2006 Toyota Sienna Steering Problems

My vehicle steering/control has frozen a few times in the past 18-24 mos. This happens for me in wet conditions at slow speeds while trying to turn, usually to the right. The car also seems to slow on its own and pull to the side at these times. This has also happened while reversing out of a parking spot. I do not recall seeing any lights engage but I am more focused on steering the car safely and exterior factors at these times so I haven't noticed the dashboard. It feels like the power steering fails, and I have no control. Thankfully, I have not been moving at high rates of speed, nor been in a position to go into the lane of on-coming traffic or had someone in a lane near me, and have been able to hold in position or manually turn as much as needed. Steering seems to return once the turn is complete. I have been fearful of hitting someone or being hit from behind each time. My mechanic has been unable to recreate the experience and was unable to suggest a direct answer. I see others have had similar experiences and the same lack of answers from even Toyota. Having come across this website and seeing responses here to this exact problem I have had, I am hoping for more information or a recall soon!

Bought the van used last year. Previous owner said mechanic could not diagnose the issue. On slight curves similar to on-ramps while accelerating the Vehicle stability control (VSC) will engage unexpectedly, sound an alarm and jerk the steering wheel. Some times to the point of pulling the vehicle out of its lane. Road speed is decreased dramatically as it feels as though the ABS is engaging. This has happened to me at least half a dozen times since June 2023. The condition will continue for maybe five or ten seconds until the wheel is straightened and speed reduced. Searching the Internet seems it's a fairly common problem. The fix might be to replace the steering rack or disable the VSC system. It's reported by those experiencing the issue get little to no help from the dealerships which strikes me as quite strange... From what I've read it seems to affect 2004-2009 Siennas

My Toyota Sienna XLE 2006 VSC and ABS comes on when I drive uphill or downhill mostly when I steer to the left. This is a situation common on freeway ramps in or out. When this happens the car slows down abruptly beeps a loudly. This is an issue reported by many owner of that vehicle model across several years.

When driving on a curve traveling about 30 to 45 MPH. The traction control engages in perfectly dry road conditions. It automatically brakes and jerks the car one way or the other. Very dangerous, especially since you're traveling on a curve when it most often happens and you basically lose your ability to control the vehicle. I won't even let my wife drive the car. There's no known remedy for this problem and I can't even sell the car.

Slip light indicator comes on and alarm goes off, while anti-lock brakes engage. This is happening while I'm driving on the highway never in the city. The car starts pulling to the right sometimes almost pulling me off the road. The road conditions are completely normal and dry no gravel in it no reason whatsoever for the anti-lock brakes to start engaging. When this first started happening it only happens on curves while I was driving approximately 35 mph. After a couple of months it started happening also while I was driving approximately 70 miles an hour going straight on a dry road. It almost pulled me off into a ditch. The steering is affected I can barely steer but I have managed to keep the car on the road. This is now happening more frequently. I was almost pulled into another car to my right once. At first it was only every couple of months but now I had it happen twice in about a hundred mile trip. There's no way I can get a mechanic to have this happen because you can't predict when it will happen and many miles it won't happen. It is very very dangerous and I'm afraid to take my Toyota sienna on the highway now. After researching it I have found that many people are having this trouble with their Toyota Sienna's there needs to be a recall or a repair. Apparently Toyota mechanics have replaced all kinds of things in the Sienna's but nothing has fixed the problem.

VCS lights activate, alarm sounds and auto breaking while traveling at posted speeds while going around curved roads. Creates loss of control. Dealer has no remedy, mechanic has no remedy. Many similar issues found on on-line forums.

WHEN CORNERING THE VANS STABILITY CONTROL ACTIVATED WITHOUT WARNING AND MODULATES THE ABS BRAKES AND BEEPS AND BECOMES VERY UNSTABLE. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BOTH EXPERIENCED THIS AND FEAR IT WILL CAUSE A CAR ACCIDENT. IT IS NOT HAPPENING ALL THE TIME BUT MAKES ME WORRY EVERY TIME WE DRIVE A WINDY ROAD. WE HAD THE TOYOTA ZERO POINT CALIBRATION DONE, HAVE REPLACED WHEEL BEARINGS AND DONE AN ALIGNMENT WHICH HAVE NOT CHANGED IT AT ALL. IT TYPICALLY HAPPENS ON CURVY ROADS BETWEEN 25 AND 65 MPH.

TRACTION CONTROL WARNING SOUNDS AND VEHICLE AUTO BRAKES - HARD. CONDITIONS WERE CLEAR. OFTEN THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE VAN IS IN A CURVE. SPEEDS VARY FROM 30S TO 70S (ON THE INTERSTATE). THIS CREATES A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION.

TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS ACTIVATED ON DRY ROADS ACTING LIKE THE VEHICLE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING INTO A SLIDE/SKID. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS CRASH!

