Problems with 2007 Toyota RAV4 STEERING

Defective steering assembly, makes a clunking sound when turning slowly. i found multiple complaints for the same problem and a serious accident resulted when the driver lost control of steering

Toyota 2007 rav4 steering makes a klunking / popping noise while driving, when turning either direction, while pulling out of driving. no sounds on freeway. issues seems to be steering column.

I was traveling down arrow hwy in the rain when my electrical system failed. i lost power from both my alternator and battery intermittently. i was coasting down to an approaching intersection when i made the descision to turn right at the intersection. the steering was so hard that i nearing hit the center divide. my windshield wipers were barely working and many of my dash icons were coming on randomly. through it all, my engine continued to run and i made to the next street that turned into condos that had parking spaces. i shut my engine off and tried a restart. the engine,of course,did not start. after being hauled to the nearest toyota dealer they diagnosed the problem as an alternator that shorted the battery. having a little experience in this electrical area, i understand how this can happen but with proper design it could have been avoided. the battery was saved after recharging. here is my point; i don't want any one that i know and love to go through what i had to. those that drive this car should be made aware that this could happen with a car equipped with electrical steering. this problem could have been more severe if the engine would have stalled; which, by the way would have happened in a short time.

My 2007 rav4 is experiencing a clunking sound in the steering column when turning at low speeds and the steering feels suspect at times at highway speeds. a online search, revealed that this has been a common problem for some time with this model and year. toyota diagnoses this as a problem with the intermediate steering column.is the nhtsa aware of this problem and is it a safety concern?

Steering wheel feels like lose and there is a thunder noise coming from rack and pinion according to mechanic, especially when drives in the city or over a hump.no matter how small is, also when driving and make right turn

When turning or accelerating, there are vibrations. toyota dealer diagnosed that the steering shaft shoud be replaced and the intermediate linkage rack leaks. the sound system makes noise when stop or driving downhill or uphill.

Ongoing and very loud clunking noise when the wheel is turned at low speeds, at times the noise can also be heard when going straight. this appears to be an ongoing issue with this rav4 model and it seems toyota has not taken any steps to remedy this. it is a very serious safety concern, the proper function of the steering mechanism is extremely important to the safety of the driver and passengers at all times.

I receive letter by mail, about takada air bags, and thanks because dealers,never mention that part,and is unfair, special went buy a used car,and pay more money,,well receive a few months later a recall for compsuption motor oil, need to be done, and tried 2 or 3 times,but the advisor and tech,are mero worry about fixed uncover warranty repairs, because transmission goes bad,tow 140 to dealer,and make all kind ot tricks to make me paid,finally they admit to fixed but charge me $618.00 for alignment the 4 tires,replace rear seal, the intake fuel sys and use the word, per customer request,customer authorized, but never comment oh if you don't follow the tech recommends,warranty is going to avoid,decline the repair, and get service history and found they did all the work for the car recalls to,and i'm the only owner,but buy the car in 2015 with 80,000 miles and a lot of false,irregularities, so want to know if this car is for the lemon law case my safety and my family travel to mexico,ensenada, and i'm worry,car is unsafe to drive,my car don't want travel in the car,and is correct,but i'm scare to be involve in accident,car need to be check but by a dealer,a gov tech,oe a serious org. ok tm.

Constant clunking of the steering wheel

When i back up on any kind of an incline, the car jerks and the steering wheel shakes. it feels like i have "hit" something it jerks so badly. if i let off the gas pedal, it stops the jerking but the minute i press the gas pedal again, it jerks again and makes a terrible noise. i can still back up but it feels like the underside of my car is falling out. it's been going on since i purchased it used 2 years ago. i kept thinking it was me until i googled it today and saw several other people have the same issue. i feel it's unsafe and toyota needs to take care of it. my vehicle already qualified for the oil consumption issue and was repaired earlier this year. needs to be a national recall and fixed properly.

