Problems with 2009 Toyota Corolla STEERING

I noticed a problem with the steering on my corolla. the car had 12,116 miles on it when i brought it in to the dealer. the problem i experienced was that it seemed that i had to wrestle with the wheel to keep the car from drifting side to side. it had not happened during the first 12,000 miles. the dealer said there was nothing wrong with the steering. *tr

My 2009 toyota corolla steering wanders around the road and makes steering difficult and tiring. *tr

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) i own a 2009 toyota corolla 4dr. sedan. [xxx]. this vehicle is not out of balance or alignment. you can not hold the car straight. it is going to go left or right within 3 to 5 seconds and in less than 10 seconds it would be in the right ditch or left. extremely dangerous and nerve wracking. this vehicle should not be on the road.---when applying brakes, the rpm's go up about 200. *tr

I have had trouble with my 2009 toyota corolla steering since it was new [ february-2009 ] i think the firestone tires contribute to the problem but not only cause. i feel it's related to electronic power steering control. not sure how to describe circumstance. it is mostly felt when you make turns and are accelerating into the turn the steering doesn't respond back and may cause you to go off the road. maybe because the steering wheel needs to be turned back a lot to get back straight onto the road. happens any time . i'm adjusting to this situation but don't like what may happen if it catches me off guard some day. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota corolla. the contact was driving approximately 55 mph on normal road conditions. unexpectedly, there was a loss of steering control without warning and the vehicle began to wander into another lane. the driver was able to gain control after a couple of seconds. the failure occurred intermittently causing the vehicle to pull into one direction. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician was unable to locate the failure. the contact had concerns of the potential safety hazard when driving at low speeds. the failure mileage was 8,000. updated 03/19/10. *lj the consumer stated the vehicle would steer mostly to the left for a few seconds. updated 09/21/10*jb

My 2009 toyota corolla wanders from side to side at highway speeds. i have to constantly make corrections which is exhausting and a safety issue. please inform toyota to issue a recall to correct this safety problem. thank you. *tr

Steering - gentle turns of the wheel can result in exaggerated motions. *tw

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota corolla. whenever the contact starts the vehicle he noticed that all brake warning lights and power steering light would appear on the dashboard, moments later the contact would loose all power steering. the vehicle was taken to the dealership to have serviced but the contact does not know what service was performed on the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 3000. updated 4/26/10 *cn the abs light was was on. updated 07/19/10*jb

My daughter was driving our corolla sport in november 2009. while turning the corner at an intersection her steering wheel locked in the turning position briefly and then began to work again. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota corolla which was purchased brand new. immediately after the vehicle was purchased while driving home the dealer at speeds of less than 60 mph, there was minimal resistance in the steering wheel. he had to continue moving the steering wheel six inches back and forth and from left to right in order to keep the wheel straight while driving. the manufacturer was contacted and advised him that there were no recalls for the failure. he experienced the "loose" feeling in the steering wheel intermittently every time he drove the vehicle, especially in windy weather conditions. there were no repairs made to the vehicle. the manufacturer would not offer any assistance. the failure mileage was 50 and the current mileage was 33,500. updated 04/13/10. *lj the check engine light illuminated on four ocassionss. the dealer found a small leak in the evap system. updated 10/12/10

2009 corolla electronic power steering is really difficult to control and i have to continuously fight to keep the car in the lane of travel.. i am very concerned that a simple sneeze will cause me to have a head-on collision. *tr

I owned a 2009 toyota corolla for only 2 weeks because i sold it. the steering was horrible, on the freeway you had to constantly stay alert to keep it in a straight line it was like driving a 20 year old car. i felt i should say something with the latest problems. *tr

Purchased toyota corolla 2009 and ever since had steering problems on highway. when driving at highway speeds the car wants to go all over the highway by itself. it is exalting to drive any distance on the highway. i am constantly fighting with the steering just to keep the car straight. i do not drive in the middle lane of traffic because of my car veering around and do not want a traffic accident. *tr

There is a steering problem with my 2009 toyota corolla with electronic power steering that i believe is extremely dangerous. i purchased the car new in 8/08. the straight line stability of this car is terrible at speeds greater than 50mph. this problem has continued since the car was new. it drifts and wanders at highway speeds as if it is being buffeted by high winds when no such condition exists. it requires deliberate and distracting focus to keep car in its lane. the car goes off course with the slightest movement of the steering wheel. it does not seem to have any neutral steering position, you have to constantly correct the steering to keep the car in lane.. if you take your eye off the road for a second the car will drift into another lane. certain road conditions, such as worn or troughed, (gullied?) pavement as well as increased windy conditions make the car almost impossible to drive. then you have to grip the steering wheel with both hands in an attempt to keep the vehicle traveling straight. according to toyota my car is in perfect shape. all steering tolerances are correct. the tire pressure has been monitored and maintained at 30lbs as is recommended by toyota since the car was new. *tr

