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 2007 Toyota Prius owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 5:04 pm while traveling at about 57 MPH south on hi way 101 at about the mile post 255.5, my 2007 Toyota Prius suddenly and without any change in steering by me, veered to the right off the road and into the guardrail. There seemed to be no reaction to my frantic steering and braking in the attempt to return the car to the road. After the car hit the guardrail it traveled about 15 feet spun back out into the southbound lane and was hit on the rear right side by a car traveling in the southbound lane. This caused the car to be propelled across 2 northbound lanes of traffic and come to rest with rear of my car embedded into the far side guardrail. Miraculously no one was hurt. The police were called and my 61 year perfect driving record was ruined. My car was totaled by the insurance company...updated 08/27/15 update 9/15/15 updated 4/21/20
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. While driving at an unknown speed, a warning chime was heard and the steering wheel seized to the right. As a result, the contact crashed into a sign. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
This was a first time occurrence for my 2007 Prius. I was stopped midway on my mountain, long & steep, dirt driveway trying to park along the rock side. It was too tight to park so decided to continue down to the bottom. I was in reverse and shifted, with my foot on the brake, into drive. The car suddenly bolted forward propelling me through the fence and down a steep embankment to our deck where 12 people were having a dinner meeting. My brakes didn't work, nor did the steering. The bolting force was heard by all on the deck. There is no way I would have pressed the gas by mistake for two reasons: your foot must be on the brake to shift; and as is typical on our steep gravel roads, one never presses the gas pedal while proceeding down. …
On November 14, 2020, my 2007 Toyota Prius had a loss of steering the steering wheel was no longer connected to the front wheels of the car. Parking on a city street atlantic Toyota did not perform the recall on March 12,2013 for the cot recall this is what caused the loss of steering. The car was repaired at a private garage for the loss of steering and the part that failed was the steering intermediate extension shaft the part that should have been replaced under the cot recall done at atlantic Toyota. (the shaft replacement depends on whether the bolt hole has a 'countersink', according to the technical instructions issued to dealers, t-cp-c0t-a510-d. The shaft that was removed and, in my possession, has a countersink). How could this happen Toyota identified a defective part and issued a recall I brought my car to a Toyota dealership and the work was not done. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle began abnormally sliding toward the left. The contact attempted to steer the vehicle toward the right but the vehicle would not change direction. The contact then attempted to brake but the vehicle would not stop. The contact was unable to maintain control of the vehicle which resulted in a single vehicle rollover crash. The air bags did not deploy. The police appeared on the scene and speculated that the front passenger side tire blew prior to the crash. A police report was available. An ambulance also appeared on the scene as the contact sustained minor injuries. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an insurance company lot. The vehicle was not examined for the cause of failure. The failure and current mileage was 43,000.
The steering intermediate extension shaft in this car was recalled and replaced in 2015. This part was noticed to be failing again by the mechanic while in for an unrelated issue. The mechanic deemed the car to be unsafe to drive as if this part failed while driving I would have been without any steering. Both the dealer and I feel that Toyota should be responsible for the repairs, which they have declined, but equally as important that all the other cars involved in this recall should be checked. There is also no warning light or any indication for the driver that they May be unsafe. The recall notice would not scan but Toyota reference number is below. Ref.# t-cp-c2t, date of issue: November 14, 2012
The steering on the car failed completely. There was a popping/snapping sound while turning the car, and afterward I could turn the steering wheel without any resistance (much less than usual) and the wheels did not turn at all. A little earlier in the drive I could feel the steering on the car feel a little off: I had to turn the wheel a little more to get the wheels to turn and something just felt loose. I'm incredibly grateful that the final 'snap' occurred while in the parking lot and not while on the highway/at higher speed. Apparently fox news ran an article about an incident that describes the same issue: http://fxn.ws/1ezmqpy. As of April 29,2015 consumer stated car has been repaired.
While driving uphill on a curved, shoulder-less road, my car spontaneously shifted into neutral, causing it to lose all power as well as power brake. I attempted to physically hold the gear shift in "drive", but this did not bring power back, nor did it change the light on the dash from "neutral". At first the car would shift into reverse, and I was able to back into a wider part of the road. It then stopped shifting into any gear. I ended up having the car towed home in neutral, with poor (non-power) braking. I've since done a google search and see that this is a recurrent problem with 200-something priuses, based on consumer affairs, Toyota nation, Prius online, and car problem zoo.
The traffic report said I lost control on a curve. I was knocked unconscious and do not know. Six days before the accident my husband took the car to Toyota to replace the headlamp for the third time. He said there was a recall on the steering part ?? And they were going to replace it. They gave us a recite that they had replaced the part with the part number. My husband said they only had it back there for less than 15 minutes. Six days later I had an accident stating 'I lost control'.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Toyota Prius. While driving at 20 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering wheel module coil needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 12V537000 (steering).the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Related recalls
Steering › Gear box › Shaft sector
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004-2009 Prius vehicles manufactured August 5, 2003, through March 30, 2009. The affected vehicles have a steering intermediate extension shaft assembly built with metal splines that complete the connection from the steering wheel to the steering gear.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the extension shaft and replace it if it is one with insufficient hardness, free of charge. The recall began during December 2012.
NHTSA investigations
Intermediate Steering Shaft Separation
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a January 2013 defect petition requesting that it open an investigation on Model Year (MY) 2004-2009 Toyota Prius vehicles to address a possible manufacturing safety defect related to the steering column intermediate shaft.During the defect petition evaluation, ODI: 1.Reviewed the petition and its enclosures; 2.Reviewed the subject steering system layout; 3.Examined…
Steering complaints in other Prius years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2007 Toyota Prius?
NHTSA has 33 complaints about the steering of the 2007 Toyota Prius, 2% of the model year's 2,003 complaints. The component named most often is electric power assist system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Toyota Prius steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 12V-537 (shaft sector, Nov 14, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2007 Toyota Prius steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 33% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 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.