There are 33 stored owner reports matching the steering leading-label group for the 2011 Toyota Highlander in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 33 of 33 matching reports. The list controls page through the loaded reports only.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)The power steering is clunky, locks in position when backing out of a parking spot, is clunky and unreliable at slow speeds. I can feel the steering column get far tighter feeling when turning at slow speed (3-10 mph)
Clicking in steering column light comes on dash for power steering then hard to make turn then well go back off then able to make turns with ease again
In the last 30 days, the steering has begun to feel "loose", as if I am driving on ice. At first it was barely perceptable. There has been more "play" in the steering. During the last 2 days, the car is now making a thud when I am steering right. I have an appointment for a mechanic to look at it. The car is a 2011 Highlander, AWD, with 89,000 miles on it. I feel the steering issue could be very dangerous at some point.
FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, THERE'S A THUMP WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL IN EITHER DIRECTION, NO MATTER WHAT ROAD/STREET. WE HAVE LESS THAN 43,000 MILES ON IT & DO NOT DRIVE ON RUFF TERRAIN. WE PURCHASED THE 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER NEW, TAKE IT TO THE DEALER EVERY 6 MOS FOR MAINT. & NOW TOLD IT NEEDS A STEERING SHAFT REPLACEMENT & 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT. ($657.33 TOTAL!) THIS IS INCONCEIVABLE TO PASS ON TO CUSTOMERS. AND A ROAD HAZARD TO ALL ON THE ROADS.
CLUNKING AND CLICKING WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL. TSB FROM TOYOTA CALLS FOR INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT REPLACEMENT, BUT TOYOTA WILL NOT WARRANTY REPLACEMENT OF THE FAULTY PART. HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN CRUISE CONTROL AND NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING SPEEDOMETER READINGS. REPORTED ABS BRAKE MALFUNCTION, BRAKE MALFUNCTION. OVER THE NEXT 45 MINUTES WHILE IN ROUTE TO A TOYOTA DEALER VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY LOST POWER STEERING AND SPEEDOMETER READINGS. ALL MALFUNCTIONS HAPPENED WITH NO WARNING.
STEERING SHAFT U JOINT MAKES CLUNKING NOISE. DEALER ADVISED IMMEDIATE REPLACEMENT AS THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN.
I STARTED EXPERIENCING A CLUNK IN THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT FOR PARKING . IT HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES SO I TOOK IT TO MY REGULAR TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE. AFTER TEST DRIVING THE CAR THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I FELT I HAD NO CHOICE SO HAD THEM DO THE WORK AND IT COST $782.30 FOR PARTS / LABOR PLUS $134.95 FOR ALIGNMENT. TOTAL OF $917.25. I FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #T-SB-0034-13 ON FEBRUARY 21,2013 SENT TO ALL TOYOTA REPAIR SHOPS ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. THEY TOLD THE MECHANICS HOW TO REPLACE THIS EQUIPMENT AND THAT "A NEW INTERMEDIATE SHAFT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO ADDRESS THIS CONDITION". TO ME THAT MEANS THAT IN 2013 THEY KNEW IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW AND CORRECTED THE PROBLEM BY DESIGNING A NEW SHAFT. IF THEY HAD NOTIFIED THE 2008-2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER CUSTOMERS THEN THAT THIS WOULD BE AN ISSUE, MANY WOULD HAVE STILL BEEN UNDER WARRANTY AND IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED. BUT INSTEAD THEY WAITED UNTIL PEOPLE HAD THE PROBLEM, BROUGHT THEIR CARS IN FOR REPAIR AND THEN CHARGED THEM WHATEVER THE GOING RATE IS. IN THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IS CLEARLY STATES THAT THIS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER A BASIC WARRANTY FOR TOYOTA. I SPOKE TO MY SERVICE ADVISOR AND HE REFERRED ME TO TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS. I CALLED THERE AND SPOKE TO TWO "SENIOR CUSTOMER ADVISORS" AND BASICALLY WAS TOLD I WAS OUT OF LUCK...NO RECALL, NO CAMPAIGN AND NO CUSTOMER REMUNERATION. WHEN I LOOK ONLINE IT'S CLEAR THAT MY HIGHLANDER IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE AND SPEND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FOR THE REPAIR. I THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE TO OWN UP TO !!
THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH MY POWER STEERING WHEEL, IT'S STIFF AND I UNABLE TO CONTROL IT WHEN ON THE ROAD. WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH HIGH SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL SWAY LEFT OR RIGHT AND I UNABLE TO CONTROL IT BACK TO STRAIGHT. ALSO, WHEN MAKING A TURN THE STEERING WHEEL NOT REFLEXES, FAST ENOUGH FOR ME TO MAKE A TURN. FOR INSTANCE, WHENEVER I MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND THEN TRY TO STRAIGHTEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO STRAIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT REFLEX BACK ENOUGH THAT IT LEADS ME TO HIT THE CURB DAMAGING FRONT WHEEL RIM. SINCE, THE PROBLEM KEEPS ON OCCURRING, AS I GET WORRIED I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP REPAIR SHOP TWICE WITHIN THE PERIOD OF 2 MONTHS. THE FIRST TIME, I TOOK IT IN THE MECHANIC STATES THAT PROBABLY HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ALIGNMENT, SO I PAID THE FOR THE PERFORMANCE. AND IT DIDN'T HELP AT ALL. THEN THE SECOND TIME, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP REPAIR SHOP AGAIN, I TOLD THEM THAT THE ALIGNMENT DIDN'T HELP AT ALL AND ALSO I SPECIFY THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE STEERING WHEEL THEN I LEFT THE VEHICLE THE WHOLE DAY FOR THE REPAIR SHOP TO FIX IT. LATER, WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP, THEY STATED THAT THEY CORRECTED THE CRADLE AND DO THE ALIGNMENT 4 TIMES AND I TOOK THE CAR OUT HOME. THE VEHICLE STILL HAD THE PROBLEM THAT I HAD WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN TO REPAIR, THEN I DROVE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THE MECHANIC. THEN THE MECHANIC DROVE THE CAR WITH ME IN THE CAR, AND HE TOLD ME THE PROBLEM IS THE ELECTRIC STEERING WHEEL AND THERE NO WAY HE COULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEN I ASKED HIM IF I TOOK IT TO ANY OTHER SHOP WILL THAT HELP. HE SAID NO, THERE NO SHOPS THAT COULD FIX IT. HE ALSO SAID THAT I JUST HAVE TO PUT UP WITH IT. BUT, IT IS MY LIFE OR EVER MY FAMILY MEMBERS LIFE ON THE ROAD. SO, I'M REALLY WORRIED AND I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO REPLACE WITH A NEW CAR RIGHT NOW. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE, I BOUGHT IT NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP.
INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFTS CLUNK NOISE. FREQUENTLY WHILE DRIVING.
LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH ON AN ACCESS ROAD ENTERING THE FREEWAY AND DASH LIGHTS AND RADIO CUT IN AND OUT.
I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A RED LIGHT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, PREPARING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN. WHEN I THEN BEGAN THE RIGHT TURN I LOST POWER STEERING AND COULD NOT STRAIGHTEN OUT THE WHEEL, RESULTING IN ME RUNNING UP ONTO THE CURB. I IMMEDIATELY LET OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL- LUCKILY NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME. I THEN GAVE THE CAR GAS AGAIN WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL BACK TO THE LEFT, AND SUDDENLY THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN.
AT AROUND 90,000 MILES I NOTICED A DISTINCT CLUNK IN THE STEERING AS THE WHEEL UNWOUND FROM SHARP TURNS AT SLOW SPEED. THE CLUNK ALSO SHOWED UP WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT ON ROUGH ROADS AND UNDER FIRM BRAKING. THIS IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN ISSUE HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2013/SB-10075792-2280.PDF. I HAVE HAD THE PART REPLACED WITH THE UPDATED VERSION, AND THE STEERING IS NOW GOOD AGAIN, BUT I EXPECTED SOMETHING LIKE TO BE COVERED IN A SAFETY RECALL.
POPPING NOISE IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AT SLOW SPEEDS.
CLUNKING OR TAPPING NOISE WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT THAT CAN BE FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. DIAGNOSED BY TOYOTA AS "STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT BINDING." THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2008-2013 HIGHLANDER. ADVISED BY TOYOTA MECHANIC THAT IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE FIXED UNLESS I PREFER IT NOT TO KNOCK OR CLUNK WHEN TURNING.
WHEN TURNING OR OVER BUMPS THE STEERING COLUMN MAKES CLUNKING NOISE. HAS BECOME LOUDER WITH TIME
THE STEERING IN MY HIGHLANDER HAS STARTED MAKING A POPPING AND KNOCKING SOUND WHEN TURNING THE VECHICLE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN DESIGN DEFECT WITH THIS VECHICLE BY TOYOTA AND THEY SHOULD ISSUE A SAFETY RECALL. THE NOISE IS MOSTLY NOTICEABLE AT LOWER SPEEDS WHEN PARKING BUT IT ALSO OCCURS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.
DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH GENTLE TURNS AT 35MPH, POWER STEERING FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE STRAIGHT UNTIL THERE WERE NO CARS DIRECTLY BEHIND ME AND I COULD BRAKE TO A SAFE SPEED TO ATTEMPT TURNING. I WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO MANUALLY STEER THE CAR TO TURN INTO A DRIVEWAY USING A THREE POINT TURN.
WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THEN THE TURN IS COMPLETED...THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT GO BACK INTO POSITION. THIS OCCURS WHEN YOU ARE IN MOTION.
INTERMEDIATE SHAFT ISSUES. HAD ONE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY A YEAR OR TWO AFTER PURCHASE. INTERMEDIATE SHAFT ISSUES RETURNED IN THE LAST YEAR. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WANTS $500 TO REPLACE A SHAFT THEY KNOW HAS BEEN DEFECTIVE FOR YEARS LEADING UP TO THIS MODEL. THIS IS THE PRIMARY VEHICLE FOR MY WIFE AND CHILDREN. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THERE SAFETY WITH THIS MATTER. THIS ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED YEARS AGO. THIS ISSUE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO COME TO THE POINT OF SOMEONE GETTING INJURED OR DYING TO HAVE THIS MATTER ADDRESSED.
Showing 1-20 of 33 loaded complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
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Vehicle import recorded: Apr 29, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.