Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1999 Toyota Sienna submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 21 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
TOYOTA 1999 SIENNA CE: STEERING PULLS TO LEFT. I HAVE TO HOLD STEERING TIGHT TO KEEP IT TO RIGHT. I ALREADY GOT ALIGNMENT DONE TWO TIMES AND NEW TIRES CHANGED BUT PULLING TO LEFT STARTS RIGHT AWAY. IT IS VERY DISAPPOINTING. *TR
I HAVE A 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA, BOUGHT NEW IN APRIL 1999. ON NOVEMBER 11, 2005, I HAD TO HAVE THE HORN FIXED BECAUSE TO MAKE THE HORN FUNCTION, YOU HAD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IT COST ME $399.35. THE DEALERSHIP LISTED "POOR CONTACTS IN CLOCK SPRING; REPLACE CLOCKSPRING". I NOW HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. I AM WONDERING IF THIS IS AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE VEHICLE. TOYOTA WILL NOT HELP WITH THE EXPENSE AS THE WARRANTY IS ONLY GOOD FOR 36,000 MILES OR 3 YEARS. HAVE YOU HAD ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA VEHICLES? IN ALL THE YEARS AND WITH ALL THE CARS WE HAVE OWNED (WE KEEP THE CARS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS) THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM WITH HORNS NOT WORKING; THAT IS WHY I FEEL THIS PROBLEM IS INHERENT WITH THIS MODEL IF NOT OTHER TOYOTA MODELS. (PLEASE NOTE; THE EQUIPMENT CHOICES PICKED ARE TO FILL IN THE REQUIRED INFORMATION FROM THE CHOICES GIVEN; NOT NECESSARILY CORRECT. THE PARTS NUMBERS ARE LISTED ELSEWHERE. *TR
SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING MY 1999 TOYOTA SIENNA MINIVAN, IN MAY, 1999, I NOTICED A SEVERE PULLING TO THE RIGHT. I COULD NOT LET GO OF MY STEERING WHEEL FOR EVEN A SECOND OR THIS VEHICLE WOULD PULL. I TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (NEILL SANDLER IN MURFREESBORO, TN) AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I TOOK IT ANOTHER DEALER AND THE LADY WORKING THERE JUST ACTED LIKE IT WAS IN MY HEAD. LATER I TRIED TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY WOULD NOT DIAGNOSE IT SINCE I HAD TAKEN IT TO THE OTHER DEALERSHIP - WOULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. RIGHT BEFORE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, IN 2002, MY HUSBAND TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND THE LADY THERE STILL ACTED LIKE WE WERE CRAZY. LUCKILY, THE SERVICE MANAGER OVERHEARD OUR CONVERSATION AND OFFERED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. AFTER RETURNING FROM HIS DRIVE, HE STATED THAT IT WAS THE WORSE DRIVEN VEHICLE HE HAD EVER BEEN IN. THEY ENDED UP BENDING THE FRAME AS THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE "SOLVED" ANY OTHER WAY AND HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT AFTER BUYING NEW TIRES IT WOULD BE BETTER, AND IT WAS, FOR A WHILE. SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO HAVE TROUBLE WITH IT, AND HAVE PURCHASED AT LEAST THREE SETS OF FRONT TIRES FOR THE VEHICLE. IT CONTINUES TO PULL AND WE JUST THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE WORTH MENTIONING AFTER SEEING YOUR WEBSITE. *JB
WHILE DRIVING THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THAT FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE POWER STEERING HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NM
ALL THE ABOVE DATA IS AN ESTIMATE BECUASE WE ARE WAITING FOR COPIES OF ALL MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR RECORDS FROM TOYOTA - - BUT WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE INCLUDING SCREECHING BRAKES, LEFT VEER WHEN DRIVING, BAD TRANSMISSION (REPLACED TWICE),SMOG CHECK FAILURE DUE TO OXYGEN SENSOR AND/OR ENGINE PROBLEMS, CLUNKING NOISES IN ENGINE, A SHUDDERING OF VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING OR BRAKING. THE CAR HAS BEEN AT DEALERS FOR AS LONG AS 3 WEEKS; DEALER ADMITS NOT KNOWING WHAT IS WRONG. FAILED
IN EARLY 2001, THIS VEHICLE HAD BINDING IN STEERING, RETURNING TO CENTER FROM LEFT TURNS. DEALER REPAIRED WITH KIT FROM A SERVICE BULLETIN, AT NO CHARGE, UNDER WARRANTY. AT SOME POINT LATER IN 2001, VEHICLE OCCASIONALLY LOST POWER ASSIST TURNING LEFT. INCIDENTS ARE BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. BOTH PROBLEMS LIMIT STEERING CONTROL, USUALLY AT LOW SPEEDS, REQUIRING FAST DRIVER CORRECTIONS TO AVOID COLLISIONS. ARRANGEMENT IS BEING MADE TO DIAGNOSE AND CORRECT THE LATEST PROBLEM. BOTH FAULTS SEEM CONNECTED AND SHOULD BE STUDIED, AS THEY ARE SAFETY HAZARDS, AND THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE EARLIER PROBLEM THAT DOES NOT SHOW UP IN THE NHTSA DATA BASE.
