2004 Toyota Sienna Steering Problems
- 131
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
What owners report
- power steering · 39 records
- steering wheel · 31 records
- steering shaft · 14 records
- intermediate shaft · 11 records
- steering fluid · 10 records
- very hard · 10 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 40 |
| 100–150k mi | 32 |
| 30–60k mi | 28 |
| 150–400k mi | 10 |
| 1–30k mi | 6 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
The steering has become stiff on my 2004 sienna causing unexpected response when steering. My mechanic tells me it is the steering intermediate shaft and that there is a bulletin ( st001-07) on this. The toyota dealership states that this is not a safety concern. The vehicle is at 88,000 km and exceeds the 36 month 36,000 mile limits. When i purchased this used vehicle (in january 08) from the dealership it came…
ODI 10250849
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. The contact stated that the steering was binding. The steering wheel locks in different positions while driving, which makes steering difficult. The dealer will repair the vehicle, but not under warranty. The vin was unknown. The failure mileage was 58,000.
ODI 10267360
Steering
Just over a year ago i started hearing a sporadic sound when making a left hand turn. When i brought it to the attention of the dealer' service department during regular maintenance, they said they found no problem and unfortunately did not indicate the complaint on the service record. I don't believe they took my description seriously at the time. The sound disappeared for a while but reappeared consistently when…
ODI 10251001
Front · Steering
I had taken my sienna to the dealer to fix the last recall for the liftgate. They must have done an inspection and told me i needed to replace the warn control arms at a cost of $1,755.00 and the high pressure power steering hose at a cost of $699.00. I was there in april to have work done and none of this was mentioned. I have 54,473 miles and asked at what mileage do the control arms usually break down and i was…
ODI 10249287
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. While driving 15 mph and turning the vehicle, the steering column began to fail. The steering became stiff and then loosened too much. As a result, a crash could have occurred. The dealer stated that they were unaware of any failures with the steering column. The contact inspected the vehicle himself and determined that the lower universal joint on the intermediate shaft was…
ODI 10251219
Steering
Loss of power steering due to internal leak of fluid into rack. Made high pitched squeaking noise and fluid would slowly leak (internal, could not find external leak) first occurred around 11/08 and repaired first under warranty on 3/09 at 34,749 miles. Now has occurred again at 80,000 miles . *tr
ODI 10311278
Steering
2004 toyota sienna steering gets stuck and binds up. Looking at other peoples same complaints, toyota should be responsible for a recall. This is a serious and also, expensive problem. Toyota seems to want to ignore this problem, but thousands of sienna customers have complained. *tr
ODI 10364261
Steering
On septmber 9, 2008 i was told at the that i needed to replace all four of my run flat tires after doing so, when i left the dealer i noticed that the steering did not feel the same as it did prior to my visit. Initially, i thought because i had four new tires that the steering felt tight because the tires were hugging the road. Over the past few weeks the steering had become progressively worse. Driving straight…
ODI 10244717
Steering
Steering problems with my 2004 toyota sienna . The turning of the steering wheel has become tougher. Taking turns is extremely difficult and loss of steering control dealer is repairing at a cost of 598.00 and it could be more. *tr
ODI 10242875
Steering
2004 toyota sienna power steering is tight. The power steering does not function as smoothly as it should on this vehicle. Dealer says it is a belt issue but that has not corrected problem in the past. *tr
ODI 10384318
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. While driving and attempting to turn the vehicle at approximately 35-45 mph, the steering would tighten and hesitate to the point where it felt like it would not turn. The dealer believed that the u joint needed to be replaced and had lots of "play". The estimated repair cost was $523.71. The failure mileage was 78,000 and current mileage was 84,208.
