2011 Toyota Tacoma

I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MY STEERING BINDING IN MY 2011 TACOMA. I NOTICE THAT WHEN DRIVING IN STRAIGHT LINE I HAVE TO USE MORE THAN NORMAL FORCE TO ADJUST THE WHEEL TO STAY IN LANE. I ALSO NOTICE IT WHEN TURNING CORNERS, IT WILL BE MOVING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN BIND UP AND IT TAKES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE TURN. THIS SEEMS LIKE A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND I TOOK IT TO A SHOP AND HAD THEM CHECK THE STEERING FLUID. THEY ENDED UP PERFORMING A STEERING FLUSH. I STILL HAD THE ISSUE AND I FOUND THAT THE LOWER U-JOINT IN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS RUSTY AND BINDING UP. I SPRAYED IT WITH PENETRATING LUBE AND IT HAS FREED UP (FOR NOW). I WILL BE ORDERING A NEW ONE ASAP. I DO FEEL THAT THIS SAFETY ISSUE SHOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA BUT AT THIS TIME THEY SAY THAT IT IS NOT.

AFTER RECALL/ REPLACEMENT OF REAR LEAF SPRINGS, WITH NEW 5 LEAF UNITS, THE TRUCK SAGS UNDER LOAD, RIDES AS ROUGH W/O CARGO COMPARED TO PRIOR 3 LEAF (THICKER) SET. THE TRUCK WAS NOT 4 WHEEL ALIGNED TO SPEC AND TOYOTA IS NOT VERIFYING THIS DONE, THE DRIVELINE HAS TORSION WRAP OR JERKY-SHUDDER UPON FULL STOP NOW, AS IF DAMAGED IN THE PROCESS. THE TRUCK WITH SIDE WINDS AND GROVES IN THE ROAD IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS WORK AND WITH TWO DIFFERENT NEW SETS OF MICHELINS (CHANGED THE SAME DAY THE SUSPENSION WORK WAS DONE), SHIFTED OFF LANE VIOLENTLY. COSTCO LOCALLY SAYS I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TIRES SO SWITCHED ME TO HIGHER SPEED RATED ONES (BUT I DO NOT DRIVE AT HIGH SPEEDS, I DRIVE CONSERVATIVELY). A LOCALLY WELL REGARDED TIRE-ALIGNMENT SHOP RECHECKED THE ALIGNMENT AND FOUND IT WAS INCORRECT THOUGH MERCED TOYOTA INSISTS IT PASSED THEIR "GREEN" ZONE ON WHAT LOOKED TO BE OFF-CALIBRATED HUNTER MACHINE. FROM THE RESULTS OF THIS MACHINE, THE SERVICE MANAGER AND MECHANIC BOTH STATED MY TRUCK'S FRAME WAS DAMAGED (SO WHY BOTHER WITH ALIGNMENT?). THIS WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CHECKED BY A BODY REPAIR SHOP WITH PROPER EQUIPMENT TO BE FOUND TO BE WITHIN ONE DIME'S THICKNESS DIFFERENT FROM RAIL TO RAIL, I.E. NO DAMAGE WHATSOEVER. TOYOTA WANTS ME TO RETURN TO THIS FAULTY DEALERSHIP EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE TWO OTHERS W/ IN 60 MILES FROM MERCED CA. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE, REFUSES TO PAY FOR VERIFYING THE DEALERSHIP'S ISSUES. I SUSPECT THE SPRING SET USED IN THIS RECALL DOES NOT MATCH MY VERSION OF TRUCK, A TRD SPORT ACCESS CAB WHICH IS 300 LBS MORE CAPABLE IN SPRINGING IF THE CHARTS ARE CORRECT. ALL COMBINED, THE PROBLEMS ARE NOT SOLVED AND THE RIDE HAS BECOME DANGEROUS, ONE I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CORRECT, ONE THAT FOLLOWS THE RUTS IN THE ROAD AND IS MUCH MUCH MORE DANGEROUSLY SENSITIVE TO SIDE WIND GUSTS ON THE FREEWAYS + LESS LOAD CAPACITY.