WHILE DRIVING STEERING SYSTEM MALFUNCTION ED,CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING ABILITY WHICH ALMOST RESULTED IN A CRASH. DEALER REPLACED RACK GUIDE SUB ASSEMBLY PER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. ALSO, BOTH SLIDING DOOR POWER LOCKS MALFUNCTIONED WAS UNABLE TO OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE, WHICH IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, THOSE SLIDING DOORS COULD NOT BE USED. DEALER HAD TO REPLACE LOCKS. BUT, SODA SPILLED INTO RUBBER OF DOOR AND CAUSED THEM TO STICK. THEY SHOULD USE BOTTLES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL MOVES BY ITSELF TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT, CONSUMER FEELS THAT THIS IS UNSAFE BECAUSE VEHICLE WILL TURN BY ITSELF. *AK *ML
WHEN MAKING LEFT TURN ABOVE 20 MILES PER HOUR, STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP AND MUST WRESTLE IT TO RETURN TO CENTER. *AK
RACK AND PINION FAILURE CAUSED EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR AND VEHICLE PULLING. *MJS
WHEN TRAVELING AND UPON MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN STEERING WHEEL STICKS IN ONE POSITION, CAUSING POOR STEERING CONTROL. ALSO, AFTER APPLYING EXCESSIVE FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL, THE STEERING WHEEL GOES BACK INTO POSITION. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. PE99-070. *AK
UPON ACCELERATION AND MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN, STEERING WHEEL STUCK, CAUSING POOR STEERING CONTROL. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER, DEALER HAS YET TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
STEERING WHEEL MALFUNCTIONS. YH
THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP WHEN ATTEMPTING LEFT HAND TURNS AND EXTREEME FORCE MUST BE USED TO COMPENSATE. *AK
THE VAN HAS A PROBLEM WITH STICKY RETURN-TO-CENTER AFTER 90 DEGREE LEFT TURN. TENDS TO HAPPEN IF SPEED IS ABOVE 20 MILES PER HOUR DURING TURN. REQUIRE JERKING OR SWERVING TO RETURN TO CENTER AFTER A LEFT TURN. MY WIFE THOUGHT I WAS SWERVING SINCE THE CAR WAS SWAYING BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO PREVENT US FROM MAKING A FULL CIRCLE TO THE LEFT. THE STICKING PROBLEM HAPPENS IRRESPECTIVE OF ROAD CONDITION. I HAVE REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER, WHO CHECKED THE FLUID BUT DID NOT PURSUE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AND MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP ON THE VEHICLE. *AK
THE VAN PULLS TO THE LEFT AND THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT RETURN TO A CENTERED POSITION WHEN MAKING TURNS. I FIRST REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER 2 WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND SINCE HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP 5 TIMES FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE TOYOTA SALESMAN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR (SINCE I GAVE IT TO HIM TO TEST DRIVE) YET THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM, AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I WROTE THE PRESIDENT OF TOYOTA A LETTER ABOUT AN INCIDENT 3 MONTHS AGO WHERE I ALMOST WENT INTO ON-COMING TRAFFIC BECAUSE I HAD TO PICK UP SOME CHANGE FROM THE FLOOR AND THE CAR DRIFTED TO THE LEFT. IF I DON'T KEEP A TIGHT GRIP ON THE WHEEL, IN SOME CONDITIONS, IT WILL IMMEDIATELY GO INTO THE OTHER LANE. CALLS TO TOYOTA WENT UNCONCERNED AND THE LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF TOYOTA WENT UNANSWERED.
WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL DOES NOT RETURN SMOOTHLY. THE DEALER IS REPLACING THE RACK AND PINION BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER REQUIRED ONE MONTH TO FIX PROPERLY.*YC
STEERING WHEEL "LOCKS" WHEN RETURNING FROM LEFT TURN WHILE ACCELERATING. REQUIRES STRONG PULL TO RETURN WHEEL TO STRAIGHT AHEAD POSITION. OCCURS INTERMITENTLY, BUT REPEATEDLY. DEALER "CAN FIND NO PROBLEM."
WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN VEHICLE CONTINUES TO TURN LEFT UNLESS MANUALLY TURNING STEERING BACK TO RIGHT, AND CLICKING IS HEARD. *ADJ
CLOCK WILL NOT OPERATE AT COLD TEMPRITURE (BELOW 30 DEGREES F)
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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