One problem related to steering gear box sector shaft has been reported for the 2005 Toyota Highlander. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2005 Toyota Highlander based on all problems reported for the 2005 Highlander.
I can't believe there hasn't been a recall on 2005 Toyota Highlander intermediate steering shaft problem. I notice it has a NHTSA item number 10019873. When my car was getting a state inspection, the inspector noticed the slight noise when the wheel was turned. I find out later at the Toyota dealer that the shaft was "binding" and continued driving could cause steering failure. If the gas station hadn't noticed the subtle noise, we would have continued driving it until the steering failed. I would call that a safety issue warranting a recall.