2014 TOYOTA RAV4 Steering Problems

Year: 2014 Make: Toyota Model: RAV4 Approx. mileage: 60K 2. Incident Details Date of most recent incident: [XXX] Problem: Vehicle stalls and loses power steering while turning. Engine shuts off suddenly, causing complete loss of steering control. Consequence: On [XXX], my son lost control of the RAV4, hit a curb, and went through bushes before stopping. Previous stalls also occurred while turning, with loss of steering assist. This is a severe safety hazard. Frequency: Has occurred multiple times, even after dealership inspection and repairs. 3. Dealer/Repair Info Dealer name: Sarasota Toyota Address: 7435 S Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231 Repair attempts: Dealer inspected in August 2025, charged nearly $900, but problem persists. Car is now back in the shop (not Toyota) for a second opinion at an additional cost of over $200. 4. Description My 2014 Toyota RAV4 repeatedly stalls and loses engine power and power steering without warning, especially while turning. On [XXX], my son lost control of the vehicle, hit a curb, and went through bushes before managing to stop. This is extremely dangerous and could have resulted in a serious accident. Sarasota Toyota has inspected the vehicle and charged nearly $900 for repairs, but the defect was not fixed. The vehicle continues to stall and is unsafe to drive. I am pursuing a second opinion at additional expense. This issue places my family and others on the road in danger. I am filing this complaint so that Toyota and regulators address this defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the power steering assist intermittently failed to operate as needed, with the maintenance warning light displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and a dealer however, there were no fault codes retrieved. The contact stated that while making a left turn onto a side road, the steering wheel seized, and excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the vehicle would reset itself. The failure intermittently persisted, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective steering column. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering); however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

Mileage: 118,000

The electric power steering has malfunctioned. The malfunction of the EPS may cause the car to jerk or swerve. The dealership has said they have seen countless problems with the EPS. There is a recall on the EPS in the 2014 Rav4, however this vehicle did not fall under the previous recall. No warning lamps or messages appear for this particular issue with the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection. The dealership has quoted $3014.00 for the repair. Steering column assembly replacement and EPS motor replacement.

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel seized. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with power steering failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was also taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and confirmed the failure. The contact related the failure to the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 109,003.

Mileage: 109,003

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V734000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver while turning. There were unknown warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 126,258. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Mileage: 126,258

My daughter was exiting the the freeway on off ramp and turning right. The car lost electrical power without any warnings on dash or notification. When she tried to turn the steering wheel she was unable to due to loss of power steering. She ended up crossing a median and was able to turn the wheel enough to pull into the suicide lane. She noticed the hood was smoking so she shut off the car and exited the vehicle. Soon the car engine area was in flames. Fire department put out the fire and police made and incident report. The car is unusable.

I purchased a 2014 RAV4 this past April from a private owner in Daytona Beach, Fla. Everything seemed to be fine and checked out on the test drive both me and my husband took for a spin. I noticed once I got it on the road and onto the highway the sterling wheel seemed very stiff, and I could hear a slight clicking noise. My husband thought it needed new tires since the ones on vehicle were pretty worn. Well, we replaced four tires, and the problem is still there. As I drove the car, I realized it was difficult to drive and keep in a lane. I feel the car as it is is dangerous to drive and it is NOT a comfortable car to drive. I have owned three other Toyota's two Camry's and a Rav 4. I would still be driving my Rav 4 if it weren't for an elderly man hitting my car and it was totaled by the insurance. I looked at several vehicles before I came across this Rav 4. I wish I never did, big mistake.. I always praised Toyota because of the dependability of the vehicles' I don't feel that way anymore. I have been in touch with Toyota Motor Corp., and they offered me NOTHING. I don't qualify for a Recall or extended warranty even though it is a safety issue. What the Toyota dealer here in Florida offered me was a repair bill for $3.000.00 which I cannot afford to have fixed right now. So now I'm stuck with a car that I'm afraid to drive because it has a mind of its own and I am afraid I could end up in a ditch. Thank You Toyota I will never buy again. I am very disappointed in Toyota and the lack of support from Toyota Corp. This has definitely changed my mind about Toyota. I should have bought American, and it would have cost less. Very unhappy Customer not that Toyota cares.

As I drive the multimedia system reboots on its own. Also as I was exiting the freeway coming off a curvy ramp, the car shut down as I was driving and the steering wheel locked for a second and then it came back to life. As this happened the dashboard lit up as if it was in accessory mode. Luckily there was not a lot of traffic on the ramp. Also about 5 months ago i had it repaired at the dealer because of a torque converter extended recall

Steering and brakes quit working while driving. Able to safely get off road. Took to Toyota Service Department. Per invoice "improperly installed battery caused everything to melt" battery installed by AAA in March 2020. Size 35 battery. Extensive damage.

The first thing that happened was while driving in the day my dash board lights shut off and back on three different times with in 5-7 minutes. Then the next day while driving down the road by vehicle electrical dash board system shut itself off and came back while I was driving. The warning symbol for the electrical steering power flashed on and my steering wheel locked up as I was turning and caused me not to be able to steer normally. Also, my air conditioning shut off and back on during these incidents.

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the power steering assist message displayed, and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The next day the vehicle was towed to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined, and no repairs were performed. The manufacturer was contacted regarding the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V144000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 74,800.

Mileage: 74,800

The contact owned a 2014 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while making a right turn at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. During the failure, the instrument panel flashed approximately 4-5 times before going black. The contact stepped out to look under the hood and noticed a small fire. The police department was contacted and arrived and put out the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed away and deemed a total loss. The contact was not injured. Medical attention was not needed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 102,000.

