Toyota Avalon Steering Questions

ljparr · March 2003

At 115k miles replaced at Kirkwood Mo dealer. At 173K miles replaced again while traveling at Concord, NC dealer. Anyone had this type problem with Avalon? Also, repaired leak in trans (front pump seal). Of course the second was on the road and the time was over a year so no warranty. Paid $952 first time and $767 second time.

nippononly · March 2003

if there was really 58K between replacements, it surely would not have been under warranty anyway, right?

ljparr · March 2003

More concerned about the fact that I had 115k on the first one and only 58k on the second. Can one only expect 60k on a replacement? Or, was the 115k double the normal replacement miles?

nippononly · March 2003

is that it should go more than 115K, not less. Unfortunately, what happens is they begin to leak, and no repairs can be effected, they just have to replace the whole thing.

115K seems early for a leak, 60K seems way early. If I had one go at 60K, and I wanted to keep the car a while but not a decade, I would maybe think about just keeping it topped up.

gsleve · March 2003

to replace the pwr steering fluid at all as course of preventative maintenance, the second occurence could be dealer related maybe they did not flush the lines out to remove the abrasive material which could have caused the imminent failure of the second rack coupled with no fluid changes.

abfisch · October 2003

Nomad56:

Thanks. I knew I was going to have to take the rear seat out as it says in the service manual, I just thought there would be an easier way. Oh well. I can do it like you say and and the manual. What a pain. How often do you change yours??? Every 30K???

Any progression on reducing the "light and fuzzzy" steering yet from your car??? Putting on the Energy Suspension bushing this month. Will let you know my opinion. Thanks again for the advice. I really did not want to have to go back to the tank, but I knew I should.

A.Fisch

nomad56 · October 2003

AB..the fuel line is all a "reinforced flex" line, because it is fuel and some pressure. DON'T pinch it. My Toyo/Lexus buddy says, if you don't want to pull the seat, remove the gas cap and let the car sit a little while. This will relieve alot of the pressure. You'll still have some spillage, but it should be manageable.

Steering! I am excited about what I've learned thus far. My buddy(the racing guy) is going to see how easy/tough this is, from his guys....so, it may be a little while. But, I earmarked this one as a "winter" project. It is an adjustment to flow rate, servo's, torsion bars, and relief valves....all GREEK to me, but he says he'll find out! Excellent!

abfisch · November 2003

Nomad56:

I consider you the "father" of the Avalon Maintenance section. See post above. Not sure. A couple of things going on here. Fan speed only one, not multiple. Believe it is the switch itself. Not super familiar with the Auto Climate Controls, nor the older ones. Do not think it is a engine leak.

I think the "Light and fuzzy" steering can be fixed. I am almost convinced part of the problem may be the same soft bushing syndrome, and make it numb. Perhaps starting there, hoping an aftermarket company can come up with better bushing might eliminate some of the vagueness.

abfisch

bconsi · December 2003

I was recently advised by the dealership that my power steering and rack and pinion were both in need of substantial repair ($1900). I am the original owner of our '97 Avalon and have personally put the 76,000 miles we have on the car. I searched past messages and found a note from TiredMom2 who sounded like she had the same exact issues with her '97 Avalon. Is this just a coincidence, or does the '97 Avalon have a particular problem with power steering and the rack and pinion? Does anybody have some insight into this issue? Plus, any thoughts on the most economical solution to this repair problem? I had just been into the dealership considering the purchase of a new Toyota SUV (our family has grown since we bought the Avalon) when I got hit with this news. Kind of took the wind out of my sails for buying another Toyota. I had also just taken my mother (traditional GM buyer) into to look at buying a new Camry.

I'd appreciate anyone's response. Thanks.

nomad56 · December 2003

bconsi-What symptoms yielded this diagnoses???

What PARTS are they selling you??

It is most likely you NEED the rack. I just did mine at 150k. $275 for the part and put it in myself. (NOTE: You will also need to realign the steering wheel. This requires an airbag reset tool.) Also, you WILL need an alignment afterwards.

