Problems with 2005 Toyota Sienna STEERING

When driving at any speed above 25 mph, the traction control light on the dashboard will come on, it will beep and the brake will engage without the driver pressing the brake pedal (these all happen at the same time). this in turn locks the brakes at times and the car veers to the right. there is no reason that we can figure out that this happens. it has happened many times and three days ago, it happened twice in one day. we have taken our vehicle to hendrick toyota in wilmington nc and provided them a video where two owners took videos each time it happened in their vehicle. i also provided them with email discussions from two different web sites where owners were discussing the issue. we believe this should be a recall for toyotas.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota sienna. while driving approximately 30 mph, the stability control warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle decelerated and the rear end swerved sideways. the contact stated that the failure occurred for approximately 30 days and only when driving above 30 mph. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 143,000.

Takata inflators - when driving in city 30mph or freeway 50-60mph in curvy path, the unti-skid lock turns off even if the road was dry. when it happened frequently and a motorcycle almost slammed from behind, i brought my van to the dealer and it shows no record of the unti-skid lock being on. i insisted to take precautions and they did a zero calibration, changed new tires and realignment but problem persist. i brought it back with the same complaint but they claimed the they never had any other customer with the same problem. i reached online yet there were many others. i hope you can help me on this. the dealer can't figure out this problem and just washed their hands. this happened multiple times already and afraid to drive my van.

Crankshaft pulley safety recall - 2005 toyota sienna -recall # 11v539000 more vehicles possibly affected than stated in recall notice. dealer stated vin did not fall in range of recall, although the defective crankshaft pulley part stamped with mark has been identified on my vehicle. burning smell related to drive belt while driving and abnormal engine noise. upon replacing new drive belt, the crankshaft pulley was inspected and shown to fail due the inadequate adhesive stated in the recall. notified dealer, called toyota representative and opened case#1611070038. both dealer and toyota refused recall since vin was not in range. toyota representative stated no photos or evidence were required to show the failed crankshaft pulley. please used the details and photos attached for odi# 10924632

My steering has been getting stiff for the past few weeks. about a month i noticed that my steering was stiff and then smooth a few days later. now it feels stiff at cold start and even after warm up from normal driving. i have new belts and no power steering fluid leak. i've read many blogs online and people claiming that the (u-joint) aka "steering knuckle" is the cause. due to water/dirt/salt from the road - causing rust on the u-joint. toyota manufacturer should have thought of installing a rubber boot to protect the u-joint from exposure of weather elements. if the u-joint is badly rusted, it can break off and cause an accident. this should be considered as a safety recall.

Steering has become intermittently stiff. steering wheel doesn't self center. it's difficult to turn the wheel either way. after turning the wheel very hard, it suddenly becomes easy. this phenomenon occurs when the vehicle is stationary, and at all speeds. the problem started approximately two months ago, and has gotten progressively worse. the power steering pump is working properly, the belt is in good condition, there are no power steering fluid leaks and the power steering fluid level is correct.

While driving around curves with dry pavement on highways and exit/entrance ramps at highway rates of speed (55-65 miles per hour or less) the anti-lock brake system engage,s causing the van to pulse and slow down unexpectedly. it disengages once the wheel straightens. we first tried to trouble shoot with our local mechanic with no success, prompting us to have our local toyota service department attempt to diagnosis. initially they said they were not able to diagnosis the problem or replicate it on a local highway (as it does not occur on every curve encountered) and were ready to send us home without any remedy. this was unacceptable. with our persistence they hooked it up to a computer and determined(without guaranteeing) it was the steering angel sensor and replaced it. now without returning the van to us, they want us to replace the rack and pinion system for even more cost, again, without guaranteeing this will alleviate the problem. per our reading up on this problem, we have found that this appears to be problem for other 2005 toyota sienna minivans.

