2008 Toyota Tacoma Steering Problems
- 35
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 35 stored complaint records:
- 2 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- steering shaft · 12 records
- steering column · 6 records
- steering wheel · 5 records
- intermediate steering · 4 records
- hard turn · 4 records
- left right · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 9 |
| 60–100k mi | 9 |
| 30–60k mi | 4 |
| 150–400k mi | 2 |
| 1–30k mi | 2 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Steering
The intermediate steering shaft u joint seizes up or is very hard to turn and will not let the steering return to straight position. U joint is not covered and exposed to elements therefore letting it rust and corrode. Other toyota vehicles have been recalled for this same problem but not the tacoma.
ODI 11206265
Steering
Steering felt like it locked up when i was turning onto a busy road. Very stiff and hard to turn. Driving home it continued to be intermittently hard, then easy, then hard again, all during a single turn! Caused me to have great difficulty turning. Research proves this is a very common defect and i wonder why toyota has not accepted responsibility and issued a recall.
ODI 11154429
Steering
Driving down the road all of a sudden the steering is frozen meaning i lose all my steering. It locks up when steering left or right.
ODI 11118362
Steering
The intermediate steering shaft u joint seizes up or is very hard to turn and will not let the steering return to straight position. U joint is not covered and exposed to elements therefore letting it rust and corode. Has almost caused me to have a fatal accident with my entire family in the truck. Every toyota owner i know and have talked to has had the same problem.
ODI 11122004
Steering
HARD STEERING. AT LOW SPEEDS AND NOT MOVING
ODI 11111045
Steering
Stiff steering when driving at a lower speed and worse making a u turn or any sharp turn. The steer doesn't roll back as normally when i make a u turn and i had to be quick to steer in back in time to prevent hitting the median. The steer literally get stuck . I have changed the steering pump and have also changed the rack and pinion but the problem is still there .wasted over a thousand dollar on parts and labor.
ODI 11083736
Steering
It suddenly became hard to steer, it would turn easily (normal effort) part of the way, and feel stiff or tight part of the way. This problem started off intermittently but then became constant. Not only was it risky making a turn because at first you applied more force than normal and suddenly it became easier to turn causing oversteer. It did not want to seem to return to straight when you finished the turn. This…
ODI 11083926
Steering
Stearing got stiff due to stealing shaft linkage. Many internet stores about this . This truck even though 10 years old only has 140,000 miles on it. The u joint of the part has rusted badly. This is a poor design.
ODI 11074664
Steering
Steering wheel became very difficult to turn i left or right while driving. Took vehicle to toyota service dept. They found that the joint on the lower part of the steering shaft was worn. They recognized this same premature part failure on many other 2nd generation tacomas such as mine. The intermediate steering shaft had to be replaced. The this issue could have caused me to have a serious accident.
ODI 11025104
Steering
PROBLEM WITH HARD STEERING
ODI 11003611
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota tacoma. The contact stated that the steering wheel had become extremely tight while turning either left or right. The dealer was notified of the failure (rockingham toyota, 412 s broadway, salem, nh 03079, [redacted]). The manufacturer indicated that the vehicle was excluded from a manufacturer recall campaign for the steering. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure…
ODI 11001872
Steering
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota tacoma. While driving 45 mph, the steering felt loose. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering linkage fractured and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the manufacturer failed to install a protective booth over the steering linkage, which caused dirt and dust to enter the steering assembly. The vehicle was repaired. The…
ODI 10994466
Steering
I noticed the steering became intermittently stiff, becoming more so about a week ago. It happened while driving in all conditions (slow speed, highway speed, dry weather, wet roads etc) power steering fluid was full, pump was fine. My garage determined that the u joint on the steering shaft was stuck and that i need to replace the steering shaft. This is a 2 part shaft (with u joint) that is only available from…
ODI 10985893
Steering
In the last week, i've had a hard time steering, especially tight turns. Went to dealership today and was told the u joint on the main steering shaft is seizing up. They said they have had several of these issues lately. The service agent showed me a damaged one sitting behind his desk. Cost to replace is $621. Went on tacoma world and a lot of owners complaining the same thing.
ODI 10978622
Electrical System · Steering
4wd light remains flashing, 4wd seems jammed and has occurred many times. Leaf springs replaced recall switched to deavers, both rear brake cables broken? Not able to get into 4wd, and now the steering box or power steering has gone weird seems like it's harder to steer left than right?.????? Seeems like a flat spot then turns???
ODI 10971495
Steering
Power steering is sometimes difficult. I checked a toyota forum and this seems to be common. The problem is the lower intermediate shaft universal joint is exposed to road salt and spray and seizes up. So at times the steering is tough then it eases up and does not return to center after a turn. Like i said this problem seems to be well known to the forum. This is a serious problem! 77,000 miles on the truck.
ODI 10965783
Steering
I noticed the truck was not handling right (steering). It got to the point the steering was locking up and i had to manually return the wheel in order to steer the truck. This is dangerous. I went online and discovered this is common . Toyota issued a s.b. For a steering rattle under a 3 yr program. This is not a rattle its much worse and as stated its dangerous. I inspected the steering knuckle and it was seizing…
ODI 10970561
Steering
First let me say that this is my fifth toyota truck, all manual transmission 4 cylinder engines, with the exception of this one, which is 6 cylinder (i don't have the other vin's with me now, but could do some research to provide them if need be). A couple of weeks ago i noticed my truck's steering becoming stiffer, making steering more difficult. I read up a bit about it, inspected the belt (ok) and checked the…
ODI 10927120
Steering
Experiencing stiff steering. Turned on a highway and had trouble getting the truck straightened back out, almost went into oncoming lane.
ODI 10943745
Steering
I have noticed the steering is stiff when driving. It will be fine then all of a sudden, during a turn it will seem to stick. This has caused concern when driving and when it happens unexpectedly could result in overcompensation and lead to an accident. This same issue has been noticed by several other owners of this type of vehicle and has been attributed to the intermediate steering shaft #2. This poses a safety…
ODI 10956351
Steering
I was driving my truck in the parking lot of a shopping center. As i was going through an intersection the steering column fell down causing me to be unable to turn causing a wreck with another vehicle. My insurance company will not pay for repairing the steering column. Toyota has been jerking me around for 3 months. My truck has been repaired as far as body work but toyota tells me that i will receive a letter…
Crash reported
ODI 10865824
Body · Steering · Wheels
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota tacoma. While driving at a low speed, the steering wheel seized. As a result, the contact was unable to steer the vehicle. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the seals were corroded and the power steering joint needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic…
ODI 10860516
Steering
Rack assembly shot causing steering to "stiffen" had to replace the rest of the components around 60000 miles. When i called a toyota dealership they knew exactly what the problem was. Hopefully, no one gets killed before this gets addressed. Seems like toyota is performing another manufacturer watergate by issuing bogus recalls for the steering column spiral cable and the frame inspection and preventive under…
ODI 10733151
Steering
Merging onto highway and steering bound up without warning. Took all my strength to avoid hitting guardrail and narrowly avoided causing a major accident. After looking online it seems to be a common issue of an exposed joint in the steering shaft rusting and binding up. Just a matter of time before someone gets killed because of this issue. Extremely poor design of this part. I no longer will take my family in this…
ODI 10714014
Steering
In august, 2014, toyota issued a limited service campaign as it related to corrosion-resistant compound application for 2005 through 2008 model year tacoma vehicles. Co-incidentally, within a few days of notice my 2008 tacoma had two components that have failed due to corrosion. These components are located next to the frame that toyota has stated as having corrosion issues. The two components that have failed due…
ODI 10627273