Steering Problems of Toyota RAV4 - part 1

While getting gas the car was running and I got a warning that said engine stopped power steering low. I started the car and everything was fine and was able to drive with no issues and haven't seen the warning. I know sometimes dealerships have reminders for maintenance and not sure if this was just a glitch. After reviewing forums this seems like a known issue on Toyota but the vehicle hasn't been recalled some users have said car was fine while others say battery or alternator. This should be looked into. Thank you.

See all problems of the 2022 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

Brakes failed to respond wheels locked and steering shut down.

See all problems of the 2024 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

I cant use my cruise control its not going straight and everytime im turning I can hear a grinding noise its coming from power steering.

See all problems of the 2020 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

I was driving the car with no issues on July 13th- made two 30-minute trips with no issues the same day. During a 15-minute drive, the car was fine until I was at an intersection 12 minutes into the drive (frederick rd and centennial ln in ellicott city, MD). I was stopped at the intersection for maybe a minute, and when the traffic light turned green, I released my brake and went to accelerate when I got the following display message: "engine stopped steering power low. " the engine turned off, and I couldn't get the car to budge in drive or reverse. When I tried pressing on the gas pedal, it wouldn't budge and felt very stiff. I'm thankful this happened at a smaller intersection on a Sunday evening because my car wouldn't start back up and was stuck in the dead center of this intersection. Cars going east and south all had to drive around me. This put my safety at risk because I had to hop out of my car and redirect people around it until a kind passerby pulled over to help push my car to the right-side turning lane. I was standing in the middle of an intersection on a road with a 35-40 mph speed limit. After pushing the car to the curb and calling a few towing places (maybe 20 minutes later), I tried starting the car again, and it started with no issues whatsoever. I drove it the rest of the way back (for 3 minutes) with no problems, and I made another three 20-25 minute drives on it today. Nothing sounds wrong with the car; it's running with no issues. I would take my car to the dealership for a diagnostic, but I can't afford to right now. I will put my battery on a tender and use a multimeter to check the voltage within the next few days. Regular maintenance has been kept, and the car has never had this happen prior. I've never received the "engine stopped steering power low" message prior to this incident. The car is available for inspection upon request.

My car steering wheel is not responding correctly when I drive". Last week a warning light of faulty steering angle sensor keeps showing on and off. I am afraid that I may crash. I called Toyota to let them know and after verifying my VIN # they want to charge me $185. 00 because according to them my car is not on their recall all the information can also be found on the website.

See all problems of the 2019 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

Started normally, but had a message on the screen saying “check fuel cap. ” I needed gas anyways, drove about 3 minutes to the gas station, turned engine off, put gas. Turned engine back on and within 3 seconds it shut off. The screen displayed “engine stopped- power steering low. ” I tried a handful of times to start, it did not. After 20 minutes and some rest, it started. With no more messages. Battery and alternator were tested, both were good.

For several months the 2006 Rav4 with only 118k miles had been experiencing intermittent failure of power steering while driving at speeds between 5-20mph. These failures resulted in the steering wheel to become extremely difficult if not impossible to turn while the car is driving. In each incident, this resulted in stopping the car and putting on emergency lights until we can safely turn off the car and hopefully the issue goes away several minutes later. This issue has proven to be very dangerous when in traffic with no place to pull over and with the steering tightening up, it is not even possible to pull over in most cases. Four different mechanical shops tried to replicate the issue and none were able to determine the root cause nor replicate it consistently. This issue has been happening more frequently now and the car cannot be taken out safely. As elderly drivers, this is not safe by any means and Toyota should consider this a critical safety recall and cover towing costs to move this. There are no signs of instrument lights or any leaks coming from the car. This seems to be entirely a malfunction of steering components. With regard to incidents resulting from this, my mother is the primary driver, she is 71 years old and injured her wrist trying to move the steering wheel to a safe location. Her wrist is still in pain several days later.

See all problems of the 2006 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The electric power steering has malfunctioned. The malfunction of the eps may cause the car to jerk or swerve. The dealership has said they have seen countless problems with the eps. There is a recall on the eps in the 2014 Rav4, however this vehicle did not fall under the previous recall. No warning lamps or messages appear for this particular issue with the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection. The dealership has quoted $3014. 00 for the repair. Steering column assembly replacement and eps motor replacement.