On several occasions the vehicle stability control on my 2005 toyota sienna xle is activated suddenly and for no reason. it has happened changing lanes on the freeway, on off ramps, and city streets. i was never going over the speed limit, turning sharply, and the road was not wet or slippery. the activation caused my car to rapidly decelerate from 50 mph to 20 mph in a matter of seconds and caused my wife, children, and i to lurch forward. vsc also caused my vehicle to swerve sharply to the right. i had immediately lost control! this put me and my family in mortal danger along with the occupants of vehicles around us. they were completely unprepared for my sudden and unwarranted stop! i believe toyota has sold a vehicle that has a hardware and/or software error in it that can result in fatal injuries to the driver, passengers and occupants of surrounding vehicles. this is why i believe the national highway transportation safety administration should require toyota to issue a safety recall that permanently eliminates this problem for toyota owners like me. like others i believe this situation is far more serious than your recent recall of the toyota shift lever assembly to prevent an accidental roll away. (nhtsa campaign number: 13v429000). in our case we are driving at highway speeds when without warning the car suddenly slams on the brakes and veers to the left. i have read others complaints that are almost identicle. please do not wait for injuries and deaths to resolve this issue!

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota sienna. while driving 30 mph, the vehicle shook without warning. when accelerating over 40 mph, the shaking worsened. the vehicle made a loud noise whenever turning the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 157,000.

My car has the exact symptoms for a recall involving a crankshaft pulley, yet my vin is apparently not involved with that recall. my engine model 3mz-fe is involved with the recall yet toyota service dealerships and toyota customer experience both say it isn't. currently my car is not safe to drive according to the service dealership and a fee of roughly $800 awaits me. i do not understand how my make, model, model year, engine model, can all be related to a certain recall, and yet be told that my car does not qualify for that recall. i've been a loyal toyota customer for years recommending friends and family. extremely disappointed, and most likely won't purchase another toyota.

Extremely hard steering has been frequently a problem (accompanied by a loud squeal) during the first minute after start up, particularly in the cold. now i have noticed a sudden steering difficulty on a turn while driving long after start up.

Very stiff when turning. steering seems to lock and making a turn and returning to normal driving position is faulty, i took it to two mechanics and they both said it was the rack and pinion that had to be replaced. in looking at the database i see that this problem does exist with the toyota sienna. recall should be initiated as this poses a very serious problem.

Very dangerous situation: toyota sienna 2005 vsc (anti skid system) kicks in unexpectedly for no reason. numerous times i have been driving straight along dry roads only to have my abs (antilock braking system) suddenly come on, the van slow down, with the vsc alarm going off, and the vsc light blinking. it's very scary, especially on the highway, and it becomes hard to control the van. this has happened at high (~55 mph) as well as low (~25-30mph) speeds. i drive 90% on smooth, well-paved suburban roads, and about 10% on highways. the frequency of this defect is definitely increasing. one day it happened 4 times in one trip! all for no reason, and all under dry, normal driving conditions on smooth, suburban roads. my van has 113k miles on the odometer. this defect creates a very dangerous situation where the vehicle slows suddenly and unexpectedly, and swerves to one side without warning. i can't understand how there hasn't been a recall yet. a quick search online shows many people have had this exact same experience.

Steering problem.

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2005 toyota sienna. consumer writes in regards to vehicle brakes malfunction. *smd the consumer stated while driving down the highway at normal speed, the anti-skid activated on a dry road. the consumer stated the incident happened several more times, each time as the road curved to the right. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic. however, he was unable to find a problem, except for over-inflated tires. the consumer took the vehicle to another mechanic, but to no avail. the abs continued to activate. after doing some research, it was determined the issue was the steering sensor. it was replaced at a cost of $ 850. as the consumer left the shop, the left rear brake was not working properly, making odd sounds. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota sienna. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the traction control warning light illuminated and an audible alarm was activated before the steering suddenly jerk the vehicle to the left and right. the contact indicated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions and would only last a few seconds. the cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 185,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 toyota sienna. while driving at 25 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the contact had to apply force to the steering wheel in order to steer the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 139,350. updated 11/3/2017*cn

