Steering Rack And Pinion problems of the 2006 Toyota RAV4

Purchased a 2006 Rav4 sport 4wd v6 back in the summer of 2006 and the car was doing great up until last year (2011) when I noticed the steering wheel starting making this strange clicking noise. I brought the car in back in October of 2011 and they told me it was the rack and pinion making the noise and that over time I could possibly lose steering. They told me it would cost over $2,000 to fix. I asked if I could just drive it until the problem worsened and they seemed to say that was probably ok that it would cost the same to fix so I let it go. Fast forward about 6-8 months (April 2012) and now my car is making a knocking noise when I turn right (as described by almost everyone else on the web with this problem). I brought it back in again and they told me it was the same issue and there was a service bulletin put out for this exact problem. They told me it would still cost the same price to fix and I thought that was insane how Toyota knew about this problem with so many others and refuse to fix it. It sounds like this is a faulty part on all Rav4's around 2006-2007 (maybe more?). Most companies will realize they used a faulty part to make a product and replace it free of charge to keep the customer happy. That is not the case here. I called Toyota's national customer service phone line and spoke to a nasty person who spoke very condescendingly to me. He kept trying to avoid the issue at hand and eventually just said there was nothing he could do because my car was out of warranty. He filed the complaint with the rest of everyone else and went on his way. I am pretty saddened by this since the automotive industry just went through a painful time how can they turn around and act like this to loyal customers?.

Clunking noise in steering wheel when turning right at slow speeds mostly. Sometimes when turning left. Clunks 2 or 3 times on the turn ,while making the right turn mostly. . It does this all the time now . I took my car to a Toyota dealer a couple of weeks ago and had a mechanic ride with me . . I could not duplicate problem more then a couple of times, but the mechanic couldn't hear it. He said to bring it back if it continues. Toyota has no bulletins on this problem for the Rav4, however they have service bulletins on the prius and the highlander models on this same problem. . I mentioned this to the dealer, he said they weren't related?? thank you for your interest.

In June 2006, I purchased a new 2006 Toyota rav 4 sport. Great vehicle. I drive 100 miles a day round trip to work. As of 1/12/07, there are 15,725 miles on the vehicle. Around 12,500 miles, I noticed a strange grinding noise coming from the steering when making a hard right or left turn (turning into a parking place or my driveway). I talked with the Toyota dealer and the first attempt was to heavily lubricate the steering as I was told everything was dry. The car had been serviced for an oil and lube every 4,000 miles. This did not resolve the issue. I was told that I needed a new rack and pinion steering unit. The dealer forgot to order the part. After a week and a half, I called to find out that the part was on back order as there have been a number of problems with the vehicle's steering. When I asked if I was safe driving 100 miles a day, at speeds of 70 mph on the florida turnpike, I was told to drive the vehicle at a safe speed of 40 mph. (I informed the dealer that I would be killed on the florida roads if I drove that slow. - they agreed. ) again, I asked if I was safe. Then I was told that although the part was on backorder, that they would see what they could do. I was called within an hour and told that the part would be in within a week. The new rack and pinion unit and gears were installed yesterday. Additionally, a recommended wheel alignment was done, and it feels as if the front brakes were adjusted. The vehicle feels good, but the crunching noise is still there. Does Toyota have a problem with the steering on these vehicles? if so, I am really disappointed. I traded my Chrysler for the Toyota so that I would not have to go to the dealer for service all of the time. The real question am I safe?????.