Auris 2008 Steering Oddity

[majeeka1976]

Hi All Hope your all Good.

I'm new to the world of Toyota and have just bought a 2008 Auris.

Seems a nice car full history etc but the steering makes a click and feels odd sometimes when turning. Usually when parking. I'm hoping its not an expensive fault as I spent money on car tax etc and the car and didn't notice on the test drive. Any advice from you experts or idea what it is? Hopefully with a cheap fix maybe it needs greasing.

Any replies appreciated

Damian

[smudge-1991]

Is it a click or a knock is when there is steering lock on full or just in general and I'm guessing it's only at low speeds

[majeeka1976]

Thanks for the reply.

Its clicking and sort of bumps when manouvering as you rotate the wheel not just at the locks. Sort of a detached feel then its ok. Otherwise it seems fine. A bit concerned its the rack etc.

[smudge-1991]

Does it go heavy and light thinking it could be a power steering pump/motor maybe or part of the track rod ends ie worn bushes or something similar

[pajser]

I have exactly the same problem with my auris 2008. Only happens when you drive slow with sharp turns and not always. It's my second car and I have only 19000 km on it. So I believe it's some kind of production fault.

[yossarian247]

My Auris also displays a clicking noise when turning the wheel anti clockwise at parking speeds. I got a Toyota dealer to look at it who said 'They all do that Sir, just ignore it ...' and showed me another two Auris on the forecourt doing exactly the same thing!

If the car is still under the original toyota warranty they would fix the noise for free, but otherwise it's not a safety issue and would be very expensive to fix at your own cost, so I have chosen to ignore it on mine. It was apparently a design fault with the original PAS motor where the gear teeth don't mesh properly.

[smudge-1991]

mine doesn't do it and neither did my wife's one when she had one as well

[yossarian247]

mine doesn't do it and neither did my wife's one when she had one as well

Some don't, but equally quite a few were reputedly modified under warranty to stop the noise if the original owner complained. Unfortunately it was never an official recall. If you search back on the forum to the early days of the Auris there's one or two owners mentioning that there's did it from new but the dealer fixed it for free.

[smudge-1991]

Our first one we bought new and the second one we bought a yr later with 7k on the clock

[smudge-1991]

Ours was an 08 registerered may and the second was a 58 registered Jan 09 so maybe the work had changed as they were quite late in the pre facelifts life so might have been changed by then

[yossarian247]

Strange, as mine is a May 2009 registered car so later than both of yours, and suffers with this noise. I think someone on here mentioned their 11 plate Auris did it too?

I didn't buy the car from the Toyota dealer who looked at it, and it wasn't under a Toyota warranty at that point, so I can't think they had any reason to have been dishonest about the cause. I'm sure they were exaggerating when they said 'They all do it', but nevertheless it does seem very common on the Auris. If they'd told me the column needed replacing I probably would have paid them to do it, so they had nothing to gain by telling me to ignore it.

The lady on the service reception desk told me she had an identical Auris and it had never made this noise....only for the service manager to demonstrate to me her actual car making the same noise as mine. She'd been driving it for years and never noticed it before!

I would be interested in the opinion of the people on here who work in a Toyota dealership as to whether this noise really is as common as I was told?

[majeeka1976]

Thanks for the information.

It comes and goes. Mileage is 60000

I've read in other posts the Intermediate steering shaft needs replacing or greasing to fix which ties in with what you guys are saying, is replacement expensive or DIY able?

Damian

[yossarian247]

Yes I've heard the intermediate shaft can cause steering noises on the Auris too, and in fact the (non-Toyota) dealer where I bought mine changed the intermediate shaft at their expense (about £250 I think) after I complained about the noise. On mine it made no difference to the clicking noises whatsoever, hence seeking a second opinion from a Toyota dealer, who said it was 'normal'.

On my car it will only make the noise when turning the wheel anti-clockwise whilst either stationary or moving very slowly. In faster driving it doesn't do it. Also when parked with the engine switched off (and therefore the PAS not operating) there is no noise or play at all when turning the wheel from lock to lock , it's purely when the PAS is operating at low speeds I get the noise. If yours makes the noise under different conditions it may be that your issue is slightly different to mine and it could be the intermediate shaft perhaps?

[forevered]

I had this problem witb my 2008 car when it was still under warranty they tried a fix which didnt work so they replaced the steering column which did fix it

[smudge-1991]

I wonder if the pump is the problem or where the rack meets the pump

[yossarian247]

As it was explained to me, gear teeth from electric PAS motor mesh with gear teeth on the steering column. It is some form of design or manufacturing fault which caused a misalignment between these two sets of gear teeth, leading to a clicking noise as the wheel is turned and the teeth mesh slightly out of alignment.

I have heard that dealers were told that if a customer complained of the noise to fix it without question, whereas if a customer didn't mention the noise they were supposed to keep quiet and not raise it with them. On no account were they to approach the customer and say 'Your steering's clicking, do you know you can have a complete new steering column for free?'!

[smudge-1991]

I would say it spud be a manufacturing fault on it rather than just knackered normally pas pumps last quite a long time but I bet if you shopped about you could find a cheap deal for a newish pump

[majeeka1976]

Thanks for all the replies sounds like a known issue from what you guys say and I spoke to Toyota. Car is 7 years old with full history.they told me no chance for a goodwill as its way outside warranty which is fine, I accept it . Worth a try.

Guess I'll let it develop before shelling out for a new shaft.£200 on eBay!

Do you reckon there is any benefit to greasing it or is it a waste of time?

[smudge-1991]

Some thick grease night help it could clog it up depending if it's open to the elements

[shauncwalsh]

Think I have the same problem, can hear a low clonk and feel it through the brake pedal. It happens when you turn the wheel quickly from side to side when stationary and at random times when moving slowly. Car is late 2008 1.4 D-4D, bought it recently with only 19K on the clock, Will probably take it back to the dealer for them to look at. Does it get worse over time or remain the same? If it stays the same can probably live with it as long as it not a safety issue.

Thanks

Shaun

[yossarian247]

Mine hasn't got any worse in 10k but its more of a plasticky 'click........click........click' sound when turning the wheel. You don't really feel anything through the steering, and definitely nothing through the brake pedal. Yours sounds perhaps more like it could be the intermediate shaft?

[Phil_1985]

If it's a clonking noise when turning the steering wheel side to side when stationary then this maybe the intermediate steering shaft - i had this. There is a Technical Service Bulletin relating to this which describes the symptoms.

I had the part replaced under my toyota extended warranty last year. Clunking immediately went away.