I wouldn't let a bad rack "steer" you away from Toyo... I have logged over 600k miles on three Toyo's. Even at 250k, I would suggest "I drive my car..." when going out with friends, 'cause I knew we would get there- and BACK! -nomad56-

bigblueky · December 2003

I have a 97 Avalon, it's been a wonderful car except for the steering rack that went bad at 100k. What causes them to go bad are the seals inside them,and Toyota doesn't sell seal kits, just steering racks themselves. This was told to me by my mechanic and the Toyota dealer. I got lucky though because my wife hit a deer one week after we noticed it leaking fluid, and it got fixed by our insurance company. There's is a service bulletin at WWW.NHTSA.COM on the steering rack and other bulletins for the Avalon. I'm at work on their computer or I would post a link for you to look it up. The website also talks about the other service bulletins that are out on any vehicle. Bconsi if I were you I wouldn't let that one problem scare me off of Toyota. I agree with Nomad56 if you shop it or do it yourself you can save a lot of money. I love my Avalon and wouldn't consider owning anything less, the only problem is that TRD, nor anyone else offers many accessories for performance or looks for these cars. If anybody knows of some performance parts or upgrades for the Avalon please let me know.

fin · December 2003

Your low mileage probably indicates a lot of city driving at low speed and this is much more stressful to steering parts than open road touring. In any case, it is NOT the Toyota brand. The repair frenquency on Avalons, and all Toyotas in general, is quite low regardless of how you drive. Buy another if it suits your current needs.

As for the cost, others who post here are more familiar with that...but for $1900. the dealer throws in a week in Cancun for you and your family while he repairs it. Right? Toyota dealers are much more of a problem than the cars.... Enjoy the Av. Find another dealer. And post the final solution and cost here, if you can, so others will be aware of what the choices are.

blackdog4 · December 2003

The 97 Avalon has a fragile front end. Mine had 52,000 on it this past April when I was told the steering gear rack had to be replaced. I have had several Nisson Maximas, driven also here in New Engand conditions for 8 to 10 years each with out any suspension/steering problems. This same Avalon had the front strut mounts replaced a year earlier. I am a senior citizen who drives carefully and I was not very happy at these two major repairs. I had bought the car from the servicing dealer and I had also bought a 2002 Sequoia Ltd from them.I reminded them of this.At my request they contacted some regional Toyota rep. and they discounted the rack 50%. The total bill for the rack/labor/oil change and aligning all four wheels was $742. The discounted rack was$407.

bconsi · December 2003

I appreciate all the comments (even the puns!) regarding my post on the power steering/rack and pinion repair issues on my '97 Avalon. I had been very happy with my experience with the car, and knew that my experience was more the exception than the rule. I had also been stung early last summer with an $800+ repair bill for a failed air conditioning condenser unit (apparently it had a hole in it). I appreciate your comments regarding the repair options for my current issues, and what I might be able to target for repair costs. The dealer did offer that I could probably get the cost down $400 or $500 if I went with non-genuine parts. Normally, that isn't my style. I like to buy a quality car, then stay the course with the manufacturer's recommended service schedule and original parts.

As for the type of driving the car has been exposed to, there was little regular city driving. For the most part, it simply was driven a relatively short distance to work and back in fairly small towns that we've lived in. I did run through the Chicago area quite a few times to and from O'Hare, and granted, that can't be the best thing for any car.

Thanks for the tip on the NHTSA, I'm going there next. I'll follow your suggestions, get it repaired at a reasonable cost, and return to refining our strategy for our next vehicle that we've been looking for. We have an Odyssey van for our young family of six, but are strongly considering a second vehicle that can handle the whole bunch. I don't want another van, and I struggle with the poor mileage of the large SUVs and the lack of cargo space in the midsize SUVs -- not to mention the sticker shock from several of the options on the market. I've never had car payments, and I don't intend to start now.

