Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Toyota RAV4 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while making a right turn at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. During the failure, the instrument panel flashed approximately 4-5 times before going black. The contact stepped out to look under the hood and noticed a small fire. The police department was contacted and arrived and put out the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed away and deemed a total loss. The contact was not injured. Medical attention was not needed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the power steering assist intermittently failed to operate as needed, with the maintenance warning light displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a dealer however, there were no fault codes retrieved. The contact stated that while making a left turn onto a side road, the steering wheel seized, and excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the vehicle would reset itself. The failure intermittently persisted, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective steering column. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering); however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. …
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH and turning right at an intersection, the steering wheel seized with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact completed the turn, and the steering wheel started functioning normally, and the warning lights were no longer illuminated. The failure reoccurred while making a right turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had stopped driving the vehicle. After researching online, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V373000 (Steering): however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. While driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The failure was intermittent. The failure lasted for several seconds before the power steering feature returned, and the vehicle returned to normal operation and the warning lights were no longer illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact received an estimate for a diagnostic test. Upon further investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V373000 (Steering); and associated the failure with the recall; however, the manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the power steering assist message displayed, and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The next day the vehicle was towed to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined, and no repairs were performed. The manufacturer was contacted regarding the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 74,800.
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with power steering failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was also taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and confirmed the failure. The contact related the failure to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 109,003.
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver while turning. There were unknown warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 126,258. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
My daughter was exiting the the freeway on off ramp and turning right. The car lost electrical power without any warnings on dash or notification. When she tried to turn the steering wheel she was unable to due to loss of power steering. She ended up crossing a median and was able to turn the wheel enough to pull into the suicide lane. She noticed the hood was smoking so she shut off the car and exited the vehicle. Soon the car engine area was in flames. Fire department put out the fire and police made and incident report. The car is unusable.
Steering and brakes quit working while driving. Able to safely get off road. Took to Toyota Service Department. Per invoice "improperly installed battery caused everything to melt" battery installed by AAA in March 2020. Size 35 battery. Extensive damage.
We purchased a used 2014 RAV4 (VIN [redacted]) a few months ago. During a trip to the store my wife all of a sudden found it extremely hard to steer and almost went into a ditch! (thank God she didn't). It was a blessing that she didn't hit anything or anybody when this happened. It was close to home at the time so I came there to help. I was barely able to get the vehicle home because it was so hard to steer. I saw the power steering warning light on the dash and upon further review figured out that the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) which assists with ease of steering, has failed. I Googled the issue for my vehicle and it turns out there is a safety recall for failure of the ESP ECU on the 2014 model year RAV4. …
Related recalls
Steering › Electric power assist system
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Rav4 vehicles. A component of the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may have been damaged during the manufacturing process.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly. If the number is within the affected range, the EPS ECU will be replaced, free of charge.
Steering complaints in other RAV4 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2014 Toyota RAV4?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the steering of the 2014 Toyota RAV4, 11% of the model year's 197 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2014 Toyota RAV4 steering problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-144 (electric power assist system, Mar 13, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2014 Toyota RAV4 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 102,000 miles, and 43% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 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.