Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - REAR | ||||||||||||||||
| 12V373000 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | from 10/01/2005 to 08/31/2010 | V (Vehicle) | 778000 | ODI | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 08/02/2012 | 08/02/2012 | ||||||||
| Defect Summary | Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 rav4 and 2010 lexus hs250h passenger vehicles manufactured from october 2005 through september 2010. if the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened when an alignment is performed, the thread portion of the arm (shaft and turn-buckle) may become loose and rust. this may lead to thread wear in the turn-buckle, causing the arm to separate, which could result in a loss of vehicle control. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Toyota is currently developing the remedy and will provide a notification schedule when it becomes available. owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or lexus at 1-800-255-3987. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | ||||||
| PE12013 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 06/04/2012 | 09/13/2012 | Rear Suspension Arm Assembly Failure | 12V373000 | |
| In a letter dated august 1, 2012 toyota motor engineering & manufacturing north america, inc. (toyota) submitted a defect information report (nhtsa recall no. 12v-373) to the nhtsa identifying a safety defect regarding possible separation of the rear suspension arm no. 1 assembly (arm) at the threaded portion (shaft and turn buckle) of the component in my 2006 through my 2011 toyota rav4 vehicles built from october 2005 through september 2010 and in my 2010 lexus hs250h vehicles manufactured from july 2009 through august 2010.according to toyota, if the adjustment nuts for the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened when alignment is performed in service, backlash may develop at the threaded portion of the arm, followed by rust formation.the threads may then wear causing the arm to separate, which may result in a loss of vehicle control.in analysis of both vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) data submitted to the office of defects investigation (odi) and consumer complaint data submitted to toyota, odi identified 131 non-duplicative reports alleging failure of the subject rear suspension arm (note:some of the complaints and related service records refer to the arm as a rear tie rod).six of the complainants allege the failure resulted in some loss of vehicle control.for purposes of this analysis, loss of control events involve alleged complete or partial departure from the intended lane of travel.an additional four complaints reported difficulty maintaining control of the vehicle when the arm failed.recalled vehicles will be inspected for proper torque of the adjustment nuts and replaced as necessary.in addition, toyota will take several actions to reduce the potential for improper torque in future alignment procedures.this includes:(1) providing proper tightening sequence and torque specification information to two major wheel alignment equipment manufacturers, who would disseminate the information to alignment shops using their equipment; (2) installation of a clip on each arm with an instructional label showing proper tightening sequence and torque specification (the clip must be removed to perform a wheel alignment); (3) installation of additional labels on the front and back vertical surfaces of the rear suspension arm no. 2 assemblies; and (4) providing an instruction booklet to owners to place in the glove box.this investigation is closed. | ||||||
| PE12013 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 06/04/2012 | Rear Suspension Arm Assembly Failure | |||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) has received seven complaints alleging corrosion-related failure of the left or right rear suspension arm assembly no.1, often referred to as a rear tie rod in consumer complaints and repair records. four of these complaints allege the failure occurred while driving at speeds of 35 mph or greater causing a temporary loss of vehicle control.pictures provided by some complainants show the wheel adjacent to the failed component severely out of wheel alignment with respect to toe and camber.early warning reporting data submitted by toyota include field reports describing failure of rear suspension arm assembly no. 1 in the subject vehicles.a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and consequences rear suspension failures in the subject vehicles.the odi complaints cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following odi identification numbers:10355753, 10402156, 10443333, 10444196, 10448288, 10449116, 10456012. | ||||||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | ||||||
| PE12013 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 06/04/2012 | 09/13/2012 | Rear Suspension Arm Assembly Failure | 12V373000 | |
| In a letter dated august 1, 2012 toyota motor engineering & manufacturing north america, inc. (toyota) submitted a defect information report (nhtsa recall no. 12v-373) to the nhtsa identifying a safety defect regarding possible separation of the rear suspension arm no. 1 assembly (arm) at the threaded portion (shaft and turn buckle) of the component in my 2006 through my 2011 toyota rav4 vehicles built from october 2005 through september 2010 and in my 2010 lexus hs250h vehicles manufactured from july 2009 through august 2010.according to toyota, if the adjustment nuts for the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened when alignment is performed in service, backlash may develop at the threaded portion of the arm, followed by rust formation.the threads may then wear causing the arm to separate, which may result in a loss of vehicle control.in analysis of both vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) data submitted to the office of defects investigation (odi) and consumer complaint data submitted to toyota, odi identified 131 non-duplicative reports alleging failure of the subject rear suspension arm (note:some of the complaints and related service records refer to the arm as a rear tie rod).six of the complainants allege the failure resulted in some loss of vehicle control.for purposes of this analysis, loss of control events involve alleged complete or partial departure from the intended lane of travel.an