2006 Toyota RAV4 Steering Problems
- 218
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 218 stored complaint records:
- 2 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- steering wheel · 50 records
- steering shaft · 36 records
- steering column · 30 records
- clunking noise · 29 records
- noise steering · 17 records
- turning steering · 15 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 30–60k mi | 87 |
| 1–30k mi | 52 |
| 60–100k mi | 32 |
| 100–150k mi | 11 |
| 150–400k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
U-joint in steering column wearing out and making noise. Mechanic at dealership said common problem, but not at 21,000 miles. Estimated cost to repair approximately $400. *js
ODI 10669397
Steering
Clunking noises when turning steering wheel either sitting stationary or moving. *tr
ODI 10586800
Steering
Experiencing a "clunking" or "thumping" noise coming from the steering column or steering assembly when turning the steering wheel to make a left or right turn. From my check of this problem on various websites/customer forums, this seems to be a very frequent problem with the toyota rav4. *tr
ODI 10576799
Exterior Lighting · Instrument Cluster/Panel · Steering
I was driving on the highway about 60 mph and power steering went out. Car made a noise and all the dashboard lights came on like it was sliding on ice, no bad weather that day. Could not turn steering wheel and speedometer went to 0 and would not work the rest of the journey. Made it to the toyota dealership where i was told nothing was wrong, and it was "the cold weather" that probably caused it. They ran a few…
ODI 10578775
Steering · Suspension
Front left clunking noise when going over bumps, told by dealer issue is in the electronic steering. Dealer did not sound confident when stating it was safe to drive. Have read about multiple 2006 rav4 owners having defective steering. *tr
ODI 10560447
Steering · Suspension · Vehicle Speed Control
1/30/14 recall part - rear lower suspension arm repaired by handy. Shortly after (1-3 months) i noticed swerve/sway during hard right turns. I suspected bad or underinflated tire on drivers side rear. Checked all tire inflation and lug nut tightness but the swerve/sway continued. On 10/16/14 i had (4) new snow tires installed at sumner tire in newport/derby, vt. I thought it would eliminate the problem but the…
ODI 10713575
Power Train · Steering · Suspension
Saturday, october 12, 2013 when my wife and two young daughters (ages 2 & 4) were coming home from shopping. Our vehicle experience catastrophic failure, endangering the lives my wife and my two young children. She heard a loud bang from the rear of the vehicle and she lost control. Luckily, she was not moving very fast and was able to stop quickly and pull to the side of the road. The failure occurred on the…
ODI 10548480
Steering
Heard a clunk-type noise when turning the steering wheel left or right. Was told this was a steering shaft noise (steering intermediate shaft noise t-sb-0318-08). Called dealer to see if this was under warranty and found out it was not. Asked if problem under a recall and also found out it wasn't. Asked dealer if it was safe to drive car as is since not under a recall and dealer said they could not make a comment on…
ODI 10544777
Steering
I have had a clunking noise in my front end since i purchased the vehicle when making turns. They could never hear it till now and now they are saying it is a performance and safety issue and will cost $748.74 to fix!!! Noise in the steering shaft. If this is a safety issue it should be a recall and no-charge. *tr
ODI 10543917
Steering
STEERING CLUNKING NOISE AND LOOSENESS. *TR
ODI 10680304
Power Train · Steering
While driving on a suburban nj road at around 30-40mph, the vehicle lost steering control out of the blue. The car veered into the left lane, i attempted to right the car and simultaneously hit the breaks. The abs response kicked in, and the car veered drastically to the right, going off the road, across the sidewalk, and finally coming to a stop in the woods. The repair shop discovered that the cause of accident…
Crash reported
ODI 10537142
Steering
Intermediate steering shaft popping; techs say the intermediate steering shaft is worn out. There is only 56,333 miles on this toyota rav4 2006. There has been others since at least 2010 that have been complaining about this problem. There is no reason why a car of this age and low mileage is having problems with the steering shaft. There needs to be a recall on this particular problem as this complaint has been…
ODI 10534574
Steering
On 5/30/13 i purchased the above 2006 toyota rav4 from pioneer valley sales po box 254 s deerfield, ma 01373 and picked it up on 6/3/13. The vehicle had a clunking noise coming from the front. On 6/10/13 i brought it to cherry rum automotive [redacted]. Greenfield, ma. 01301 for my mechanic to inspect. He removed the steering shaft covers and ascertained that the noise was coming from the steering intermediate…