My 2009 corolla has always felt as if it were wandering as i was driving. i told my sales person and he felt i was just not used to it as i had been driving a new toyota tundra that is much bigger. i have driven small toyotas since the 70's so i think this is not the case. i have experienced this for a yr and 1/2 now. *tr

2009 corolla s with steering problems. i bought my 2009 corolla in 2008. i love the car but hated the steering. at first i thought it was the wind pushing the car around but realized it was not the wind. i had to always compensate for the wandering of the car and it was quite tiring on my arms. sometimes the steering wheel was turned and it was going straight, sometimes the steering wheel was straight and it was heading for the ditch. i parked it in the winter (probably would have had an accident with it if i had not). it was like driving on ice all the time. i reported it to the dealer. the mechanic took it out for a test drive and said the power steering rack was bad. they ordered one and replaced it (under warranty) along with the recall for dripping fluid on the brakes. *tr

Power steering problems. car is hard to keep in straight line. power steering over corrects with the slightest movement right or left of the steering wheel. while traveling on i 40 in a one lane construction zone near winston salem n.c. on october 16th 2009, i turned the steering wheel to the right . i then had to correct by turning back to the left. when i turned left the steering over corrected causing me to strike a construction cone with my left mirror. the glass in the mirror broke and i replaced it at my expense. i have had problems keeping the car in a straight line while traveling between 40 - 60 miles per hour ever since the car was purchased. i travel thousands of miles every year driving several makes of vehicles. this vehicle is the only one i have had this problem with. after hearing of other people having the same problem, i believe this is either a design problem or an equipment failure and should be corrected by toyota in order to prevent accidents or deaths caused by this problem. *tr

at around 50 miles on up the car starts to wander all over the road . it does not matter if you have 1 or 2 hands on the wheel . the car just drifts from side to side. i am an ase certified mechanic and i cant understand why there is no saftey recall involving such a serious condition. toyota is asking for a lot of trouble if they cant find a fix for this issue. *tr

2009 corolla steering at highway speeds requires continues adjustment to keep it from wandering and after only a few miles my arms hurt from the forces required to keep the car in the lane. i can't drive it more than an hour at a time without getting severe pain in the wrists. *tr

I own a 2009 toyota corolla, the vehicle drifts while traveling down the road in a straight line off center. toyota has done a wheel alignment and state that all is according to spec. i own a toytoa 4runner 2003 and it tracks straight and true on the same roadway. i drive a ford police interceptor at work and i also drives straight and turn on the same roadways. consumer reports magazine also reports in their test that the corolla 2009 was vague on center during their test. *tr

Steering requires constant driver correction to go straight down the highway. car pulls to the left or right, but won't track straight when driving on the highway. this occurs whenever the car is driven at highway speeds. when driving on windy days, it's more difficult to control because crosswinds add to the instability. took car do dealer for repair but the dealer said steering couldn't be adjusted and that they wouldn't be able to correct the problem. this is dangerous because the car wants to wander out of lane, and the constant steering corrections become fatiguing on long trips. as an example, i drove it from home to arizona and back on a vacation, and my wrists and forearms were sore for a week after the trip. i've made this exact trip in another vehicle and had no such problems. the other vehicle tracks straight and the corolla does not. because my dealer will not help me with this issue and the corolla has depreciated significantly, i am pretty much stuck with a car that has a problem. i'm hoping nhtsa might be able to help. there are plenty of other drivers who are experiencing the same issue with the same car model. i would like to see toyota make adjustments to the steering of these cars so that they exhibit the steering traits of a normal car, which tends to track straight, or even slightly to the right. *tr

Steering erratic on highway speeds. car is unstable at highway speeds, steering too loose. *tr

2009 toyota corolla may not be safe on the road. the car drifts from minor steering input at speed of 70 mph or higher. i initially thought the drifting was caused by wind until i learned that other corolla owners experienced same. *tr

I purchased a 2009 toyota corolla in june of 2008. up until approximately the fall of 2009, it appeared to be driving satisfactorily. however, after that time, at highway speeds, the car "drifts" almost each and everytime this happens, i open my window to see if it is windy, because it feels like the car is being blown by the wind. my son sometimes drives my car and i asked him if he experienced this, and he said "yes", and it always attributes it to the wind, however, it is not always windy. it feels like there is a slight lack of control. needless to say, it is very unnerving. i would say that in the past 3 months i notice this problem 3 times a week. when googling about the current toyota problems, i came across a write up regarding "toyota steering problems". then, i knew i wasn't just imagining what i had experienced. therefore, i am hereby voicing my complaint. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota corolla. after the vehicle was started, the rpms rapidly increased and her foot was not on the accelerator or brake pedal. the failure recurred after she stopped at a traffic light. the dealer stated that whenever the engine was cold the rpms increase. since the gas pedal was replaced the failure has not recurred. the steering has become difficult to control while making left and right turns. the failure mileage was 9,000 and the current mileage was 12,000.