Nhtsa recall no 16v 596. attempted to have recall completed at washington nc pecheles toyota. parts are not available as of 10 25 2016. what is the hold up? failure of rlsa will result in loss of vehicle control- serious safety issue.

Clunking noise when turning steering wheel on very low speed or on car that in not moving. it was discovered during state inspection [car was in garage and was not moving]. car has just above 30,000 miles, mostly city driving, regularly, but short distance commute.

The intermediate steering shaft is making clunk noise when turning the steering at low speeds. this is a safety issue that needs to be addressed. i am feared to drive this vehicle and the steering is dangerous.

R/r sway bar end link broken. upper and intermediate steering shaft broken.

I hear a clunk, pop, or knock-type noise when turning the steering wheel left or right. toyota was acutely aware of this issue (please see attached technical service bulletin st001-08) and had to redesign the intermediate shaft. unfortunately, toyota has not taken the steps to recall all effected vehicles and replace this defective part. i urge the nhtsa to take immediate steps to force toyota to issue a recall and make the necessary repairs as this issue has been witnessed in a large proportion of the 06-07 toyota rav4 vehicles.

Driving 50 mpg around curve in heavy traffic steering locked up hardly able to pull.off side of road. happened again today 2 times and happened at least 5 times before in the past 3 months.steering froze had to get of to the side and restart then it was able to steer but battery.light flickers. three other lights on the left of the dashboard stayed on after restarting the vehicle. went to pep-boys and i was asked to replace the battery due to low voltage. battery was replaced and one day later same thing happened again.

Driving on the highway going about 75mph after about 5 hours when a bunch of warning lights came on (including battery, air bag, and brake), my power steering failed and my speedometer quit working. pulled over on the side of the highway and let my car sit for a minute, restarted my car and three different lights came on (vsc, check engine and slip indicator) and my cruise control wouldn't work anymore. my car currently has about 110,000 miles. this is not a wear and tear issue; this is a defect. from reading online, there are many complaints of the same issue. this could be a fatal defect and should be taken seriously. this is the second time my power steering has failed while driving.

Left front input seal has leaked fluid twice now. first time was 9/25/2012 @ 56,516 miles. second time was on 1/12/2016 @ 101,753 miles. my independent auto repair service, coram precision auto of coram, ny went to toyota to get the seal needed to fix the leak both times and asked toyota parts counter if they knew of a recall and they said no. then they asked why they had so many seals in stock if there had been no recalls. i am on this website and don't see any recalls either but i wonder if any complaints have been filed. note: i have several recalls for my toyota rav4 for gas pedal and now for the 'rear differential coupling' which extends my warrantee until 2017 from toyota and from nhtsa for my drivers side air bag in 2014 but can't find anything on this wed site. please follow up with me on the seal problem and if the airbag needs to be replaced. toyota told me 'no" but i don't trust them. thanks, wpziems 02/01/2016.

Noticed clunking in steering when turning either right or left. looked up problem on internet and found that it is a huge problem with these vehicles. according to internet there over 400,000 complaints. called toyota and was told there is a technical bulletin on the problem and it requires replacing steering shaft. i also read on the internet that vehicles who replaced the intermediate steering shaft often have to replace it again. this seems to me that toyota can not fix the original problem and now it becomes the owners responsibility to keep on changing an intricate part to driving their vehicles. why with so many failures hasn't your agency warned the public or is nhtsa saying there is no issue or safety concern. please inform me that this issue is not a problem and i should not have to worry about it and i don't have to spend $800.00 to fix it.

Loud clunking noise when turning left or right and while backing out of driveway near the steering wheel. i purchased this vehicle in 2007 and within 2 years (~30000 miles) the same issue had occurred and toyota dealer replaced the part under warranty. within 6 years of the first occurrence i am facing the same issue again. i have reached out to toyota for a free repair but toyota has refused to replace the part under product defect. this is a product defect and also a safety issue and hence toyota should make a national recall.

