Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Toyota Tacoma submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 61 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.
The 25 most recent of 61, in the owner's own words
INTERMEDIATE STEERING ROD LOWER BALL JOINT HAS FAILED , UNABLE TO STEER TRUCK SAFELY THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS TOYOTA NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK BRAND NEW IN 2005 OFF THE FLOOR
AS I WAS DRIVING I WENT TO MAKE A TURN AND THE STEERING BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT AND DOSE NOT RESPOND AS IT SHOULD, TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND TOLD ME THE STEERING SHAFT MUST BE REPLACED, I ALMOST RAN INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC BECAUSE OF THE STEERING PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES ON CITY STREETS COUNTY ROUTES AND US HIGHWAY ROUTE 22 IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
VEHICLE HAS PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING COLUMN, SPECIFICALLY IN THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. IT MAKES NOISE WHILE DRIVING.
MY STEERING HAD STARTED TO GET STIFF DURING A TRIP TO PHILADELPHIA. SINCE THEN IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE. AFTER ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF THIS IT BECAME NORMAL AGAIN. NOW IT IS GOING BACK TO BEING STIFF AND HARD TO TRANSITION FROM A TURN TO STRAIGHT MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DRIVE.
STARTED TRUCK AND WHEN PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY STEERING BECOME EXTREMELY STIFF. NO UNUSUAL SOUNDS. STIFFNESS IS NOT ALWAYS THERE, IT PULSATES. FLUID LEVEL AND COLOR ALL WITHIN SPECS. BELT WITHIN SPECS. I PLAN ON PUTTING IT ON A LIFT WHEN I RETURN HOME AND PREFORM AN INSPECTION. SUSPECT U JOINT FAILURE.
INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT FAILURE. CAUSED STIFF STEERING
WE BROUGHT THE TRUCK IN TO HAVE IT CHECKED FOR RUST AND CORROSION THAT WE SEEN, PALMERS AIRPORT TOYOTA SAID THEY SEEN NONE, THE A-FRAME HAS RUSTED AND CORRODED TO THE POINT OF SNAPPING AND THE METAL IS CORRODED AND PEELING WITH A CRACK GOING AROUND THE WHOLE A-FRAME. THE TRUCK IS NOW NOT MOVEABLE, THE WHOLE TIRE WILL FALL OFF IF WE DO MOVE IT, WE MADE IT BACK TO OUR HOME WITH IT LUCKILY AND TOYOTA CORPORATE SAYS THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO.
STEERING GETS DIFFICULT AT THE STAR OF TURNS THEN LOOSENS UP AS YOU TURN, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL WHILE TURNING. AS IF POWER STEERING IS TURNING ON AND OFF?
WHEN I STEER THE VEHICLE IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE POWER STEERING GIVES OUT. THIS ISSUE DOES NOT OCCUR ALL OF THE TIME.
WHEN TURNING, NOTICED STEERING VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. VERY UNNERVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT I NEED TO HAVE THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT REPLACED. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES, AS THE UNIVERSAL JOINT GETS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT DUE TO NO PROTECTION FROM ROAD AND ELEMENTS, AND IN TIME, THE STEERING CORRODES. PLEASE FIX THIS!! VERY VERY DANGEROUS. I HAD A CHILD IN THE CAR WHEN I WAS STRUGGLING WITH THIS ISSUE. I WAS HORRIFIED TO THINK OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN . I WAS DRIVING TO SCHOOL AND MAKING SEVERAL TURNS, STEERING WAS UNPREDICTABLE AND UNSAFE.
WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEEDS (55 MPH) AND YOU TRY TO MOVE TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT THE STEERING APPEARS TO BE STUCK, BUT WITH SOME ADDITIONAL EFFORT I AM ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL.
INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT RUSTED AND BINDING MY STEERING WAS BECOMING TOUGH TO STEER AND THEN IT WOULD BE FINE. IT FELT LIKE THE POWER ASSIST WAS STOPPING ASSISTING THEN IT WOULD BEHAVE NORMALLY DURING A TURN. THIS CAUSED LOSS OF PROPER STEERING DURING TURNING ARE ANY SPEED. SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE TOUGH TO STEER, (AS IF YOU HAD MANUAL STEERING) AND HALFWAY THROUGH THE TURN, THE STEERING FEEL WOULD GO BACK TO NORMAL (POWER ASSIST WORKING) WHICH CAUSED BACK AND FORTH MOTIONS TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN THE PROPER LANE. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE TRUCK AND " FOUND STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT RUSTED AND BINDING". I HAD TO REPLACE THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT, HAVE A FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND HAVE THE POWER STEERING FLUID FLUSHED. TOTAL BILL WAS $796.89 THIS ALSO SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO INADEQUATE RUST PREVENTATIVE MEASURES, POSSIBLY SIMILAR TO THE RUSTING FRAME ISSUES. I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THESE VEHICLES DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS AND REIMBURSE ANYONE WHO HAS ALREADY HAD THIS REPAIRED AT THE DEALER. THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED BEFORE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS OR DEATH DUE TO STEERING FAILURE AT HIGH OR SLOW SPEEDS.
INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT U-JOINT IS SIEZING LEADING TO DIFFICULT TO OPERATE STEERING.
2005 TACOMA PICKUPS AND OTHERS ARE INCLUDED IN A PENDING SETTLEMENT REGARDING EXCESSIVE RUSTING. NOW MY STEERING IS FREEZING UP WHICH I FIND IS A WELL DOCUMENTED COMPLAINT ON THE INTERNET. THE REASON SEEMS TO ALSO BE RELATED TO A FAILURE TO ADEQUATELY PROTECT AGAINST RUSTING. SUDDEN STEERING FAILURE HAS BEEN REPORTED. I CANNOT SAFELY DRIVE MY VEHICLE DUE TO THIS FAULT. TOYOTA SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BE FORCED TO RECALL ALL THESE DANGEROUS VEHICLES BEFORE THERE ARE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS.
STEERING SUDDENLY BECOMES DIFFICULT WHILE DRIVING, ALL OF A SUDDEN HARD TO TURN. INVESTIGATION APPEARS TO BE FAILED BEARINGS IN LOWER INTERMEDIATE SHAFT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRACTION RE-ENGAGED ON ITS OWN AND THE VEHICLE VEERED TO THE RIGHT WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO THE LEFT. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, WHEN THE GEAR SHIFTER WAS PLACED INTO FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, WHEN THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS DISABLED, AND WHEN DRIVING OVER ICE, SNOW, AND/OR SAND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000. UPDATED 04/05/17 LJ *CN
MAJOR RUST DAMAGE ON FRAME AFTER ONLY 8 YEARS OF VEHILCE BEING RELEASED, A 2 BY 4 INCH WIDE HOLE ON BOTH SIDES FOR THE TRUCKS FRAME CAUSING WARPING AND BENDING AS WELL AS UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. WHEN TAKEN TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP REPAIRS TOOK 9 MONTHS, AND UPON COMPLETION WAS SEND BACK TO OWNERS POSSESSION WITHOUT TEST DRIVING OR VERIFYING PROJECT COMPLETION.
I TOO EXPERIENCED THE STIFFNESS WHILE STEERING. I ALMOST SPENT LARGE DOLLARS BUT DECIDE TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET. I LEARNED THAT THE CAUSE OF IT WAS A RUSTED JOINT. AFTER SOME HEAVY SPRAYING WITH LUBRICANTS, I REGAINED NORMAL OPERATIONS. BUT ONLY UNTIL NEXT WINTER..UGH! RECOMMEND TOYOTA TAKES NOTE OF THIS AND DECIDE ON A SOLUTION FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT MECHANICALLY INCLINED.
I EXPERIENCED ROUGH (STIFF, BINDING) STEERING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AND WITHIN TWO WEEKS IT WAS PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE. I THOUGHT I HAD A STEERING FLUID ISSUE, BUT THE DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM AND CONFIRMED IT BY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THEY KNEW RIGHT AWAY THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY A RUSTED U-JOINT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT (P/N 4520304020). IN ADDITION TO THE STIFF STEERING GOING INTO A TURN, THE STEERING WOULD NOT RETURN TO STRAIGHT AND I UNEXPECTEDLY NEARLY WENT INTO THE CURB. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION AND MUST BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF ALL 2005 TACOMA OWNERS. I HAVE NEVER BEEN ADVISED OF ANY NEED TO PERFORM ANY SPECIAL SERVICING OF THIS PART AT ANY MILEAGE INTERVAL. IT APPEARS TO BE A BAD DESIGN THAT ALLOWS SALTY WATER FROM WINTER ROADS TO GET INTO THE U-JOINT WHICH THEN RUSTS.
STEERING BECAME VERY STIFF OVER A PERIOD OF A ABOUT 3 WEEKS, ESPECIALLY IN COLD WEATHER. STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT RETURN TO CENTER ON ITS OWN MAKING STEERING DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET TURNED UP HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. IN SOME CASES PEOPLE'S STEERING LOCKED UP ENTIRELY. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE A UNIVERSAL JOINT IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT IS UNPROTECTED AND SUBJECT TO CORROSION. MY TRUCK IS CURRENTLY AT A DEALERSHIP FOR FOUR SAFETY RECALLS, ONE OF WHICH REQUIRES THE WHOLE FRAME TO BE REPLACED DUE TO CORROSION. I WILL NOT GET THE TRUCK BACK FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS DUE TO A BACKLOG OF PARTS. THE FRAME IS RUSTED THROUGH IN TWO PLACES AND IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN THAT CONDITION. I REQUESTED THAT THE STEERING ISSUE BE LOOKED INTO WHILE IT IS IN THE SHOP AND EVERYTHING IS APART. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE STEERING ISSUE, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON LINE AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM MAY WARRANT LOOKING INTO. IT ALSO SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE FRAME CORROSION ISSUE, FOR WHICH THERE IS A RECALL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO STEER THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, OVER TIME, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY LOOSE. THE CONTACT HAD TO STEER THE VEHICLE IN EXCESS TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN POSITION. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
STEERING IS DIFFICULT, AS IF NO POWER STEERING EXISTS. I CHECKED ONLINE AND SAW OTHERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I LUBRICATED THE LOWER PART OF INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT, AND IT SEEMS TO WORK OK FOR NOW. IF THE PART IS RUSTED, I'M AFRAID THE STEERING WILL GO OUT ALTOGETHER AND CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE FRAME HAS BEEN REPLACED DUE TO RUST. IS THIS MORE OF THE SAME PROBLEM?
