NHTSA Complaint #10443700 — 2006 TOYOTA AVALON

MY 2006 TOYOTA AVALON(TOURING) HAS A LOUD KNOCKING/CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL AT LOW SPEEDS. DEALER SAID THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 AVALONS AND CAN BE FIXED BY REPLACING THE STEERING COLUMN AT A COST OF $700-800. CAR HAD 42K MILES JUST OUT OF WARRANTY AND OFFERED NO TOYOTA HELP UNTIL I TOLD HIM I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH TOYOTA REPAIR WAS MADE. 15K-20K LATER ,SAME PROBLEM. SECOND STEERING COLUMN REPLACED.15K-20K LATER..SAME PROBLEM..DEALER LUB THE LINKAGE,15K-20K LATER SAME PROBLEM,DEALER LUB THE LINKAGE AGAIN. AT 98000,SAME PROBLEM,MY TOYOTA WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AT 96K AND THE DEALER WANTED $800 TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN,HIS COST AMOUNT.AREA TOYOTA REPR.SAID IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE ,MORE OF A NUISANCE FACTOR. SHOULD BE A TOYOTA RECALL TO FIND THE FIX. JUST REPLIED TO A TOYOTA SURVEY. HAVE NOT REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN..WAITING FOR AN UPDATE ON THE SURVEY. LIKELY WILL NOT BE CONTACTED. *TR