2011 Toyota Tacoma Steering Problems

Steering shaft u- joint seizure causing loss of vehicle steering. Very dangerous.

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle for repair, the contact was made aware of rust on the steering shaft and the support arms and the front end of the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the contact was informed that there was no fix for the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 144,000.

UPON INSPECTION TO TROUBLESHOOT A MINOR POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK, I NOTICED THAT THE PINION INPUT SHAFT HOUSING (RIGHT SIDE OF POWER STEERING RACK) HAD EXCESSIVE RUST BEYOND NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. THE REST OF THE RACK DID NOT EXHIBIT THE SAME DEGREE OF CORROSION, SUGGESTING A MANUFACTURING OR ASSEMBLY DEFECT. THE CONDITION WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND BY TOYOTA TECHNICIANS. THE CERTIFIED MECHANIC STATES THAT THE CONDITION IS BEYOND NORMAL WEAR BUT THE TOYOTA TECHNICIAN DENIES THAT ANYTHING BUT A BOLT IS CORRODED.

I WAS DRIVING AND AT ANY SPEED THE STEERING WOULD LOCK UP WHILE TURNING. THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT HAS DETERIORATED TO FAILURE. I'M GLAD THAT I DIDN'T HAVE AN ACCIDENT BUT CAME CLOSE. WHEN SEARCHING THE INTERNET TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM I FOUND THAT IT WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE FOR ANYONE LIVING IN A AREA (NOT JUST IN THE USA) THAT IS A SNOW AREA WHERE SALT IS USED. TOYOTA CONSIDERS THIS A WEAR ITEM. THIS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A WEAR ITEM WHEN FAILURE CAN HAPPEN AT ANY GIVEN SECOND WHEN DRIVING AND NOT ALLOWING THE VEHICLES DRIVER TO BE IN CONTROL

THE VEHICLE TAKES LONG TO STOP EVEN AFTER CHANGING THE BRAKE PADS , ROTORS, BRAKE SHOES, WITH NEW COMPONENTS. THE REAR MAKES A THUD SOUND WHEN ACCELERATING OR COMING TO A STOP. THE LEAF SPRINGS ALSO SQUEAK AND I NOTICED AFTER THEY CHANGED MY FRAME THE LEAF SPRINGS WERE NOT CHANGE EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A RECALL ON THE LEAF SPRINGS AND IT WAS RUSTING? THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT STARTED TO MAKE THIS LOUD THUD SOUND WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS AROUND 5-10 MPH. THERE IS ALSO A RECALL ON THIS, BUT MY LOCAL DEALER SAYS THERE ISN'T ONE? WHY DOESN'T THE MAIN BRANCH TALK TO OR UPDATE THE SYSTEM FOR ALL TOYOTA BRANCHES FOR RECALLS? *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, I FELT MY STEERING COLUMN GET LOOSE. AFTER COMING TO A STOP AT THE GAS STATION, I TRIED MAKING SURE THE COLUMN ADJUSTER WAS TIGHT, AND IT WAS. THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL/COLUMN WAS STILL LOOSE, AND THEN FELL OFF INTO MY LAP. AFTER THAT, MY TACOMA WOULD NOT START. RADIO WOULD NOT WORK, AND THE ODOMETER NUMBERS DISAPPEARED. I HAD TO THEN CALL A TOW TRUCK TO GET MY VEHICLE HOME. IF I HADN'T STOPPED AT AT THE GAS STATION, IT WOULD HAVE FELL OFF AS I WAS DRIVING.

THE POWER STEERING RACK HAS RUSTED TO THE POINT THAT IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. BOTH A LOCAL MECHANIC AND MY DEALER, NEWARK TOYOTA, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE STEERING RACK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT IS NOT SAFE. TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL OR AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE PART; HOWEVER, THE PART IS BACKORDERED BY TOYOTA THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY FOR 450 PARTS. THE TECHNICIAN AT NEWARK TOYOTA TOLD ME IT COULD TAKE MONTHS TO GET THE PART BECAUSE TOYOTA CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND. MY OTHER OPTION IS TO HAVE TOYOTA INSTALL AN AFTER MARKET "RETREAD" . I AM FRUSTRATED AND FEEL THAT TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE OF ITS POWER STEERING RACK.

THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT HAS CAUSED MY STEERING TO ALL OF A SUDDEN GO STIFF, I AM AT 97,000 MILES AND NOW IT HAS TO BE REPLACED. WHEN DRIVING IN MOTION ON A CURVE IT WAS LIKE I LOST POWER STEERING COMPLETELY AND WENT INTO MANUAL WORSE WHEN HAVING TO SLOW OR STOP AND START AGAIN ON A CORNER. THIS IS NOT SAFE AND NOT OK WHEN THERE IS ON COMING TRAFFIC ETC.

INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT WORN OUT. VERY HARD TO TURN AND DOES NOT RECOVER FROM TURNING A CORNER (ACTS LIKE MANUAL STEERING).

MY STEERING WHEEL HAS BECOME STIFF ON AND OFF AT REGULAR INTERVALS AT ANY SPEED. NO NOISE IS HEARD AND FLUID LEVEL AND QUALITY IS FINE. PROBLEM NOTED AT LOWER STEERING SHAFT UNIVERSAL DUE TO NEEDLE BEARING FAILURE. WATER/ RUST BUILD UP DEGRADING UNIVERSAL JOINT. TRUCK HAS ONLY 48 K ON IT AND I LIVE IN PHILADELPHIA AREA. I LOOKED INTO THIS ON VARIOUS INTERNET SITES AND FOUND IT TO BE RATHER COMMON BUT NO RECALL OR TSB ISSUED TO ADDRESS THIS SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN.

LOWER STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT RUSTED

I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY STEERING BINDING IN MY 2011 TACOMA. I NOTICE THAT WHEN DRIVING IN STRAIGHT LINE I HAVE TO USE MORE THAN NORMAL FORCE TO ADJUST THE WHEEL TO STAY IN LANE. I ALSO NOTICE IT WHEN TURNING CORNERS, IT WILL BE MOVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN BIND UP AND IT TAKES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE TURN. THIS SEEMS LIKE A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND I TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND HAD THEM CHECK THE STEERING FLUID. THEY ENDED UP PERFORMING A STEERING FLUSH. I STILL HAD THE ISSUE AND I FOUND THAT THE LOWER U-JOINT IN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS RUSTY AND BINDING UP. I SPRAYED IT WITH PENETRATING LUBE AND IT HAS FREED UP (FOR NOW). I WILL BE ORDERING A NEW ONE ASAP. I DO FEEL THAT THIS SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA BUT AT THIS TIME THEY SAY THAT IT IS NOT.

I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE STEERING ON MY 2011 TACOMA IS VERY OFTEN EXTREMELY STIFF TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION LAST YEAR. I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALER TO CHECK IT OUT. WAS TOLD: "LOWER SHAFT STARTING TO GET STIFF". WAS QUOTED A REPLACEMENT/REPAIR COST AROUND $550. COULD NOT AFFORD THAT AT THE TIME. THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN INTERMITTENT BUT NOW HAPPENS NEARLY EVERY TIME I USE THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO PAY TOYOTA TO FIX THIS. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE "STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT NUMBER 2". IT SEEMS THIS PART IS EITHER DEFECTIVE OR POORLY DESIGNED AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON MANY AUTOMOTIVE WEBSITES WHICH SPECIFICALLY CITE THIS VEHICLE FOR A RANGE OF YEARS FROM 2005 ON. THERE IS NO PROTECTION AGAIN RUST AT ALL ON THIS PART. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. MY TRUCK IS 6YEARS AND A HALF OLD AND THE STEERING IS JAMMED. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT' NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A MAJOR SECURITY FAILURE AND IT SHOULD HAVE A SECURITY RECALL ON THESE VEHICULES.

