Power Steering Problems

[maltma]

I have a 2007 IS-350 and the power steering went out. There were no noises, no warning lights, nothing. I started it one morning and the steering was gone. Any ideas??

[Sidney07]

I'm thinking sabatoge or a rodent ate through your power steering pump hoses or something like that....no way this just "happens"....

Let us know what you find out!!!

Car is still under warranty, yes?

[bartkat]

It's electric.

[lenore]

Is there a fuse for the power steering/????

[tay100]

I have a 2007 IS250 and the exact thing happened to mine. So yes there is a way it can happen. No warnings, lights, bells or buzzers--and no rats. I backed out of my driveway and as I was driving down the street when suddenly there was no power steering, it was gone. Just like that. By the way there was no fluid leak. I will let you know what the Lexus dealer says.

[paradigm]

first thing i would check would be the fuse(s)...if there is one dedicated for power steering or not? the manual should detail what each fuse is for. pretty scary though...i would hate to have that happen in traffic or at highway speeds. yikes!

[LEXUS IS250 AWD]

There was a recent recall for my vehicle that involved the power steering. I have an '06, not sure if the '07 models are also faulty?

[tay100]

The cause of the problem with my '07 IS 250 is due to a bad rack and pinion. There is a replacement campaign at least for the 2007 model year and maybe others. A verification of the VIN confirmed mine is due the free repair in addition to two others. The closest Lexus dealer to me is 50+ miles away and their Emergency Road Service came to my home with a flatbed, picked up my car and took it to the dealership at no charge to me. Nice.

[Lee K]

I recently bought my first Lexus, a 2006 IS350 with 35,500 miles on it, at Newport Lexus. Four days after purchase, the power steering warning light came on just after maneuvering out of my driveway and I lost the boost in a linear manner. Once up to speed, the boost came back but as I slowed, subsequently parking the car, the power boost was gone and I had to man-handled it at any low rpm. I checked out the recall list and found that the PS rack link had been replaced. Long story short. The battery was weak and the alternator doesn't produce enough voltage at idle speed to handle the PS demand. The battery was only 10 months old (Lexus dealer installed), but one cell had died. That caused the power steering inputs at low RPM to be insufficient, thus triggering the PS warning light. However, there was sufficient voltage to NOT indicate a battery problem. Battery warranty was honored at Santa Barbara Lexus and I was out of there with a minimum charge of $62.50. This information should help those who get the PS warning light and lose boost at low rpm.

Lee K

Email - nooch@earthlink.net