I think the Highlander and the 4Runner are too small and narrow, and the Sequoia is too large, pricey and poor mileage. The Land Cruiser and LX470 are nice, but probably a little more steepeep than I want to get into with our young family. We've taken a long look at the MDX and Pilot, and there's a lot to offer -- with Pilot being the most reasonable price wise. The only shortcoming is the lack of cargo space.

I'd welcome any opinions about the best options in today's market for us. I'd like to make a decision in the next month or so.

Again, thanks for all the terrific feedback.

bconsi · December 2003

Thanks for the feedback blackdog4. I wondered if Toyota might entertain an adjustment, because I still believe my experience is a bit rare. Toyota has a great reputation, and one way to preserve it is to take care customers, like they apparently did with you. The insights into what the charged you is very helpful. Thanks.

nomad56 · December 2003

Bconsi-Toyo may offer some accommodation...Good Luck! It sounds like you won't do the work, so... If Toyo does not come through, Maval racks have a lifetime warranty, and saves ya' $$$ on the part ...then ask around, there is probably a real good independent guy who will save ya' on the install...get a referral.

danbeth-This may be beyond me. I did NOT see a "blower motor linear controller". This sounds like a "variable" resistor to change the fan speeds beyond the FOUR settings you can choose manually. What I do know is-Toyo has an A/C "amplifier" which is perhaps "SYMANTECS", for a part that offers the same necessary variations in resistance. This piece is below the A/C control panel, perhaps behind the ashetray in the center console, according to the Svc manual. Probably something you can grab a U-Pick-The-Parts yard for a few bucks???? That's the best I can do. I haven't had to do any real work on my A/C, but let me know, I'll try to help. -nomad56-

bconsi · December 2003

nomad56 - Thanks for the suggestions. You're right, I'm not in a position to do the work myself. Aside from marginal mechanical skills, I've recently relocated, new job, 4 small children, etc. . . .

Thanks!

fndlyfmrflyr · December 2003

If you need cargo space and seats for six at the same time your choices are limited to giant SUV or Odyssey size vans. MDX/Pilot will give about the same mpg as your Ody. A few more goodies available on the MDX and they are discounted now. There is no real difference in seating. The third row is small, though high school teens fit in the way back of my MDX. The Pilot has three seat belts in the third row while the MDX has two. The seat is the same width in both, within an inch or so.

bconsi · December 2003

My apologies for leading everyone into a non-maintenance conversation. It's just that the repair issues with the Avalon occurred right as we have begun looking for something new. Thanks to fndlyfmrflyer for your comments regarding the MDX and Pilot. I originally looked at the MDX, and thought it might be a solid candidate. But, I have a hard time spending that much money without being a little more excited about the vehicle. As for the third seat, our oldest of four children is six -- so the Pilot or MDX should accommodate us for a good number of years. I liked the idea of a Sequoia orginally, but it just doesn't seem practical or luxurious enough for the money.

Just to qualify this as a maintenance post, I'm still refining my strategy for repairing the rack and power steering on my 97 Avalon. I first want to validate the dealer's diagnosis, and then find a reliable party to do the repairs at a reasonable cost. In the meantime, I'm closely monitoring my fluid levels!

gsleve · December 2003

Bconsi you can avert another rack replacement, all in all many rack replacements can be averted if indiviulas replaced the power steering fluid on an annual basis for, that matter if they use synthetic fluid can triple that change out, in most cars using a turkey baseter all that is needed to vacum out the fluid and replace most with tranny fluid done this little procedure adds longevity to a rack if any replacement at all for the life of the car. Noteworthy the manufacturers do not inform you to replace it because their intrested in replacing parts which can be big ticket items, some the more expensive german vehicles indicate a power steer fluid change. Hope this info helps out

abfisch · December 2003

Good comments. If you need Toyota parts and you can replace them yourself for the hood struts, you can buy alot of the parts on the web. Of particular note, Larry at www.brandsport.com is very knowlegeable and has been selling Toyota parts for years as very good prices. That may help you some with the cost.