Car difficult to turn at all speeds. dealer states bad power steering rack and shaft may also be bad. *tr

I noticed a clunking noise when turning into a parking spot. it also felt like my van was diving into the parking spot. i took my van into toyota for another reason and was told at the time it was leaking at the rack and needed a new drive shaft and boot to the tune of 1200 dollars. we are still debating what to do and are very disappointed in toyota. we purchased this vehicle based on toyota's reputation for quality but have found this vehicle particularly repair prone. we have already replaced the radiator, parking brake and had a very expensive serpentine belt replacement due to the fusion of dissimilar metals. it seems to me that toyota's engineers should have understood the consequences of designing a vehicle with dissimilar metals that come into direct contact. we have never owned such a repair prone vehicle.

When backing out of driveway steering wheel locked (wouldn't turn); had to wait about a minute before steering wheel would turn. took it to the dealer to fix a couple of recalls and they did an inspection at which time they told me the power steering rack & pinion was leaking and it would cost $1800 to fix. checked online and found a lot of people are experiencing same problem. *tr

Steering problem involving a "freezing" of the wheel and then a gradual ability to resume steering. problem increasingly happening while making a turn and not just at start up. *tr

Steering wheel would suddenly be hard to turn at certain spots while driving. *tr

First, i noticed some oil stains on my drive way, then i drove my minivan to a local toyota car dealer for check up and routine oil change. next day, i noticed a bigger oil stain. anyway, i had an appointment and have to drive my minivan to my dentist office, on the highway, i saw smoke came out of my front hood. then, i drove it to the same toyota dealer afterwards. it was quite scary driving and seeing smoke came out of my front hood especially with my young daughter on board today. at one moment, i thought my car will be on fire. on the paper, i was told that my leaking is from rack and pinion steering system. i called toyota customer service, and the person who assisted me state his surprise of this rack and pinion leaking for such a low mileage car. i would like to file a mechanical damage report toward toyota defective parts. *tr

2005 toyota sienna: power steering fails intermittently, resulting in a loss of power steering and sudden increase in steering effort, increasing the risk of a crash. driver is at risk if sudden steering away from an event is necessary due to the effort and inconsistent nature of the steering. there are many complaints about this that can be found on various forums on the internet. it is a serious problem that should not be ignored and should be addressed before rather than after someone dies as a result of this vehicle fault. *tr

During a routine oil change, i noticed the passenger side, power steering rack and pinion boot had a tear and was leaking. i have read that the leaky seal eats into the boot to deteriorate over time. as i searched the internet for this problem, i noticed their were several other causes of this same issue. i think this demands for a recall. *tr

My 2005 toyota sienna started giving problems of rack and pinion leak for power steering around 90,000 miles. asked the dealer if this could be covered under warranty or power train but was denied. looking around various forums online, i came across that many of 2005 toyotas have this type of problem. i also own 2005 toyota camry and it also have the exact same problem at about similar mileage. cost to repaid was mentioned as $1300. i have 2 2005 toyota vehicles and both have exact same problem wanting me to spend $2600 total to repair the rack and pinion unit of both of my cars. i understand a lot of other 2005 toyota owners also have similar complaints. it should be a recall or it should be enhanced warranty work and toyota should fix this.

On hwy 1 from pacifica to santa cruz, driving approx, 45-50mph around the bends and curves, the van's vsc light would come on along with warning beeping and the car would try to "correct" itself by steering straight when i needed it not to. this happened again approx. 1-2 months later while driving along hwy 50, at approx. 45-50mph up to south lake tahoe on the same dry, but winding/curvy roads, the car would try to "correct" itself by steering straight. again, on june 17th, along hwy 50 approx. 45-50mph just taking the exit off of the freeway, steering into the right hand turn lane, the car vsc light, beeping and steering "correction". this is very dangerous!!!! i am surprised that it has not caused an accident yet!. i need the car to turn for a reason!! please feel free to contact me for further information. i took it to the toyota dealership and they said that the van had no logs from the sensors (steering angle or yaw). we asked them to recalibrate it (set it back to zero), but that obviously hasn't worked. i have ordered a new steering angle sensor and i am having it installed and the system recalibrated, in hopes that will fix the issue. *tr

