NHTSA Complaint #11536607 — 2014 TOYOTA VENZA

The vehicle started to exhibit a popping or clunking sound in the steering Column after 125,000 miles. Was told it was not dangerous and continued to drive while albeit was still distracting. At 165,000, the sound became extremely loud at hwy speeds of 70-80mph and cause the steering wheel to shake and pull to the left. Took to mechanic who told me to take it to dealer. Dealer immediately knew what the problem was but was told I would have to replace the entire steering column because there was no way access the bushing otherwise. It was 15$ EPS bushing/damper that had literally worn down to nothing cause the power steering motor to vibrate on the steering column when going over bumps and driving at high speeds. Altering the alignment and causing a slow leak of hydraulic power steering fluid. This apparently is a fairly common issue with 2009-2015 Toyota Venza