Does anyone else experience strange resistance in the steering while turning the steering wheel from slight left of center to slight right and vice versa? It's like the power steering gets confused as you approach center and tries to push against you slightly. While on the highway in heavy traffic, I am nervous enough to hold the wheel tight with both hands (like a brand new, nervous driver might). I'll try to explain better by describing a common scenario I have.

I'm driving on a relatively straight portion of the highway where slight turning corrections are needed. At the moment, I have the wheel perfectly centered (going straight). A very slight change of direction in the highway requires that I turn the wheel very slightly to the left, and I do so without any problems. Another slight curve in the highway requires that I turn the wheel back past center and over to the right very slightly. This is where the issue happens... I feel what seems like a magic force trying to stop me from turning the wheel past center. I push a little harder, at which point it overcomes the force and jumps to the slight right position. It's unpredictable (but easily reproduced) and causes me to jerk the car a little at times.

I have the clicking steering issue (but only during heavy turning) that others have commented on this forum, which may be related. Does anyone else have this binding issue that I mentioned? Also, does anyone with the clicking steering issue not have this binding issue along with it?

 

You have a problem! Take it to the dealer to be fixed.

-- Alan

 

Yes I have the problem you describe, and it is further described in other threads in this forum. Search on "steering" and you'll find a thread about steering clicks.

But what others call a 'click', is for me the silent but weird feeling that the steering let go for a second, like it skipped some teeth in a gear, or was bound up and suddenly released particularly when turning back to the left, just past center after a mild right turning motion on the highway. It can be quite disconcerting at times, particularly in rainy or snowy weather conditions that cause slippery driving and it feels like you lost traction.

The car has not yet gone back to the dealer for repair. This, plus the center console crickets, and a pull to the left at highway speeds (not related to the crown of the road) are the most annoying or problematic defects. I also experience wind noise in the passenger door and a squeaky visor. Most of these issues have been discussed in other forum threads also.

 

@r_beagle69
I've been regularly checking the other posts about the clicking, but couldn't find anything about the binding issue (though I now see that your post in the "click" forum does seem to mimic my binding issue). I've been waiting on bringing this to the dealer until the issue is more known and "official". The last thing I want to do is have a tech tear my car apart multiple times trying to analyze and fix the issue. To tell you the truth, I thought the binding issue might be a consequence of the new electric steering (just like how there is a shudder when the engine fires up). I guess I now have more incentive to get this looked at.

 

Andrew,

I know this still doesn't address your original question about binding, but there is a TSB out that addresses your clicking problem...can't get more official than that. You can not open the actual TSB unless you subscribe to the web service, but at least you know it exists.

Thanks to schmidtj for posting the TSB notification.

ST002-07 STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT NOISE 2007 model year Camry and Camry HV vehicles produced BEFORE the Production Change Effective VINs shown in this TSB.

Some customers may hear a clunk, pop, or knock-type noise when turning the steering wheel left or right. A new intermediate shaft has been developed to address this condition. Use the following repair procedure to remove and replace the steering intermediate shaft.

 

Excellent! That is just what I have been waiting for. Thanks!

 

Now that you have provided the TSB the dealer ordered the part. I was set to meet with the Factory Rep. next week, this ends a 5 visit string of visits.

 

Sometimes I wonder if dealers ever look at the TSB listings to see if a customer complaint might have been addressed with a TSB!

I had a 1990 Honda Accord that just plain died on the highway one day (for the second time). The first time it actually happened right in front of a Goodwrench service center. They said it was bad plug wires, replaced them, and all was well (or so I thought).

After the second time it died, I had it towed to a shop that specialized in foreign cars. They called me and said that there was a TSB for weak distributors on these cars, and they had it towed to the nearest Honda dealer where it was fixed free of charge, and the dealer actually covered the cost of towing. They also replaced the plug wires free of charge, and gave me the junk "new" wires that the other place had installed. I went back to the Goodwrench place and got them to refund the cost of the plug wires!

If I worked at a dealership, I think the first thing I would do is check the TSB list for any problem that came in. It can't possibly take that long to do a quick search.

 

Unfortunately they did at the last visit in March, I believe it was added the end of April according to NHSTA website 4/25. I do not know when Toyota added it, but they looked and were not willing to replace the shaft when they could not duplicate the problem, I feel they just did not try hard enough. I can actually say there is not one driving trip where it did not happen. Hopefully this solves the problem, thank you for your help.

 

Problem fixed after replacement under ST002-07. Dealer did mention that they tested old intermediate shaft after removal, and it did not demonstrate the clicking problem. I spoke with another dealer, they mentioned step one in their procedure is to loosen the shaft and reseat it. My dealer chose to just replace it. They did finally admit that the steering did feel much better. Finally after 10 months and 6 visits it is fixed. Here is the TSB, sorry about the quality, I got it from a local repair shop that it was faxed to.