Vehicle's traction control engages without cause when traveling more than 35 mph on a curve or bend. road speed limit is somewhere between 55-60 mph. if vehicle is traveling more than 40 mph, car's traction control and brakes engage, slowing car down to 35 mph. road conditions are normal. vehicle has been seen by local toyota dealership over 5 times in the last year. they are unable to diagnose issue or reproduce it. we have been almost been rear ended due to this faulty issue. *tr

Steering problem involving a "freezing" of the wheel and then a gradual ability to resume steering. today the problem occurred while making a turn and not just at start up. *tr

I was backing out of space in parking lot. with engine still on and running, the steering column locked and the brakes became inoperative. fortunately i was able to jam down on emergency brake to keep from backing into other vehicles across the aisle in the lot. *tr

Rack and pinion had to be replaced because of leakage. *tr

My wife started the car and claimed how hard it was to turn the steering wheel. we drove to a location using the expressway and the problem continued. it made turning under motion very difficult. i took the wheel on our return and confirmed how awkward it was. so we drove to our garage. they called us later and said the input shaft malfunctioned. cost of part from toyota $374.19 plus tax and labor. only one left in stock. is it possible that toyota has a problem that needs to be recognized and recalled before there are serious accidents?

Vehicle had been parked. when we backed out i turned the wheel to the left. there was a "clunk" and it felt like i just went over some object with the right front tire. we could find nothing in the parking lot that would contribute to this. i drove the car that day without further incident. the next day we went on a 430 mile trip. several times that we parked we heard the same "clunk" and felt a slight drop in the right front. i went to the toyota dealer as soon as i could get an appointment on 2/26/13. toyota found that the internal power steering rack was failing and had to be replaced for safety. the part number was: 0 44250-08041. i asked toyota if there were any safety recalls. there were none. toyota said these failures did occur on trucks in heavy duty use but not in sienna mini-vans. *tr

First of all, this vehicle has had all routine maintenance performed on a timely basis, and is in very good condition. car was taken in for routine oil change, and to have a review of a noise coming from the right, driver's side. was told rack and pinion steering was leaking, and needs to be replaced for a cost of $1200. *tr

Upon routine oil change appointment, vehicle was found to need the power steering rack replaced. it appears this has been a common problem in toyota sienna minivans model years 2004 through 2006. repair requires replacing power steering rack and aligning car, totaling more than $1000.00. *tr

2005 toyota sienna's vehicle stability control engaged for no reason while in many different conditions (dry, wet, curve, straight, it didn't matter) making me lose control of the car. the vsc, trac off and check engine lights came on and a beeping sound engaged while the care took over not allowing driver input. i had to put it in neutral until it turned off. i have read many accounts online of other toyota sienna drivers experiencing the same dangerous problem. thank goodness when it has happened, i haven't had a truck or semi next to me. this is my family car in which i need to drive my kids and other people's kids, and i cannot drive it anymore. toyota has to fix this problem, since it is a manufacturer problem. *tr

While i was driving, my steering started locking on me. i was going thru mountain driving and as i try to get control on situation it started to become much harder to control. to avoid any unpleasant incident i decided to move over in right lane and slow down significantly to keep control on the car. once the mountain driving was over i tried to find reliable shop to get this issue fixed as this was getting worst. we were fortunate to come out without injury but next family facing this issue might not be. i did research regarding this issue on internet and it appears that many more consumer has experience similar problem with same model. i would like to request a proper investigation for consumer safety. thank you *tr