At 51,000 miles, there is a heavy rattle in the front end when driving on rough roads. after replacing several parts, local mechanics now tell me that the rack and pinion steering gear needs replacement. this does not seem to be the intermediate steering shaft problem that is the subject of toyota service bulletin #t-sb-0319-08. i do not feel anything abnormal in the steering wheel, steering is smooth and the problem is not noticeable driving on smooth road surfaces. the noise seems to be getting worse with time, so i am concerned that the steering could fail altogether.

I purchased my rav4 used about 12 months ago. within the past 3 months i've notices problems with my steering. slow turns make a clunking sound with loose movement and vibration felt in the steering wheel. initially i was told it was a bad strut, which i replaced, but the problem seems to get a little worse by the day. in checking online i see numerous complaints of the same nature, some resulting in serious accidents. it appears that the rack & pinion assembly is defective since the problem is so widespread. i have not seen a recall on this and wonder why since steering is so essential to the safe operation of the vehicle. i will be contacting my local toyota dealer service dept. to see what can be done.

My 2007 toyota rav4 has some clunky noise around 46,000 miles, but recently it is getting louder. it becomes a major concern for my family and me; therefore, i have brought it in to a car repair shop (firestone) to have it diagnosed. the result came back to be the steering intermediate shaft and rack. i called toyota dealership to have it repaired, but they said that if i only have a extended warranty they will repair it with free of charge and that the warranty only covers up to 36,000 miles. if not, they will charge another 130 some dollars to just diagnosed again, but will waive it once i do the repair with them. after doing a little research on the internet, it appears that more people has the same problem. it seems to be a wider problem for this type model of car. i believe this is a safety issue and prior to this there were various replacement recall such as the suspension, gas pedal, air bags, and etc. how come this issue isn't on the recall list?

Driving 55 mpg around curve in heavy traffic steering locked up hardly able to pull.off side of road. happened again today july 25 2015 going 60 down busy hey rush hour traffic and steering froze had to get of to the side and restart then it was able to steer but battery.light flickers ha d battery lreplaced day before.

I was driving at 25mph when the red battery light came on and i lost the ability to steer. i was able to pull into a parking lot with much difficulty. i shut the car off to go into a store to let them know i was going to have my vehicle towed and went back to my car again to restart. the car would not restart. had i not been on a highway going 55 i would have been in an accident since i had a difficult time turning the wheel at all.

The car failed to start, the battery was extremely hot and had not water in it. changed the battery, the car started properly; however, once set to drive it hesitated a bit, as if it were chocking for lack of gas but it had gas. drove on and at about speed of 40 mph steering became hard to handle, ac and engine cut off. restarted it drove back home... just made the last payment on the car, car was regularly serviced at the dealer.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. while driving at various speeds and attempting to make a turn, the power steering seized and several warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the battery and sensors were changed, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 79,800.

My 2007 toyota rav4 has a "clunking/popping" noise coming from what appears to be the steering linkage somewhere between the intermediate shaft and rack-and-pinion assembly.in early 2014, a toyota dealership in indiana recommended servicing the intermediate shaft assembly via an issued toyota service bulletin. the intermediate shaft was replaced in the spring of 2014 (cost=$1000, car mileage ~65k).i have since job relocated to new jersey and the problem has resurfaced (car mileage ~75k).a dealership here told me that the rack-and-pinion assembly needs to be replace (est. cost= $2000).general signs of rack-and-pinion failure as stated by the dealership and general research are not observed in my car (signs including "play/slop" in the steering wheel, loose steering, stiff steering, etc.).further research of this issue has show multiple hundreds-of-thousands of rav4 owners inquiring about this issue either via rav4/toyota forums, or through the nhtsa and other third party auto safety agencies.the dealerships seem to be guessing at what the problem is, and they issue repair guidelines based only on service bulletins without fully investigating the issue.there is a serious safety concern with a "clunking/popping" noise with the steering assembly of these automobiles.owners of this (highly rated, abundantly sold) rav4 model should be issued a recall by toyota to have the rack-and-pinion and the intermediate shaft assembly fixed without consumer purchase.toyota is aware of the problems, as they have issued multiple service bulletins, but have yet to deem the issue a safety concern leaving their loyal owners with repair cost in upwards of $3000 for cars that are well under 100,000 miles, but outside of toyota's warranty period. protecting the safety of drivers and their precious passengers, should be the number one concern of toyota and the nhtsa. *tr