Bought a new 2009 corolla s in late august, 2009. the car has had a problem with steering since new. at highway speeds, the car is constantly "floating" from lane to lane because the new drive by wire electric motor tells the car to be in a constant "correction" mode, there is no "center" driving position. it's always either "correct left, or correct right". this makes the driver have to constantly "re-correct', and results in a constant "zig-zag" pattern at 65mph! that's driving like a drunk drives. the car drives like it's in a wind storm, even though there is no wind, and you can't predict when the next "gust" will drift you into the next lane. greatly disappointed that toyota would continue to allow these cars on the road without a fix. was told by the toyota service manager that my car "drives as designed". i know that, it's a bad design. saw where there are many complaints about this on this site, we're not complaining just for the fun of it, we're honestly concerned for our safety. i also own three other older toyota's, a camry, a cressida, and a tercel with close to 300k miles. all of them drive better than this new corolla. shame on toyota for allowing this to remain a problem. was planning on giving this car to my daughter at college graduation. now i don't want her to drive it unless it's fixed. i also know of two other buyers of 2009 toyota corollas, both s models, that have the same steering issues. complaints unanswered by toyota. my corolla only has 5200 miles since last august, it mostly sat for the first few months, as i hated to have to drive it. sad to have a new car and have to just "endure" driving it. toyota needs to expedite a fix, before someone "drifts" into the path of a big rig. help!! it could still be a good car, just fix the steering!!

steering problem with my new toyota corolla. the car has about 6,000 miles on it. when driving on a straight road, the car goes off to the right and left. you must constantly keep adjusting the steering to keep the car in the lane. this also happens in a curve. this is a constant problem. this is dangerous and aggravating. i took the car to the toyota dealer and explained the problem. the technician rode with me and i showed him how the car goes off course. the technician drove the car and let go of the steering wheel. the car went off course. the technician said there wasn't anything wrong with the steering, but they would check the wheel alignment. (the wheel alignment did not correct the problem.) i don't know how he could say there wasn't a problem when the car wanted to go off the road. i complained to the dealer a number of times. they said there is nothing they could do about it. i asked them to check and or replace the electronic power steering unit. (eps) they would not even check it. i sent email and talked to a representative at toyota headquarters. i explained the problem. they said there isn't anything they can do about it. they will not even admit there is a problem. my concern is... if there is a problem with the electronic power steering (eps) that lets the car go off course, this could keep getting worse and i would loose control of the car. thank you for looking into this problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2009 toyota corolla. she ordered a 2009 toyota corolla xle and it arrived in august 2008. she returned to the dealer on numerous occasions since the vehicle began pulling to the left and right. the vehicle does not stay centered in its lane at higher speeds ranging from 50 to 65 mph. she has to grip the steering wheel with both hands in an attempt to keep the vehicle straight. the failure intermittently veers in either direction and required nearly constant over corrections. she owned another toyota for twelve years and has never experienced this kind of failure. the contact stated that she feels unsafe while driving. she was also advised that the vehicle is operating as it is designed. the vin was not availale. the current mileage was 10,000 and the failure mileage was less than 100.

2009 toyota corolla, the electric steering is way too sensitive. at highway speeds you have to constantly correct the steering. it does not have any neutral steering at highway speeds, you have to constantly correct it. *tr

When driving my 2009 toyota corolla on the highway at speeds of 50 mph or more, steering becomes extremely difficult to control in my car. it jerks to both the left and the right with no warning. i thought it was my tire alignment at first but that is not the problem. *tr

I recently purchased a 2009 toyota corolla that has a defect in the design of the vehicles steering. when driving at highway speeds (50mph or greater) the vehicle wanders all over the road. the straight line stability of this car is terrible! and i believe it presents a dangerous problem for 2009 toyota corolla owners. i have read other complaints about this problem on your web-site from other drivers and i think this issue needs to be addressed by toyota immediately. thank you for consideration in this matter. *tr

