2006 Toyota RAV4: harsh or hard shifting

Filed Feb 3, 2022 · Steering · FL

Clunking noise when turning steering wheel right or left. Numerous complaints from 006 RAV 4 owners. Fear that my steering will fail and cause an accident or Death. The issue is a defective intermediate steering shaft. Toyota will not issue a recall and will only repair if vehicle is still under warranty. How many complaints, accidents, or deaths will it take for this manufacturer to do the right thing???

Filed Dec 14, 2020 · Steering · WA

I bought a used 2006 rav4 3.5 l v-6, after a month a bought it. I noticed when I turn left or right I heard a clunk sound. I found out that the intermediate steering shaft is the problem. This common to most rav4, dealership it's normal but to me it doesn't fell normal when I'm driving, it feels like something is will come out or broke off. Kind of scary thing to feel when driving. I think the manufacturer should find a solution to this problem before someone could hurt or die.

Filed Jan 5, 2019 · Steering · WA

Steering 'clunks' and car won't turn at low speeds/stationary, radio momentarily cuts out and dash lights flash. Can turn the steering wheel further after a few seconds. Happens intermittently, so far only at low speeds/while parking or leaving a parking space.

Filed Nov 22, 2018 · Steering · CA

Hear clunk sound when turning the steering. Check with toyota sunnyvale dealer, they said the steering intermediate shaft needs to be replaced

Filed Apr 28, 2017 · Transmission · 2,000 miles · CA

I bought the car back in august 2006 at toyota dealer. There were clunky sounds from the steering wheel when after couple months of purchase. I brought the car back to dealer to request for a fix but I was told that the clunky sounds from the steering wheel should be considered as normal as the way the it came from toyota factory. There was no fix to correct that clunky noises from steering wheel on that day. I had trusted to toyota's advice on that day and kept driving the car until other mechanics and friends told me that my car needed to be fixed with the steering wheel since there had been clunky noises when they tested drive on my car. The sounds always came up when I moved the steering wheel. I called toyota service around 06/2014 about the clunky noise since the condition got worse. I was told that my car is out of warranty so there is nothing from toyota to help fixing the problem. Toyota told me that there would be recall if there had been numerous complaints with the same problem I had. I was advised to wait for a recall. For safety concern, I brought the car to toyota dealership after my conversation with toyota customer service on 06/2014. Toyota dealership had quoted with a fix for $600 for the part not including the labor. The clunky noise was came from the intermediate steering wheel shaft. I could not afford to fix because the price was too expensive so I had to keep the car condition as it was. Toyota should fix the problem when I brought it in. There have been so many complaints from 2006 toyota rav4 owners who have the same this intermediate steering shaft. I don't know if there has been any accident involved this issue or not but I am very sure that this is a serious matter since this intermediate shaft is relating to the controlling car's front wheels. For the safety concern, please help to look into this complaint.

Filed Jan 30, 2017 · Electrical · 85,000 miles · IN

Transmission harsh shift, no acceleration, extreamly dangerous to drive, ecu needs replaced, poor quality vehicle.

Filed Apr 25, 2016 · Steering · 54,000 miles · VA

Steering column clunking noise when turning the wheel. On-going issue since december 2015.

Filed Mar 20, 2016 · Steering, Wheels · 30,000 miles · MD

My wife's 2006 rav4 has a "clunking" noise in the steering that is worrisome to us. It has been present and getting worse for seven or eight years, now. I noticed the noise as being faint but didn't think much of it until my stepson asked me one day what the noise was. It occurs when driving the vehicle and turning the steering wheel. It got progressively louder and when I mentioned it to the toyota dealer where we have the vehicle serviced they basically blew us off and implied that it was our faulty driving. I have seen other complaints about this same problem from other rav 4 owners but toyota doesn't seem to want to fix this very dangerous problem. The fix will cost from 5 to 7 hundred dollars. We were asked if we wnted to pay for the repair and we said no, that toyota should issue a safety recall about this problem and they documented that we had turned down repairs to the steering column. Another cosmetic problem we experienced was the finish on the wheels corroding and flaking off so that now the wheels look terrible. This happened when the car was just out of warranty. Toyota told us that we must have used a "solvent" to clean the wheels therefore creating the problem ourselves. This same problem is also on the internet among rav 4 owners. Toyota doesn't want to fix any of these problems.

Filed Nov 13, 2015 · Steering · CA

Hear clunk type noise when turn in the steering wheel left or right

Filed Aug 13, 2015 · Steering · 15,000 miles · MT

The intermediate steering shaft on the rav4 is a known issue and should be recalled. The clunking noise when you turn can degrade into a steering hazard.

Filed May 20, 2015 · Steering · 40,000 miles · VA

My 2006 toyota rav4 limited edition, I heard a clunking noise coming from the front steering column each time I turned the wheel right or left. The noise occurs only when you turn the steering and it is a clunking noise along with a vibration in the steering when you turn the wheel. This has been an ongoing problem and when I brought it up with the toyota dealership the attendant said that it wasn't an issue. The problem isn't going away and the noise and clunky feeling when turning steering has been increasing. The problem started when the car was about 40k miles (out of warranty @ 36k). Few mechanics from other places looked at it and said it need to be fixed asap. I read blogs and noticed many of these vehicle have similar issues. I hope toyota won't wait until an accident happen because of the problem.

Filed Feb 26, 2015 · 500 miles · CA

Soon after I purchased my 2006 toyota rav4 limited edition, I heard a clunking noise coming from the front steering column each time I turned the wheel right or left. The noise occurs only when you turn the steering and it is a clunking noise along with a vibration in the steering when you turn the wheel. This has been an ongoing problem and when I brought it up with the toyota dealership the attendant said that it wasn't an issue. The problem isn't going away and the noise and clunky feeling when turning steering has been increasing. 3 mechanics from non-toyota dealerships looked at my car on three separate occasions and documented the noise as a defect in the car that needs to be fixed. One mechanic told me that I could lose control of steering if I do not fix the problem. I recently took my car into my tire dealer for a tire rotation and the mechanic noticed the problem right away and said that I need to get it fixed asap. This has been a problem since I bought the car and is obviously a recall situation that toyota has yet to take responsibility for. Please advise.