2012 Toyota Sienna Steering Problems

The battery light came on suddenly and the power steering went out making it extremely difficult to steer the vehicle. An accident was narrowly avoided. We replaced the battery, alternator, and serpentine belt. The problem resolved for over 6 months, then reappeared. It starts with no issue, is charging properly, the serpentine belt is intact. The power steering will come on and go off sporadically, the only warning being the battery indicator on the dash that comes on first. This creates a substantial hazard and risk as the steering is severely impacted with little warning.

NHTSA ID

11687324

Incident

Jul 21, 2024

My wife let me know that when turning to the right (not an aggressive turn, but a normal turn from one lane to the next), the whole electrical system of the minivan would shut down and then come back on. I had a mechanic check it out and they say that this is due to the electrical steering system and will have to be replaced by the dealer. He was able to reproduce the same condition where he was able to get the minivan to lose power when changing lanes. He STRONGLY advised that we should have the vehicle towed to the dealer as he felt that it wasn't safe to drive due to this. I feel that this will end up causing a lot of crashes and also that this should be covered by the manufacturer under a recall.

NHTSA ID

11528362

Incident

Jun 22, 2023

2012 TOYOTA SIENNA DEVELOPED A "CLUNK" IN STEERING SYSTEM WHILE TURNING FROM A STOPPED POSITION. THE CLUNK CAN BE FELT THROUGH BOTH THE STEERING WHEEL AND FLOOR. THIS IS CAUSED BY A WELL-KNOWN SAFETY PROBLEM TOYOTA HAS HAD WITH SEVERAL OTHER MODELS INCLUDING RAV4, HIGHLANDER, AND CAMRY (SOME OF WHICH HAD RECALLS). TOYOTA IS PUSHING THE COST OF THEIR MISTAKES ON ITS CUSTOMERS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM, ALONG WITH OTHERS, WITH TOYOTA.

NHTSA ID

11292250

Incident

Aug 15, 2018

Mileage

95,000 mi

EVERY TIME I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AT LOW SPEED...IT MAKE NOISE SOUND LIKE A LOSE BOLT IN THE UNIVERSAL JOINT..TOYOTA DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING

NHTSA ID

11265829

Incident

Dec 29, 2018

Mileage

10 mi

C1433 ERROR CODE HAS ON MY TOYOTA SIENNA 2012 I THINK IT IS SAFETY ISSUE C1433 STEERING ANGLE SENSOR INTERNAL CIRCUIT

NHTSA ID

11230622

Incident

Jul 2, 2019

Mileage

144,000 mi

STEERING KNOCK IS EXPERIENCED AT SPEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 35MPH AND LESS WHENEVER STEERING LEFT OR RIGHT. THIS CONDITION WAS FIRST NOTICED AT APPROXIMATELY 80K MILES AND HAS GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE NEXT 50K MILES. THE KNOCK IS NOT ONLY FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL, BUT IT HAS BECOME AN AUDIBLE NOISE AS WELL. I'VE READ SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WHERE DEALERS HAVE FIXED THIS KNOWN PROBLEM, HOWEVER I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY RECALLS ON THIS OR ANY INFORMATION FROM TOYOTA STATING THAT THIS IS A KNOWN CONDITION AND IS SAFE TO CONTINUE OPERATION. UNTIL TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGES THIS AS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND DETERMINES WHETHER OR NOT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, THEN I'LL CONTINUE TO OPERATE MY 2012 SIENNA WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS SAFE TO OPERATE AND JUST PUT UP WITH THE KNOCK. IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE GREAT IF TOYOTA WOULD AT LEAST PUT ITS CUSTOMER'S MIND AT EASE BY AT LEAST MAKING A STATEMENT ABOUT THE CONDITION AND WHETHER IT IS SAFE TO CONTINUE OPERATION OF VEHICLES WITH THIS CONDITION.

NHTSA ID

11065753

Incident

Jan 29, 2018

Mileage

80,000 mi

THE VEHICLE MADE THUMPING / POPPING NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING - MOSTLY TURNING LEFT, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVE TO LEFT TURNS. THE SOUND WAS RECOGNIZABLE MORE DURING LOWER SPEEDS, AND LESS NOTICEABLE AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THIS WENT ON FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, AND FEARING SAFETY ISSUES AND LOSS OF STEERING, I GOT IT FIXED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE STEERING MID-SHAFT AND HAD TO PERFORM THE ALIGNMENT AT A COST OF APPROX $650. IT HAS BEEN 3 WEEKS SINCE, AND THE ISSUE HAS NOT OCCURRED AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