I bought my car back in august of 2009 and like many others i have had problems with keeping the car straight down the road at higher speeds. i have always said i should not have to hold both hands on the steering wheel in order to go down the road. it gets even worse when the wind is strong. i was told that because it is a small car it will do this. but i have never had a small car act this way. my car is very well maintained and i know it is not the tires nor the front end alignment. if you do not pay attention to this problem it would take nothing for you to cause an accident. *tr

2009 corolla s steering causes car to wonder around road unsafely at highway speeds. *tr

The steering on this vehicle is hazardous. i have explained it to the dealer on at least 2 previous occasions as being "hyper-sensitive". while driving if you hit a bump in the road the slightest movement of the steering wheel is exaggerated and the car begins to veer left or right. trying to compensate the veering only exacerbates the problem. *tr

My daughter lost control of her 2009 toyota corolla while traveling on a wet road at a low speed. she stated that the car pulled to the right and then spun around in 3 tight long circles before spinning out. had noticed what seemed like a looseness in the steering about 2 weeks before, but because i do not drive it on a regular basis was concerned if it was normal or not. i was concerned that the steering may have played a role in the accident and when researched online if any known issues, i was surprised to learn of a # of individual experiences and concerns similar to mine...all within a few months of the start of 2009. there were many postings regarding the steering in the toyota 2009 corolla. i was equally concerned to learn that there is a new power steering system in the 2009 model that is different than that of prior years. my daughter ended up going behind a guardrail and down an embankment and i feel obligated to file a complaint over my concern relating to the steering in the 2009 corolla. the postings include that toyota could not find a problem, but not being able to find the problem does not mean it doesn't exist. recent news events include that toyota also denied having a turn-over problem with another of their vehicles. when we purchased the vehicle it had approx. 10,000 miles on it and at the time of the accident it had 13,876. *tr

2009 toyota corolla steering issue at highway speeds. when at 50 mph or above my car starts pulling or turning while holding the wheel straight. i was playing tug of war. if its windy outside at all, the steering gets worse looking as if i'm a drunk driver or something. *tr

2009 toyota corolla has a problem with the steering that caused the consumer to have an accident. *nj the consumer stated after she made a right turn, the vehicle continued to veer on its own to the right. the consumer tried to steer the vehicle, but it seemed as though the steering wheel was locked. she attempted to apply the brakes, but to no avail. the consumer was traveling approximately 15-20 mph when the vehicle went down a cliff approximately 25-20 feet deep, hitting a tree and a fence before the vehicle came to a complete stop. the consumer and her 2 passengers were injured. the consumer stated there was a recall regarding the brake system, however she was told nothing abnormal was found with the vehicle. *jb

My mother was in a bad accident with a 2009 toyota corolla. she was making a right turn from a set position and as she accelerated the car continued to steer right causing her along with her two grand children to go over a curb/cliff and into a ditch bank. she has been in extreme pain since the accident. the grand kids appear to have suffered mild injuries. this is a real issue and i hope someone pays attention to this issue. toyota really needs to address this issue before someone is fatally injured. the car was totaled. *tr

The steering on my 09 corolla wanders continuously at freeway speeds. it has since new, though i did not notice while on the test drive. the more worn and grooved highways and windy conditions produce a more dangerous feeling, especially in poor weather conditions. i have complained to my dealer, lithia toyota in medford several times, yet they say there is nothing wrong. there are multiple complaints on the internet yet they say nothing is wrong. toyota is selling a faulty and unsafe vehicle and is doing nothing to resolve the issue. *tr

My toyota corolla 2009 has a strange hissing sound when turning the steering wheel. the steering wheel sometimes feel disconnected with the road. i don't feel comfortable with the steering, especially at high speed. *tr

The vehicle would have an intermittent delay upon start up and intermittent power steering "lock up" when making sharp turns. during the power steering failure the vehicle would also lose radio and a/c as if the vehicle was powering down. i took the car to my dealership where i had purchased the vehicle less than a month before these issues. my first incident happened in a parking lot in front of another vehicle luckily, the other driver was paying attention and did not hit me. another incident happened on an exit off ramp which was a very sharp circular portion of road, the power steering completely went out and i had to "muscle" through the turn, suddenly the power steering was working again which almost caused me to lose control of the vehicle due to me going from using all my might to turn back to the vehicle working properly. my service dealership recalibrated steering torque sensor and found tsb 0182-09 for hard start condition, reprogrammed engine computer and added fuel tank additive per bulletin instructions. i drove the vehicle a few days until once again my car had the exact same issue. took my vehicle back to my dealership for service again. service order states; inspect steering operation found eps will cut out and cause radio, headlights to cut out. scan check record and flag events. test and recharge battery pass. open tech line case review data. zero point and monitor again per tech assist failed after 3 turn. s/o power column assy. replaced power steering column assembly and also found loose pwr supply wire nut causing voltage drop to system. tightened nut and test drove. vehicle total loss in single driver/vehicle accident. my 17 yr old son lost control and hit a tree. he suffered traumatic brain injury and cannot tell me the cause of the accident. i was disappointed to see the results of nhtsa power steering investigation. i know for certain my steering complaint was not due to bad driving, how could bad driving possibly cause power steering to lock up and your car to "power do

