2012 Toyota Tundra Steering Problems

My power steering gear blew its seal on the passenger side losing all power steering fluid and almost making me crash into a car next to me, and Toyota refuses to cover it stating that I hadn't had the steering gear replaced prior to whenever their dates were this is clearly faulty equipment and faulty machine work on the steering gear itself. why won't Toyota cover it? I tried contacting One Toyota and Downtown Toyota here in Oakland California and they told me that they wanted $250 to inspect my vehicle and that I would definitely have to pay for it because my vehicle was not under recall it states it is a recall if you look it up.It is worded recall if they're not going to cover it sounds like they're trying to back out of covering it until someone gets seriously hurt or killed like I almost did, I will never buy another Toyota again as long as I live because clearly they don't care about the faulty equipment on their vehicles that's going to hurt or kill someone. All they care about is the mighty dollar and that's just wrong. Safety has gone rite the window and if anyone reading this is thinking about buying a Toyota, I would seriously think twice.

NHTSA ID

11534487

Incident

Jul 20, 2023

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle experienced steering failure with abnormal popping sounds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21E103000 (Steering). The approximate failure mileage was 156,485.

NHTSA ID

11464568

Incident

Feb 24, 2022

Mileage

156,485 mi

I WAS DRIVING AND ALL THE SUDDEN MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND ALMOST WAS IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF NO POWER STEERING. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND LOOKED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING OUT OF MY TIE ROD BOOT. I IMMEDIATELY GOT TO MY TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY AUTOMATICALLY KNEW WHAT IT WAS, THE RACK AND PINION BLEW OUT. SO CLEARLY IT'S A TOYOTA THING I FIGURED. I WAS ABLE TO GET IT FIXED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY BUT I STARTED DOING RESEARCH ON FORUMS AND MANY FACEBOOK GROUPS DEVOTED TO TOYOTA TUNDRAS AND DAILY I SEE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH THEIR RACK AND PINION GOING OUT AND DAYS AFTER MY FRIEND ALSO HAD HIS GO OUT ON HIS TUNDRA. THIS SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM TOYOTA HAS AND IT EITHER NEEDS TO BE RECALLED OR FIXED SOMEHOW SO PEOPLE CAN BE SAFE AND NOT ALMOST GET IN AN ACCIDENT LIKE I DID. WHEN TOYOTA EVEN ACKNOWLEDGES IT AND REFUSES TO NOT FIX IT, THAT THROWS THE RED FLAG RIGHT THERE AND THEY CLEARLY UNDERSTAND IT'S A PROBLEM. THE FIX AMOUNTED TO $1937 DOLLARS ALSO.

NHTSA ID

11360129

Incident

Aug 22, 2020

Mileage

118,900 mi

THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT STAY CENTERED AND THE POSITION WOULD CHANGE. I NOTICED THAT WHEN I WAS STOPPED AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL HAD SOME MOVEMENT FROM SIDE TO SIDE. I CHECKED THE STEERING WHEEL LOCK DOWN NUT AND IT WAS TIGHT. THE STEERING WHEEL HAS A SPLINE BUSHING THAT MATCHES UP WITH A MATCHING SPLINE ON THE SHAFT SO I COULD NOT SEE HOW THIS COULD MOVE. I REMOVED THE LOCKING NUT SO I COULD SEE THE WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL AND SHAFT CONNECT TOGETHER. WITH THE NUT OFF I NOTICED THAT THE SPLINE BUSHING DID NOT MOVE BUT THE STEERING WHEEL DID MOVE ON THE BUSHING. THERE WAS A POTENTIAL DANGER OF THE STEERING WHEEL COMING LOOSE SO THAT I WOULD LOSE CONTROL OR WORSE YET THE STEERING WHEEL COULD COME COMPLETELY OFF THE COLUMN. THIS PROBLEM CAN EASILY BE CHECKED AS I DID WITH THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE LOCKED POSITION. IF YOU HAVE ANY MOVEMENT OF THE STEERING WHEEL IN THE LOCKED POSITION GET IT CHECKED IMMEDIATELY.