Power steering replacement. Just want to make sure I am clear on this. Automatic Tranmission Synthetic fluid for the power steering rack??? Not brake fluid???? Just want to make sure.

Winter note:

For those of you who find the sprayers on the Avalon (00-present) not excellent, I discovered a little trick albeit time consuming. Notice the new Camry has the same sprayers ONLY now, the spray comes out in a fine mist, instead of two streams on each side. You can paint the new black ones or leave them black or get the same color and replace the old ones. It involves taking down the interior hood insulation. If you are not good with plastic, you will bust some of the clips that attach the interior insultaion but they are easy to replace. The nossles are a little tricky to get out but when compressed below (used a strong thin cord) they pop out. The thin (car wash) type of spray, covers much more of the front window instead of the stream, don't not scratch the window as much because everything is coating with fluid, and you use about 1/2 as much fluid. This is for those that constantly go through winter/salt/spray/dirt highway type driving. I found this very worthwhile, although initially painful. OEM look. You would not be able to tell as the only difference is the aperture hole where the spray comes out. Go the spray from www.paintscratch.com

"Feed the forum" with your good ideas.

abfisch

abfisch · December 2003

Can any of you skilled out there provide some tips on Power Steering Maintenance. How often, ease of doing it yourself, fluid type, etc.

Thanks.

abfisch

alcan · December 2003

I pull as much as I can out of the reservoir with a large plastic syringe and refill it with factory specified fluid at each oil change.

Mr_Shiftright · December 2003

Some power steering pumps actually have filters in them, so check up on that.

rpmusgrave · December 2003

Dealer replaced rack and pinion on my 1997 Avalon at 51,000 miles. I've now got 111,000 and dealer says I need another replacement. Two times in this amount of mileage seems very excessive. I've just written a letter to the regional distributor to see if they can provide some type adjustment. I'll refer to the previous message showing someone got 50% discount at only 52,000m.

If discount offered, advise I go with dealer or find an independent?

fndlyfmrflyr · December 2003

Twice? Even once is unusual. One must wonder what is causing the failures. That said I am in a similar situation with a 2003 car (not an Avalon). The steering rack was replaced at 5000 miles and again at 10,000 miles. Miles will reach 15,000 in a couple of months. It will be interesting to see if the rack needs replacing a third time.

john609 · January 2004

Saw the posting on the Avalon Power Steering Rack and had to comment. I too have a 1997 now w/ 112K (1 owner) all highway miles. My 1st rack went out at 63K (4 yrs & 4 months) in Jan 2001.

My mechanic (non-dealer w/ 25 yrs experience on Toyotas) called around and found out this is one of the few American made parts on the Avalons assembled in the US. The part was changed on the 2000 model year cars and newer.

The seals are leaking from the inside of the rack into the "rubber boot" in the middle of the rack. When you turn the wheel, the saturated boot (full of fluid) squirts out of the side. In his words, it should never happen.

At 63K (and owning 3 Toyotas) TMC reimbursed me for the full repair under "goodwill". Colleagues at work w/ Avy's 95 and 96 model yrs checked after my problem and had the same leak.

Dealers in the Houston area were offering lifetime warranted rebuilt replacements at approx $1000 fully installed. It took 4 trips back to the dealer to get it right, so be patient. No problems since.

Sorry to reply so late, but I did not log on for awhile.

mcescher1 · March 2004

1) When this new (15000 mile) car starts up in extremely cold weather, below freezing, there is a distinct whistle or hiss for a half minute or so, which then stops. 2) When it starts in normal weather, when the wheel is turned, there is a hiss for a few seconds until the car warms up. 3) When it is fully warm, when the wheel is turned all the way to either side, it sounds like it is scraping against something a bit. Does anyone have any idea what causes all this? The steering fluid level is full. Thanks.

csv1 · March 2004

My 2001 Avalon also has a slightly noisy steering column/wheel, most apparent in cold weather, and only when I am parking rather than driving. I liken the noise to a moan more than a squeal. The maintenance departments at two different dealers both have said they can find nothing wrong.

