Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Toyota Highlander owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2008 toyota highlander gas pedal must be lose.because I barley push the gas and it takes on fast.i was driving home on the highway and the truck just died .the battery dies I couldn't turn my wheel I could not press the break
I have a 2008 Toyota Highlander. While driving a side city street, on a slight curve, the steering wheel locked and could not be turned. As a result, my daughter hit a tree. My daughter was going approximately 25mph and the impact was in the center of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander. On February 10, 2008 while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated when she put her foot on the brake pedal. The vehicle failed to slow down. She lost control and swerved the into the left lane and crashed into another vehicles rear bumper causing that vehicle to crash into the vehicle in front of them. She sustained injuries to her ribs. The other two drivers also sustained injuries. The insurance company was in the process of investigating the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure and the current mileages were 13,000. A police report was filed. Updated 03/30/10. The consumer stated there May have been possible steering problems as well. According to the police report, the consumer was traveling too fast for the road conditions. Updated 06/28/10
The steering wheel had been adjusted to a setting for a shorter driver, and while in the process of re-setting it for a taller driver, the steering wheel and its housing came completely off of the shaft that reaches into the engine. To safely get off the road, an attempt was made to stick it back on, and it was unable to stay in the correct position. Once the vehicle was pulled over, to try to reattach it, the driver again attempted to seat the housing on the shaft. This maneuver was completed successfully, but upon attempting to drive again, the "slippery when wet" warning light came on and whatever engine mechanism that alerts began to engage, affecting the brakes, accelerator, and steering. This all happened as we were backing out of the driveway, and then attempting to maneuver into the roadway.
Noise occurs while turning in the steering column. The "clunking" and vibrations are felt within the steering wheel. The part from Toyota was remanufactured in 2011 to replace the current part given it was a default part not lasting long. It is a safety issue given it is the mechanism that connects the steering wheel to the front shaft assembly. Should that have issue, break etc. While driving or turning it can be accidental or fatal. The dealership mentioned that while it May not be a safety issue, its not fully determined that it is not. For the part to be re-manufactured differently, there must have been knowledge of a faulty part. This needs to be remedied by Toyota. Part is intermediate steering shaft.
Turning left or right there is a clicking noise and a click in the steering wheel mainly at slow speed & if just bearing moving - very low speed. Numerous reports have been turned into Toyota - yet they will not do a recall - appears that the steering shaft is the problem. Have been told hundreds have had to be replaced in phoenix alone. Can you request from Toyota how many of these shafts the dealers have purchased? Toyota will not tell me when I requested this information. Our vehicle has less than 25K miles on it & it is 7 years old so it isn't an abused vehicle. This problem is also on other Toyota models / years I've been told.
Driving at a slower speed and during a turn - my power steering shut off- the power steering indicator appeared on my dash but then disappeared. As a result I lost access to power steering. This happened several times and has happened at approximately 20 MPH. I checked the recall notifications and identified I had 3 separate recalls related to this vehicle how the power steering concern was not one of them. I soon discovered this article which explains what happened to my vehicle exactly http://www.techtimes.com/articles/39149/20150312/Toyota-recalls-112-500-vehicles-due-to-power-steering-and-software-issues.htm .
Upper steering column detached from steering shaft while vehicle was in motion, immediately after driver adjusted the tilt feature. Vehicle was on interstate highway traveling 70 MPH when incident occurred. Driver was able to slow vehicle down and reattach steering wheel. No crash or injuries resulted. After incident, driver visited two different Toyota dealerships to inquire about any bulletins or notices regarding the issue. Both dealers could not find any bulletins or notices. Vehicle appears to have previous front-end damage from previous crash, as evidenced by misaligned front bumper cover.
Poping clunking noise while driving turning left or right. Had mechanic checked it and notified Toyota via email to no avail . Then this year had the car sticker inspection done was informed about the clicking sounds. Now I start to get worry is this particular issue has an impact on my life while driving the car. Checked the internet and found similar issue with owner's complaint about intermediate steering shaft. Hopefully Toyota will do a recall to rectify the problem and safeguard the public safety.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander. Every time a turn was made, the steering shaft made a noise. The failure has occurred ever since the vehicle was purchased in July of 2016. The dealer diagnosed that the shaft assembly failed and needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the vehicle exceeded the mileage to be repaired under technical service bulletin: 0034-13. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.
NHTSA investigations
Upper Steering Column Separation
On May 4, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE18-005 to investigate three allegations of steering column separation for Model Year (MY) 2008 through 2013 Toyota Highlander vehicles. Two (2) of the 3 complaints were received by ODI in April 2018 and occurred while the vehicle was in motion.
Steering Column Separation
On November 16, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an Engineering Analysis (EA18-006) as an upgrade to a Preliminary Evaluation (PE18-005). The investigation focused on allegations of steering wheel separation from the lower steering column after using the tilt and/or telescoping mechanism.
Steering complaints in other Highlander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2008 Toyota Highlander?
NHTSA has 40 complaints about the steering of the 2008 Toyota Highlander, 10% of the model year's 405 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2008 Toyota Highlander steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2008 Toyota Highlander, though it has 11 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 2008 Toyota Highlander steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 3 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.