2015 Toyota RAV4 Steering Problems

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the radio was inoperable. The contact stated that the gauges failed to properly operate. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. Additionally, the rearview camera image was reversed before becoming inoperable. The ABS, AWD, and engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and an undisclosed fuse was replaced. The mechanic made the contact aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and scheduled an appointment with the dealer for the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System). The failure mileage was approximately 189,000.

NHTSA ID

11746428

Incident

Jun 23, 2026

Mileage

189,000 mi

November 20,2025 I was driving my 2015 Toyota Rav-4….Turning into my driveway and Suddenly a light on the dashboard came on…An emblem with the Steering 🛞 Wheel and Exclamation ❗️ point came on…I was glad that I was at a safe place and called Toyota dealership service department…I was told that it was something to do with the Power Steering Electrical System…That I shouldn’t drive the vehicle but take it to the dealer…I asked if there was a recall and I was told that there wasn’t a recall…I checked several places on Google and it showed several recalls for this particular vehicle and issue…The dealership advised me that there’s no recall for my vehicle…I’m not understanding…I have my Rav-4 that I’m afraid to drive and don’t know what to do at this point…

NHTSA ID

11700931

Incident

Nov 20, 2025

While driving a 2015 Toyota Rav4 (w/AWD) the vehicle's steering wheel started to shake and the vehicle lost acceleration. The check engine, AWD, and traction (trac) control lights illuminated. After pulling the vehicle over I tried calling AAA. After about 30 minutes, the warning lights went out. I decided to try to drive it home. After about 5 miles the same thing happened. However, after slowing down the problem went away. I called a Toyota dealer and requested a recall service (to fix the power steering assist). They scheduled the appointment and I dropped the vehicle off. When the vehicle was ready I discovered that they only performed the recall for the battery terminal. They informed me that there was no other recall for my VIN number. This problem should be on recall as I've researched and discovered many other complaints similar to mine. These situations like mine, and many others, are safety issues and could easily lead to injury and/or death.

NHTSA ID

11698564

Incident

Oct 31, 2025

There is an intermittent loss of the electric power steering assist. The car can't be steered during this loss of power, leading to an extremely high risk of a crash. Toyota issued a recall for the 2015 RAV4 for this exact problem, but they did not include my car's VIN in the recall. The problem has not been confirmed, as Toyota informed me that this could only be done at my expense. The vehicle or component has not been inspected for this problem. There have not been any warning lamps, but it's very obvious while driving that the power steering has failed.

NHTSA ID

11697838

Incident

Nov 6, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, and the vehicle failed to respond to the direction that the steering wheel was turned. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID

11643410

Incident

Feb 14, 2025

Mileage

80,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road by using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the power steering became functional. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the failure was linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering); however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

NHTSA ID

11605165

Incident

Jul 27, 2024

Mileage

118,000 mi

My vehicle's electrical components short-circuited, steering became difficult to control and the vehicle caught on fire under the hood near the battery compartment.

NHTSA ID

11561334

Incident

Oct 4, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the power steering warning light appeared on the instrument panel as the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle to the side of the road. The contact called a friend for assistance but once the friend arrived, the warning light had disappeared, and the vehicle was driven back to the residence. Several days later, the same failure returned while driving at 30 MPH. The vehicle was driven to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective steering shaft. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

NHTSA ID

11549733

Incident

Oct 6, 2023

Mileage

112,000 mi

The electronic power steering in my vehicle has been acting difficult for approximately 3 weeks now. I had new tires, front end alignment, inspection of the rack and pinion and tie rods done thinking this was the issue. This did not help. The steering column makes a clicking noise when I turn the wheel while stopped like 2 pieces of plastic are rubbing together. The steering feels like it is fighting me while I’m trying to turn the wheel or even while I am going straight no matter at what speed. When making a turn I can remove my hands from the steering wheel and the wheel and tires will stay in that position and not correct itself. Overall, no matter what speed I am traveling (either at a red light or driving) there feels like a failure in the electronic power steering motor like something is fighting the wheels alignment, the steering wheel and the power steering motor. It feels like it’s an Indy car steering wheels needing complete resistance to keep the vehicle straight. I brought this to an independent mechanic that inspected everything and said it sounds like the NHTSA campaign: 15V144000 and that I should have Toyota look at it. I just came back from DCH Wappingers Falls Toyota in NY and they wouldn’t even look at it and stated my VIN is not covered. I was told they don’t get paid for looking at something and they hardly get paid for recall issues. And, if I spoke to the service manager, she would tell me the same. I immediately called Toyota directly and opened a case and have the email proof. Toyota manufacturer representative told me the same thing and said “even though it sounds like the same recall, I’d have to pay out of pocket to she it fixed and hope to get refunded later.” To let me leave the dealership with this issue knowing I’m a single father with 2 kids is horrible. This issue needs to be looked at and I don’t know who to look at it or the money to fix it. I don’t know if I can download a video of this occurring. Please let me know.

NHTSA ID

11538464

Incident

Jun 23, 2023

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently while turning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 115,000.

