Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2015 Toyota 4Runner submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
All of a sudden it was so difficult to steer I ended up off my driveway and almost took out my chain link fence. Two hands on left side of the steering wheel and yanked with all my strength. Then across my drive to the left. If this had happened turning onto a highway someone could have been killed.
Steering shudder at 58-70 MPH has become almost unbearable. No warning lights whatsoever - ever! Vehicle has had this issue since 30K miles (110K currently) and Toyota always is "unable to replicate the issue" or tells people this is common on the 4 Runners and Tacoma's. I won't go to dealers anymore since Toyota knows it's a problem and they direct the dealers not to report to keep the issue cluster diluted. Any visible wheel shake, no matter what speed should not be considered "common". Just replaced all 4 tires with Pirelli Scorpions, did the recommended Toyota road force balance and had everything aligned. Doesn't drive any differently than with the old tires and out of alignment. Perhaps if the Toyota brass had to drive their OWNfamily in this vehicle, they would take a different position. Guess it will unfortunately take some highway fatalities in these vehicles before manufacturer or governments act. I'm praying for a class-action suit as there are 1000s of 4 Runner customers experiencing the same issue. Many of whom have sold at a loss just to get away from an unsafe vehicle. First Toyota I've owned and it will be the last.
Steering wheel shake and vibration at approximately 55-65mph. Alignment and multiple wheel balancing appointments have not fixed this problem.
AT 20,202 THE SUV'S STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE DEALER NOTED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED, GLAZED AND HAD HEAT SPOTS. VEHICLE QUALIFIED FOR REPLACEMENT BRAKES UNDER WARRANTY, REPLACED BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS FRONT ONLY. SINCE REPAIR, THE FRONT WHEEL STARTED TO SHAKE AGAIN - DEALER SAID TO GET NEW TIRES TO SOLVE PROBLEM. GOT NEW TIRES AT ~47,000. PROBLEM STILL EXISTED, AND TOOK TO DEALER FOR REGULAR SERVICE AND TO ADDRESS BRAKE PULSATION WHEN APPLYING PEDAL. THE DEALER, NORTHRIDGE TOYOTA, DECLARED THAT "THE PULSATION IS A WEAR OR DRIVING PATTERN ISSUE" REFUSING TO FIX THIS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE BRAKING SYSTEM. RECOMMENDING THE SAME ROTOR AND PAD REPLACEMENT AT A COST OF OVER $660.00. MANY DOCUMENTED COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME PROBLEM ON THIS NHTSA WEBSITE.
CLOCK SPRING IN STEERING WHEEL NOT WORKING.NO HORN, NO AIRBAG .I CALLED TOYOTA 1-800-331-4331 TALKED TO DOMINIC HE SAID THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME.
HAS A STEERING WHEEL SHIMMY BETWEEN 60-70 MPH, CAUSING PREMATURE WEAR ON TIRES. JUST BOUGHT 80K MILE WARRANTY TIRES ARE THEY ARE COMPLETELY BALD AT 20K MILES EVEN AFTER BEING ROTATED EVERY 5K MILES, BALANCES, AND ALIGNMENTS. UNABLE TO KEEP VEHICLE ALIGNED AND IN BALANCE NO MATTER HOW SOON I HAVE IT DONE AFTER JUST HAVING IT DONE (ONCE IN AUGUST AND THEN AGAIN IMMEDIATELY IN SEPTEMBER. BODY SHOP ADVISING THAT THE WELD ON THE REAR AXLE IS INCORRECT CAUSING THIS ISSUE. ATTEMPTED TO SPEAK WITH TOYOTA WARSAW, THEY AREN'T GETTING BACK TO ME AS THEY SAID THEY WOULD, CALLED CORPORATE 800 NUMBER AND SPOKE TO A RUDE FEMALE WHO WAS UNWILLING TO HELP ME. WAS TOLD THAT I HAD ALREADY BEEN DRIVING ON UNSAFE TREAD, THAT WHAT WOULD ANOTHER WEEK HURT? CAN'T BUY NEW TIRES UNTIL ISSUE IS FIXED BECAUSE THE TIRES WILL JUST PREMATURELY WEAR AGAIN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK AND MADE A CHATTERING NOISE. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED BECAUSE THE CONTACT THOUGHT THEY WERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000.
I HAVE A NEW 4RUNNER THAT I WAS NOT PLEASED WITH HOW IT WAS HANDLING. I TOOK IT INTO AN INDEPENDENT WHEEL ALIGNMENT SHOP TO GET AN OBJECTIVE OPINION. THE RESULTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE ATTACHED DOCUMENT. 10 OUT OF 14 OF THE SETTINGS WERE OUT OF SPECIFICATION. I PAID TO HAVE THESE ITEMS FIXED. MY CAR NOW TRACKS BETTER. CORNERS BETTER AND HAS A MORE STABLE RIDE. THESE SETTINGS WERE SO BAD I NOW REALIZE THAT I WAS IN CAR THAT WAS NOT AS SAFE AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I HAVE SUBMITTED THIS ATTACHMENT TO TOYOTA USA AND THE DEALER AND THE ONLY RESPONSE HAS BEEN THEY WILL FILE MY COMPLAINT. I AM AMAZED THAT TOYOTA DID NOT CONSIDER THIS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT THAT THEY SHOULD REMEDY AS PART OF A NEW CAR SALE.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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