STEERING GOT VERY STIFF AND I HAD TROUBLE OPERATION THE VEHICLE. I WAS ALMOST WAS IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS. ONCE I GOT THE TRUCK TO THE ROADSIDE I CHECKED FOR A FLAT TIRE, BROKEN POWER STEERING BELT AND THE POWER STEERING FLUID LEVEL AND CONDITION. EVERYTHING WAS OK, BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS STILL VERY HAD TO TURN. I HAD THE TRUCKS STEERING CHECKED OUT AND THE U JOINT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING COLUMN HAD SIZED UP. TOYOTA PART NUMBER 4520304020 INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND TOYOTA SHOULD DO A RECALL TO COVER THIS. THE PROBLEM COMES ON SUDDENLY AND YOU LOSE THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE.
I HAD COMPLETE FAILURE TO MY RACK AND PINION STEERING DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION TO THE COMPONENT. I WAS PULLING INTO A BUSINESS DOING ABOUT 10 MPH AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP COMPLETELY. I CHECKED THE POWER STEERING FLUID IN THE RESERVOIR AND IT WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY. I CHECKED UNDER THE TRUCK AND ON THE GROUND WAS A PUDDLE OF STEERING FLUID. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL GARAGE AND WHEN HE EXAMINED THE TRUCK TO SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED, HE STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION HAD COMPLETED ROTTED OUT AND BROKE. I ALSO HAD HIM CHECK THE FRAME ON MY TRUCK, SINCE I RECEIVED A TSB BULLETIN ABOUT THE EXCESSIVE CORROSION DUE TO NOT ENOUGH FRAME UNDERCOATING BEING APPLIED IN COLD STATES. HE FOUND A LARGE HOLE BEHIND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN THE FRAME. THE MECHANIC CHECKED THE REST OF THE FRAME AND FOUND SOME SMALLER PERFORATIONS AS WELL. MY QUESTIONS IS IF THE FRAME IS BEGINNING TO ROT AND THEY ARE SELECTIVELY REPLACING THE FRAMES OR VEHICLE IF THEY ARE A DANGER, WHY ARE NO OTHER COMPONENTS THAT ARE ATTACHED TO THESE FAILING PARTS COVERED AS WELL AND FAILING DUE TO EXCESSIVE ROT OR RUSTING. IF ANY OF THESE COMPONENTS FAILED DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS ON THE HIGHWAY AT NORMAL SPEED THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN DEVASTATING TO ALL INVOLVED, POSSIBLY LEADING TO SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH. SOMETHING MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR VEHICLES THEY PRODUCE AND THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE WHO OWN AND OPERATE THEM. TOYOTA NEEDS TO STOP PLAYING THE "ITS NOT COVERED OR APPLICABLE" GAME AND TAKE OWNERSHIP AND FIX IT BEFORE SOMEONE DOES GET KILLED. I HAVE OWNED 5 TOYOTA'S PREVIOUSLY AND FELT VERY SAFE UP UNTIL NOW, NOW I AM NOT TO SURE!
LESS THAN ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE THE REAR LEAF SPRINGS FAILED ON BOTH SIDES. TWO DEALERS PLUS TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS REFUSED SERVICE, SO I HAD TO PAY FOR A PRIVATE SPRING SHOP TO REPLACE THEM. THEY HAVE SINCE BEEN RECALLED BUT TO DATE I HAVE NOT RECEIVED REIMBURSEMENT. IN 2014 THE STEERING SHAFT HAD TO BE REPLACED AND AT THE SAME TIME THE FRAME WAS DETERMINED CORRODED BEYOND REPAIR. TOYOTA MADE PROMISE TO REPLACE THE FRAME UNDER RECALL IN NOV 2014 BUT TO DATE HAS NOT DELIVERED AND HAS NOT INDICATED WHEN I CAN EXPECT THE REPAIR TO BE MADE. FOR OVER SIX MONTHS NOW I HAVE BEEN LEFT WITH AN UNSAFE VEHICLE THAT I CAN'T SELL OR REPLACE.
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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