additional four complaints reported difficulty maintaining control of the vehicle when the arm failed.recalled vehicles will be inspected for proper torque of the adjustment nuts and replaced as necessary.in addition, toyota will take several actions to reduce the potential for improper torque in future alignment procedures.this includes:(1) providing proper tightening sequence and torque specification information to two major wheel alignment equipment manufacturers, who would disseminate the information to alignment shops using their equipment; (2) installation of a clip on each arm with an instructional label showing proper tightening sequence and torque specification (the clip must be removed to perform a wheel alignment); (3) installation of additional labels on the front and back vertical surfaces of the rear suspension arm no. 2 assemblies; and (4) providing an instruction booklet to owners to place in the glove box.this investigation is closed. | ||||||
| PE12013 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 06/04/2012 | Rear Suspension Arm Assembly Failure | |||
| The office of defects investigation (odi) has received seven complaints alleging corrosion-related failure of the left or right rear suspension arm assembly no.1, often referred to as a rear tie rod in consumer complaints and repair records. four of these complaints allege the failure occurred while driving at speeds of 35 mph or greater causing a temporary loss of vehicle control.pictures provided by some complainants show the wheel adjacent to the failed component severely out of wheel alignment with respect to toe and camber.early warning reporting data submitted by toyota include field reports describing failure of rear suspension arm assembly no. 1 in the subject vehicles.a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and consequences rear suspension failures in the subject vehicles.the odi complaints cited above can be viewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following odi identification numbers:10355753, 10402156, 10443333, 10444196, 10448288, 10449116, 10456012. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 02/27/2013 | 102512 | ||
| Over the course of the past 2 months i have heard a quiet popping noise coming from the back right tire area when i make turns. i actually visited a toyota dealer 1/8/2013 because there was a lower suspension arm recall on my vehicle. they inspected and put a sticker on, and a worthless clamp (might as well been a paperclip) on the the tie rod. on 2/27/13, i took a few co-workers to lunch and they noticed a loud pop every time i turned a corner or hit any uneven spot in the road. when i pulled into my parking spot at work i got out and looked at the rear right tire and it was slanted only slightly. later in the day, i backed out of my parking spot and heard a very severe pop and the tire made a whooshing noise as it was making contact with the tire well. the vehicle was out of service at this point. i got my vehicle toed to a nearby shop, and they found that the tie rod on the rear right wheel was bent severely. the mechanic that was inspecting my vehicle was not a dealer, and agreed that the fix toyota developed for this recall issue was worthless, and agreed that i could have been seriously injured if this had failed on the highway. i have a photo of the bent tie rod, and visited the shop to see for myself this afternoon. i truly think that toyota's fix should have been to replace everyone's tie rods. people's lives are still at risk! i plan to submit my charges to toyota for reimbursement. | |||
| 01/30/2013 | 123000 | ||
| On wednesday, january 30th, around 6 p.m. est, i was driving home from work, going approximately 40-45 mph, when suddenly i lost control of my vehicle (2006 rav4, standard not sport). fortunately, i was able to get the car off to the shoulder after about 30 seconds of swerving and inability to control the car. there was no physical damage to my person, car or anyone else, but as you can probably imagine, i was | |||
| 12/17/2012 | 106000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav-4. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph around a bend, the driver's side rear wheel separated from the vehicle. the vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where they advised her that the tie rod end was fractured, causing the wheel to detach from the vehicle. the vehicle was repaired by welding the tie rod into place. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 106,000. the current mileage was approximately 107,000. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 12/17/2012 | 106000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav-4. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph around a curve the drivers side rear wheel separated from the vehicle. the vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. after diagnosis they advised her that tie rod end fractured causing the failure. the vehicle was repaired by welding the tie rod into place. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 106,000. the current mileage was approximately 107,000. the vin was unavailable. tb | |||
| 12/13/2012 | 46401 | ||
| This is an inquiry not a complaint i had my car checked for the suspension arm recall nothing was done to my car i given a repair estimate for tires and a alignment my concern is if there was nothing done now what happens if this suspension arm causes a problem next week or next year can i be certain that a quick check is all that is needed to ensure safety no clips or caution labels were mentioned am i driving a safe vehicle | |||
| 09/19/2012 | 63825 | 1 | |
| My rav 4 is making a loud clunking noise from the rear suspension. my local shop replaced the rear shocks and the rear sway bar end links, which did not solve the clunking noise. i took it to toyota of westport in westport,ct on october 1, 2012 where they checked the vehicle and said they are unsure how to rectify the problem until toyota produces a formal recall and fix, but they do know of the problem. if the problems are stated all over the internet and toyota knows of the problem...how can it not be fixed? i am worried as my wife travels distances by highway and i do not want this to cause a crash if it can be solved. what is one to do when the dealer does not know how to fix their product? i am at a loss, but will keep my fingers crossed and hope that my car holds up until toyota figures this out. *tr | |||
