2012 Toyota Highlander: Car makes clunking noise when turning
Common wear/failure (not a recall)
Symptoms
Owners of the 2012 Highlander report: car makes clunking noise when turning. CarComplaints.com lists 9 owner complaints, average mileage 65,600 miles.
NHTSA has 47 owner complaints for the 2012 Highlander in this area. Examples:
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11420336 (filed 06/09/2021): “Popping and clunking sound in steering or suspension. can be produced at speeds and at stand still. could it be this? https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2013/sb-10075792-2280.pdf https://www.carcomplaints.com/toyota/highlander/2013/steering/steering.shtml nht…”
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11398404 (filed 03/01/2021): “When i drive the vehicle you can hear a clunking sound in the steering column. it happens at low and high speeds. when make a turn right, or left you hear clunking is the steering column. it feels like the steering wants to come off, took it to the dealer and …”
Likely causes
Sources do not establish a single root cause; diagnosis is needed. Owner-reported fixes are listed below.
Fix, in plain English
Most common owner-reported solutions on CarComplaints.com: replace intermediate steering shaft (5 reports). Check for open recalls and extended warranty coverage with a dealer before paying out of pocket.
DIY difficulty: Pro
Electric power steering faults typically need module diagnosis with a scan tool and calibration. (Our assessment.)
Cost
CarComplaints.com owners report a typical repair cost of about $550 (owner-reported average, not a quote).
Typical parts (search links, no affiliate codes)
AutoZone · O'Reilly · Advance · RockAuto
Sources
- CarComplaints.com: Car makes clunking noise when turning (2012 Highlander)
- NHTSA complaints API, 2012 Highlander
Page last updated .