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 2005 Toyota Highlander owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When I was trying to park my Toyota Highlander 2005 in front of the building where I work, backing up, the engine iddle went extremely high and I tried to stop, but I could not do it because the steering wheel and the brakes locked. I tried to put the gear in neutral, but instead, it went straigh to drive, so it causes major damages to 2 vehicles behind mine, and other 3 in front of mine too. Also my vehicle destroyed a mail box and a tree, but I could not stop until my Highlander stopped by itself totally destroyed. I ended up in the hospital with some trauma.
On Saturday, May 30th at approximately 8:30 I was moving our 2005 Highlander from the street into our reserved parking space within our complex. As I was starting my right hand turn into the complex the car accelerator stuck. I hit the curb on the driver's/left side causing the vehicle to veer to the right. As the car continued to accelerate I hit a tree and knocked over one of the community's posted signage. The impact made the car bounce backward partially into the drive, damaging the front passenger's side, drive shaft broke, front end part flew all over and a small fire occurred. Police were call and report taken. They estimated the speed at 20-30 miles per hour. The report taken was not filed since the accident took place on private property. The tow truck driver started the vehicle to get it on the truck. He had a difficult time for he could not get the wheels to turn. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Toyota Highlander. After the vehicle was started, the ABS, traction control off, vsc, tire pressure, and emergency brake warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician was not able to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 134,000. ...updated 09/28/15 the consumer stated the vehicle would lose steering control as if the vehicle was going to lose power. The consumer stated it would happen on an intermittent basis. Updated 10/06/15
Noticed a noise coming from underneath steering column assembly and steering didn't feel right. This happens almost every time we made a turn to either the right or the left. Same thing happened when backing out of the driveway. We then took our 2005 Toyota Highlander in to our mechanic and he advised us that the steering column flex coupling was lose and unsafe to drive due to potential ball barriering lose. Clicking sound went away once steering was repaired. There was also a big difference in the steering.
Around the middle of March 2008, my 2005 Toyota Highlander has knocking sounds on the steering wheel when I make turns. I sought the advise of a mechanic friend who has worked with Lexus in the past. He conducted a test drive and ocular inspection and advised me to bring the vehicle to the dealer for he suspects a problem with the steering shaft assembly. On March 24, 2008, I brought the vehicle to a Toyota dealer and was advised to replace intermediate steering shaft assembly. I paid a total of $469.29 for the service by Toyota city, mamaroneck, ny 10543 inv. [redacted] . The car has 14,549 miles during the date of service. I wrote Toyota USA for a refund of the amount I spent and got an assurance that they will look into it. Family members use the car in the usual course of grocery, school and related travel activities and has not abused it. …
I noticed a looseness & clicking noise in my steering while either parked or moving very slowly. A local mechanic I use diagnosed it as a worn rack & pinion (r&p) gear where it meets the steering column. I have an extended warranty on my '05 Toyota Highlander v6 with 60K miles. I brought car to king Toyota in deerfield beach, fl and they said there is a Toyota service bulletin on this problem which disassembles & lubricates the steering column. They said if that doesn't fix problem then they would change the r & p assembly. As a former airline maintenance planner I don't know how a lube would fix noise & looseness in a steering assembly...it felt like a worn part. If true, why did the steering column lose its lube after only 60K miles.. Was the lube missing from new & that's what caused the wear...if it was lubed was it a defective seal. Is the lube a stop gap way to delay a recall? …
Vehicle: 2005 Toyota Highlander. Defect: the turn signal switch (the device that turns off the signal after a turn is completed) has failed in our vehicle. We are told by a local dealer that Toyota's turn signal switches fail at a very high rate. This component should never fail over the life of the vehicle. Given the high incidence of failures, Toyota's design is clearly defective. Hazard: if the driver forgets to manually turn the signal off, other drivers are given a false signal and likely to misinterpret the driver's intent. This could lead to a serious accident. Repair: Toyota's charge for repairing the defective turn signal switch is excessively high -- approximately $450. Consequently, many drivers are forced to accept and live with the problem, resulting in an unsafe condition. …
In feb 2011 my Toyota dealer, wilde Toyota, installed 4 brand new tires on my 2005 Highlander. They performed an alignment as well. Since then my steering wheel had been off centered. When I drive straight I have to hold my steering wheel slightly to the left. Wilde Toyota tried to fix this issue 4 separate times without success. A Toyota field tech came out to inspect the vehicle and stated that its set to factory specs. After he made some minor adjustments the steering wheel has to be held to the right side now instead of the left side in order to drive straight. The field tech declined to speak to me directly. I contacted Toyota corporate. They are not allowing me to have a second opinion by another field tech. I feel that I am driving an unsafe vehicle. ## VIN failed ##
2005 Toyota Highlander 4x4 v6. The steering became jerky when turning and especially when going over bumps. The intermediate shaft assembly had to be replaced to fix the issue. The technician researched it and there have been two technical bulletins put out by Toyota and they have redesigned the original part so that it is no longer available and has a new part number. The Toyota dealership also stated that just lubricating the assembly does not work. My mechanic stated that he has fixed a number of these on highlanders, rav4s, and avalons. In my opinion the old part adversely affects the steering and safe handling of the vehicle and should have been recalled by Toyota when the part was redesigned.
I have a 2005 Highlander and it has 45K on it. I have just recently noticed this clunk/knock noise every time I turn the steering wheel left or right 5 degrees off center. The Toyota dealerships service department advised spending $140 on greasing the intermediate steering shaft and the problem should go away, but the more I read up on this particular issue, the more I'm realizing that this is a design flaw and that if I bandage the problem now, it'll only come up again in future mileage. This should totally be a Toyota recall because it directly affect safe driving. I'm just wondering how I can escalate this complaint to the top?
Steering complaints in other Highlander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2005 Toyota Highlander?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the steering of the 2005 Toyota Highlander, 12% of the model year's 224 complaints. The component named most often is column (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Toyota Highlander steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2005 Toyota Highlander, 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 2005 Toyota Highlander steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 2 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.