2013 Toyota Sienna Steering Problems

BINDING AND NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AND ACCELERATING FROM A STOP.

WHEN TRAVELING AROUND 30 TO 35 MPH (WELL UNDER SPEED LIMIT) ON DRY CLEAR ROADS, ON LEFT TURNS (OFTEN SLIGHTLY DOWNHILL) SUDDENLY THE VSC AND SLIP/TRAC LIGHTS UP, THE ABS SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED / BRAKES ENGAGE. FOOT IS NOT ON THE BRAKE AND SPEEDS ARE NOT EXCESSIVE. I AM NOT USING RUN-FLAT TIRES, BUT THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OTHERS ONLINE. I SEE DOZENS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS SAME THING FROM 2001 TO 2015 SIENNAS. TWO SAY THAT REPLACING RACK & PINION FIXED IT; 1 SAYS IT DOES NOT. THIS STARTED HAPPENING ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO, BUT IS NOW HAPPENING MORE OFTEN. APPROX 156K MILES. OTHER FIXES THAT HAVE NOT WORKED: REPLACE FRONT SPEED SENSORS, CHANGED ALL PADS AND ROTORS, AND REPLACING THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR. NONE OF THOSE WORKED. ON PERSON SAYS, "MOST COMMON PROB SEEMS TO BE THE RACK BUSHING WHERE THE RACK IS MOUNTED. THEY WEAR OUT AND CAUSE THE RACK TO MOVE WHEN TURNING...BUSHINGS ARE HARD TO REPLACE SO JUST REPLACE THE RACK AND IT WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM IF IT IS LOOSE. ( ALTHOUGH ITS A BIT EXPENSIVE) THE YAW SENSOR OR STEERING SENSOR HAS ALSO BEEN THE CULPRIT IN SOME CASES." ANOTHER SAYS, "STEERING LINKAGES COULD BE ANOTHER CULPRIT - CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS WERE SEVERELY WORN AND COULD POTENTIALLY BE ANOTHER SOURCE. ALIGNMENT AND ZERO-POINT CALIBRATION SOMETIMES HELP, BUT NOT FOR LONG." I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING MYSELF OR MY CHILDREN IN THIS CAR, BUT CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER. AND CAN'T AFFORD A $1K FIX - ESPECIALLY IF OTHERS HAVE THIS ISSUE. WHAT CAN I DO?

Starting about two years ago, the traction/ABS lights come on between 20-35 mph on a gradual curve or randomly while driving. The brakes come on, like an ABS event, even though the brakes are not applied. The car will jerk to the right or left and chatters/vibrates. The mechanic said the brakes, tire wear and pressure, and suspension are all in very good condition and there are not traction control or ABS codes. This does not appear to be normal wear and is dangerous. We can only drive it on short trips for fear of getting in an accident. I decided to look online and found that hundreds of Toyota owners are experiencing the same symptoms. (https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-c9152_ds656326). Can anything be done so that Toyota will come up with a solution? Thank you.

OUR VAN HAS 93,800 MILES ON IT AND IS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE WHEN WE TURN LEFT AND RIGHT WHILE MOVING AT SLOWER SPEEDS. WE TOOK THE VAN IN AND WERE TOLD THAT THE STRUTS NEED REPLACED AND IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS IS LOW MILES FOR THIS VEHICLE AND WOULD BE STILL UNDER WARRANTY IF IT WAS NOT OLDER THAN 5 YEARS. THIS SHOULD NOT NEED A REPAIR LIKE THIS ALREADY. MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME COMPLAINTS ON HIS FORUM AT ABOUT THE SAME MILEAGE. TOYOTA PRIDES ITSELF ON MAKING VEHICLES TO LAST BUT HAVE MADE SEVERAL MISTAKES ON THIS MODEL. COST TO FIX IT IS $750. I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO ALONG WITH THE REASON OUR VAN HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH TIRES ABOUT EVERY 25,000 MILES.

I was gonna make a U-turn at the end of the road and then the steering made a cracking noise. The steering shaft has been replaced 3 TIMES and it still happens. So much for Toyota Reliability.....................

