RoadVitals

2010 Toyota Avalon Steering Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Steering reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Jun 25, 2020
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
22%
of 46 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2010 Toyota Avalon submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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.

Owner reports naming steering

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Steering
Filed Jun 25, 2020

THE LATCH ON THE LOWER LEFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN THAT CONTROLS THE POSITIONING OF THE STEERING WHEEL CONSTANTLY COMES LOOSE. I DISCOVERED THAT AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, GOING STRAIGHT, AND THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY SLID IN AND DOWN. ALMOST CAUSING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL WITH MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. UPON CHECKING WITH A AVALON FAN GROUP, I DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS A ISSUE WITH ALMOST EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO OWNS THIS BODY STYLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
11330837
Incident
Apr 25, 2020
Mileage
69,500 mi
Steering
Filed Apr 20, 2020

LEVER THAT ADJUSTS TILT STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT STAY IN PLACE AND WHEN IT FALLS IT DISENGAGES THE STEERING COLUMN LOCK AT ANY TIME.

NHTSA ID
11321649
Incident
Apr 1, 2012
Mileage
15,000 mi
SteeringSuspension
Filed Jul 5, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND VEERING LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL STIFFENED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND THE SHOCKS AND MOTOR MOUNT WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED.

NHTSA ID
10882557
Incident
Jun 9, 2016
Mileage
83,000 mi
Steering
Filed Apr 9, 2016

THE STEERING COMUN IN-AND-OUT ADJUSTMENT CONTROL LEVER DOES NOT LOCK INTO POSITION CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN UNEXPECTED FREE MOVEMENT WHEN THE CAR IS MOVINGI

NHTSA ID
10854547
Incident
Apr 4, 2016
Mileage
92,000 mi
Steering
Filed Feb 11, 2015

WHEN VEHICLE WAS NEW STEERING WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO TURN AT LOW SPEEDS. IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT IT WAS NOT RIGHT. CALLED TOYOTA 1800 NUMBER IS WAS QUICKLY DISMISSED BY HELP LINE. FOUR YEARS LATER NEEDED RACK AND PINION FAILED WITH 110 K ON ODOMETER. WARRANTY RAN OUT AT 100K. I GOT MY USE OUT AND I FIXED THE STEERING. MY ISSUE IS WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR REPLACEMENT PARTS ON THE INTERNET I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE HOW MANY OTHERS WHO HAD ISSUES AND A LOT LESS MILES. I FEEL THEY ARE USING SUBPAR PARTS AND LOOKING TO CUT COST AT THE EXPENSE OF SAFETY. WE KNOW MR. TOYODA IS A LIAR AND PAID A FINE FOR LYING TO CONGRESS. I'M OK WITH CUTTING COST EXCEPT ON SAFETY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10682717
Incident
Oct 6, 2010
Mileage
3,000 mi
Steering
Filed Feb 1, 2015

STEERING WHEEL LOCKING LEVER KEEPS DISENGAGING. STEERING WHEEL MOVES IN AND OUT WHILE DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10680397
Incident
Sep 18, 2014
Mileage
37,800 mi
Steering
Filed Apr 25, 2014

MY POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE/TUBE HAD TO BE REPLACED. TOYOTA DID REIMBURSE THE AMOUNT OF THE PART SINCE THEY SAID IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, BUT I HAD TO PAY FOR THE LABOR. THEY SAID THE TUBE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE ENGINE. THE OFFICIAL CHARGES ARE BELOW. POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE/TUBE. R&R 08/10 UPPER TUBE SUB-ASSY, RE Q/S P/S FLUID $107.85 LABOR $130.35. *TR

NHTSA ID
10584910
Incident
Feb 21, 2014
Mileage
53,508 mi
Steering
Filed Jul 10, 2013

DRIVING ON RT 81S IN VIRGINIA WHEN THE TELESCOPING STEERING COLUMN LOCK CAME UNLOCKED. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL COLLAPSED TOWARD THE DASH. SINCE THEN IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. SEEMS TO SIMPLY VIBRATE LOOSE FROM TRAVELING ON BUMPY ROADS. TOOK IT BACK TO DEALER BUT THEY SAID THEY DROVE IT 7 MILES AND IT DIDN'T FAIL SO THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. SINCE THEN, IT HAS COME UNLOCKED 2 TIMES IN 264 MILES. AS LONG AS I CHECK IT EVERY TIME I START THE CAR, AND ANYTIME I DRIVE MORE THAN 100 MILES, IT'S SAFE BUT THIS IS NOT A GOOD SITUATION. DOING A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET SHOWS MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME SAFETY ISSUE OVER MULTIPLE YEARS OF AVALON'S. *TR

NHTSA ID
10524101
Incident
Mar 31, 2013
Mileage
50,380 mi
Steering
Filed Dec 21, 2011

I HAVE A 2010 TOYOTA AVALON WHICH I LIKE VERY MUCH. UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS A DESIGN DEFECT. THERE IS A LEVER ON THE STEERING COLUMN THAT LETS THE DRIVER CONTROL THE HEIGHT OF THE STEERING WHEEL. UNFORTUNATELY, THE LEVER DOES NOT STAY IN THE FIXED POSITION. OVER TIME IT DROPS DOWN AS A RESULT OF ROAD VIBRATION AND PERMITS THE STEERING COLUMN TO COMPRESS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE. THE FIRST OCCASION WAS QUITE SCARY AS I HAD TO SLOW DOWN RAPIDLY. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN IT OCCURRED A SECOND TIME SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, I WAS BETTER PREPARED. I HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR, BUT THEY SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. TO AVOID FUTURE INCIDENTS, I LOOK AT THE LEVER ALMOST EVERYTIME I GET IN THE CAR. IF IT HAS STARTED TO GO DOWN, I PULL IT BACK UP. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DO THIS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10440864
Incident
Sep 6, 2011
Steering
Filed Oct 8, 2010

THE STEERING WHEEL ON MY 2010 AVALON COLLAPSES WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE AN ADJUSTABLE "TELESCOPE" STEERING WHEEL THAT ADJUSTS FORWARD AND BACKWARDS. IT IS CONTROLLED BY A LEVER UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH LOCKS IT INTO PLACE. THE LEVER WILL SUDDENLY RELEASE WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED, CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO COLLAPSE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10359854
Incident
Oct 5, 2010
Mileage
13,000 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .