would have to pay for it. this is a recall safety problem, which toyota was in denial about. i escalated and pushed and managed to get them to cover the labor, but i still had to pay several hundred dollars for parts for something that should have instigated a recall. if i had the 2nd problem, it was 3 times as expensive. many consumers have reported these issues, but toyota ignores them. just look at edmunds and other toyota forums. you trust the steering design of car with your life. toyota did not seem to care, only enough to let the dealers know there was an issue, not the consumer directly, nor step up repair it. *tr
02/01/2010330001
 My 2006 toyota rav4 had the intermediate steering shaft fail around 33k miles. toyota replaced it under a tech service bulletin while in warranty. it is now at 67k miles and the shaft is bad again. toyota will not replace the part because it has been more than 12 months since they replaced it the first time and it is out of warranty. the service tech could not tell me that it is safe to drive in this condition without the chance of loss of steering control. *tr
02/02/2010450001
 I have a 2006 toyota rav4 that i would like to file a complaint about. toyota has already issued a technical service bulletin to repair the steering intermediate shaft noise problem that plagues this vehicle. (please see t-sb-0318-08 october 20, 2008). if the vehicle were under warranty, toyota would make the necessary changes at no cost. this is my wife's car and her car started to develop this problem after 3 year warranty had expired. i am afraid that this problem may progress to a complete loss of steering and result in a serious accident and loss of life. this concern is not only for my wife, but also for all american's who have this similar problem. in lift of the recent toyota recalls, i would hope the nhtsa would recall the effected vehicles and force toyota to fix this potentially dangerous problem. *tr
12/09/2009517751
 2006 toyota rav-4 reference---t-sb-0318-08---clunk/ pop/knock when turning steering wheel. toyota recommended solution---replace steering wheel intermediate shaft linkage with improved parts. ---warning--- defective mechanical linkage between the steering wheel and front wheel mechanism is a serious danger and could, or has been the cause of accidental deaths! should this problem be included as another toyota recall? *tr
12/20/2009281661
 I have a clunking sound coming from my steering column. my toyota dealership says it is the intermediate steering shafts. they have a bulletin on this, but says it is not a safety issue. when researching the internet, i discovered other drivers with the same problem. i have less than 30,000 miles on my car, problems like this shouldn't be showing up this soon. i am concerned that the steering column could fail and i would loose control of my car. why would a problem like this not be covered by some kind of safety recall. since there is a bulletin out on this problem, then toyota is aware that there is a problem. *tr
08/01/2009360001
 I am original owner of 2006 toyota rav4 sport. there is a loud thump in the steering column when turning to the right or left, or turning the wheel while the car is stationary. the problem started a few months ago and is getting worse. the car has 38k and is several months out of warranty. *tr
12/10/2009320001
 Clunking noise from steering shaft in low speed turning and backing. i was under the 36000 miles (32,000) but the 3 years on warranty had expired.9 months ago. toyota authorized the replacement of the intermediate steering shaft and all labor. i am very pleased with the service and i hope this permanently solves the problem. *tr
08/01/2009490001
 The steering wheel makes a clunking noise when turning the wheel to the right or left. this happens when sitting still or when the vehicle is in motion there is a tsb for this item, but toyota will only replace it if the vehicle is still under warranty. this is a safety issue and should be a recall. toyota has fixed the problem by redesigning the intermediate shaft and is aware that it is a safety issue but is attempting to not pay by delaying until owners are outside of their warranty and then attempting to charge for the part. *tr
03/25/2009320001
 Steering intermediate shaft noise. toyota tsb report number t-sb-0318-08. when turning the steering wheel you feel like something is loose and you hear and feel a banging noise. from what i read many people are having this issue on there rav4 model years 2006-7. could this be a safety problem if left unfixed? *tr
01/01/2008300001
 Clunking sound in the steering column, chipped paint on the hood, and a jumbled radio screen. radio fixed, steering column ongoing, paint still chipping. *tr
11/20/20091
 I own a 2006 toyota rav 4 v6. i have under 21,000 miles on the vehicle and my manufacturers warranty expired in august. for about a week now i've been hearing a loud, clunking noise whenever i make a left or right turn. took the car to the toyota dealership today and was told i had a steering shaft problem, which would cost over $400 to fix. i happen to check this out on the web and realized that many others are having the same problem. what's going on? did toyota issue a recall? *tr
11/01/20091002031