11060906

Incident

Dec 14, 2017

Mileage

50,000 mi

1) POWER SLIDING DOOR OPENED WHILE DRIVING; 2) STRER WHEEL ALWAYS STAY ON RIGHT. I TOOK MY VAN TO DELAER (MARK JACOBSON) AND THEY HAVE NOT FIXED THE SLIDING DOOR AFTER I REPORT THE PROBLEM WITH SLIDING DOOR. AFTER I STARTED SEARCHING ON INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THERE IS RECALL ALSO. I CALLED THEM THERE IS A RECALL BUT THEY DID NOT DO ANYTHING. RECALL DATE: NOVEMBER 22, 2016 DEALER REFERENCE ID: G04 NHTSA RECALL ID: 16V858

NHTSA ID

11047282

Incident

Nov 17, 2017

Mileage

10 mi

WE HAVE 54K MILES ON OUR VAN AND HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE WHEN WE WOULD MAKE A TURN (RIGHT OR LEFT). I BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. THE COST WAS $750. I LOOKED ONLINE AND SEE PREVIOUS RECALLS FOR TOYOTA FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO SEARCHED AND FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH NEWER YEAR SIENNAS LIKE MINE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT THAT IS STILL IMPACTING TOYOTA AND CONSUMERS. TOYOTA WAS NOT WILLING TO LISTEN TO OUR PROBLEM OR HELP IN ANY WAY.

NHTSA ID

11034726

Incident

Oct 17, 2017

Mileage

54,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO JERK LEFT AND RIGHT INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (ORLAND TOYOTA, 8505 W. 159TH STREET, TINLEY PARK, IL 60487) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000.

NHTSA ID

11034330

Incident

Sep 12, 2017

Mileage

55,000 mi

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SWITCHED FROM PARKING POSITION INTO REVERSE WITHOUT ENGAGING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ROLLED BACK. BEFORE ROLLING BACK THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN THE PARKING POSITION ON THE DRIVEWAY OF MY HOUSE

NHTSA ID

11004729

Incident

Apr 29, 2017

Mileage

39,475 mi

KNOCKING/BUMPING SOUNDS COMING FROM LOWER STEERING COLUMN WHEN TURNING - DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED

NHTSA ID

10971081

Incident

Jan 27, 2017

Mileage

58,000 mi

THE VEHICLE IS MAKING CLICKING NOISE WHEN WHEELS ARE TURNED AND THE VEHICLE IS IN LOW SPEEDS FORWARD AND IN REVERSE. IT APPEARS THAT THE CLICKING NOISE COMES FROM THE STEERING SYSTEM AND/OR WHEELS. THE CLICKING SOUND IS BECOMING LOUDER AND LOUDER. ALSO, IT APPEARS THAT THE WHEELS "JERK" SLIGHTLY WHEN TURNED LEFT/RIGHT AND IN MOTION.

NHTSA ID

10907023

Incident

Mar 1, 2015

Mileage

40,000 mi

STEERING WHEEL COLUMN (OR PART OF THE STEERING WHEEL IS MAKING A CLICKING SOUND WHEN TURNING WHEELS IN LOW SPEEDS OR IN REVERSE. THE CLICKING SOUND IS GETTING LOUDER AND THE WHEELS APPEAR TO "SKIP" OR "JERK SLIGHTLY" WHEN TURNED. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A TYPICAL OR INDIVIDUAL ISSUE, BUT A LOT OF TOYOTA SIENNA OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

10907020

Incident

Mar 1, 2014

JOINING HIGHWAY IN A SITUATION WHERE VEHICLES GIVING WAY CAUSE HESITATION AND THEN GIVE WAY CAUSING BRAKING THEN ACCELERATION REPEATEDLY, TRANSMISSION REFUSED TO DOWNSHIFT ON KICK DOWN, VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE, ACTUALLY SLOWED SIGNIFICANTLY FORCING FOLLOWING VEHICLES TO BRAKE .VEHICLE EVENTUALLY BEGAN TO PICK UP SPEED.GENERALLY POOR RESPONSE FROM TRANSMISSION IN ALL MODES. TRANSMISSION DROPS OUT OF DRIVE AT LOW SPEEDS CAUSING ENGINE TO RACE BEFORE TAKING UP DRIVE, VERY HARD TO OPERATE VEHICLE SMOOTHLY.. EXCESSIVE ENGINE VIBRATION AND NOISE FOR THIS PRICE POINT ,KNOWN MORE REFINED DIESELS KNOCKING FROM STEERING COLUMN ON CONSTANT RADIUS TURNS WHEN MAKING SMALL STEERING CORRECTIONS, DETECTABLE AT LOW AND MODERATE TO HIGH SPEED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10456744

Incident

Feb 15, 2012

Mileage

1,500 mi