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 2009 Toyota Sienna submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 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
On my 2009 Toyota Sienna XLE V6 FWD. The anti-slip indicator light improperly turns-on on dry roads at safe speeds. This causes a distraction to the driver.
A DEALERSHIP INSPECTION ON AUGUST 30, 2017, ON MY 2009 SIENNA VAN WITH 76,096 MILES ON IT I WAS TOLD THE POWER STEERING UNIT WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE COST WOULD BE 1014.98 PLUS ALIGNMENT, SHOP FEES, AND TAXES. MY DAUGHTER HAS A 2010 SIENNA VAN WITH OVER 100,00 MILES AND HAS NOT HAD THAT PROBLEM. SOMETHING IS AMISS WITH TOYOTA AND THEIR STEERING SYSTEM. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THE STEERING LEAKAGE SEEMS TO BE A COMMON.
TOYOTA 2009 SIENNA LE 2WD POWER STEERING RACK & PINION SEAL FAILED AND LEAKED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AT 85,000 MILES. THE RACK BOOT ALSO TORE BROKEN. REPAIR COST IS ESTIMATED AT APPROXIMATELY $1,300. NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ARE POSTED BY OWNERS ON THE INTERNET ALL POINTING TO THE SAME DEFECT. IF DRIVERS ARE UNAWARE, OR IF THE DEFECT IS NOT RESOLVED, POWER STEERING COULD FREEZE AND POTENTIALLY CAUSE LIFE THREATING SITUATIONS.
BOUGHT MY 09 SIENNA NEW. AT 28,000 MILES, HAD TO HAVE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING SHAFT REPLACED DUE TO LEAKING. AT ROUND 60,000 MILES, INFORMED ONCE AGAIN THAT MY RACK AND PINION STEERING SHAFT IS LEAKING AND WILL NEED REPLACED AT A PRICE OF $1,300.00. HOW CAN A CAR THAT WE AVERAGE LESS THAN 8,000 MILES A YEAR GO THROUGH STEERING SHAFTS LIKE THIS?
TAKATA RECALL ! I WAS DRIVING TOYOTA SIENNA ON LOCAL STREET IN BOCA RATON WHEN CAR HAD UNEXPLAINED ACCELERATION. CAR STRUCK A TREE WHICH CAUSED THE AIR BAGS TO REACT. I HAD AIRBAGS STUFFING IN MY LUNGS WITH CONTUSION AND IN MY INTESTINES. MY SON HAD A BAD CONTUSION ON RIGHT SIDE FROM SIDE AIRBAG. MY WIFE HAD TO SPEND 17 DAYS IN A HOSPITAL BECAUSE CONTUSION ON LUNGS AND MULTIPLE BONES. THE FORCE NOT HER OUT OF HER SEAT ON FLOOR. HER SEAT BELT CUT INTO HER ABDOMEN. SHE ALMOST DIED FROM INJURIES AND INCOMPETENT MEDICAL CARE. MY DAUGHTER WAS SAVED FROM SEVERE INJURY BECAUSE THE SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT FUNCTION. THIS WAS A TERRIBLE HOLIDAY GIFT. *TR
DRIVER'S SIDE POWER STEERING LEAK. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DETERMINED A NEED TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING RACK, PLUS FLUID AND A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT. TOTAL COST OF PARTS AND LABOR WAS $1397.87. APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL, MAKE AND YEAR VEHICLE.
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A VERY STEEP NARROW UNPAVED DRIVE THE ENGINE STOPPED. ALL LIGHTS ON THE DASH REMAINED ON BATTERY LIGHT WAS ON. STEERING WAS VERY DIFFICULT AND THE BREAKS WERE STIFF. WHEN I CAME TO A STOP I RESTARTED THE ENGINE.
THE DEALER (AMERICAN TOYOTA LOCATED IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM) HAS ADVISED DURING A SCHEDULED SERVICE ON THE MINIVAN THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT IS LEAKING. THE CAR HAS 41124 MILES ON IT, AND THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE REPAIR IS $1093.00. I LOOKED THIS PROBLEM UP ON THE INTERNET AND IT SOUNDS COMMON TO THIS MODEL. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM ON ANY OTHER VEHICLE THAT I HAVE OWNED, SO I WAS WONDERING IF IT WAS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE COVERED BY A RECALL.
THE CAR HAD AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM AFTER 5000 MILES. FIRESTONE ALWAYS ALIGNED THE WHEELS BUT 1 WENT THROUGH 3 SETS OF TIRES. THE CAR WOULD SPEED UP THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AFTER I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS PEDAL. THE BRAKES SEEMED TO WORK BUT THEY JUST DID NOT SEEM RIGHT. I NOTICED THE DAY AFTER I DROVE THE RAV4 THE DIFFERENCE FORM THE SIENNA. THE RAVE 4 ALSO JERKS SOMETIMES WHEN I STEP ON THE GAS PEDAL.
TOYOTA DEALER SAID THE RACK AND PINION STEERING UNIT WAS LEAKING HAD TO BE REPAIRED, AT A VERY HIGH COST. LOOKING ONLINE, I FIND THAT A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE, BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL. APPARENTLY MOST PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO REPORT SUCH ISSUES. THERE IS NO REASON WHY A VEHICLE ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD SHOULD BE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I WOULD SUSPECT THAT NEWER AND OLDER MODELS MAY ALSO BE AFFECTED. *TR
INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS 5 YEAR OLD VEHICLE WITH 75,000 MILES IS SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH OLDER MODEL YEAR SIENNAS: A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK DEVELOPS THAT ULTIMATELY REQUIRES A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE POWER STEERING RACK. TOYOTA REFUSES TO PAY FOR REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT OF AN OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE DESIGN/PART. *TR
WENT TO DEALERSHIP FOR AN ALIGNMENT, CAR DRIFTED TO THE LEFT. THEY TOLD ME THE STEERING SHAFT WAS VERY WORN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. HAD TO INSTALL A NEW STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND SHAFT ASSEMBLY. THIS WAS COVERED UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT THERE IS NO WAY A STEERING SHAFT SHOULD BE WORN OUT AT 30000 MILES! THERE HAS TO BE A DEFECT IN THE STEERING SHAFT. LUCKY, I HAD THE ALIGNMENT DONE BEFORE MY PLANNED 700 MILE TRIP. *JB
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
Data on this page last refreshed .