firefighter2 · March 2004

I posted on oil leaks thinking I had an unusual problem. A reply from Nomad 56 and after reading all these postings I see it's a common problem. I have added a sealer to the fluid and so far it seems to be working. I haven't seen any fluid on the ground so far and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'll post in a few days with the results. Probably to good to be true.

firefighter2 · March 2004

I added AT-205 RE-Seal and it worked for a few days but started to leak again.Found a after market rack with a lifetime warranty ($400) plus $200 labor and alignment. About how many miles will sludge problem start,if it's going to?

looksee · April 2004

Had my 97 Avalon serviced in Feb which included a power steering flush along with other things I probably didn't need but oh well ($$$). Dealer did a bad alignment. I schedule a return visit, plus need the rotors turned. Hit a pot hole on Tue and bend the rim. Fix rim. On Fri dealer says the rack is leaking (fluid in bellows boot), I have never seen a drip on garage floor. He doesn't know how he missed it in Feb.

Quote is $1,200 to replace, plus all new tires. My feeling is he thinks he has a fish.

With no noticeable steering problem, could he be pulling my leg? Also I priced a replacement part on the web at around $300.

I think I should run from this dealer. Any help since I am a novice.

danielj6 · April 2004

Your Avalon is way out of warranty. Why are you still taking it to dealer service? You should perhaps get a private, reliable and trusted shop to do the work. Good shops abound, ask around. But, you should really run from the dealer or otherwise stay and help them pay their overhead.

petras2 · September 2004

hi and thanks in advance...on a recent brief inspection of my 98 avalon, the mx said the steering shaft joint was bad and service manager stated that required replacement of the entire rack at a cost of around $1200... can just the shaft joint be replaced? currently i have no steering leaks or noticeable problems with the steering...also after replacing the front strut mounts with a modified version, the rattling noise has returned after less than 14k mi.. dealer refuses to give me a break on a reinstall since it's beyond the one year warranty...has anyone had repeat problems with the strut mounts?

deepan · September 2004

i recently bought a 96 avalon and according to the service history the Rank & pinion was changed.

also the temp guage is a tiny bit above the halfway mark. Coolant and themostat were changed and a reputable garage in town assures me that it should be fine. Could the gauge be faulty or could there be something else.

mikes. · September 2004

My '96 XL has ran the gauge slightly above the halfway point since the day I bought it. I wouldn't worry about it.

MikeS.

sandydee1 · January 2005

My daughter's 1996 hail damaged Avalon with only 45,000 miles developed a power steering leak. She could hardly make turns and when she did, there were loud noises. I took it to the dealer and they put in a new rack and pinion including wheel alignment for $800 plus tax. Now the steering is working correctly. While I was there, the dealer recommended replacing the timing belt ($285), replacing the drive belts ($206), something about the front seals and 60,000 mile maintenance ($707), and something about the valve cover gaskets escaping oil ($ 505). With only 45,000 miles, is it really necessary to do all those things?

fin · January 2005

Here's an opinion:

Timing Belt - An 9 year old timing belt is a liability. Replace it.

Drive Belts - If they are original, they are probably wearing out. Replace them.

Cover Gaskets - If they leak, they need to be replaced (maybe just tighten the bolts a little and see if that helps first.) If they don't leak, leave them alone.

Seals, I am not familiar with, need someone else to answer that one.

The 60k maintenance will change a lot of fluids, etc., and you may need it. How often do you change all fluids in the past? Read the owners manual about this, then decide. The price sounds high at $700. Check around for a better deal.

Hope this helps, others may offer comments as well......

fndlyfmrflyr · January 2005

If you are going to keep the car for several more years change the fluids, belts, and hoses.

My 96 has 70K miles. Still has the OE front brakes with lots of lining left. All of the hoses and belts look and feel okay. Can't see the timing belt. Have not changed plugs yet.