Mileage: 102,000

AT THE FIRST TIME, I DROVE THIS CAR TO PICK MY DAUGHTER UP FROM HER SCHOOL. WHEN I WAITED FOR MY DAUGHTER,I WASN'T TURN OFF THE ENGINE, JUST STEPPED ON THE BREAK UNTIL MY DAUGHTER GOT ON ABOUT ONE MINUTE. AND THEN I RELEASED THE BREAK WANTED TO MOVE ON. I COULDN'T TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE CAR JUST MOVE STRAIGHT. I RESTARTED MY CAR AGAIN AND THE CAR COULD MOVE NORMALLY. AT THE SECOND TIME, WHEN I WAS WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, MY CAR SUNDDENLY SHAKED ABOUT FOUR SECONDS AND THEN THE ENGINE OFF AUTOMATICALLY AND THE STREERING WHEEL COULDN'T TURNED TOO. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT COULD MOVE AGAIN.

Mileage: 20,700

WHILE MAKING A TURN UNDER 10 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITH THE FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES WITH 2 TRIPS TO THE DEALERSHIP RIGHT AFTER. DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. ONLY A QUICK REACTION ONTO THE BRAKE PEDAL STOPPED THE CAR FROM HITTING SOMETHING. 2 OF THE TIMES THE VEHICLE WAS TURNING UP A SLIGHT HILL. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED SINCE TOYOTA CAN'T FIND AN ISSUE, A UN-EXPERIENCED DRIVER MAY NOT REACT FAST ENOUGH TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT.

Mileage: 9,800

ON 10/19/2015 THE ELECTRONIC STEERING SYSTEM WARNING PANEL ACTIVATED, LOCKING MY STEERING COLUMN AND PREVENTING THE START OF THE RAV4. TOWING COMPANY ARRIVED, EXPERIENCED/WITNESSED SAME EVENT. RAV4 TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. 10/20 DEALERSHIP STATED "NO REPAIRS PERFORMED VEHICLE OPERATING AS DESIGNED." 10/20/2015 THE CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIVE STATED "THERE WAS NO ELECTRONIC FOOTPRINT IN THE MEMORY CARD, INDICATING THIS EVENT TOOK PLACE." NO ACTION BY DEALERSHIP. REPORTED TO GENERAL MANAGER AND TOYOTA CO. TOYOTA CASE #1510220162. TOYOTA STATED THEY WILL NOT BE MAKING ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE THE VIN IS NOT PART OF RECALL NUMBER 15V144000 DATED 3/13/2015. DEALERSHIP AND CORPORATION STATED THE VEHICLE MUST PRESENT THE ISSUE AT THE SHOP OR ON THE ROAD (AT THIS POINT THERE WILL BE A CRASH) BEFORE THEY WILL TAKE ANY ACTION.

Mileage: 16,000

THIS IS AN ONGOING INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. I NOTICE IT WHILE MOVING SLOWLY AND TURNING. THE STEERING HAS A SPOT WHERE IT IS HARDER TO TURN. IT FEELS LIKE THE POWER STEERING MOMENTARILY STALLS. I TOLD THE DEALERSHIP AT THE FIRST SERVICE APPOINTMENT AND THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. *TR

Mileage: 200

WHILE DRIVING MY BRAND NEW TOYOTA 2014 RAV4, THEY WERE THE FOLLOWING: 1. THE CAR WAS VIBRATING SLIGHTLY AND THE CAR WAS STUCK IN FIRST GEAR. 2. THE ?CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE AWD DRIVE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS. 3. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS BECOMING FIRM ALONG WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL. REMEMBER, THIS WAS ALL WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING. 4. I MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND TURN OFF THE CAR. 5. I TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND WOULD ONLY USE THE BATTERY. 6. I TRIED TO START THE CAR FOR THE THIRD TIME, BUT STOPPED WHEN I COULD SMELL BURNING RUBBER. I WAS VERY NERVOUS WHEN THIS HAPPENED. MOREOVER, I HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE, TRUST, AND A SENSE OF SAFETY IN THIS VEHICLE. BASICALLY, I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE AND SECURE IN THIS CAR. MY EXPERIENCE YESTERDAY 09/01/2014 WAS TERRIFYING, I WAS AFRAID THAT SOMEBODY WAS GOING TO HIT ME FROM BEHIND. WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHUT DOWN I WAS SCARED FOR MY FRIENDS LIFE AND MINE. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO STOP THE CAR AS MUCH AS I COULD TO THE SIDE SAFELY AND PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON, AND CALL FOR HELP. THERE WAS NO SHOULDER I HAD TO STOP ON A BUSY ROAD, WHERE CARS DRIVE OVER THE SPEED LIMIT. WHEN I WAS BUYING THE VEHICLE THEY WERE MY BEST BUDDY OFFERING YOU WATER, PIZZA, AFTER THE DEAL SHAKING HANDS 20 TIMES, WHEN YOU GO BACK ITS LIKE WE ARE VERY BUSY. TOYOTA CARE WILL TAKE CARE OF IT, DON'T REALLY WANT TO KNOW YOU! AT THE MOMENT IT IS AT THE DEALERSHIP BEING CHECKED! LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS. *TR

Mileage: 300

NEW CAR DUNLOP TIRES HAVE SEVERE ROAD HAZARD. EVERY SMALL ROAD CONDITION MAGNIFIES INTO GREAT STEERING PROBLEM. *TR

Mileage: 142