 2006 rav4 unsafe to drive!!! le brun toyota, canadaigua, ny, made me pay to exchange lemon with only 150-200 miles 2 days after purchase, they made me pay an additional 7k to trade for the v-6 i have now, because of the transmission accelerated downhill, on both 4cyl and v-6, it still does it though not as severe, still scary at times. recently,my steering went out on the exit ramp luckily and locked a few times, it now makes a thump and caused a minor accident, next time i won't be so lucky. really loud noise from rear also. antifreeze smell inside car too.h.e.l.p. *tr
10/21/2009430001
 2006 rav4 has a faulty intermediate steering shaft that toyota has put out a tech bulletin on but has not issued a recall or fix the problem if the car is past its 3year 36,000 mile warranty. i think it is irresponsible of toyota to be aware of a safety issue and not want to rectify the situation! *tr
11/02/2009400001
 When i turn, i can feel and hear the steering column knock. it has been gradually getting worse. i had the exact same problem about 1.5 years ago and the walnut creek, ca service center had to replace some intermediate link in steering column. for this recent occurrence, the service center was going to charge $500 to fix the same problem they should have fixed on a permanent basis (at least more than 2 years). i am concerned based on other complaints that this might be a design flaw that could eventually result in a safety problem. thank you. *tr
06/01/200825000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the steering wheel made a loud noise while driving at various speeds and making left and right turns. the dealer was unable to diagnose or recreate the failure on four occasions. he will notify the manufacturer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 25,000 and the current mileage was 48,000.
09/16/2009213001
 Sept. 2009 my wife complained to me that there was a knocking noise that she could feel through the steering wheel when she turned the steering wheel left or right at slow speeds. it got louder and more pronounced over the last 30 days. i researched this online and found that there were many similar complaints. i then located toyota's tsb st001-08 dated 2/8/08 steering intermediate shaft noise which perfectly describes the steering noise i have been experiencing. while i have only 21k miles on the rav4, my 36 months ran out 3 months ago. the nearby toyota dealership told me that they were quite aware of the situation but basically, yet politely said, too bad, out of warranty. considering this complaint seems to be a quite widespread issue, and one that involves the steering and control of the vehicle, i would argue that this rises to the level of a serious public safety concern and should merit a safety recall. toyota can not guarantee that this steering noise will not deteriorate into a loss of control issue. *tr
08/15/2008459241
 Klunking noise heard and thump felt in steering column while turning vehicle a slow speeds. *tr
09/12/2009317001
 The power steering in my 2006 toyota rav4 went out suddenly when i was driving this month. i pulled over and turned off the motor. when the car started again the power steering was working. the toyota dealer had reports of this problem on this car from toyota. the power steering goes out suddenly. toyota would not reimburse me the cost of fixing this safety defect. it costs about $1000. had i been on a highway, i could have been in a serious accident. toyota should recall these cars and fix this safety defect. *tr
09/21/2009306001
 About 1 month after the 3 year warranty ran out, i noticed a thump or knock when i turned the wheel of my 2006 rav4. it is getting progressively worse and i am concerned for my safety. i searched on line and have found numerous complaints of the same problem. please issue a recall on this to prevent accidents. *tr
09/17/2009390001
 I've had the knock/pop when turn on low speed dealer said needs replace steering shaft. *tr
09/03/2009500001
 I noticed a clunking noise when turning my 2006 rav4 from right to left. i brought the vehicle to my mechanic who informed me that the intermediate steering shaft needed to be replaced. he indicates that this can become a very serious safety issue should it get worse. he further suggested that i return the vehicle to toyota as this should be covered under warranty. toyota tells me that since i purchased this as a certified used vehicle, due to the 50k miles on the vehicle, it is not covered. i consider this deplorable, especially when this is a safety issue and appears to be a design flaw in the vehicle. i see many similar complaints of this nature for this vehicle on this site and since i only know of this complaint forum as i am in the insurance industry, i can only assume that there are many others experiencing this issue unknown by the odi. due to the safety nature of this issue, i request that an investigation be conducted and a recall mandated. *tr
08/18/2008192001
 The steering column and/or steering wheel makes a clunk, pop and knock type noise when the steering wheel is turned left or right. this occurs at any speed and sometimes even when the vehicle is not moving. i am fearful that something in the steering mechanism might break while diving leaving the vehicle to continue on a course not under my control. *tr
07/17/2009557441
