MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS DEVELOPED A LOUD CLUNK AND SLIGHT BINDING WHEN THE STEERING WHEN TURNING AT SLOW SPEEDS. THE DIAGNOSIS FROM TOYOTA APPEARS TO BE A WORN INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. IN MY OPINION, THE STEERING SHAFT ON THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT RESEMBLE THOSE ON OTHER CARS IN THAT STARTS CONNECTED TO THE STEERING WHEEL AND THEN RUNS VERTICALLY DOWN THROUGH THE DASH AREA CHANGING DIRECTION ABRUP…
2007 Toyota RAV4 steering problems
moderate 271 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $700
Complaints
271
Recalls
0
Crashes
5
Avg fix
$700
What owners are reporting 9 most recent
A R E CALL NOW ON THE CLOCK SPRING STOP ACTING STUPID'S. *TR
"KLUNKING" NOISE FROM STEERING COLUMN. NOTICED INTERMITTENTLY INITIALLY,NOW ALL THE TIME. OCCURS AT ANY SPEEDS BUT PRIMARILY LOWER SPEEDS AND WHILE STOPPED. WORSENING OVER TIME. *KB
I OWN A 2007 RAV4 THAT HAVE KNOCKING SOUNDS IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD TO REPLACE BOTH OF THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AT A COST OF $355.00. THE CAR HAS 31000 MILES AND JUST PASSED THE 36 MONTH WARRANTY. TOYOTA REFUSES TO HELP WITH THE COST OF REPAIR. MANY OTHER 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROBLEM ONLINE. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN #T-SB-0319-08" TO TELL THE T…
UPON STARTING THE CAR THE RED POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT (P/S) STAYED ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN 2 WEEKS. WE ARE TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. OTHERS ON THE INTERNET WITH THIS EXACT PROBLEM SAY IT COST $2500 TO FIX!! TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON RELIEVED THE PROBLEM BUT IT CAME BACK AGAIN A WEEK LATER. GM ISSUE…
MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 LTD 4X4 HAS AN AUDIBLE AND PHYSICAL CLUNKING IN THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN TURNING AT ANY SPEED IN EITHER DIRECTION. I BEGAN NOTICING THE SOUND AROUND 80,000 MILES AND THEN BEGAN FEELING IT AROUND 90,000. I HAD IT LOOKED AT MY A QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN AND WAS TOLD MY ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN HAS DEFECTIVE BUSHINGS THAT ARE A DESIGN FLAW AND THE ENTIRE DUAL STEERING SHAFT WOULD HAVE …
AT 51,000 MILES, THERE IS A HEAVY RATTLE IN THE FRONT END WHEN DRIVING ON ROUGH ROADS. AFTER REPLACING SEVERAL PARTS, LOCAL MECHANICS NOW TELL ME THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING GEAR NEEDS REPLACEMENT. THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT PROBLEM THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN #T-SB-0319-08. I DO NOT FEEL ANYTHING ABNORMAL IN THE STEERING WHEEL, STEERING IS SM…
I OWN TWO 2007 RAV4S. BOTH HAVE KNOCKING SOUNDS IN THE STEERING WHEEL. I HAD TO REPLACE THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IN ONE OF THE CARS LAST WEEK AT A COST OF $440.00. I WILL HAVE TO DO THE SAME REPAIR ON THE SECOND RAV4 THIS WEEK. THERE ARE LESS THAN 33,000 ON EACH CAR. TOYOTA REFUSES TO HELP WITH THE COST OF REPAIR. MANY OTHER 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE SAME PROBLEM …
STEERING HAS HAD A "CLUNKING" NOISE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. I READ ONLINE FROM NUMEROUS OTHER 2007 RAV4 OWNERS THAT TOYOTA HAS ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN #T-SB-0318-08 TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. MY TOYOTA DEALER REPLACED ONE OF THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFTS HAS INSTRUCTED IN THE SERVICE BULLETIN. REPAIRS COST ME $414.00. NOISE HAS BEEN ELIMINATED. I OWN TWO RAV4S YEAR 2007. BOTH HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
Common questions
How serious is the steering problem on the 2007 Toyota RAV4?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 271 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $700 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the steering typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $700 for steering repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to steering?
No active recalls currently cover steering issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Other problem areas on this vehicle
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities.
Repair cost estimates are independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area.
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