ODI 10237041
Steering
On april 18, 2008 the steering on my toyota sienna began to feel difficult. It was very hard to turn the steering wheel. The intermediate steering shaft had failed and was replaced on may 6, 2008. *tr
ODI 10227405
Steering
About 15 minutes into a half hour drive the steering suddenly felt like it was sticking during turns. The force required to turn the steering wheel became unpredictable, making the vehicle difficult to control. Did not drive the vehicle until local garage (not affiliated with toyota) could inspect steering. They reported that the intermediate steering shaft needed to be replaced due to corrosion from road salt, but…
ODI 10222648
Steering
A shaft in the power steering began to fail due to corrosion caused by road salt. Complete failure would have caused the steering to lock up. I replaced the part prior to failure. *tr
ODI 10221808
Steering
Steering became hard and would catch in certain turning situations so the car felt as if steering locked up. Needs intermediate steering shaft replaced. Car went into shop on friday 3-7-08. Part is on national back order. None are available in usa. A tsb was issued 1-2007 concerning replacement of intermediate steering assembly with modified part in high salt areas. The original design allows salt to get in the…
ODI 10220841
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. While driving 24 mph, the steering wheel froze. The contact experiences difficulty when driving. He took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the parts for the repair were on a national back order. There is a tsb (number 10020994) regarding the steering intermediate shaft in high road salt areas. The current and failure mileages were 55,000. Updated 4/2/08 *cn…
ODI 10220825
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. While driving 5 mph, the contact noticed that the steering was tighter than normal. A repair shop checked the steering fluid level for leaks. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the rack and pinion failed. The dealer replaced the rack and pinion at the cost of $1,500; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and they…
ODI 10259670
Driveline · Steering
While making a sharp left turn, i can hear clunk, clunk from the steering column. Dealer says the steering column (rack-pinion) joint is bad, need replacement, not under warranty, will cost 500 to 600 $, not an immediate safety threat , can wait until the noise gets too bad. I am not happy that such things break down at 45,000 miles. *tr
ODI 10246517
Steering
The steering began to get hard to turn. The problem progressed to the point where it began to interfere with driving. The dealer told me it was a due to corrosion on a steering shaft and if it failed completely, i would not be able to steer the vehicle. I believe the repair cost $700 with the part and subsequent alignment. *tr
ODI 10238983
Steering
Approximately 20 months ago, began experiencing very difficult steering. Steering acted as if loss of power steering. Difficult to turn and would not return to neutral always, especially in cold weather. Near accident when steering would not return to neutral as expected. Last summer, steering improved in warm weather. This winter, constant problem and did not go away with return of warm weather. From what i have…
ODI 10285322
Steering
We had a steering problem with this car for a number of months. The steering would become very difficult and felt as if it was locking up, especially in the middle of a turn. It was extremely difficult to control the car and required much effort. Towards the beginning, it was a bit intermittent. At the first visit to the toyota dealer, we paid for other service in a vain effort to address the problem at the…
ODI 10222390
Steering
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 toyota sienna. The contact stated that when turning the steering wheel in either direction, it becomes difficult to turn, jams, and fails to turn back to the correct driving position. The dealer stated that the vehicle needs an intermediate shaft, steering gear, and a steering column flex coupling. The dealer also stated that it is not safe to drive the vehicle because the steering may…
ODI 10189743
Steering
This happened about late 2006 to early 2007. I first observed that once in a while turning the steering was stiff and the wheel will not turn back to its neutral position, and the car will over steer. It felt like there was no power steering and you could hear some squeaking noise from the steering. Since at first it happens on and off during turning, everytime i took it to the dealer, they said was nothing wrong,…
ODI 10592822
Steering
2004 toyota sienna with 39,000 miles. Steering shaft assembly failed - nearly impossible to maneuver car. Failure occurred suddenly, as if power steering system failed. Failure blamed on rubber boot. Corrective action: steering shaft assembly replaced at consumer cost. Old part is available for government viewing. Sudden failure could have caused loss of vehicle control and accident at high speeds. Toyota refused to…
ODI 10162602
Steering
Problem with steering system in 2004 toyota sienna. Noise in steering. Toyota repair shop indicated steering intermediate needs to be replaced because it was bad. I believe steering system is a manufacturing defect. *jb
ODI 10159496