Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I apologize for the delay in filing this complaint. I just learned of the complaint process. We took delivery of the vehicle on 12/7/09 from burnsville Toyota in burnsville, mn. On 12/10/09 while traveling from eagan, mn to omaha, ne the power steering went out on the vehicle. We were able to get the power steering repaired in bellevue, ne on 12/12. I felt fortunate to have repairs made as it was a Saturday and the vehicle is a Hybrid. The bellevue dealership made the repairs at no charge and informed me of the open recall on the power steering. Upon returning home I contacted the dealership. They apologized and offered a free update on the GPS. I also later contacted Toyota corporate. My notes from that contact indicate a reference number of 1001108638. …
It is a 2006 Highlander Hybrid with 105200 miles and well maintained.. It looses power assist in steering at all speeds intermittently. It is very dangerous as I have to put lot of muscle in steering at low speeds but it had lost power assist even at 65 MPH as well which made me very nervous. I cannot drive the vehicle as the power steering p/s light comes on most of the times now. Only once a while it is off which is when I drive but few miles of driving gets the light back on with no power assist. I have seen many people in forums with the same problem for that years hybrids. Therefore I am requesting to help me out with either a recall or getting this fixed at my local rochester mn dealership. Anything you could do at the earliest would be appreciated.. Customer request to be removed from complaint list, cell phone , address. Not to be contacted. Updated 08/12/16 updated 6/18/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. While driving ar any speed, the power steering warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The steering wheel became very difficult to turn. When the contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, the steering returned to normal. The steering failure occurred intermittently. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000. Updated 09/06/16 the consumer stated the power steering didn't always return. Sometimes, the consumer had to sit for several hours. Updated 09/08/16.
When the car is turned sharply to the right the power steering for both right and left goes out. If there is no hard turn to the right the steering remains functional. Happened while on winding road nearly ran off the road. Restart the car and the problem disappears until the next right turn. Dealer could not diagnose the problem needed to replace both the power steering ECU and the power steering converter and give me a bill for over $1000.
Tl* the contact owns 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact was driving 10 MPH when the contact crashed into a curb and the power steering failed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the dealer confirmed that the power steering and the Hybrid computer system failed. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 60,000.
My 2006 Highlander drove just fine. Parked in my usual spot and the next time I start it my p/s light is on and I have no steering. I searched online and it seems to be a common problem for it to just quit working on people. I'm curious as to why this issue hasn't been addressed by Toyota yet. Thank god I wasn't driving like others were when it happened.
I own a 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid with over 50K miles on it. On 1 July, 2008 I started my car in the morning to drive to my commuter location and found I had no power steering. The power steering had been fine when I pulled in the evening before and somehow just failed sitting still over night. I had the vehicle towed to a Toyota dealership who said they were unable to diagnose the problem and resorted to calling Toyota technician's in california. They've now told me today that they have to replace the power steering rack and since my car is outside the warranty terms (over 36K) it will cost $1,840. In my internet research on this issue I've discovered that this is not an isolated incident. There are numerous reports of this occurring on both the 2006 Highlander Hybrid and the 2006 Lexus rx400 Hybrid. …
I just bought the car 2 weeks ago (3/17/14) and it has been driven for 500 miles without any incident. Last night I parked in my usual spot across the road from my house. On the morning of Sunday (3/30/14) I went to turn on my car and I notice a p/s red light came on and did a quick search on the internet and realized it was my power steering failing. Did a quick test, confirmed that my steering wheel was difficult to turn. I did some further research on the internet and realize this is a common problem with highland Hybrid and there was already a NHTSA action (pe06055) filed previously but had no conclusion. …
I was driving on a straight highway between 45 -50 MPH. Sudden a bunch of lights and warnings came up in the dashboard. I lost power steering and motor propulsion too. I pressed the accelerator and nothing happened. Although I had the ability to brake, it seemed that the braking was also impaired. However because I was going up an incline I did not need strong braking. I managed to coast over to the breakdown lane. Luckily there were only a couple other cars near me so it wasn't too difficult to maneuver by them and coast to the other side of the road where the breakdown lane was. Once I was completely stopped I shut the car down completely and restarted in the normal Hybrid startup manner. The car propulsion and steering came back but now the message was alternating between "maintenance needed" and "check vsc system", and the check engine light and symbol was on. …
2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid (43,058 miles) - loss of electronic power steering assist after driving one hour in the highway, I stopped at my parents house, when I was maneuvering to park the SUV in the side of the road, I lost the EPS assist in the middle of the lane. Fortunately I was not in the highway and there were no accidents. It was very difficult to maneuver the SUV to a save spot after the loss of the EPS assist. I took my Highlander to Toyota authorized service dealer, at the beginning the technicians were unable to diagnose the problem, Toyota has not issued an technical service bulletin about the issue, even when I have found information in this site that more than 109 similar cases has been reported (investigation#pe 06-055). It is totally unfair that I have to pay for repair that is clearly is a manufacturers defect. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience. …
Steering complaints in other Highlander Hybrid years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the steering of the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, 7% of the model year's 370 complaints. The component named most often is electric power assist system (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 105,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.