I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE STEERING ON MY 2011 TACOMA IS VERY OFTEN EXTREMELY STIFF TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION LAST YEAR. I BROUGHT IT IN TO THE DEALER TO CHECK IT OUT. WAS TOLD: "LOWER SHAFT STARTING TO GET STIFF". WAS QUOTED A REPLACEMENT/REPAIR COST AROUND $550. COULD NOT AFFORD THAT AT THE TIME. THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN INTERMITTENT BUT NOW HAPPENS NEARLY EVERY TIME I USE THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT. LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO PAY TOYOTA TO FIX THIS. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE "STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT NUMBER 2". IT SEEMS THIS PART IS EITHER DEFECTIVE OR POORLY DESIGNED AS THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON MANY AUTOMOTIVE WEBSITES WHICH SPECIFICALLY CITE THIS VEHICLE FOR A RANGE OF YEARS FROM 2005 ON. THERE IS NO PROTECTION AGAIN RUST AT ALL ON THIS PART. THAT MAKES NO SENSE. MY TRUCK IS 6YEARS AND A HALF OLD AND THE STEERING IS JAMMED. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID IT' NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS A MAJOR SECURITY FAILURE AND IT SHOULD HAVE A SECURITY RECALL ON THESE VEHICULES.

MY HORN DOES NOT WORK WHEN I PRESS ON THE STEERING WHEEL UNLESS I TURN THE WHEELS TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT THEN IT WILL WORK. I TOOK IN MY TRUCK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY AND THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO CHARGE ME $130 TO LOOK AT IT. I TOLD THEM THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN I AM DRIVING AND SOMETHING HAPPENS AND I HAVE TO BEEP SOMEONE I CANNOT DO THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH I PRESS ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW. I OWNED OTHER CARS BEFORE BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I DROVE A CAR WITH NO HORN. TO ME IT SEEMS TO BE A MANUFACTURER ISSUE I BELIEVE TOYOTA SHOULD REPAIR THIS AT NO CHARGE. *TR

THE STEERING IS VERY STIFF. VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO DRIVE. CONSTANTLY FEELS LIKE YOU'RE FIGHTING IT. FOR INSTANCE GOING DOWN THE INTERSTATE IN A SLIGHT CURVE, FEELS LIKE PULLS BACK. VERY STIFF STEERING, ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING. LOOKED UP SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE. FROM WHAT I READ, IT APPEARS TO BE POSSIBLE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. FROM THE DESCRIPTIONS I'VE READ, IT'S A POOR DESIGN. MAYBE NEEDS SOME PROTECTION FROM THE ELEMENTS. LIKE A RUBBER BOOT TO PROTECT IT FROM THE ELEMENTS. JUST VERY STIFF STEERING AND DIFFICULT TO STEER.

ON 10/1/2011 WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON DRY PAVEMENT, SLIGHT CURVE, PU BEEP IN DASH AS IT WENT INTO ONCOMING LANE TO LEFT QUICK, I HIT BRAKES "CLUNK" TOOK BOTH HANDS TO PULL TO RIGHT AND OFF THE ROAD. FELT LIKE POWER STEERING WENT OR LOST A WHEEL. WOULD OF HIT SOMEONE HEAD ON IF WAS MEETING A CAR OR TRUCK. NO CELL SERVICE, SO DECIDED TO SLOWLY TURN AROUND, AND TRY TO GET HOME==1 MI. OR LESS. PARKED. CALLED DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TOWED, BUT IF THEY FIND NOTHING I HAVE TO PAY. I DROVE UP TUES., THEY SAID NOTHING WRONG. PROBABLY LEVELING--BECAUSE I PUT A 3" LIFT ON IT. I NOW AM AFRAID TO DRIVE MY NEW PU. 2,600 MI. THEY SAID THEY PUT ON MACHINE, BUT NO PRINT OUT AS IT SHOWED NOTHING WRONG????? *TR