During inspection and repair of other vehicle recalls, it was determined that power steering assembly was severely leaking fluids, that radiator was leaking in 3 places, and air conditioning coils hoses\brackets were corroded and cracked due to manufacturer using two dissimilar metals (such as steel bolts in aluminum assembly) and thereby requiring immediate replacement for safety. toyota dealership upon inspection declared steering assembly a "critical" repair and issued written documentation. i took vehicle to another shop and they confirmed toyota's dealers conclusion and also found radiator and conditioning coils problems missed by dealer. all problems have been fixed at owners expense - a recall should be made by manufacturer. *tr

My vehicle 2005 toyota sienna xle limited awd is experiencing a serious safety scare and concern, i have noticed the steering wheel column making loud pop noise at idle while turning the wheel, and while driving and turn at the speed 15mph or up. the loud pop and clicking noise is also associated with the feeling the u joint at the steering column shaft is badly design, and causing a real safety concern for the general public, this pop noise problem truly deserve a recall by toyota to fix this safety issue to avoid future injury or death accidents to occur for everybody. *tr

The steering on this vehicle has become very hard. at variuos speeds the steering goes from fluid to hard, and feels as though it's turning on a flat tire. *tr

During the turning of the steering wheel to the left at 5-10 mph, in making a left turn, clicks and clunking noise could be heard and felt through the steering wheel. at one point, i had to apply bigger turning force to the left as if i was overcoming some unusual resistance in the steering column, making the turn uneasy and non-smooth. *tr

The boots of the rack and pinion leaked and it seems that it is a common problem. they even have a tsb for it and toyota said replace the whole rack and pinion which is very expensive. *tr

Steering very hard and "bumpy" during low speed maneuvering when first driven for the day. internet search revealed many others have very similar problem that improved after spraying "steering knuckle" with penetrating type oil. appears steering link is becoming corroded and sticky. vehicle is always garaged when not being driven. called toyota dealer, they are aware of problem but say toyota hq has not authorized them to do any work without full pay. appears lots of people are having belts, power steering pumps, etc replaced at great expense at independent and dealer repair shops without solving the problem or the problem even being correctly diagnosed. lucky i have internet and refer to it in these situations. guess i can now have mine repaired for $1-2000 or do the temporary oil fix. lots of money when its a manufacturing design defect and they won't help. *tr

1. second row seat belt locked tight to passenger (unable to loosen) during steady speed as well when in standby. need to unlatch and fullly retract in order to extend it out again. 2. rack and pinion starts leaking power steering fluid and starts generating noise when making a turn. 3. passenger side slide door fails to open from inside and by remote. further research confirmed failure of lock release actuator. *tr

Vehicle did feel safe to drive because it was very hard to turn and driving was like there was a loose wheel. my wife almost climbed curves when she tried to make turns. brought the car to the dealer and they replaced the binding steering shaft and binding steering rack. the 2005 toyota sienna had only 41,000 miles on it. the car was not involved in any accident or major repair. i believe this is a safety issue and a recall need be issued. *tr

Steering has become difficult on 2005 sienna. feels like it is binding and releasing. it is intermediate and can happen during turning or a sticking when adjusting down a straight away. thru the internet, it seems the intermediate shaft assembly with a universal joint that fails from corrosion is to blame and i will be replacing it soon. after documented cases here and several toyota tsbs this isn't getting as much consideration as it deserves. *tr

Steering leaking. *tr

Toyota sienna 2005 was taken into dealership for regular maintenance service which included a check of the brakes. was told rear brakes needed to be replaced and that was performed. was told by dealer that front brakes were fine. 1 month later having problems with brakes still. took it to private mechanic and was told that master brake cylinder needed to be replaced. i would think this problems would have been detected when it was at the dealership. i am lucky that my brakes did not fail and cause an accident. other issues with this 2005 toyota sienna include having to replace the a/c compressor twice, rack and pinion replaced, and now the rear struts on the tailgate have failed. this vehicle is a serious safety risk. *tr

I noticed that occasionally the steering would be a little stiff. then the steering became very stiff when turning. often the steering would jerk to one side or another leading to the car moving suddenly. the car is not drivable now. the entire steering shaft is being replaced at an approximate cost of $1500. *tr