Steering Rack And Pinion problems of the 2009 Toyota Sienna

Toyota 2009 Sienna le 2wd power steering rack & pinion seal failed and leaked on the passenger side at 85,000 miles. The rack boot also tore broken. Repair cost is estimated at approximately $1,300. Numerous complaints are posted by owners on the internet all pointing to the same defect. If drivers are unaware, or if the defect is not resolved, power steering could freeze and potentially cause life threating situations.

The dealer (american Toyota located in albuquerque, nm) has advised during a scheduled service on the minivan that the rack and pinion needs to be replaced because it is leaking. The car has 41124 miles on it, and the estimated cost of the repair is $1093. 00. I looked this problem up on the internet and it sounds common to this model. I have never had this problem on any other vehicle that I have owned, so I was wondering if it was something that might be covered by a recall.

Toyota dealer said the rack and pinion steering unit was leaking had to be repaired, at a very high cost. Looking online, I find that a lot of other people have had this issue, but there has been no recall. Apparently most people do not know how to report such issues. There is no reason why a vehicle only five years old should be having this problem. I would suspect that newer and older models may also be affected.