My 2007 toyota rav4 has developed a loud clunk and slight binding when the steering when turning at slow speeds. the diagnosis from toyota appears to be a worn intermediate steering shaft. in my opinion, the steering shaft on this vehicle does not resemble those on other cars in that starts connected to the steering wheel and then runs vertically down through the dash area changing direction abruptly. other vehicles have a generally straight steering shaft in line with the steering wheel axis and no abrupt changes in alignment. there appears to be significant discussions on toyota related websites of similar rav4 steering shaft problems. is toyota and the nhtsa aware of this problem and preparing an investigation or remedy. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that when the brakes were activated, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it diagnosed that the steering rack intermediate shaft and the water pump needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 37,000. updated 3/18/15*cn updated 8/18/2015*js updated 10/19/2015 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. while driving 65 mph, the battery warning indicator illuminated, the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 70,000.

I brought my vehicle to the dealer for the rear suspension recall and when i picked it up i was advised that the steering shaft needs to be replaced and there is a clunking sound when turning the wheel. the service advisor told me the shaft is cracked and could be dangerous. i never noticed any steering sounds but now that i'm specifically listening for it i do hear it. i believe that if this is a safety issue as the dealer stated then the vehicle should be recalled. most owners will not know they have this problem since the sound is not that noticeable and i assume that if left uncorrected loss of steering will occur. *tr

Very clunky and noisy steering resulting an a vague, unsafe sense of control over the vehicle. took to the dealership and was repaired (replaced intermediate steering column). subsequent research has shown that this is a common and well known design flaw. *tr

As soon as i back up out of the garage, there is a clunking noise as i turn the steering wheel. it is more pronounced when i turn the wheel, more so turning to the right. i took it into have it checked out and had 2 employees drive it. they both agreed it was coming from the steering column, possibly a bracket. when i turn it almost feels like the wheel doesn't want to go any further, makes this loud clunking sound then lets go. this has been happening for the last few months and the tightness in the turn has worsened.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav 4. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle lost power steering with the engine and vsc light illuminated on instrument panel. the vehicle regained power steering once the vehicle was turned off and restarted. the vehicle was taken to the dealer but they could not duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

When turning the steering wheel you can hear a clunk or a thud. *tr

Steering intermediate shaft clunk, when i turn steering making noise. i talk to a mechanic he says need to replace steering. it is so expensive, my income is not allowed to do this. please give me advice [xxx]@gmail.com information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).? *jb

The electric power steering would not work. it has happened twice. the last time was july 28, 2014. we shut the car off, and restart it, and then it works ok. we are afraid that it might happen while we are driving it and we will have an accident. from online i have learned there have been a lot of occurrences of this. i'm surprised there hasn't been a recall, i think it is a real safety concern! *js

Whenever you make a left or right turn, there is a clunking noise. i have contacted several different dealerships regarding this issue for over 5 years & yet there doesn't seem to by a remedy. this issue should be fixed by toyota. i am not the only person to make this complaint. please look into this issue & fix the dangerous problem before someone gets seriously injured. this problem happens all the time when the vehicle is in motion on highways & city streets.

I hear a clunk, pop or knock-type noise when turning the steering wheel. toyota is aware of this (tech service bulletin st001-08). toyota redesigned the intermediate shaft. however, toyota has not taken the steps to issue recall to replace this defective part.