NHTSA ID

11517120

Incident

Apr 6, 2023

Mileage

115,000 mi

Cs Traction Light Is On Cause INTERNAL OPEN IN STEERING ANGLE SENSPR MODULE THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR TRANSMITS THE STEERING WHEEL'S RATE OF TURN, WHEEL ANGLE, AND OTHER IMPORTANT DATA TO THE SPECIFIC VEHICLE'S COMPUTER. IF THERE IS A FAULT IN THE SIGNAL, THE COMPUTER CAN DISABLE THE VEHICLE'S STABILITY CONTROL. Correction REPLACE STEERING ANGEL SENSOR MODULE

NHTSA ID

11479597

Incident

Mar 9, 2019

Toyota informed me That my 2015 Rav4 is not eligible for Recall no. 15V144000, it does not apply to my VIN. However my Electric Power steering has malfunctioned with 82k miles on the Vehicle

NHTSA ID

11468235

Incident

Jun 8, 2022

Power to the vehicle was lost while making a turn under a stop light. Emergency flashers were used. All dashboard lights came on at the time the vehicle lost power. Radio stopped. The car was turned off and was able to be restarted after several seconds. The danger was having a vehicle stopped under a stop light for several seconds. The problem has yet to be repeated. It happened just this morning 5/23/22. No other warnings were given before loss of power. We have not yet had an inspection by any other parties but will plan on it as we are aware there had been an issue with a 12 volt battery case in the past on this model.

NHTSA ID

11465757

Incident

May 23, 2022

Power steering suddenly failed (and dash lights came on) when my wife and 6 year old son were driving down the road at highway speeds nearly causing accident. After turning car off and back on, it was restored. NHTSA Campaign ID: 15V144000 addresses this exact issue, but our VIN falls outside those included, even though its the same model year. Opened case with Toyota Corporate. Dealer says they have to reproduce issue to do anything, but being an ECU flaw, it nearly impossible to reproduce on demand.

NHTSA ID

11454413

Incident

Feb 10, 2022

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 50 MPH, the steering wheel seized while the power steering warning light was illuminated intermittently. The contact mentioned that the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted and operated as designed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering). The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.

NHTSA ID

11453350

Incident

Feb 10, 2022

Mileage

77,000 mi

The pump failed

NHTSA ID

11444248

Incident

Dec 17, 2021

The power steering has recently stopped working while driving. When the car is started, the power steering works fine, but within a few minutes, it will stop working and steering has to be done manually.

NHTSA ID

11427561

Incident

Jul 28, 2021

CAR RANDOMLY SHUT OFF ON MONDAY OF THIS YEAR.ALSO THE RADIO IS DEFECTIVE AND CAR TRY'S TO SWITCH GEARS WHILE DRIVING

NHTSA ID

11398917

Incident

Mar 1, 2021

Mileage

20 mi

DRIVING NORMAL, MADE A RIGHT TURN AND CAR SUDDENLY RESTARTS, STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP DURING TURN FOR A COUPLE SECONDS. ELECTRIC RESTART ENGINE AND TURNS OFF THE CAR AND CANNOT GAS IT, ONLY BRAKE. CAR COMES BACK ON WITHOUT ME TURNING IT ON AND DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN REST OF THE DRIVE. DRIVING NORMAL FOR A FEW DAYS, HAPPENS AGAIN, ENGINE RESTARTS AGAIN RANDOMLY WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN, SAME EXACT DESCRIPTION AS DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY. MULTIPLE DATES OF OCCURENCE

NHTSA ID

11395581

Incident

Feb 5, 2021

Mileage

34,000 mi

DRIVING NORMAL, MADE A RIGHT TURN AND CAR SUDDENLY RESTARTS, STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP DURING TURN FOR A COUPLE SECONDS. ELECTRIC RESTART ENGINE AND TURNS OFF THE CAR AND CAN'T GAS IT, ONLY BRAKE. CAR COMES BACK ON WITHOUT ME TURNING IT ON AND DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN REST OF THE DRIVE. DRIVING NORMAL FOR 2 DAYS AND ON THE 3RD DAY, ENGINE RESTARTS AGAIN RANDOMLY WHILE MAKING A RIGHT TURN, SAME EXACT DESCRIPTION AS DESCRIBED PREVIOUSLY. DRIVEN CAR FOR A DAY AND INCIDENT HASN'T REPEATED YET. BUT, NOW NOT SURE IF THIS AFFECTED IT, SENSORS OF CAR DOOR OPEN SIGN IS ON WHEN CAR IS TURNED OFF AND ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS ARE IN PLACE FOR LOCKING. ONLY WHEN CAR IS OFF AND I CANNOT FIX IT.

NHTSA ID

11389673

Incident

Jan 14, 2021

Mileage

25 mi

I WENT TO START MY CAR AND THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT WAS ON AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. TOWED TO SHOP AND THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG AND IT STARTS RIGHT UP. CONCERNED THE POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT WHILE I AM DRIVING.

NHTSA ID

11361664

Incident

Sep 25, 2020

Mileage

123,521 mi

I WAS EXITING A HIGHWAY ON A CURVE (EST. 40MPH) WHEN MY POWER STEERING FAILED INSTANTLY JERKING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. AT THE SAME TIME ALL OF MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLASHED ON AND OFF. I HAVE A TOYOTA RAV4 2015. THERE HAVE BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS DESCRIPTION BUT NOT ON MY VIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

11330901

Incident

Jun 23, 2020

Mileage

91,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS AND MAKING A TURN AT APPROXIMATELY 20-25 MPH, THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRIC POWER STEERING CUT OUT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE STEERING BECAME EXTREMELY HEAVY WITH NO ASSIST. THE RED STEERING WHEEL ICON LITE UP. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED AND LUCKILY I DID NOT HAVE MY FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11322348

Incident

Apr 23, 2020

Mileage

14,733 mi

A CRACKING NOISE IS NOTICE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT, WHETHER STATIONARY OR IN MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS CHECKED AT A TOYOTA DEALER AND RECOMMENDED TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN MOTOR ASSEMBLY AND STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY.

NHTSA ID

11296963

Incident

Dec 28, 2019

Mileage

76,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT'S GIRLFRIEND OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AND SEVERAL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AFTER THE POWER STEERING FAILURE. THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V144000 (STEERING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000.

NHTSA ID

11268940

Incident

Oct 15, 2019

Mileage

42,000 mi