2015 Toyota RAV4: loss of power steering

Filed Sep 19, 2026 · Electrical, Steering · TX

While driving my 2015 Toyota RAV4 XLE 2WD (2.5L, about 207,000 miles), the electric power steering assist failed instantly with no warning, making the steering wheel feel locked. At the same moment, the infotainment screen went black and rebooted. It has happened at freeway speeds and at low neighborhood speeds, including on 9/14 and 9/15/2026, and also more than once last year (2025). No warning light or messages appeared beforehand. An OBD2 scan at AutoZone on 9/15/2026 found no active or pending trouble codes, and battery tests at AutoZone and Walmart Auto Care passed. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer. The failed component is UNKNOWN. My best assessment is the EPS control unit, because the symptoms match the federal safety agency recall 15V144000. I only learned of this recall on 9/19/2026. A sudden loss of steering at any speed puts me and other drivers at serious risk of a crash. The vehicle is available for inspection.

Filed Jun 25, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 189,000 miles · AZ

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the radio was inoperable. The contact stated that the gauges failed to properly operate. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. Additionally, the rearview camera image was reversed before becoming inoperable. The ABS, AWD, and engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and an undisclosed fuse was replaced. The mechanic made the contact aware of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering). The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and scheduled an appointment with the dealer for the recall repair of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System). The failure mileage was approximately 189,000.

Filed Nov 10, 2025 · Steering · PA

While driving a 2015 Toyota Rav4 (w/AWD) the vehicle's steering wheel started to shake and the vehicle lost acceleration. The check engine, AWD, and traction (trac) control lights illuminated. After pulling the vehicle over I tried calling AAA. After about 30 minutes, the warning lights went out. I decided to try to drive it home. After about 5 miles the same thing happened. However, after slowing down the problem went away. I called a Toyota dealer and requested a recall service (to fix the power steering assist). They scheduled the appointment and I dropped the vehicle off. When the vehicle was ready I discovered that they only performed the recall for the battery terminal. They informed me that there was no other recall for my VIN number. This problem should be on recall as I've researched and discovered many other complaints similar to mine. These situations like mine, and many others, are safety issues and could easily lead to injury and/or death.

Filed Nov 6, 2025 · Steering · MA

There is an intermittent loss of the electric power steering assist. The car can't be steered during this loss of power, leading to an extremely high risk of a crash. Toyota issued a recall for the 2015 RAV4 for this exact problem, but they did not include my car's VIN in the recall. The problem has not been confirmed, as Toyota informed me that this could only be done at my expense. The vehicle or component has not been inspected for this problem. There have not been any warning lamps, but it's very obvious while driving that the power steering has failed.

Filed Jul 29, 2024 · Steering · 118,000 miles · OK

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road by using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the power steering became functional. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the failure was linked to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering); however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

Filed Dec 21, 2023 · Electrical, Steering · MD · fire

My vehicle's electrical components short-circuited, steering became difficult to control and the vehicle caught on fire under the hood near the battery compartment.

Filed Oct 13, 2023 · Steering · 112,000 miles · MA

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the power steering warning light appeared on the instrument panel as the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. The contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle to the side of the road. The contact called a friend for assistance but once the friend arrived, the warning light had disappeared, and the vehicle was driven back to the residence. Several days later, the same failure returned while driving at 30 MPH. The vehicle was driven to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective steering shaft. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

Filed Aug 24, 2022 · 110,000 miles · GA · fire

The contact owned a 2015 Toyota Rav-4. The contact received notification of Customer Service Campaign: 21TG01 (12-Volt Battery Size and Installation Inspection). The contact stated that she inspected the battery and confirmed that it was the correct battery size prior to the failure. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, she drove to her friend's residence at an undisclosed speed when the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist and the air conditioner and radio inadvertently turned off. The contact arrived at her friend's residence and parked the vehicle for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. The contact restarted the vehicle and drove down the driveway when the vehicle lost motive power with smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact and her friend exited the vehicle before it caught fire. A police officer was driving by when he witnessed the fire. The fire department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. Police and fire department reports were filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Filed Feb 22, 2022 · Steering · 77,000 miles · SC

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 50 MPH, the steering wheel seized while the power steering warning light was illuminated intermittently. The contact mentioned that the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted and operated as designed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering). The approximate failure mileage was 77,000.

Filed Mar 17, 2021 · Electrical · 77,600 miles · FL · fire

The vehicle stalled while I was driving on a highway at approximately 55 MPH. I had been driving for 15 minutes. I lost power at the dashboard, lost power steering, and the engine stopped running. I coasted to a side street and stopped the car. I opened the hood, and discovered a fire in the engine compartment. The battery cable closest to the engine was on fire, and had melted one corner of the battery. A passerby helped extinguish the fire, and the fire department was called to inspect and make sure the fire was out. Earlier that day, the vehicle stalled in the same way while driving approximately 5 MPH in a parking lot, but the power came back in a few seconds. Immediately preceding that was a 1-hour drive at interstate highway speeds with no troubles.

Filed Jun 25, 2020 · Electrical, Steering · 91,000 miles · CO

I was exiting a highway on a curve (est. 40mph) when my power steering failed instantly jerking the steering wheel to the right creating a safety hazard. At the same time all of my dashboard lights flashed on and off. I have a toyota rav4 2015. There have been a recall for this description but not on my VIN.

Filed Apr 27, 2020 · Steering · 14,733 miles · CA

While driving on city streets and making a turn at approximately 20-25 MPH, the vehicle's electric power steering cut out without any warning. The steering became extremely heavy with no assist. The red steering wheel icon lite up. This is the second time that this incident has occurred and luckily I did not have my family in the vehicle.