As daughter was entering freeway steering failed, rear-ended by 18 wheeler. *js

Noticed knocking/clunking noise from steering at low speed as described in t-sb-0318-08 steering intermediate shaft noise' dated october 20, 2008. took the car to a toyota dealer to replace the steering intermediate shafts as detailed by the t-sb. upon further inspection the technician reported that both the intermediate shaft and the steering rack have play in them and recommended that they both be replaced. the service advisor stated that this will become a safety issue if not repaired and can lead to loss of steering. the estimate for the repair was $2700 since the extended warranty has expired two month prior to taking the vehicle in. given that there is a safety concern, i opted to have the recommended service done and paid $2731.77 for the repair. a quick internet search shows that this is a common issue with the toyota rav for model years 2006 - 2008. given that this is a safety issue and that some drivers might not associate the noise with a serious issue, toyota motors should: 1.instate a recall to inspect all parts related to the steering mechanism in effected models. 2.replace all effected parts at no cost to the owner 3.reimburse diligent owners who noticed the issue, reported it to the dealers and paid to have the repair done. best regards. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle and steering wheel would shake violently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the intermediate shaft was defective and had to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 81,000. updated 10/7/14*cn the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired. updated 3/11/15 *js

Clunking sound in steering at low speed. *tr

Audible clunk sound in the steering when turning the steering wheel. the driver can also feel a knock through the steering wheel. i am worried that this is a safety issue. this appears to be a common issue for this model and year (e.g., about 40 complaints of this kind have been filed for 2007 rav4s on carcomplaints.com). it appears to be related to the intermediate steering shaft; toyota has for example issued tsb 0318 08 to address this problem. according to our toyota dealership, it is due to a shaft tolerance that is too loose; the clunk sound would only be an annoyance, but not a safety concern. given that the steering is critical for control and safe operations of the car, i feel that any noise in the steering might indicate a serious problem that needs to be addressed. we bought the car used with 107874 miles (from the first owner) on 05/09/2014, and noticed the problem immediately during the first weeks of use. we believe the condition had already existed before we purchased the car, but we have no information at which mileage the previous owner started to notice it.

The steering column binds to one side or the other such that the vehicle never steers straight ahead. the situation causes the vehicle to always want to steer out of the intended lane causing driver fatigue at best and an unsafe condition when the vehicle is constantly heading out of its intended path toward other vehicles. *tr

Lost power steering without warning in heavy traffic. p/s light came on at the same time. barely avoided collision with large truck. started engine after 20 mins., p/s light out & steering normal. took vehicle to dealer who found code c1524 (low voltage in power steering). in order to find root of problem i need to pay $200 for diagnostic, which i refused. this is not a wear/tear issue but either a defect or malfunction. called toyota, asked them to pay for diagnostic & toyota refused since vehicle is out of warrenty. guess toyota could care less about customer safety even though there are numerous vehicles with same complaint! *tr

There are multiple knocks coming up the steering shaft at low speeds when turning the steering wheel. *tr

The intermediate shaft on the vehicle is not working properly. in some states the toyota has changed them for no cost after the warranty has expired, but know the do not. there have been numerous amount of claims in regard to this issue on this model, but continues to be ignored. on friday 03/08/2014 i took my vehicle to have it checked because of this, and what they told me was that it was my struts. well after getting them changed it turns out it was the intermediate shaft and they want to charge me an additional 502.00 for this. this is an on going issue with numerous claims about the intermediate shaft and toyota is not realizing the safety issue in which it places it customers. *tr

No crash involved. no loss of vehicle control. during routine maintenance, was informed the rack assembly would have to be replaced to deal with a clunking noise that a technician had noticed. i checked and found that while parked and idling, pulling the wheel in either direction did produce the clunk. after additional estimates, settled on a specific repair venue at almost $1700. also informed by one of the estimators that the steering column would soon need replaced. not scheduled for repair at this time. i was informed by one of the estimators that most vehicles would not have required a whole rack replacement (or as much money) for a problem such as this, but rather the 2007 design was integrated rather then modular. *tr