My 2006 Tacoma just started getting hard to steer to the left on slight turns. It feels like the steering is locked but then releases. Doesn't always do it though. Any ideas?

Asked by Bev Mar 14, 2016 at 07:17 PM about the 2006 Toyota Tacoma V6 4dr Double Cab 4WD SB with automatic

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I bought a used 2006 Tacoma in December 2015 with 77,500 miles on it.  
The frame was replaced before I bought it.  Truck seemed fine with
exception of the noisy cheap but brand new Mastercraft Courser tires
which growl constantly...very annoying. I've experienced an occasional
shimmy in the front end but figured it could be these lovely New England
roads in winter.  Two weeks ago, I had an incident where I needed to make
a sharp, fast u-turn and since that time, I noticed that the steering felt like it
was locked when I tried to turn the wheel to the left.  It would turn but gave
me the sense that it wasn't going to.  It's still doing that but for some
reason, there are times that it turns just fine.  What steering component
could cause this type of intermittent behavior?

3 Answers

3,795

If the above good ideas don't pan out, have the wheel alinement checked. You said a "new frame" it could be a contributing factor if it is not dead on factory specs.

Thanks guys...I'll have those items checked out! :) I guess the baffling thing is that it isn't constant.

3,795

Before you "take it in". Do everything you can to find out what/when/how/?? the problem shows up. You may need to get just a smiggin' OCD about this. Checking speed at the time, when in the day, 1st thing/ after X # of minuets/hours. Day time/night time (different electrical systems turned on.) Outside temperatures; in the morning when it is cooler-midday when warmer. Going uphill? down?, On the flat (i.e. in an empty parking lot) at X mph. Hard sharp turn /genital turn, breaks applied during turn/not applied? In other words, whatever you can do/learn will go a long way in helping them help you. If you just take it in and the mechanic or service writer will just shrug their shoulders and "do what they can", which won't be too much, unless there is an actual repairable part to be found (broken steering component/out of alignment??). But by being able to replicate the problem it will be much easier to address the likely areas to investigate and much more quickly locate the offending part(s). In the repair business time = money, always. Good Luck.

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