| 09/19/2012 | 63825 | ||
| My rav 4 is making a loud clunking noise from the rear suspension. my local shop replaced the rear shocks and the rear sway bar end links, which did not solve the clunking noise. i took it to toyota of westport in westport,ct on october 1, 2012 where they checked the vehicle and said they are unsure how to rectify the problem until toyota produces a formal recall and fix, but they do know of the problem. if the problems are stated all over the internet and toyota knows of the problem...how can it not be fixed? i am worried as my wife travels distances by highway and i do not want this to cause a crash if it can be solved. what is one to do when the dealer does not know how to fix their product? i am at a loss, but will keep my fingers crossed and hope that my car holds up until toyota figures this out. | |||
| 09/02/2012 | 56100 | 1 | |
| Performing a three-point turn on an uneven, rocky surface. heard a loud clang/pop from the rear of the car. thought a rock was kicked up or it might have been suspension related. was informed by dealer at previous oil change that i was in need of replacing passenger rear shock absorber as it was leaking badly. i had figured that the failed shock absorber had finally given in and had created the noise. i went ahead and scheduled an appointment for service that same week and had an oil change done and had both rear shock absorbers replaced. peeked underneath the car when i got home to see new the new shiny (not oily) shocks and noticed that the bolt connecting the anti sway or stabilizer bar to the lower suspension arm had sheared off on the driver's side. the bottom half of the bolt, the bushing, washer and nut were missing. the passenger side was complete and intact. the failure of this critical piece of suspension had obviously created the noise i heard. *tr | |||
| 09/02/2012 | 56100 | ||
| Performing a three-point turn on an uneven, rocky surface. heard a loud clang/pop from the rear of the car. thought a rock was kicked up or it might have been suspension related. was informed by dealer at previous oil change that i was in need of replacing passenger rear shock absorber as it was leaking badly. i had figured that the failed shock absorber had finally given in and had created the noise. i went ahead and scheduled an appointment for service that same week and had an oil change done and had both rear shock absorbers replaced. peeked underneath the car when i got home to see new the new shiny (not oily) shocks and noticed that the bolt connecting the anti sway or stabilizer bar to the lower suspension arm had sheared off on the driver's side. the bottom half of the bolt, the bushing, washer and nut were missing. the passenger side was complete and intact. the failure of this critical piece of suspension had obviously created the noise i heard. | |||
| 08/01/2010 | 40000 | 1 | |
| Steering wheel clunks at relatively low speeds - clunking increases over time. concern is if steering fails as a result. toyota's fix is to replace intermediate driveshaft and an alignment. apparently this is a pervasive problem on a number of rav4 model years (based on hundreds of postings on internet discussion sites, at least one of which claims failed steering resulting in multicar crash). per these online discussions, some toyota dealers have stated it is a serious safety issue, some have not. given this problem has existed for a number of years (toyota has two service memos issued on the problem and even developed new replacement parts), if the nhtsa has investigated this issue and determined there is no consumer safety issues, is that conclusion available to the public? would appear this would be proper to disclose, as consumers get very concerned with a potential loss of steering and its potential crash ramifications. *tr | |||
| 08/30/2007 | 10 | ||
| 2006 toyota rav 4. consumer states issues with front steering, suspension and drive train *tgw the consumer stated the problems started with an abnormal noise in the steering system and continued with other problems associated with the steering, front suspension and drive train. various front end components had been replaced 10 times. after the steering shaft was replaced for the second time in august of 2011, the vehicle is now performing as designed. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 01/16/2007 | 26737 | ||
| My 2006 rav 4 has had a series of front end problems dating from jan 2007 to april 2009. it had been in the shop 9 times (warranty work) with numerous parts being replaced before toyota had their southern california rep come and look at it. they ended up replacing just about all of the front end component parts except the steering. that was the 10th time the car was in. now after 21 months the sound is back and i can even feel vibration knock in the steering. this car was purchased new in july 2006. mileage at the first sign of trouble was 4847. mileage in april 2009 was 26737. current mileage is 41800. i don't feel safe driving this car with the feeling that something is going to break while i'm making a sharp turn. | |||
| 12/20/2008 | 5 | 1 | |
| Since day one there was a knocking/popping sound coming from the steering column when turning the wheel at park and low speeds. i had taken the vehicle in to the dealer at least 3 times and finally, and ironically, the dealer acknowledged the noise. previous trips yielded the ever present could not duplicate. however steering adjustments via an alignment was attempted. could not duplicate but tried something anyway? the ironic part about when the dealer acknowledged the noise is that the vehicle was 4000 miles past warranty. funny how such an obvious thing can go unnoticed until warranty expires. *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 08/11/2007 | 10846 | 7 | 02/19/2006 |
| Two separate problems: 1) left rear suspension, reported to two dealers starting 8/11/07 followed by three other complaints, diagnosed as worn bushing. parts on order; problem getting worse. notified dealer through factory rep; dealer has not indicated that driving vehicle is a safety issue. 2) hesitation downshifting when depressing gas pedal. first reported to two dealers on 9/8/07 followed by two other complaints. informed it was/is a software problem corrected at the factory, yet problem persists. *tr | |||