See all problems of the 2014 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

After driving for approximately 30-minutes in the rain I pulled over and the automatic engine shutoff feature activated while I was waiting to pick somebody up. When attempting to restart the car, the engine would not turn over and I got a low power steering warning message on my dash. The problem persisted for approximately 15-20 minutes. Eventually after about 15 attempts to restart the engine, the car started back up and drove fine the rest of the way home. The dealership was unable to find anything wrong with my car, but I have heard of this happening to many other Rav4s and it causes me concerning, especially when I need to drive my car in the rain.

Engine shuts off with exposure to rain.

While driving on or around 6/5/25, an active recall on my vehicle caused damage to my battery connections causing my vehicle to completely shut off while driving on an highway exit ramp. I almost lost complete control of the vehicle. Thankfully, the vehicle turned back on and I was able to get the vehicle to safety. I had to get the car towed and repaired. The repair was directly related to the damage from an active recall issue being open without remedy for over 3 years on my vehicle. When I asked Toyota for reimbursement of under $200 they refused. This is a safety issue beyond the recall and I am concerned this is going to happen to someone else and there are going to be deaths. Toyota needs to stand by their recall too and may the financial aspect correct with me. Other members of the public need to be aware of the issues beyond their recall that can affect their cars and that Toyota is requiring them to be responsible for the damage that was caused while waiting on a remedy to the recall.

See all problems of the 2017 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

Driving down the highway in the pouring rain. Pulled over because the engine felt like it was about to stall. Whole engine cut off and check engine light came on with “engine stopped - power steering low”. Would act like it wanted to start again but shut back off every time. After about 30 minutes it started back up without any check engine lights or messages. This is the 3rd time its happened. Always in the rain.

I was sitting in my driveway 5 minutes after getting home from work and the car engine turned over and message on the screen said “engine stopped, power steering low”. I tried turning it back on and it turned over again with the same messsge.

When idling with intermittent wipers on, the vehicle began smoking under the hood, engine light came on dash as well as “steering power low” warning, then engine shut off. The vehicle was unable to be started again after waiting a few minutes. The gear shift could not move from parked. The vehicle was purchased new and had only 20,000 miles on it. I ended up having it towed to a Toyota dealership but by that time the battery was drained from leaving the hazards on too long. They could not identify any other problems and sent me on my way with a working vehicle. After talking to a manager at another Toyota dealership, they identified that this is an occasional problem with this vehicle. The manager was able to contact Toyota who suggested they replace the air intake tube and bezel. Hopefully after these new parts are replaced I will not experience a random shutdown again. It’s such a specific set of conditions to cause the problem but a quick search online showed that other people have encountered similar situations with the wipers on intermittent while idling. Someone mentioned pressing the switch to turn off the automatic engine shut off as a temporary fix. I was blocking traffic and police had to direct traffic around me while I waited for the tow. Thankfully the traffic was not moving fast.

Was driving in heavy rain after about a 35 mile commute and put the car in park. After about 5 minutes of sitting in park the car turned completely off by itself for a couple of seconds and restarted. Warning message “engine stopped steering power low” popped up on dash and was visible smoke coming from under the hood with a slight burning smell. This is a first incident for the car as it has been driven for about 2 years with a little over 35,100 miles on it.

See all problems of the 2023 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 222,822.

See all problems of the 2007 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

I was driving home in exceptionally heavy rain. Before getting home, I decided to stop at a coffee drive thru. It was still raining pretty heavily as I drove up to the pick up window. I had my foot on the brake as I waited for my order. A few minutes went by when suddenly the car shook a bit and completely shut off. A warning sign came up on the dash screen that read “engine stopped, steering power low” and instructed to put the car in park. That warning message would come up every time I tried to put the gearshift back in drive. I kept trying to restart the car many times, the engine cracked but no start. At one point I even tried putting the car in neutral to attempt to push it out of drive thru lane but the car and steering wheel were locked in place. There was no way to move either. It’s still raining at this point but it has significantly lightened up. About 15 - 20 minutes later, the car started up like normal and I was able to put the gearshift in drive. The car is less than a year old and nothing like this has ever happened before. There were absolutely no warning signs prior to this happening, everything on the dashboard and the mobile app associated with the car showed the car was in “good health. ” I am so incredibly lucky this happened at a drive thru and not in the middle of a highway or busy intersection. You are left completely helpless since the engine completely shuts off and the steering wheel locks. If this happened on a highway, it would immediately create a multi vehicle accident or potentially worse. This is a huge safety risk that needs to be addressed immediately. I plan to take the vehicle into the dealership for inspection because I do not feel 100% safe anymore.

