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Toyota recalling 760,000 RAV4's due to crash risk

54K views 132 replies 63 participants last post by  Diesel1 
#1 ·
#4 ·
Is the recall referring to wheel alignment procedures done at the factory, or to those performed after the vehicles have been sold, with alignments done subsequently?
 
#5 ·
The way I read it is for bolts that were improperly tightened following a wheel alignment after leaving the factory. So for those who never had a wheel alignment done, you should be OK. Unfortunately, I had the dealership do just that back in March 2011.
 
#10 ·
Most shops today do a 4 wheel alignment, especially with FWD or 4WD vehicles. You might be able to get by with just a front wheel alignment with an old school design like a Ford Crown Vic, but that's the exception these days.
 
#15 ·
Wow... I took my car in a few weeks ago cause of this weird and annoying noise I'm getting from the rear suspension and was told it sounded like it was coming from the right rear hub knuckle... I think I'm going to take it back ASAP to have them look at it again. I bought the car used and I'm pretty sure they have performed an alignment previously.

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#18 ·
It's a loud creaking noise that I'm getting by the way. Like something needs to be lubed which is what makes me nervous. Was told that it may be the knuckle and that replacing it may not eliminate the noise and that it didn't need to be replaced... Hmm.. Wonder if they overlooked something.

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#21 ·
Called both my dealer and Toyota Canada. Both were completely clueless as to what to say. My vehicle has very low mileage (around 4000 kms) and I've never had an alignment, so I'm hoping it's fine, but I have a trip from London to Kingston on Wednesday and this will be on my mind now :mad:.
 
#36 ·
How can they know what to say? This was just announced, no recall letters have been sent, there's no fix as of yet, and it's not clear exactly what vehicles are affected. The dealer has to await instructions just as we consumers do. Seems like a lot of folks here are jumping the gun going into panic mode until more information is made available.

Mine had a four wheel alignment about 18 months ago at a Cadillac dealership. I'm not gonna sweat it until more info surfaces and that will take time so chill out.
 
#22 ·
LOL, clueless eh? I'm surprised they didn't just say either the problem doesn't applies to Canadian RAV4s, or it's completely 'Normal'. :wall

Have the following phone# handy before heading out on your trip . . . ;)

1) Transport Canada
2) TV station
3) Insurance claim

You're probably okay with 5,000 Km already under your belt, and virtually no corrosion issue being still new.
 
#23 ·
Have to laugh at those complaining about a vehicle they bought. If you don't like your Rav, sell it. In the last week there has been a recall issued for 2013 Ford Escapes that can catch fire while you are driving them, and for the Hyundai Sante Fe that can have the air bag explode in your face while you drive down the road. This Rav recall involves vehicles that have had a rear end allignment, they want to ensure the bolts are tight. Love my vehicle as much today as I did when I bought it in '08...not one manufactuer quality issue, and I now have 140,000 K on it.
 
#24 ·
... Love my vehicle as much today as I did when I bought it in '08...not one manufactuer quality issue, and I now have 140,000 K on it.
Lucky you. For the earlier RAV4s, there were a few TSBs issued.

I am very happy with my I4 4.3 2008. It did have the oil consumption issue which was fixed before I bought it used.

As for the 2013 Ford Escapes, 2 caught fire while moving the vehicles from one warehouse to another and 1 caught fire on the road. Yikes!
 
#27 ·
Here is another article from the NYTimes.

Part of it says:

"Toyota said it received a complaint in May of a customer who “alleged loss of vehicle control, while driving on the highway, resulting in an accident.”
The automaker said it inspected and analyzed the scene of the accident and the vehicle. As a result, Toyota said in its letter to the agency that it found “the left arm separated at the outer side of the turn-buckle.”
It said it could not determine when that failure happened. “However, according to the customer’s allegation that a loud noise was heard before the vehicle swerved, the arm could have separated before the accident.”
Toyota concluded that improper service during a rear-wheel alignment might have caused the issue to develop, leading to the recall."


 
#28 · (Edited)
This is straight from Toyota's press release on the Toyota.com owners' site:

"Toyota has determined that if the nuts on the rear suspension arm are not tightened following the proper procedure and torque specification during a rear wheel alignment service, excessive play may occur at the threaded portion of the arm, followed by rust formation. If this were to occur, the threaded portion of the rear suspension arm may wear and cause the arm to separate."

The OP's quoted article and this are almost verbatim the same. It plainly says that the problem could occur during a wheel alignment service. It says nothing about it having occurred during the RAVs' manufacturing and assembly processes, so there should be no need for concern unless such a service has been performed.

For owners who have had wheel alignment services, with nine crashes out of the number of RAVs involved the risk factor so far according to my sometimes-dubious math of having a crash is 0.00118421% (please check my caculation!).
 
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#29 ·
And here's the part in question:

48710‑42020 ARM ASSY, REAR SUSPENSION, NO.1 LH



 
#30 ·
Something does not add up.

Why does it only affect the RAV's on which an alignment was conducted?

Some type of an alignment must be preformed at the factory or the same component is installed and yet these vehicles are not affected?

The only logical explanation in my head is factory torque specs are different from shop manuals?

Or Toyota simply realizes that a lot of the shops re-torque the hardware by feel and in this case the torque is ultra critical.

Besides for some reason this smells like a publicity stunt prior to the next gen rav announcement. I find it strange that this issue never popped up in this forum before.:shrug:
 
#64 ·
Something does not add up.

Why does it only affect the RAV's on which an alignment was conducted?

Some type of an alignment must be preformed at the factory or the same component is installed and yet these vehicles are not affected?

The only logical explanation in my head is factory torque specs are different from shop manuals?

Or Toyota simply realizes that a lot of the shops re-torque the hardware by feel and in this case the torque is ultra critical.

Besides for some reason this smells like a publicity stunt prior to the next gen rav announcement. I find it strange that this issue never popped up in this forum before.:shrug:
People usually get alignments done at alignment shops, not dealerships. Toyota has taken the stance of treating all NHTSA inquiries like the end of the world since the whole phantom acceleration fiasco.
 
#31 ·
Thanks for the picture junebug.

Correct me if i am wrong, when doing a wheel alignment, you loosen the lock nut with a open-end wrench, adj, tighten up the lock nut with the same open-end wrench.
A normal torque wrench with a socket will not fit on those lock nuts unless they have a special open-end torque wrench which not too many mechanics have them.
 
#35 ·
Besides for some reason this smells like a publicity stunt prior to the next gen rav announcement. I find it strange that this issue never popped up in this forum before.
That's brilliant thinking........"Hey guys lets announce a three quarter million car safety recall to promote our 2013 models! Then we'll admit we don't have a fix for it yet". :rolleyes:

You can't be serious!
 
#40 ·
It's called reverse psychology. Essentially RAV 4 will be mentioned in hundreds of news sources and any prospective buyers in this car segment catch on to it... Just the fact RAV 4 is mentioned counts.

But here is a quote from another article

"Toyota said it had determined that if nuts on the rear suspension arm of some of its vehicles were tightened incorrectly after a wheel alignment, rust can form to the point where parts break off."

How to F does this make sense. Any one with mechanical background will know this is BS. The simple explanation is the parts are rusting and breaking.
 
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