AFTER RECALL/ REPLACEMENT OF REAR LEAF SPRINGS, WITH NEW 5 LEAF UNITS, THE TRUCK SAGS UNDER LOAD, RIDES AS ROUGH W/O CARGO COMPARED TO PRIOR 3 LEAF (THICKER) SET. THE TRUCK WAS NOT 4 WHEEL ALIGNED TO SPEC AND TOYOTA IS NOT VERIFYING THIS DONE, THE DRIVELINE HAS TORSION WRAP OR JERKY-SHUDDER UPON FULL STOP NOW, AS IF DAMAGED IN THE PROCESS. THE TRUCK WITH SIDE WINDS AND GROVES IN THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS WORK AND WITH TWO DIFFERENT NEW SETS OF MICHELINS (CHANGED THE SAME DAY THE SUSPENSION WORK WAS DONE), SHIFTED OFF LANE VIOLENTLY. COSTCO LOCALLY SAYS I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TIRES SO SWITCHED ME TO HIGHER SPEED RATED ONES (BUT I DO NOT DRIVE AT HIGH SPEEDS, I DRIVE CONSERVATIVELY). A LOCALLY WELL REGARDED TIRE-ALIGNMENT SHOP RECHECKED THE ALIGNMENT AND FOUND IT WAS INCORRECT THOUGH MERCED TOYOTA INSISTS IT PASSED THEIR "GREEN" ZONE ON WHAT LOOKED TO BE OFF-CALIBRATED HUNTER MACHINE. FROM THE RESULTS OF THIS MACHINE, THE SERVICE MANAGER AND MECHANIC BOTH STATED MY TRUCK'S FRAME WAS DAMAGED (SO WHY BOTHER WITH ALIGNMENT?). THIS WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CHECKED BY A BODY REPAIR SHOP WITH PROPER EQUIPMENT TO BE FOUND TO BE WITHIN ONE DIME'S THICKNESS DIFFERENT FROM RAIL TO RAIL, I.E. NO DAMAGE WHATSOEVER. TOYOTA WANTS ME TO RETURN TO THIS FAULTY DEALERSHIP EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE TWO OTHERS W/ IN 60 MILES FROM MERCED CA. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE, REFUSES TO PAY FOR VERIFYING THE DEALERSHIP'S ISSUES. I SUSPECT THE SPRING SET USED IN THIS RECALL DOES NOT MATCH MY VERSION OF TRUCK, A TRD SPORT ACCESS CAB WHICH IS 300 LBS MORE CAPABLE IN SPRINGING IF THE CHARTS ARE CORRECT. ALL COMBINED, THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT SOLVED AND THE RIDE HAS BECOME DANGEROUS, ONE I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT, ONE THAT FOLLOWS THE RUTS IN THE ROAD AND IS MUCH MUCH MORE DANGEROUSLY SENSITIVE TO SIDE WIND GUSTS ON THE FREEWAYS + LESS LOAD CAPACITY.

MY HORN DOES NOT WORK WHEN I PRESS ON THE STEERING WHEEL UNLESS I TURN THE WHEELS TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT THEN IT WILL WORK. I TOOK IN MY TRUCK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO CHARGE ME $130 TO LOOK AT IT. I TOLD THEM THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN I AM DRIVING AND SOMETHING HAPPENS AND I HAVE TO BEEP SOMEONE I CANNOT DO THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH I PRESS ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW. I OWNED OTHER CARS BEFORE BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I DROVE A CAR WITH NO HORN. TO ME IT SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURER ISSUE I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD REPAIR THIS AT NO CHARGE. *TR

THE STEERING IS VERY STIFF. VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO DRIVE. CONSTANTLY FEELS LIKE YOU'RE FIGHTING IT. FOR INSTANCE GOING DOWN THE INTERSTATE IN A SLIGHT CURVE, FEELS LIKE PULLS BACK. VERY STIFF STEERING, ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING. LOOKED UP SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE. FROM WHAT I READ, IT APPEARS TO BE POSSIBLE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. FROM THE DESCRIPTIONS I'VE READ, IT'S A POOR DESIGN. MAYBE NEEDS SOME PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTS. LIKE A RUBBER BOOT TO PROTECT IT FROM THE ELEMENTS. JUST VERY STIFF STEERING AND DIFFICULT TO STEER.

ON 10/1/2011 WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON DRY PAVEMENT, SLIGHT CURVE, PU BEEP IN DASH AS IT WENT INTO ONCOMING LANE TO LEFT QUICK, I HIT BRAKES "CLUNK" TOOK BOTH HANDS TO PULL TO RIGHT AND OFF THE ROAD. FELT LIKE POWER STEERING WENT OR LOST A WHEEL. WOULD OF HIT SOMEONE HEAD ON IF WAS MEETING A CAR OR TRUCK. NO CELL SERVICE, SO DECIDED TO SLOWLY TURN AROUND, AND TRY TO GET HOME==1 MI. OR LESS. PARKED. CALLED DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TOWED, BUT IF THEY FIND NOTHING I HAVE TO PAY. I DROVE UP TUES., THEY SAID NOTHING WRONG. PROBABLY LEVELING--BECAUSE I PUT A 3" LIFT ON IT. I NOW AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY NEW PU. 2,600 MI. THEY SAID THEY PUT ON MACHINE, BUT NO PRINT OUT AS IT SHOWED NOTHING WRONG????? *TR