I was sitting with the car in park. The car was running. My vehicle started shaking and said “engine stopped, steering power low”.

I was driving down [xxx] the car was moving along fine then when I pushed the gas it would jerk back and shake. I pulled off the highway and was able to coast into a gas station, but the engine stopped working as I was driving while cars were coming behind me. I could have been stopped in the middle of traffic with no way to get out. The power steering light came on as well as a light that said the engine was cut off. We just bought the car used with 22k miles on it and put an additional 3k miles on. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Unknown: it happened during a heavy storm on my 40 miles to work and all the symbols lights suddenly lit up on the dashboard. The car died and the steering wheel got heavy when I tried to pull to the emergency lane. Luckily I was able to pull over, but it almost caused an accident as I was in the middle lane. I tried to start up the car again, but it would crank up, but died instantly and the dash would show "ignition on" on the top left and "engine stopped: power steering low". I called the dealership and talked to the service department and the service advisor think it was the battery, but he told me to try starting it after 5-10 minutes, if not, to call the tow company and tow the car to dealership for further inspection. I let it sit for 10 minutes and was able to start it back up and drove it straight to the nearest Toyota dealership. While driving to the dealership, the car kept choking/stalling when pressing on the gas after braking. They examined with their scanners and the battery was in good condition and my car has gas (about 3/4 tank full) and they said the scans reported no issues. This is a concerning issue as I could had lost my life or possibly cause major accident and involve other people life.

It’s pouring rain and my engine stopped and a message popped up saying “engine stopped power steering low”.

It’s been a year since I have owned my 2021toyota rav and it has randomly been shutting off with the notice: power steering voltage abnormality. I have taken the vehicle to get checked but nothing is coming up indicating what the issue is. The battery is fine, the alternator is fine, and there doesn’t seem to be any electrical issues with the power steering. I have seen that there has been certain recalls on the power steering voltage notice on the Toyota ravs and owners complaining about a random shut off on their vehicles. I am one of those owners and would like to know why my vehicle hasn’t been issued a recall. It is a safety hazard and concern. My vehicle has been shutting off in the middle of a busy highway. Please look into this issue.

See all problems of the 2021 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

I was sitting in a drive trough getting breakfast, I go to pull off and my car cuts off. Couldn’t get it to restart. Had to push it out of the way. Power steering low. Granted this cat is just 2 years old. It’s done this before last year after having it one full year same thing. Luckily after letting it sit for 20-30 minutes it started and I got it to Toyota. Low power steering shouldn’t cut an engine off. If anything just be hard to drive. These new cars need to be tweaked. If Toyota can’t fix this they will not get any more business from me.

My engine shut off (would not turn back on!) and displayed message: “engine stopped. Steering power low”. I brought it to the dealership the next morning. I was told that the power steering was electric, they could not duplicate the message, and to bring it back if it does it again. I’m concerned because what happens if it occurs again while I’m driving on the interstate?.

I went to start my car , the engine turned off stating power steering low engine off . Then tried again and got more errors likes brake engaged power off also the lane monitor was not working.

While at the end of a car wash with the car in neutral, the car accelerated by itself. It reached 60 mph for over a half mile, and was unresponsive to steering and brakes. The left front wheel was severely damaged. Fortunately, there were no accidents.

See all problems of the 2012 Toyota RAV4 🔎.

After 4 to 5 years vehicle has begun to sporadically upon the first 10 minutes of driving to show a low power steering error message. The error message turns on and turns off within one second many people have been reporting the same issue with even their newer model Rav4’s. This is not acceptable.

I was in a parking space at the local library, waiting on my children. It was raining, and had been raining most of the day. I had driven about 60 miles in the rain before going to the library. The car was on, but in park. The car started slightly shaking (like a big truck was going by), and it looked like some smoke was coming out of the engine. The car then flashed some lights on the dash and gave the following message: engine stopped. Steering power low. It then turned off, and I tried to turn it on multiple times to no avail. After researching online while waiting for a tow truck, I saw multiple references on reddit to this problem. I waited about 20 minutes and was able to turn the car on, though it was hesitant. I was able to cancel the tow and drive the short distance home. It was scary because it came out of nowhere and this is a brand new car with only about 27,000 miles on it. I am not happy that this would be something I will have to worry about in the future. I have not reported it to the dealership, but saw online most people had no luck at the dealership and were told to report it here.

Engine shuts off on its own with the car continuing to run. No battery issue. Notice of “engine died steering power low” on the dash. Only happens in heavy rain.

