Steering complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 6% | — |
| 2024 | 27 | 15% | — |
| 2023 | 27 | 17% | 59,000 miles |
| 2022 | 20 | 13% | 50,000 miles |
| 2021 | 21 | 5% | 8,000 miles |
| 2020 | 27 | 4% | 10,000 miles |
| 2019 | 33 | 4% | 6,000 miles |
| 2018 | 12 | 4% | 0 miles |
| 2017 | 12 | 4% | 30,000 miles |
| 2016 | 10 | 4% | 6,000 miles |
| 2015 | 47 | 15% | 34,000 miles |
| 2014 | 21 | 11% | 102,000 miles |
| 2013 | 11 | 4% | 45,000 miles |
| 2012 | 9 | 3% | 27,000 miles |
| 2011 | 15 | 5% | 61,000 miles |
| 2010 | 18 | 5% | 50,000 miles |
| 2009 | 26 | 8% | 50,000 miles |
| 2008 | 73 | 13% | 65,000 miles |
| 2007 | 271 | 27% | 46,000 miles |
| 2006 | 230 | 33% | 42,000 miles |
| 2005 | 9 | 6% | 120,000 miles |
| 2004 | 2 | 1% | 143,000 miles |
| 2003 | 3 | 1% | 40,000 miles |
| 2002 | 8 | 2% | 22,000 miles |
| 2001 | 6 | 2% | 90,000 miles |
| 1999 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 1998 | 2 | 3% | 80,000 miles |
| 1997 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 1996 | 2 | 4% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
2025 RAV4 - While driving the car, changing from reverse to drive the steering wheel got stuck and would not go back to straight position. This causes an accident and hit another car. There was not indicator that there is a problem. Inspection was done by the dealership and asap and they identified and confirmed of faulty steering wheel angle. This car was bought end of June and accident happened first week of October. The car is since with the dealership with no resolution yet. Dealership have us call Toyota, but we were not provided with any help. One and half month in, we continue to pay insurance but we do not have the car.
This 2025 RAV4 will randomly move or jerk to the left while driving straight. It does not matter where you are in relation to the center of the lane. Sometime the movement is gentile and other time it is very strong bordering on violent. It will do the same thing with the lane keeping assistance, and pre-collision warning active or disabled. This issue could cause an accident if the jerky movement happened at the wrong time with another car alongside or approaching from the opposite direction. The movement has pushed me across the line a couple of times and it has happened at 15 mph all the way up to 65mph. The dealer did an alignment which did not change the problem. Now they want $425 to recalibrate the forward camara which 'might correct the issue'. This could get very expensive very fast when it should be covered under warranty. …
My 2024 Rav 4 showed a power steering level low message on my dash then powered off, after I was sitting in a parking lot for 10 mins in park, windshield wipers had been going that day. Tried restarting - vehicle did restart but seemed to have issues, was shaking slightly, let me drive for about a minute more in the parking lot then had a message showing to park in safe place and power steering level low and vehicle shut off again. Started vehicle about 15 mins later and everything was fine, did not experience issue again that day or next day so far. I feel I have an unreliable vehicle - what if this happened on the highway and my car just shut off in traffic, how dangerous this issue is. Several other complaints online also regarding use of windshield wipers and electrical power steering issues happening in correlation with one another. …
This is a follow up of an incident reported on 3/30/2025, after the vehicle was driven approximately 30 miles in the rain, then stopped for 5 to 10 minutes idling with windshield wipers on intermittent setting. Engine began to shudder, engine rpms increased/decreased erratically as the engine shook. The vehicle was turned off. After approximately 5 minutes, restarted vehicle and engine again ran erratically and then stalled, displaying "Engine Stopped, Steering Power Low" on the message center in the driver's display. After the engine stalled, the vehicle would not restart and had to be towed. After being towed, the vehicle started and ran smooth. A short while later, the vehicle was started but again ran erratically, but did not stall right away and was turned off. The next day, 3/31/2025, the vehicle was taken to the dealership service department. …
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving at 46 MPH in heavy rain, a warning message indicating that the pre-collision sensor was blocked and needed to be cleared, was displayed temporarily, and the contact continued driving. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly lost motive power shortly after, and the message "Steering power is low; please contact dealer" was displayed. The vehicle stalled and failed to restart.The following day, the contact's husband successfully restarted the vehicle, but the vehicle immediately stalled again, displaying a "Pre-collision malfunction; please call dealer" message. A local dealer was contacted, and the contact spoke with a receptionist regarding the battery, but the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,829.
I was driving over 120 MPH and my car slid and hit the front car. My car later caught fire and ruptured shortly after. The FD extinguished it and it was a total loss. I have no clue as to where it was taken after the accident. Sorry :(
The contact owned a 2022 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the steering wheel independently veered in the right direction. As a result, the vehicle crashed into an unoccupied parked vehicle. The contact's vehicle flipped twice and the driver's side of the vehicle was severely damaged. The air bags deployed. The contact and the back seat passenger received medical treatment. The contact sustained a lower back injury and heart issues, and the passenger sustained a bump on the head. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence, then the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power, and the "Low Steering" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The check engine warning light was illuminated, the vehicle shuddered, and then stalled as the contact pulled into a parking lot. The failure had occurred on several different occasions. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to return to normal operation. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed with an inoperable port fuel injector. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another dealer and was diagnosed with inoperable port fuel injectors. The contact was informed that the port fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
Related recalls (2)
Steering › Electric power assist system
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and 2020 RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS). Water may enter through the steering gear box cover and cause a loss of electric power steering assist.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear box, free of charge. The recall began August 17, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota RAV4 years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2007 (271), 2006 (230), 2008 (73), 2015 (47) and 2019 (33) model years. Steering complaints make up 27% of all complaints for the 2007.
Is there a recall for Toyota RAV4 steering problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 20V-373 (electric power assist system, Jun 24, 2020); 15V-144 (electric power assist system, Mar 13, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Toyota RAV4 steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 47,000 miles; 56% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the linkages › tie rod assembly (11 mentions), followed by the column (7).
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.