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 Tundra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Ever since I got it 2 years ago the steering has not been right with random vibration from the steering wheel to feeling like im trying harder to make it go straight. And also a clunk at low speed turns/ vibration on freeway. I was told the rack was going so I replaced it with new poly bushings and tie rods. Helped a little but no, got new rims and tires and no difference still vibration on freeway. It's weird if I pull down on the steering wheel it makes it less worse. Also it feels like all this is wearing my power steering pump as it's the only thing covered in oil under my hood. I'm. Seriousy scared to drive it on the freeway cause of the over correcting and vibration. I only have 82k on it. When I got it from the dealership nothing was said. I'm the second owner.I still have the original rack but the problem is still there. Service was done by independent shop. …
Frame corrosion through out the entire frame. Recently the steering rack broke away from the frame cross member. Now every time I turn the wheel there is a popping sounds and the steering feels loose compared to what it did before the sound accord. There is also a hole in the back of the frame behind the back tire. My attached tow package ripped sections of the frame and caused crack to extend towards the front of the frame. The fuel tank straps are also severely corroded.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Toyota Tundra. While driving at approximately 60 MPH, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle veered to the right. The vehicle went off the road and crashed into a tree. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. The vehicle was taken to the contact's residence where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000.
January 28th (2014) I was into york's Toyota for diagnosis of a check engine light and rough idle problem. The clerk at york's Toyota advised me of (2) recalls on my pickup truck (ball joint & spray frame) and said "we will call you to schedule when to have these completed at no cost to you". February 6th while driving southbound on interstate 95 at the posted speed of 75mph in sherman maine the front driver's side of my 2005 Toyota Tundra buckled. After pulling to side of the highway I got out of the truck and saw the front driver's side ball joint appeared to have sheered off causing damage to tie rod end, other front steering components and some front quarter panel damage. I called the maine state police which completed an accident report. York's has refused to pay for the repairs to the vehicle. My insurance refuses to pay because the cause of the accident was a recalled part. …
I took this truck into my local Toyota dealer on July 09, 2015 as part of a recall for a frame inspection. The mileage at that time was 295,801. The dealer said the frame was in good shape and applied a corrosion inhibitor as part of the program. In February of this year, (2020) I decided to install new break pads. When I removed the wheel on the driver side, I found a significant hole in the frame and cracking all around the area. In approximately 5 years and 17,000 miles, this developed. I have not driven the truck in the winter for about 8 years as this became a secondary vehicle only for summer project use around the home. I contacted Toyota corporate and they said that there weren't any programs available to remedy the situation and I was basically out of luck. I recently took the trunk to a frame & body shop and was shown much more extensive failure in the frame on both sides. …
2005 Toyota Tundra quad cab. Front end alignment problems, extreme pulling to the left and right, consistent rattling in the front end. Control issues at 5 MPH, extreme shimmering over 65 MPH. Recommended parts by service department knuckle sub assembly, bearings, ring hole, seals. Vehicle loses power, and steering control, caused accident. Manufacturer refuses to honor warranty and repair vehicle. Problems began at 2000 miles, taken in at 5009 miles for service and reported problem, 4 attempts at repair with no success.
I had my 2005 Tundra bed loaded to the maximum advertised weight capacity. Once I entered the hwy and reached a speed of 45 the vehicle went out of control. I have been driving for many years and have never experienced a loss of control like this. The vehicle left the road and flipped upside down. The cab held up great and everyone was wearing their seatbelt therefor there were not signifigant injuries. Atleast one of the tires were off the rim but I'm not sure if this was a result of the accident or a cause.
The entire frame of the truck and every component directly in contact with it including the suspension is and has been oxidizing/rusting/rotting off in layers some fragments of rust scale falling off measure 1/8" in thickness I contacted Toyota of north America knowing about the recalls on the Toyota tacoma model trucks with alot of detailed photos they said basically too bad. Ive kept the undercarriage clean even tried using coatings to slow the deterioration down the truck has 122,000 miles on it and was very well taken care of the problem is toyotas poor quality steel used and improper factory coatings I purchased the truck in 2014 and I glimpsed underneath the day I bought it and thought the frame looked good then a few months go by and I go to do a tune up and I start seeing huge rust scale falling all over upon further investigation noticed the problem and how bad it was as well …
Bought this vehicle used in 2010 and it had a lot of corrosion underneath then. Currently has 50 k miles. My brakes are squealing due to corrosion preventing the calipers from moving and the wheel was corroded to the hub and it took a lot of effort to remove it. The structural members and all the components have loose layers of rust. The exhaust heat shields fell off. The spare tire restraint system looks too weak so I removed the spare. The spare wheel is so corroded that the bolt holes are no longer smooth for the lugs to bear against evenly. I am concerned that something bad will happen eventually if a weakened critical part were to fail. I doubt the undercoating Toyota is offering for 04 to 06 trucks can help much at this point. I don't want to be the guy who drops a fuel tank on the freeway.
Gear shift on steering wheel column became loose and it became very difficult to place truck into park. It started gradually until the play in the shifter was so bad that I could no longer put it into drive, reverse or neutral without the shifter handle hitting the windshield wiper handle and causing the windshield wipers to activate and squirt cleaner onto the windshield. I was concerned that it was going to slip out of gear or into gear causing injury or death, and it became increasingly hard to put the vehicle into park. I took it to Toyota dealer and they replaced it. I have the part (a1 shaft sub-assembly / bd376 housing, steering column) and it is defective inferior metal part broken into two pieces.
Steering complaints in other Tundra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2005 Toyota Tundra?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the steering of the 2005 Toyota Tundra, 6% of the model year's 377 complaints. The component named most often is rack and pinion (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Toyota Tundra steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2005 Toyota Tundra, though it has 12 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 Tundra steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 84,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.