Eps warning light keeps buzzing. This has happened several times recently.

After routine service at south coast Toyota in costa mesa, CA, I unknowingly drove my 2023 Toyota Rav4 hybrid for over a week with two missing lug nuts and one extremely loose lug nut on the front passenger wheel. The service performed on April 5, 2025, included an oil change, tire rotation, and full inspection. No issues were reported to me at pickup. Over the next several days, I heard increasing thumping and metallic noises from the front right wheel area, especially at highway speeds. On [xxx], while driving with children in the car, the vehicle made loud metal screeching noises and the steering became impaired—I could not complete a basic turn. I limped the car home at 4 mph. Upon inspection, I found two lug nuts missing and one so loose I could unscrew it by hand. I had the car towed back to south coast Toyota on April 18. The dealership admitted two lug nuts were missing but failed to apologize or fully document the issue. I was told via text that the only action needed was replacing the missing lug nuts. I received no formal inspection report or confirmation that the vehicle was safe. I paid out of pocket for a third-party inspection at a separate Toyota dealership, which confirmed that the previously recommended sway bar replacement was unnecessary and that my tires and components were in better condition than initially claimed. This was a clear service-related safety failure that could have led to wheel detachment and a serious accident. I drove over 200 miles on freeways with children in the vehicle. The dealership failed to follow basic safety protocols and has not taken responsibility. I am reporting this to NHTSA in the interest of safety and accountability. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I was driving over 120 mph and my car slid and hit the front car. My car later caught fire and ruptured shortly after. The fd extinguished it and it was a total loss. I have no clue as to where it was taken after the accident. Sorry :(.

This is a follow up of an incident reported on 3/30/2025, after the vehicle was driven approximately 30 miles in the rain, then stopped for 5 to 10 minutes idling with windshield wipers on intermittent setting. Engine began to shudder, engine rpms increased/decreased erratically as the engine shook. The vehicle was turned off. After approximately 5 minutes, restarted vehicle and engine again ran erratically and then stalled, displaying “engine stopped, steering power low” on the message center in the driver’s display. After the engine stalled, the vehicle would not restart and had to be towed. After being towed, the vehicle started and ran smooth. A short while later, the vehicle was started but again ran erratically, but did not stall right away and was turned off. The next day, 3/31/2025, the vehicle was taken to the dealership service department. The dealer stated that there were no diagnostic trouble codes stored in the vehicle computer, the battery was good condition, and the charging system was operating normally. They had no explanation for what happened. The service advisor suggested that when the gas tank was filled, it was overfilled after the gas pump clicked off. This, in fact is not the case. The gas tank was not overfilled. The service advisor was informed that there are other complaints online by other owners of the same symptoms under similar weather conditions while the vehicle is idling. The advisor stated that if it happens again, have it towed to the dealership service department.

On 3/30/2025, I drove my 2024 Toyota rav 4 adventure about 30 miles in the rain with the wipers on. I then put the car in park, with the wipers still on intermittent setting and the engine still running. After sitting in park like this for approximately 5 minutes, the engine began to shudder, with engine rpms decreasing and increasing erratically, and the engine was also shaking as the rpms increased and decreased. I then turned the car off for approximately 5 minutes. When I restarted the car after 5 minutes, the erratic rpm resumed, and then the engine stopped running, and my display screen showed the following message: “engine stopped, steering power low”. The check engine, check steering, and check battery lights were also illuminated on the dashboard. The vehicle would not restart after several tries and ultimately ended up having the vehicle towed 30 minutes. Once the tow truck dropped it off, the engine started right up and the error messages were no longer displayed.

This vehicle is going to kill someone. Not only does it have this unintentional steering issue, but the electrical system keeps going out. The dash has been replaced and there are still issues. The adaptive cruise control used to hard brake now it pulsates when lane changing which isn’t cool if you’re passing people because then you’re turn in front of them and braking right away. The radio requires the vehicle to be turned completely off, wait, and then turn back on. The unintended steering will take you into incoming traffic, in the opposite lane, or even off-roading even when there is nothing in front of you. The compass randomly disappears. The tim roof literally exploded while we were doing 80mph down the interstate. The curtain was closed or we would have had glass all over. The window blew out and up. If something hit the window it would have blown in and down. I have reported these safety issues to Toyota and they keep telling me that nothing is wrong. The steering issue has happened at least 7 times since I owned it. I have provided Toyota with pictures and videos showing these things and they’re still telling me that nothing is wrong but they even have a form that talks about the “unintended steering” issue.