ODI 10546609
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. The contact stated that while having routine maintenance performed on the vehicle, he was advised that there was an intermediate and abnormal noise in the steering shaft. As a result, part of the steering system would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 70,635 and the current mileage…
ODI 10546972
Steering
I notice a clunking noise when i would turn the wheels to the right and left going at a low speed. I looked on google search about clunking noise in steering . There was a lot of toyota rav 4 owners had the same problem. I took my car to my toyota dealer he said it was a common problem with rav 4's . I called toyota complaint line and they told men a service bulletin was out on the problem but i was out of warranty…
ODI 10585774
Electrical System · Steering
I have always believed in toyota's reliable vehicles till i bought my rav4. Lately i have had the unfortunate experience of having to replace all six coils with new ones, because toyota maid a bad design for the 2006 rav4. And now i need to replace the steering shafts because they are bad too. Toyota please help with covering the cost of parts and labor. *tr
ODI 10506042
Steering
Started noticing "clunking" sound when turning steering wheel. Had my mechanic check and he was able to identify steering shaft issue and said it could also iinvolve rack and pinion but that could not be verified without further labor.
ODI 10511110
Steering
I heard a loud popping sound in my steering each time i turn. I went to the dealership and i was just told i needed to get it repaired. I have been researching online and noticed that several owners are experiencing the same problems. I have no information regarding safety but feel that since it appears to be a widespread problem toyota needs to have a recall and have this issue addressed. We should not wait until…
ODI 10505318
Steering · Suspension
Over the course of the past 2 months i have heard a quiet popping noise coming from the back right tire area when i make turns. I actually visited a toyota dealer 1/8/2013 because there was a lower suspension arm recall on my vehicle. They "inspected" and put a sticker on, and a worthless clamp (might as well been a paperclip) on the the tie rod. On 2/27/13, i took a few co-workers to lunch and they noticed a loud…
ODI 10500843
Power Train · Steering
Letter from constituent regarding problems with his 2006 toyota rav 4; he hoping that toyota can be forced to repair the transmission and reimburse the cost of repairing steering shaft (full document not imaged). *smd the consumer stated he has been trying to get the transmission replaced per toyota tsb-0130-12, because of whining noise but he was informed the tsb was no longer in effect. It was confirmed, that an…
ODI 10584853
Steering
There is a knocking in the steering i took it to a garage they said it was a shaft in the steering column that toyota had a bullentin out about it. I called toyota and they said they have not heard of this problem but according to myself doing research there is a problem and i feel this is a safety issue. *tr
ODI 10481235
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. The contact stated that whenever he turned the steering wheel, sharply he heard a popping noise. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnosis and the contact was informed that the intermediate string shaft assembly would need to be replaced immediately or the steering would fail. The manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired.…
ODI 10480139
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, there was an abnormal knocking and thumping noise heard from the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that the steering shaft assembly needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the steering wheel and also informed the contact that there were no recalls for the failure. The manufacturer was…
ODI 10476695
Engine · Steering · Vehicle Speed Control
When backing the car out and turning the steering, there is a clunking noise that occurs. It mostly occurs from a cold start. There is a service bulletin out for this, but the dealer won't cover it. The car started making a popping sound. It was coming from underneath that car and made the exhaust sound really loud. Dealership said it was the centerpipe that was connected to the catalytic converter. The material of…
ODI 10561421
Engine · Steering
When backing the car out and turning the steering, there is a clunking noise that occurs. It mostly occurs from a cold start. The car started making a popping sound. It was coming from underneath that car and made the exhaust sound really loud. Shortly after, the car seems to be driving very clunky and does not drive as well as usual. The car vibrates and drives very slowly. It sounded like it dropped a cylinder.…
ODI 10561418