THE SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT (CAR WITH SWERVE LINES) STARTED COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY WHILE TURNING ON HIGHWAYS ETC. (BUT NOT WHEN ANY RISK OF TIRE SLIPPING). THEN VSC LIGHT ALSO CAME ON AND ALARM SOMETIMES SOUNDED. VISIT TO OUR OWN MECHANIC, NO PROBLEMS FOUND. IN THE LAST 2 YEARS THE ABS SYSTEM HAS ACTIVATED (DAILY) IT UNEXPECTEDLY APPLIES THE BRAKES WHILE IN MOTION. IT IS ON SPECIFIC TYPES OF CURVE AND WHILE DRIVING AT LEAST 30MPH, BUT HAS DONE AT 35, 55, 70 MPH, ON SLIGHT OR MEDIUM TURNS (NOT REAL SHARP TURNS), GOING UPHILL OR DOWNHILL AND LEFT OR RIGHT. TOOK MY MECHANIC FOR A RIDE WITH THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER HOOKED UP, IT DID THE ABS BRAKING, WARNING LIGHT, AND BEEPING 5 TIMES BUT COMPUTER SHOWED NO CODES. SUGGESTED RESETTING YAW WHICH WE DID, IT DID NOT HELP. SUGGESTED CALLING TOYOTA, THEY WERE NO HELP, SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THAT PROBLEM AND MY MECHANIC PROBABLY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO READ THE COMPUTER. WHEN ABS ACTIVATES IT'S VERY DANGEROUS - THINKING ABOUT DEACTIVATING ENTIRE VSC SYSTEM. I BELIEVE THE RACK AND PINION MAY PLAY A ROLE, THERE ARE RATTLE AND BUMP SOUNDS, PERHAPS A LOOSE SUSPENSION IS THE CULPRIT, THAT IS OUR NEXT OPTION. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED STRUTS, FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS, ALL NEW TIRES, HAD IT ALIGNED, DID NEW BRAKE PADS, AND ROTORS. ABSOLUTELY FED UP WITH THIS PROBLEM! *TR

ABOUT A YEAR AGO THE SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT (CAR WITH SWERVY LINES) STARTED COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT WARNING WHILE TURNING ON HIGHWAYS OR ROADS IN DRY CONDITIONS WITHOUT ANY RISK OF TIRES SLIPPING. THE ABS ACTIVATES WITHOUT WARNING AND THE VEHICLE SLOWS DOWN ON ITS OWN. THE SITUATION IS VERY DANGEROUS. NO KNOWN FIX FROM TOYOTA.

ELECTRONIC ANTI-SWAY OVERRIDE KICKS IN FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. USUALLY WHEN TAKING SLIGHT BANKS OR TURNS OVER 35 MPH.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND AT LEAST FOUR TIMES TO THE LEFT AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE TWICE WHILE SPINNING. THE CONTACT QUICKLY POWERED OFF THE ENGINE TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM SPINNING. THE CONTACT WAITED ONE HOUR BEFORE THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS IN SHOCK AND WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED FOOT, RIGHT HIP, AND BACK INJURIES. THE FRONT PASSENGER ALSO SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES. BOTH OCCUPANTS REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, VSC LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT. ALL 3 LIGHTS CAME ON AT SAME TIME. THEY SAY IT'S THE GAS CAP, IT'S NOT THE GAS CAP, THEY SAY TO RESET IT, THAT DOESN'T WORK. I WAS DRIVING HOME, NOTHING HAPPENED, THE LIGHTS JUST CAME ON. NO WARNING SOUND, NOTHING TO INDICATE THERE WAS A PROBLEM, MY CAR SEEMS TO DRIVE JUST FINE, BUT THE LIGHTS WON'T GO OFF, AND I HAVE 3 KIDS THAT I TAKE AND PICK UP FROM SCHOOL

I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY GOING STRAIGHT ON DRY PAVEMENT AND SUDDENLY A BUZZER SOUNDED, THE VSC LIGHT CAME ON, AND THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES WERE TAKEN OVER BY THE VSC SYSTEM AND THE CAR STARTED WEAVING OUT OF CONTROL. I COULD NOT STEER OR BREAK THE CAR. THE SITUATION IS UNPREDICTABLE. IT EASILY HAPPENED ON CURVY OR BEND ROAD AND HAS HAPPENED 3-4 TIMES IN THIS YEAR. IT IS SCARY.

TOOK MY SIENNA 2006 FOR A CHECK UP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE POWER STEERING FLUID IS LEAKING, REQUIRING THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW RACK AND PINION UNIT. TOYOTA RECALLED 2006 TOYOTA SIENNA IN 2011 FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM. I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BUT THEY ARE UNWILLING TO FIX MY TOYOTA. THEY CLAIM THAT MY VIN NUMBER WAS NOT PART OF THE 2011 RECALL. INSTEAD, TOYOTA DID OFFER A $ 1000 TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A CERTIFIED TOYOTA VEHICLE. I FELT I SHOULD REPORT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND OTHER DRIVERS MIGHT BE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR BACK IN 2012, I NOTICED THAT THE ALIGNMENT WAS NEVER QUITE RIGHT EVEN THOUGH DID THE ALIGNMENT TWO TIMES. I NOW THINK I KNOW WHY: THE RACK AND PINION ALREADY HAD AN ISSUE BACK THEN.

