NHTSA Complaint #10662663 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 HAS A "CLUNKING/POPPING" NOISE COMING FROM WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE STEERING LINKAGE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT AND RACK-AND-PINION ASSEMBLY.IN EARLY 2014, A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN INDIANA RECOMMENDED SERVICING THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT ASSEMBLY VIA AN ISSUED TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN. THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS REPLACED IN THE SPRING OF 2014 (COST=$1000, CAR MILEAGE ~65K).I HAVE SINCE JOB RELOCATED TO NEW JERSEY AND THE PROBLEM HAS RESURFACED (CAR MILEAGE ~75K).A DEALERSHIP HERE TOLD ME THAT THE RACK-AND-PINION ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACE (EST. COST= $2000).GENERAL SIGNS OF RACK-AND-PINION FAILURE AS STATED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND GENERAL RESEARCH ARE NOT OBSERVED IN MY CAR (SIGNS INCLUDING "PLAY/SLOP" IN THE STEERING WHEEL, LOOSE STEERING, STIFF STEERING, ETC.).FURTHER RESEARCH OF THIS ISSUE HAS SHOW MULTIPLE HUNDREDS-OF-THOUSANDS OF RAV4 OWNERS INQUIRING ABOUT THIS ISSUE EITHER VIA RAV4/TOYOTA FORUMS, OR THROUGH THE NHTSA AND OTHER THIRD PARTY AUTO SAFETY AGENCIES.THE DEALERSHIPS SEEM TO BE GUESSING AT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, AND THEY ISSUE REPAIR GUIDELINES BASED ONLY ON SERVICE BULLETINS WITHOUT FULLY INVESTIGATING THE ISSUE.THERE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN WITH A "CLUNKING/POPPING" NOISE WITH THE STEERING ASSEMBLY OF THESE AUTOMOBILES.OWNERS OF THIS (HIGHLY RATED, ABUNDANTLY SOLD) RAV4 MODEL SHOULD BE ISSUED A RECALL BY TOYOTA TO HAVE THE RACK-AND-PINION AND THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT ASSEMBLY FIXED WITHOUT CONSUMER PURCHASE.TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS, AS THEY HAVE ISSUED MULTIPLE SERVICE BULLETINS, BUT HAVE YET TO DEEM THE ISSUE A SAFETY CONCERN LEAVING THEIR LOYAL OWNERS WITH REPAIR COST IN UPWARDS OF $3000 FOR CARS THAT ARE WELL UNDER 100,000 MILES, BUT OUTSIDE OF TOYOTA'S WARRANTY PERIOD. PROTECTING THE SAFETY OF DRIVERS AND THEIR PRECIOUS PASSENGERS, SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE CONCERN OF TOYOTA AND THE NHTSA. *TR