Car runs fine, but will change everything, including the front brakes, before the car goes to college in the fall.

Fluid changes around here are about $110 for transmission (flush), $90 for radiator flush, and $70 for brake fluid flush. Brakes run from $200 to $450. By the time I renew everything the cost will be close to $2000 (tires and shocks too). That's a lot to spend on a ten year old car that isn't worth much more than the renew costs, but is still a lot less than a new car.

jdonz · February 2005

My 1996 toyota avalon also just got a power steering leak at the pump. However I have 163K miles on mine. I took care of avalon and it has run forever however now on trade in they are only offering me $1800 for it. I have a hard time paying the $600 for the power steering repair just to get possibly $2000 on trade in the enxt few months. Take care of your avalon and it will run forever.

miket99 · May 2005

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=8576541

"a defect in the steering wheel column that could result in a loss of control of the vehicle, the company and U.S. safety regulators said on Monday. "

avalonxl · May 2005

I have 1995 Avalon XL and had the same lekage, I tried to replace the rubber seal but didn't work so I put the steering oil with leak control (avalible on more car parts stores) and problem seems to be gone.

judyc · August 2005

Hey, I'm driving the Avalon this week (my husband thinks it's HIS car!), and the knocking in the steering is driving me crazy. I don't know why he hasn't taken it in! I hear this knocking sound when I turn the steering wheel, and I also noticed a lot of vibration at the steering wheel on the freeway. Does someone out there have any ideas as to what this could be, and approx. how expensive it's going to be to fix it? Thanks!

abfisch · August 2005

Judyc:

Outer CV joint, part of the axle. Take it in immediately before you get stranded.

abfisch

judyc · August 2005

Thanks, abfisch! After typing in "Outer CV joint" in Yahoo!, that sounds exactly right, as I noticed last night that it stops knocking after I drive it for awhile. I'll get it into the shop ASAP.

Boy, I'm not sure what the deal is w/CV joints & boots -- that's where I've had problems with my '96 Camry, and my Ford before that! I'm guessing that these are not parts that are meant to last a long time.

Hey, thanks again!

abfisch · August 2005

Judyc:

All FWD cars have these issues when high mileage is attained. RWD cars to a lesser extent. Not a big deal.

abfisch

dmontillo · October 2005

Trying to find out why there's an annoying rattle coming from either the steering column/dash in a 2001 Avalon XL. Anyone else experience this problem? Solution??

sheab · June 2006

hi
i have a 96 toyota avalon. there is few problem with the car i feel that the stearing is hard to make turn. other hand its look like the stearing pump is leaking on the bottom not sure if its working but the stearing fluid is in same lavel. i also have little vibration on the stearing ... is there anyproblem thats i need to fix ...
i have about 1,16,000 mil on the car so please tell me what i should do for the hard and vibration of the stearing thanks :confuse: :mad:

turkeyt · June 2006

I have the same problem with my 97 and i took it to the shop where i get my work done and he thinks it is the rack and pinion going bad. The only other thing it could be is the bearing in the strut mount going bad and causing the steering to be tough to turn . It feels like you only have about 50% of your power assist at certain times. Sometimes the steering works fine and then bingo it acts up. Does this sound like your problem? It acts up more in the morning. If yours does the above i would say it's probably going to be the R&P. going bad. $170.00 bucks at Advance Auto and about tree hours labor and an alignment. Hopes this helps.D.T.

sheab · July 2006

im just cerious to know if i can replace camery Stearing to avalon stearing becus i dont like the look of 96 avalon stearing can i can anyone tell me which one will work fine

mcali786 · January 2007

Hey guys, I've got a 97 avalon bought in Fl but moved here in Toronto 3 years ago and have the same steering wheel fluid leaking problem.

The deal is quoting me $1200 w. tax included needs rack replaced and new alignment + 14% ontario tax!

Also said something about engine oil dripping out of valve cover gasket? DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS MEAN!!!! ?

Any help appreicated :confuse:

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