WHILE DRIVING THE STABILITY WARNING LIGHT COMES ON, STARTS BEEPING LOUDLY AND MY BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL LOCK UP. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES ON THE FREEWAY, ON FREEWAY ENTRANCES WITH A SLIGHT TURN AND EVEN WHILE JUST DRIVING STRAIGHT. EACH TIME, THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND THE ROADS ARE DRY. THIS HAPPENS WHETHER I AM DRIVING AT A SLOW SPEED ENTERING A SLIGHT TURN ON THE HIGHWAY ANYWHERE FROM 20 TO 40 MPH AND HAS RECENTLY HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH ON A DRY HIGHWAY JUST DRIVING STRAIGHT. THE CAR HAS ALSO BEGAN BEEPING AND FLASHING THE STABILITY LIGHT WITHOUT LOCKING UP THE STEERING AND BRAKES. I HAVE ALMOST CAUSE A FEW ACCIDENTS WITH CARS ALMOST REAR ENDING MY VAN AND ME ALMOST SIDESWIPING OTHER CARS WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING AND I HAVE NO CONTROL OF THE CAR. THIS IS FRIGHTENING! I HAVE HAD MY STRUTS REPLACED, RIGHT DRIVE SHAFT, BRAKES, TIRES, ALIGNMENT. THE REPAIR SHOPS SAY THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THIS ISSUE WHEN THEY DRIVE IT. THERE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A RECALL ON ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS WHICH IS SHOCKING. I HAVE A SIENNA VAN SO I CAN CARRY MULTIPLE PEOPLE WITH ME. I HAVE MY INFANT GRANDCHILD WITH ME IN THIS VAN EACH DAY AS WELL AS MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MAITA TOYOTA TOMORROW MORNING (1/25/18), WE'LL SEE WHAT THEY SAY, BUT HONESTLY, I FEEL TOYOTA NEEDS TO STAND BY THEIR CARS AND FIX THIS ISSUE AT NO CHARGE. THERE ARE COMPLAINTS DESCRIBING THIS EXACT ISSUE ALL OVER THE INTERNET SO IT IS NOT AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. THIS FORM ASKS FOR THE DATE THIS HAPPENED BELOW, I'LL ADD TODAYS DATE, BUT IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A YEAR.

RACK AND PINION FAILURE. DEAR SIR/MADAM: I BROUGHT MY 2006 SIENNA (PURCHASED NEW) TO THE DEALERSHIP DUE TO WHAT I SUSPECTED WAS A BAD WHEEL BEARING ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THE BEARING PROBLEM, BUT ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE SEAL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE RACK AND PINION HAD GONE BAD AND HAD LEADED INTO THE BOOT ON THAT SIDE, AND SINCE THERE WAS NO WAY TO JUST REPLACE THE SEAL, I NEEDED A NEW RACK AND PINION SYSTEM INSTALLED, PLUS A FOUR-WHEEL ALIGNMENT AFTER THE INSTALLATION TOTALING $1187. I MENTIONED TO THE TECHNICIAN THAT I RECENTLY HAD NOTICED THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR LOWER THAN USUAL AND RECENTLY NOTICED FLUID ON MY DRIVEWAY, SO THAT SEEMS TO BE THE CAUSE OF THOSE OBSERVATIONS. THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM I BROUGHT MY SIENNA IN FOR OF THE BEARING NOISE SEEMED TO BE A FORTUNATE SITUATION, AS IT RESULTED IN THE REVELATION OF THE STEER SYSTEM PROBLEM BEFORE IT LED TO A MORE SERIOUS SITUATION. AFTER GETTING THE REPAIRS DONE, I RESEARCHED THE RACK AND PINION ISSUE AND REALIZED THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR. IT ALSO SEEMS THAT WITH THE PREDICTABLE AND REGULAR OCCURRENCES OF THIS FAILURE, ADDRESSING THIS THROUGH A RECALL WOULD BE A REASONABLE ACTION TOYOTA CAN MAKE IN ITS EFFORTS TO CONTINUE MITIGATING POTENTIAL CATASTROPHIC SAFETY EVENTS FOR CUSTOMERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME IN CONSIDERING THIS CONCERN. I CONTINUE TO FIND THAT TOYOTA PROVIDES A QUALITY PRODUCT. I HAVE BEEN A TOYOTA CUSTOMER SINCE 1984 AND DO APPRECIATE TOYOTA'S EFFORTS IN MAINTAINING THEIR REPUTATION AS A RELIABLE AND CONSUMER-FOCUSED COMPANY.

AT 90K MILES, POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKAGE AT RACK AND PINION. PASSENGER SIDE BOOT TORN.

STABILITY AND/OR TRACTION CONTROLS (YAW ?) SEEMED TO WANT TO BELIEVE THE VEHICLE WAS IN AN UNDERSTEER -- CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO WANT TO BRAKE AUTOMATICALLY, SOUNDING A TRACTION CONTROL ALARM. ON A BONE - DRY ROAD !!!