Toyota Rav4 recalled over injury risk

Recall date

August 12, 2016

Source

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Official notice title

Toyota Motor Corporation recalls 2006–2011 Toyota Rav4, HS 250 Hybrid

Recall number

16V596000

Brand / firm

Toyota, Lexus

Sold / distributed

Potentially affected: 337,449 units

Why it was recalled

Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

What was recalled

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2005, to September 7, 2010, and 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured July 6, 2009, to August 26, 2010. The affected vehicles have rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. As a result of being loose, the arm may have thread damage and may rust, possibly leading to the failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.

What to do

Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace both rear suspension arms and encapsulate the locknuts, free of charge. The recall began on September 30, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0V for Toyota vehicles and GLK for Lexus vehicles. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V-383, in which some vehicles were only inspected, sealed, and did not have both arms replaced. The affected vehicles were previously recalled under 13V-383, but did not have both rear suspension arms replaced at that time. Those vehicles need to have both arms replaced as part of this recall remedy.. Follow the official notice for full instructions.