 Noticed a clunking noise from the steering column. had the vehicle at the dealership for oil change and asked that they look into this noise. mechanic said that there was a problem with the steering shaft and the intermediate shaft and that they should be replaced. there is also the danger that the car would lose the ability to steer if the problem were to get any worse, a safety danger. since the service was not covered under the vehicle warranty, i took it to my private mechanic for a second opinion. he agreed that the two parts should be changed. the repair was made on 7/24/09. i contacted toyota and was told that my vin number was not part of the service bulletin group. *tr
07/01/20091
 Took my vehicle to dealer for loose feeling in steering wheel on my 2006 toyota rav. the front steering shafts are bad due to poor design. toyota issued service bulletin. no one contacted me about this issue. i took veh to shop. i have to pay the entire cost ($700) when will this become a recall, when people start dying to steering failure. i think you should make this a recall and make toyota pay for their poor design, not the consumer. *tr
05/18/2008320001
 Steering shaft goes bad on 2006 toyota rav4's and some camry's and toyota won't recall it. i feel a clunking noise whenever i make a turn and was told that it's worn out. after 3 yrs of purchasing a brand new car? and the same thing is happening with a number of other toyota owners with the same models. and i was told eventually, if it goes unattended that i could lose control of the vehicle! and that too bad i didn't bring it in while still under warranty! who would think that a brad new car would do this? and now they want us to pay arm and leg to fix?! *tr
01/22/2009420001
 At around the beginning of the year, the steering column started knocking when turned left or right at low speeds. i brought it to a dealer and they seemed to be able to fix the problem by tightening something down in the steering assembly, but later the problem came back. i have since discovered that there are many consumer complaints about this problem, and the issue is addressed in toyota technical service bulletin# st001-08. i brought the car into another dealer to be looked at today (5/22/09), and they informed me of the problem, which is a defective intermediate shaft assembly. because the vehicle was out of its standard warranty, they would not fix the problem without charge, which they said was around $800 parts & labor. when i asked if it was possible if the shaft could fail completely at a later time, they said they didn't know. as the noises seem to be getting louder as time goes on, it indicates to me that the shaft interlocks are wearing out and there is a real possibility of failure down the line. with that said, i feel that this is a safety issue and the possibility of a recall should be considered. *tr
01/10/2009450001
 Clanking when turning the vehicle at low speeds. began to occur at approx 45,000 miles. steering column feels loose when sounds appear. is this dangerous?!?!? dealer looking for service bulletin. need recall. *tr
03/30/2009210001
 My 2006 rav4 with 21k miles developed steering clunking sensation at slow speeds in august 2008. brought it into the dealer and the steering shaft was replaced under warranty. now in march 2009 with 25k miles it's slowly starting to developed same condition. it's scheduled for dealer service shortly but i'm concerned that there is a design flaw in the steering shaft assembly and a more permanent solution must be applied by toyota, hopefully the dealer will do that. *tr
01/01/19011
 2006 toyota rav4 has a grinding/binding noise when turning the steering wheel. consumer feel that this is perhaps a defect. *nj the dealer determined the intermediate shafts were faulty. *jb
10/15/2006400001
 Toyota, 2006 rav4 ... loose steering arms. causing clunking noises while turning at low speed. don't know if this gets bad enough to fall apart while driving? toyota has a tsb out on this. many many complaints on this topic online. toyota wants $800. to fix this problem. i think they should do a recall on these cars. also vehicle has a 2 to 3 second hesitation if trying to accelerate during a lane change or something similar. this is a safety issue. my car does this also .. and numerous complains with this issue on line. should be a recall for this. toyota won't acknowledge there is a problem with this. *tr
09/01/200843000107/16/2005
 Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. while driving various speeds and making left or right turns, the contact hears a strange noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. the dealer stated that the steering intermediate shaft needed to be replaced and a wheel alignment needed to be performed. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin was unknown. the current mileage was 45,000 and failure mileage was 43,000. updated 02-23-09 *bf updated 02/24/09. *jb
12/10/2006360001
 I am just another consumer worried that my 2006 rav4 will somehow give out on my climb up a mountain as each week the steering column is getting worse, its to the point now where upon start and drive it is clanging and sounds as if it were ready to give out at any moment, i have a 2006 and have 50k on it, i drive quite a few miles on the job and wonder what the thought process is with toyota, they know of the problem but seem to be waiting for a terrible disaster before they chalk it up as a recall hopefully it wont end in a tragic death before this is decided upon. *tr
