1997 Toyota Avalon Steering:rack And Pinion Problems

NHTSA component category: STEERING:RACK AND PINION · data through 07/14/2026

24Steering:rack And Pinion complaints

19.2%Of all 125 complaints

#1Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How steering:rack and pinion ranks on this vehicle

STEERING:RACK AND PINION24 · 19.2%

SUSPENSION:FRONT:MACPHERSON STRUT11 · 8.8%

SUSPENSION:FRONT10 · 8%

TIRES9 · 7.2%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL8 · 6.4%

Share of the 125 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 1997 Toyota Avalon overview page.

What owners report

“CONTINUOUS LOSS OF POWER STEERING FLUID. STEERING FELT TIGHT. RACK AND PINION AND POWER STEERING PUMP HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 99,000 MILES. NOTICED A…”NHTSA complaint 10217515 — filed 02/09/2008

“I HAVE HAD MY RACK AND PINION REPLACED ON MY CAR TWICE AND I AM HAVING IT REPAIRED FOR THE THIRD TIME. THE STEERING WHEEL…”NHTSA complaint 10169028 — filed 09/23/2006

“BOUGHT USED 97 TOYOTA AVALON AT 96,000 MILES COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. FROM DAY ONE, NOTICED CRANKLING AND RATTLING NOISE AT THE FRONT AND BACK…”NHTSA complaint 10141303 — filed 10/31/2005

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Steering:rack And Pinion complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 1997 Toyota Avalon have steering:rack and pinion problems?

Steering:rack And Pinion is the most-reported problem area on the 1997 Toyota Avalon: 24 of 125 complaints on file (19.2%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 1997 Toyota Avalon have in total?

125 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 12 involved a crash, 0 involved a fire, 8 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering:rack and pinion category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING:RACK AND PINION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.