My 2009 corolla seems to have unsafe steering at highway speeds. it takes a lot of correcting and feels like i have alignment issues in the front or something out of alignment in the rear. it is like the steering is to sensitive and there is absolutely no feedback as to what the car is doing. *tr

We have taken in our corolla (purchased in january 09) to the dealer twice for the electronic power steering (eps) problem. the car is very difficult to drive on the highways. it refused to keep a straight line and we constantly have to over correct to keep a straight line on a flat road (driving on ice or in high winds comes to mind). we have noticed that even at slow speeds in parking lots that if the wheels are turned and the steering wheel moves back to center the wheels will not straighten up and you have the turn the wheel in the opposite direct to correct the wheels. the dealership has performed an alignment and they replace the steering rack. the issue has not gone away and they found that testing three other corollas on the lot all have the same eps problem and they are stumped. they have filed a tech case with toyota about the eps issue. i have also opened a complaint ticket with toyota tms in california 1-800-331-4331. they have been in contact with us and a toyota representative is going to inspect the car next week. if they are unable/unwilling to give us a resolution we are going to contact a nc lemon law lawyer. we just want the car to function correctly and free it is an accident waiting to happen. my wife is sick of driving it and has moved back to our older 2004 corolla. it makes me sick knowing how much we paid for this 2009 xle! *tr

I have a 2009 toyota corolla that is part of the gas pedal recall. i believe it may also have the steering issue as well. i have noticed that my steering is all over the place, it takes 2 hands to generally run smoothly. my husband complains about it more, i just love my car so i defended it but now that i have heard there may be a problem, i think it should be looked at alittle closer. my other issue is that when we called the dealership back in jaunary in regards to the gas pedal they very nicely informed us that they were repairing the more expensive vehicles first and then would schedule me an appointment. is that allowed? no offense, but my life is just as valuable as a camry, 4 runner, or other vehicle that they consider more expensive. i wanted a toyota corolla so bad and now i would do anything to get rid of it. *tr

About three months after i bought my 2009 corolla i noticed that the steering wasn't acting right during high speeds on the interstate, heavy wind, and rain. it pulls to the side sometimes and then other times feels like i have no control, in the past couple months it's started to make noise when i turn the wheel. i've been trying for over a year to get this settled with the dealership but they won't do anything and won't even do a service report at all, saying that it's fine. i was even in an accident that involved several other cars, but the severe damage could've been prevented if my steering hadn't of messed up on me. there have been numerous other incidences where my car's veered off the road and almost veered into another car, i was fortunate enough to not be involved in accidents those times - however, i have a 2 year old daughter and i can't take any chances. *tr

Notice the steering wheel sometimes pulses only when my cell phone is (docked) near docked to the right of the steering wheel. it's strange i can sometimes tell if my black berry is going to ring or get an email. the steering wheel seems to shake or try to steer on its own. this is similar to my other 2009 toyota corolla that i resold to the dealer. i wonder if more shielding is needed to reduce any interference. *tr

My new 2009 corolla can not keep in a straight line when i am driving on highway. it wanders left and right so much that i have to control the steering wheel with great efforts, which makes the driving so tiresome. this problem is also reported by many other 2009 corolla owners. it is definitely a safety defect. it is absolutely dangerous for the driver and other drivers who are driving near the corolla. toyota should fix this horrible problem to save the drivers in no time! *tr

The car has very poor steering. when driving on a paved highway, interstate 95, the car feels as if it is out of alignment, pulling to the right. i've brought it to the purchasing dealership and they haven't found anything. i feel as if the car is not safe, as to always having to correct the steering issue and to make sure the car is driving straight. the car was purchased brand new march 9, 2009 and currently has 6200 miles on it. steering seems to be progressively worse. *tr

2009 toyota corolla eps causes the car to wander at speeds higher than 50 mph. this makes for very dangerous driving conditions. toyota needs to address the issue and do a recall to fix the problem. *tr

2009 corolla power steering make noise and not smooth. *tr