The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated while driving 40-50 MPH downhill, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, there was an oil leak on the passenger's side of the steering gear onto the ground. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the destination without power steering functionality. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering rack had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the steering rack replacement could not be covered under warranty due the part number. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21E103000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
2011 Toyota Tundra: loss of power steering
6 of the 135 complaints about the 2011 Toyota Tundra describe loss of power steering.
- owner complaints
- 6
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- typical mileage
- 82,000
- recalls
- 1
Loss of power steering by model year
What owners say
My power steering is leaking fluid, I didn't have anymore and had a loss of steering power while driving. So far I have just added more fluid, but haven't driven it since.
The steering is very difficult at times and feels like something is binding. There is no steering wheel return. No fluids are leaking and the fluid level in the power steering reseviour is normal. This happens when the vehicle is moving and turning. Going down a straight road binding can be felt when you move from side to side in your lane by moving the steering wheel left or right.
Rack and pinion seal failed, lost all fluid, lost power steering on highway.
This safety complaint relates to the "tilt latch mechanisms" of a 2011 toyota tundra's steering wheel, the set of mechanisms used to release/safely secure the steering wheel in place. There were at least two parts among the latching mechanisms, one being plastic & the other being a metal alloy, broke off and into pieces. It was fortunate that the problem was found when I went to lower the steering wheel while cleaning my vehicle. Had the pieces shattered and fallen off while the vehicle was in motion, a fatal accident could have been resulted from loss of steering wheel control. At the time of the finding, the vehicle had 37118 miles. Such safety mechanisms ought to be designed with specifications so that they would last more than two or three times of use. I recall, at least once, seeing the steering wheel dropped with the latch lever hanging down half way without anyone touching it within the first 25000 miles.but my assumption was that a technician might have adjusted the steering wheel and didn't latch it back properly. The technician who was working on my repair had told me that my vehicle would be the second vehicle he had worked on for the same issue. And through online research, I have found that while there are not a high volume of complaint of the same issue, there are owners reporting the exact same issue. As the toyota dealer had told me, their toyota regional service and parts manager had decided to cover for the replacement of the entire steering column and expecting me to pay for the labor cost. Sharing the repairing cost is not as much of a concern as the major concern of safety. As I had mentioned above, the outcome from the failure of latching mechanism is unlimited, and the cost of such incident(s) could be fatal accident and/or would be many times the cost of repairing the vehicle. Therefore, this serious matter should be thoroughly investigated.
I was driving my tundra when I heard a loud noise. I then lost my steering ability. It was very difficult to make any turns. When I was able to stop, looked under the vehicle and saw some type of fluid leaking very fast. I opened the hood and saw I have no power steering fluid. I had the car towed to the dealership and they said the power steering seal blew causing me to lose my steering ability. I was also told by the dealership that this has happened to at least 600 other cars.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Steering: hydraulic power assist system
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2008-2022 Sequoia and 2007-2021 Tundra vehicles. The power steering gear assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in an oil leak.
- Risk
- An oil leak may cause a sudden loss of power steering assist, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the power steering gear assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 21, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 21TB10 and 21TA10.
Recall number 21V920000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2011 Toyota Tundra power steering loss
Is loss of power steering a common problem on the 2011 Toyota Tundra?
6 of 135 owner complaints about the 2011 Toyota Tundra (4%) mention loss of power steering. The model year with the most reports is 2002.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2011 Toyota Tundra?
There is 1 recall and 1 service bulletin for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2011 Toyota Tundra
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