WHEN AT LOW SPEEDS, TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT...THERE IS A CLUNKING SOUND. FORUMS SUGGEST THAT THE ISSUE IS EITHER THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING LINKAGE. IF THIS FAILS WILL IT CAUSE LOCK UP OR LOSS OF STEERING? THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. SO FAR, I HAVE HAD ONLY THIS 'CLUNKING' SOUND.

I HAVE A 2013 TOYOTA SIENNA AND NOTICED A CLICKING/KNOCKING SOUND WHENEVER I'M TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT WHILE IN MOTION. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE CV BOOT AND SO I BROUGHT MY CAR TO TWO LOCAL SHOP MECHANIC BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE ISSUE. I HAVE CHECKED ONLINE AND FOUND SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE THE CAUSE OF THIS KNOCKING SOUND. I SAW IN ONE TOYOTA SIENNA FORUM TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUE WITH THEIR "STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT" WHERE ONE OF THE OWNER HAVE THIS ISSUE. THE MILEAGE OF MY VAN IS 104900 JUST PASS THE WARRANTY OF 100K BUT STILL LESS THAN 5 YEARS BY APRIL OF THIS YEAR. I KNOW THEIR WARRANTY POLICY IS WHICH EVER COMES FIRST. AND I'VE NOTICED THIS ISSUE 10 MONTHS BEFORE MY MILEAGE GOES MORE THAN 100K BUT I DID NOT PAY ATTENTION ON THIS BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT'S GONNA GO AWAY. I LIVE IN ONTARIO CANADA.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA SIENNA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED, AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE BOOSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR LATCH DETACHED WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.

STEERING COLUMN MADE CLUNKING NOISE AND STUCK. I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING LEFT TO RIGHT AND VICE VERSA. STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT ISSUE IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM. *TR

THERE ARE 2 PROBLEMS I AM EXPERIENCING WITH MY 1 YR OLD TOYOTA 2013 SIENNA VAN - 1> RATTLING NOISE COMING FRM BACK OF 2ND ROW OR 3RD SEAT - VERY HARD TO PINPOINT SOURCE, TOOK IT TO MY DEALER FOR 25K SVC, EXPLAINED, WAS NOTIFIED THEY WILL RUN THIS CHECK ON MY 30K MILEAGE SVC AS VAN NEEDS TO BE LEFT FOR 3 TO 4 HRS WITH THEM. THERE ARE A LOT OF INTERNET BLOGS AND POSTINGS ON THIS ISSUE, WITH SOME GETTING TOYOTA TO REPLACE 2ND OR 3RD SEATING COMPLETELY WITH A BRAND NEW SEAT AND THUS MAKING NOISE DISAPPEAR 2> WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, WHINING NOISE IN THE BACKGROUND CAN BE HEARD AT VERY LO W SPEED AROUND 15-25 MPH OR EVEN LESS, VERY ANNOYING AND DISTURBING FOR ANY CAR DRIVER.I BELIEVE THAT IS MAY ALSO SIGNIFY AN UNDERLYING PROBLEM, WAITING TO GET OUT OF CONTROL. WITH A RANGE OF MOVING PARTS WORKING IN TANDEM, IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT THE SOURCE OF SUCH ABNORMAL CAR SOUNDS. HOWEVER, ONE THING YOU CAN BE SURE OF, IS THAT THE NOISE, IN THIS CASE, IS CREATED DUE TO SOME PROBLEM IN THE STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY ITSELF. THE LIKELY CANDIDATES ARE THE POWER STEERING PUMP, PULLEY, OR THE BELT. I BELIEVE - TOYOTA AGAIN IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE - AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS BLOGS AND POSTINGS ON THIS ISSUE AS WELL, THEY SHOULD COME OUT CLEAN AND MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS ASAP PRIOR AN INJURY OR FATALITY HAPPENS AGAIN. WITH ALL THE RE-CALLS TOYOTA HAS BEEN ISSUING I URGE NHTSA TO QUICKLY ACT ON IT - PRIOR NEW LAWSUITS OR DEATH OCCURS. PLEASE HELP COMMON MAN LIKE ME AND OTHERS HERE TO FIGHT THIS BEHEMOTH GIANT ! *TR