2025 Toyota 4RUNNER

The steering system malfunctioned. The vehicle is at the dealer for inspection/repair. When driving the steering is loose, when you go over bumps there is an audible thump in the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle is at the dealer in Rockwall Texas for the 3rd time for this issue. The lower steering shaft was deemed defective by the technician due to excessive play on the first visit. Even with the defective steering component the vehicle was returned to me in that condition due to a lack of parts. I returned the vehicle because it was not safe to drive. The part was ordered/received and installed. After picking up the vehicle it was evident immediately that the vehicle still had the same issue. The vehicle is now at the dealer waiting on an upper steering shaft that was deemed to have excessive play. The part is on backorder. There are no warning lights associated with this issue. Symptoms include: Clunking noise in driver area when going over bumps and vehicle wanders excessively at speed on uneven surfaces.

The LKA system steers the vehicle into the oncoming lane of travel under specific and repeatable conditions. The defect occurs as follows: While the vehicle is traveling and the LKA system is following the left lane marking, the vehicle approaches a marked left-hand turn lane or turnout where no fog line is present on the right-hand side of the road. In this situation, the system abruptly attempts to steer the vehicle toward the turn lane. Because the turn lane is positioned to the left of the driver’s actual lane of travel, this steering input pulls the vehicle toward and into the oncoming lane of traffic. This steering intervention happens without warning and without any input from the driver. Given that it moves the vehicle into a lane carrying oncoming traffic, it presents a direct risk of a head-on collision. Manufacturer Response I contacted Toyota regarding this issue and was told that this behavior is normal, and that the system will use whatever lane marking is available to determine its steering path. Toyota did not indicate that a fix or software update was planned. I do not consider “the system follows whatever line it has” an acceptable explanation for a feature that actively steers a vehicle into oncoming traffic. Why This Is a Safety Defect 1.The system takes an abrupt steering action with no driver input and no warning. 2.The result of that action is movement into a lane used by oncoming traffic, which is the most dangerous possible outcome of a lane keep assist malfunction. 3.The condition that triggers this behavior (a marked left turn lane with no right-side fog line) is common on ordinary two-lane roads and is not something a driver can always anticipate or avoid. 4.The manufacturer has acknowledged the behavior exists and has characterized it as expected operation rather than a defect.