NHTSA ID

11352027

Incident

Aug 28, 2020

Mileage

240,210 mi

AIR BAG CLOCK SPRING BAD HORN DOES NOT WORK BUT WHEN YOU STEERING THE CAR LEFT OR RIGHT HORN WORKS NORMAL

NHTSA ID

11258868

Incident

Jul 3, 2019

Mileage

75,000 mi

TOYOTA TUNDRA POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING MY TRUCK THE POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION FAILED. I HEARD A POP SOUND AND PULLED OFF THE CITY ROAD TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE. UPON DOING SO I NOTICED THE STEERING WAS DIFFICULT TO MANIPULATE AND UPON INSPECTION FOUND POWER STEERING FLUID ACTIVELY LEAKING OUT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BELLOWS BOOT. MY VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 47,000 MILES AT THIS TIME.

NHTSA ID

11231785

Incident

Jun 14, 2019

Mileage

47,000 mi

I HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE BREAKS AND STEERING NOT WORKING. I WAS WITH MY 3 CHILDREN IN THE TRUCK.

NHTSA ID

11165814

Incident

Jun 5, 2017

Mileage

68,000 mi

HORN STOPPED WORKING BEFORE 100,000 MILES AND DEALERSHIP WON'T REPLACE IT. WANTS TO CHARGE OVER $600 TO FIX. VEHICLE WAS NOT IN ANY WRECK TO CAUSE HORN DAMAGE. IT IS DUE TO FAULTY EQUIPMENT FROM TOYOTA. SEATBELT LATCH DOESN'T CONNECT SEATBELT SOMETIMES AND ALSO WON'T RELEASE AT TIMES WHEN ATTACHED.

NHTSA ID

11162594

Incident

Sep 28, 2017

Mileage

95,000 mi

MY TRUCK IS A 2012 TOYOTA TUNDRA 4X4 LIMITED. IT HAS 100,000 MILES ON IT. I TYPICALLY ONLY DRIVE IT ON THE WEEKENDS. I WAS DRIVING AND MADE A TURN, ALL OF A SUDDEN I LOST POWER STEERING. THE ACCORDION BOOT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS FULL OF POWER STEERING FLUID. IT BLEW A SEAL ON THE STEERING ROD. THE WHOLE RACK AND PINION HAD TO BE REPLACED. 18 HOUR LABOR JOB, AND WITH PARTS $3000.00. I ALMOST GOT INTO A ACCIDENT BECAUSE I COULDN'T TURN IT. YOU HAVE TO DROP THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY TO CHANGE IT THAT'S WHY IT COST SO MUCH. THIS HAS TO BE A FACTORY DECFECT. ANY INPUT?

NHTSA ID

11074580

Incident

Feb 21, 2018

Mileage

100,000 mi

LOST POWER STEERING . MECHANIC SAYS NEED RACK AND PUMP REPLACED

NHTSA ID

11035561

Incident

Sep 11, 2017

Mileage

47,686 mi

DRIVING MY 68000 MILE 4 YEAR OLD TUNDRA ON BACK ROAD ABOUT 45 MPH AND STEERING LOCKED UP, AND STARTED SHUTTERING. WAS ABLE TO SLAM ON BRAKES AND GET OFF THE ROAD ONLY TO FIND POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION WAS BLOWN OUT AND FLUID EVERYWHERE . THIS IS NO A ISSUE OF WEAR ITS AN ISSUE OF DEFECT PARTS IN THESE TUNDRAS , THERE ARE MANY MANY OTHERS ONLINE WITH THE SAME ISSUE . THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SEVERELY INJURED FROM THIS. WAITING ON PICTURES FROM THE DEALER AND CAN SEND THEM TO YOU. TOYOTA CLAIMS STEERING RACK WENT BAD DUE TO DUST BOOT BEING RIPPED AND OUTSIDE DEBRIS CAUSING SEAL FAILURE, BUT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH VEHICLE WHILE ON SIDE OF ROAD MY ARM RIPPED THE DUST BOOT SO THE DUST BOOT WAS NEVER RIPPED UNTIL AFTER VEHICLES WAS PULLED OVER AND ALREADY BROKEN .

NHTSA ID

11011911

Incident

Jul 26, 2017

Mileage

68,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA TUNDRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SHAKING AND CORRODED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR THE FAILURE AND THE TECHNICIAN CRASHED THE VEHICLE. THE DETAILS OF THE CRASH WERE UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

NHTSA ID

10760251

Incident

Dec 25, 2013

Mileage

37,000 mi