12/20/200851
 Since day one there was a knocking/popping sound coming from the steering column when turning the wheel at park and low speeds. i had taken the vehicle in to the dealer at least 3 times and finally, and ironically, the dealer acknowledged the noise. previous trips yielded the ever present could not duplicate. however steering adjustments via an alignment was attempted. could not duplicate but tried something anyway? the ironic part about when the dealer acknowledged the noise is that the vehicle was 4000 miles past warranty. funny how such an obvious thing can go unnoticed until warranty expires. *tr
11/07/2007300001
 I purchased a new 4 cylinder 2006 toyota rav 4 in april 2006. at about 30,000 miles i noticed a subtle clunking noise when making right turns at a slow speed. when the sound continued to increase and also occurred when turning the steering wheel to the right when the car was not moving, i took it to the local toyota dealer. i have now done so 2 times . the mechanics assigned to evaluate the situation agreed that there was the clunking noise and gave me the toyota t-sb-0318-08. since the situation has continued to get worse i am concerned about wear on parts. we drive on mountain roads with many curves. are we safe? does toyota have plans to address this problem? *tr
07/16/2007150001
 I bought a new 2006 toyota rav4 v6 sport. after a year i got a clunking noise from the steering shaft when i was turning left or right at low speed. i had around 15,000 miles. i went to the dealer and they told me after the check up that is nothing wrong with the steering system. after a year my wife drove the car was surprised by the noise. she had a nissan quest for 15 years and never experienced such a bad ride at low speed. i went back to the dealer and they gave me an estimate of about $1500 to fix it. is out of warranty. look like there is a problem generated by a bad engineering design and toyota mfg. knows about. why they don't stay behind their product and recall it for replacement with a better design intermediate steering shaft? *tr
10/28/2008520001
 I have 2006 rav4 sport with 52k miles on it that is making a clunking noise when i turn at low speeds. there is technical service bulletin about this issue: st001-08 for steering. i can live with the noise but i want to know if this will be a safety issue. i do not want to lose steering control if i do not have this replaced since the warranty for the vehicle expired at 36k or 36 months. *tr
09/27/200860000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. the contact heard a thumping noise within the steering wheel of her vehicle. the failure only occurred while making turns. over the past three weeks, the noise occurred more frequently. the dealer stated that the intermediate shafts needed to be replaced. the vehicle has not been repaired and the manufacturer has not been notified. the current mileage was 62,248 and failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
08/18/200795401
 The following sequence of events describe the problem with my car. in august 2006, i purchased for my wife a new toyota rav 4/l4 at 4x2. in august 2007 (vehicle mileage: 9,540), i had to take the vehicle to the car dealer because of a strange noise coming from the steering shaft assembly which had to be ordered (part # 45260-42090) and installed. in november 2007 (vehicle mileage: 11,989), i took the vehicle to the dealer due to the same noise. i was told there was nothing wrong. in december 2007 i took the car to the dealer once again (vehicle mileage: 12,717) with still the same problem and noise. dealer personnel determined a damaged steering shaft assembly which was ordered (part # 45260-42090) and installed for the second time. we are now in september 2008 and my rav 4 (vehicle mileage: 20,855) is becoming noisy again with the same problem. i have no question in my mind tat the steering shaft assembly will have to be replaced for a third time. i have never been informed by toyota that rav 4 vehicles have been recalled but have read online that other models such as the prius have been recalled with this problem. *tr
09/14/2008395001
 Steering intermediate shaft noise / loose when making turns. the shaft has not failed yet, however it is a safety concern. repair has not been made yet, parts are backordered. vehicle out of warranty by 3650 miles, so far toyota will only pay half. *tr
04/15/2007480001
 Clunking noise in steering when turning left or right. was occasional at first now is consistent. brought in when under warranty when noise was inconsistent now that noise is consistent and warranty is up they won't pay for it. *tr
08/01/20065001
 I complained about a clunking noise in the steering column during low speed turns. the dealer could not locate it and applied grease to the steering column stops, did not fix the problem. of course this has been a constant problem almost from date of new purchase. the car is now out of warranty and there still is no fix for these clunking noises. i believe it is a poorly designed steering column and should be recalled by toyota 2006 rav4 sport 6cyl. awd 41,500 mi. *tr
09/01/2007107/28/2006
