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A class action lawsuit has been filed against Toyota Motor Corporation by a consumer who claims that the car manufacturer sold 2008-2013 Toyota Highlander vehicles with a steering wheel design defect.
Plaintiff Linda Drake says the intermediate drive shaft causes a clunk, pop, or knock-type noise when the steering wheel is turned to the left or right.
She says the steering wheel defect can be exhibited when the cars are parked or when on the highway.
Drake says she bought a used 2009 Toyota Highlander in 2012. Before she purchased the vehicle, she viewed advertisements about the car, took it for a test drive, and spoke to the Toyota sales representative about the car’s features, including those dealing with safety.
In March 2013, she claims that she noticed a noise while she was shifting gears and, at times, her vehicle did not shift at all.
She claims that she contacted the dealership to secure warranty coverage for her car, but the dealership denied her request, claiming that the noise she heard in the car could not be replicated and that the noise would eventually pass.
The plaintiff alleges that the noise caused by the steering wheel defect distracts drivers as it moves their attention from the road to the noise. In addition, one side effect of the steering wheel defect is that the cars are unable to shift gears.
The Toyota class action states that other car owners have reported that the power steering fails because of the defect.
“This fundamental inability to operate could result in perilous situations, thereby placing both the driver of the Class Vehicle and fellow motorists in serious danger,” according to the plaintiff.
Drake claims that the defendants have had long-standing knowledge of the defect in the steering wheel and have sold thousands of cars without disclosing this information to consumers.
The Toyota steering wheel class action lawsuit also alleges that Toyota’s service technicians deny that the steering wheel defect exists and say that the issue occurs from normal wear and tear on the car.
Drake claims that Toyota has had knowledge of the steering wheel defect since 2013 when they issued Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) which told dealers about the defect and proposed “fixes” at the vehicle owner’s expense. These TSBs were never communicated to the vehicle owners, according to the Toyota class action lawsuit.
In addition, the plaintiff alleges that Toyota has hidden the steering wheel defect from vehicle owners, have not recalled the cars to fix the problem, have not offered customers a replacement for free and have not offered to reimburse those who have paid out-of-pocket to repair the defect.
“In short, as a result of Defendants’ unfair, deceptive, and/or fraudulent business practices, current and former owners and/or lessees of Class Vehicles, including Plaintiff, have suffered an ascertainable loss of money, property, and/or loss in value,” the Toyota class action lawsuit argues.
The plaintiff states that if she had known about the defect in the steering wheel of her car, she would not have purchased the vehicle or would have paid less for it.
Do you own a Toyota with a steering wheel defect? Leave a message in the comments section below.
The plaintiff is represented by Jordan L. Lurie and Ari Y. Basser of Pomerantz LLP
The Toyota Steering Wheel Defect Class Action Lawsuit is Linda Drake v. Toyota Motor Corp, et al., Case No. 2:20-cv-01421, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
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259 thoughts onToyota Class Action Alleges Steering Wheel Defect
We have a 2009 Toyota Highlander purchased new. We noticed the steering wheel was not responding well when turned. When we took it to a mechanic, they stated that the tie rods needed replacing but more concerning is they are telling us the “power steering engine” needs to be replace. The vehicle has 127,000 miles.
I have a 2008 Highlander Sport just last week, i heard the steering noise when I turned to righ or left.
I have a 2012 toyota camry that i have recently repaired the entire front end suspension. I have 4 brand new tires balanced and car was aligned. When i purchased the car and unlocked the tilt steering lever to adjust steering wheel, since then the car has never drove safe. So i then had the entire suspension repaired bc of the noises and the way the car drove. But now the steering column rattles and the lever if locked in place the car vibrates and tires are not aligned with the car at any position. No one can diagnosis the issue and my car is unsafe to drive. I reported this to the correct chain of command and no one seems to respond. I will either get killed in an accident due to the car still not stable unless i play with the tilt steering while driving.
I have a 2011 Toyota Highlander 4 cylinder a base SE which I purchased new from the local dealership. Over the last year I have experienced a soft sound connected to a loose feeling coming through the steering wheel. It made me feel as if something might be breaking in the steering wheel mechanism.
Yes I have a 2013 Toyota Highlander with a steering wheel knock. I bought the highlander as used Certified. I took it to a dealer after a year and they told me that it was ok to drive and not to worry about it until it got worse. At the time it was not covered under any warranty
My 2010 Highlander has that click in the steering wheel. It’s getting more frequent and I’m worried about mechanical failure while I’m on the road. I plan to have a mechanic look at it ASAP. With that in mind, I started searching online and found this web page.
I purchased a 2012 Toyota Highlander and have started to experience this problem. The steering column locks and you can not turn the wheel when it happens and it shakes so bad you think the wheel is going to come off. I nearly ran off the highway just this morning
There is a clicking noise amd it’s lights started blinking and it was like the car was just malfunctioning. It scared the living daylights out of me. They need to fix this issue because it’s dangerous and life threatening. If I had known of this issue when I purchased it this would have not been my vehicle of choice. Please somebody help get this corrected it’s not.fair for the owner to pay for.Toyotas defect and it’s even more sad.the dealerships have knowledge and don’t inform potential buyers of this before they purchase
Just started experiencing this same exact thing on my 2013 Highlander. Have an appointment on Monday, curious to see what they would say.
Yep got the noise in my 2012 Toyota highlander
I have experienced the same issue with my 2013 Toyota Highlander for over a year now. I took it to Toyota of Orange and had their service operations director test drive it with me. He was extremely kind and said the sound was normal and nothing to be overly concerned about. Unfortunately, the sound has persisted and gotten worse since then and it’s very nerve-racking and I feel unsafe driving my car. I will be contacting Toyota of Orange again in the coming weeks since it’s gotten worse and hope they are able to present a solution this time.
I have a 2011 Highlander with the steering clunk. Have had the issue since about 50k miles.
2015 Venza has the steering column noise at high speed and going over bumps. It’s very distracting. I also hope Toyota steps up to do the right thing! I’ve been a loyal Toyota customer for close to 20 years. That may have to change. Can anyone tell me how to join the class action?