2006 Toyota Avalon Steering Problems

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

29Steering complaints

8.1%Of all 359 complaints

#4Most-reported category

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

How steering ranks on this vehicle

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL93 · 25.9%

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION35 · 9.7%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING30 · 8.4%

STEERING29 · 8.1%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE26 · 7.2%

Share of the 359 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2006 Toyota Avalon overview page.

What owners report

“I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2006 AVALON XLS. THE STEERING COLUMN WILL SUDDENLY COLLAPSE.”NHTSA complaint 10299958 — filed 01/16/2010

“THE TELESCOPING STEERING COLUMN LOCK LOOSENS DURING NORMAL DRIVING. USUALLY THE LOCK LEVER ONLY DROPS LOW ENOUGH TO HIT YOUR KNEES AS YOU EXIT THE…”NHTSA complaint 10297460 — filed 12/30/2009

“I HAVE BEGUN TO NOTICE A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AT LOW SPEEDS, GOING FORWARD OR IN REVERSE. I AM NOW READING…”NHTSA complaint 10292726 — filed 11/18/2009

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

Steering complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2006 Toyota Avalon have steering problems?

Steering is the #4 most-reported problem area on the 2006 Toyota Avalon: 29 of 359 complaints on file (8.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2006 Toyota Avalon have in total?

359 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 54 involved a crash, 3 involved a fire, 35 reported injuries, and 2 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's steering category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the STEERING 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.