 I have a 2006 rav4 6 cylinder. within the last few months i have begun to notice the knocking/creaking noise when making turns at slow speeds. i have asked the dealer to look at it when it was in for service but of course they could not hear the problem. have found many people with this dreaded knocking noise when turning and according to those people, the steering shaft needs replaced. *tr
STEERING - COLUMN
09/23/200728000302/01/2006
 I have a loud knocking sound in the steering column of my rav4 when i make low-turn speeds. i have had the car at the dealer three times and they have not been able to identify the problem. however, among rav4 car owners this problem is very well identified, as you can see from this url: http://rav4world.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5820&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0 that discussion thread alone has almost 150 messages on this topic, but most toyota dealers can't find or fix the problem. this seems like a real problem, and toyota should have a tsb out on this, but if they do, i can't find one. because it makes a lot of noise it seems dangerous, but the dealer i've taken it to has said don't worry, it won't get you in an accident or leave you stranded. if they can't identify the problem i don't understand how they can make that statement. thank you. *jb
STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
08/30/200710
 2006 toyota rav 4. consumer states issues with front steering, suspension and drive train *tgw the consumer stated the problems started with an abnormal noise in the steering system and continued with other problems associated with the steering, front suspension and drive train. various front end components had been replaced 10 times. after the steering shaft was replaced for the second time in august of 2011, the vehicle is now performing as designed. *jb
STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
12/27/20069400203/14/2006
 Tl* - the contact stated that his 2006 toyota rav4 accelerated while his foot was on the brake. the contact took the vehicle to dealer and the computer was replaced. on 12/27/06 the contact stated he was involved in an accident. while his foot was on the brake and he was stopped at a light, the vehicle lurched forward and struck the vehicle in front of him. the contact heard a loud noise before the incident. the failure mileage on the vehicle was 94000. the contact was able to drive the vehicle. there was damage to the front of the vehicle. the dealer told the contact that the front end damage will need to be repaired before they can diagnose errors in the computer. the contact has a police report and a repair invoice from the first incident. *nm when making turns left or right the consumer indicated that the steering wheel felt hard. the dealer ordered a power steering computer. *nm updated 02/16/07.*jb
STEERING - RACK AND PINION
08/01/2007135003008/15/2006
 Clunking noise in steering wheel when turning right at slow speeds mostly. sometimes when turning left. clunks 2 or 3 times on the turn ,while making the right turn mostly..it does this all the time now .i took my car to a toyota dealer a couple of weeks ago and had a mechanic ride with me .. i could not duplicate problem more then a couple of times, but the mechanic couldn't hear it. he said to bring it back if it continues. toyota has no bulletins on this problem for the rav4, however they have service bulletins on the prius and the highlander models on this same problem.. i mentioned this to the dealer, he said they weren't related?? thank you for your interest. *jb
01/12/200712500106/16/2006
 In june 2006, i purchased a new 2006 toyota rav 4 sport. great vehicle. i drive 100 miles a day round trip to work. as of 1/12/07, there are 15,725 miles on the vehicle. around 12,500 miles, i noticed a strange grinding noise coming from the steering when making a hard right or left turn (turning into a parking place or my driveway). i talked with the toyota dealer and the first attempt was to heavily lubricate the steering as i was told everything was dry. the car had been serviced for an oil and lube every 4,000 miles. this did not resolve the issue. i was told that i needed a new rack and pinion steering unit. the dealer forgot to order the part. after a week and a half, i called to find out that the part was on back order as there have been a number of problems with the vehicle's steering. when i asked if i was safe driving 100 miles a day, at speeds of 70 mph on the florida turnpike, i was told to drive the vehicle at a safe speed of 40 mph. (i informed the dealer that i would be killed on the florida roads if i drove that slow. - they agreed.) again, i asked if i was safe. then i was told that although the part was on backorder, that they would see what they could do. i was called within an hour and told that the part would be in within a week. the new rack and pinion unit and gears were installed yesterday. additionally, a recommended wheel alignment was done, and it feels as if the front brakes were adjusted. the vehicle feels good, but the crunching noise is still there. does toyota have a problem with the steering on these vehicles? if so, i am really disappointed. i traded my chrysler for the toyota so that i would not have to go to the dealer for service all of the time. the real question is: am i safe????? *nm

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