Fined record amounts by NHTSA for covering up safety defects, Toyota is now recalling so many vehicles that dealerships are swamped.
Toyota is recalling almost 800,000 2006-2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles because a rear tie rod can fail abruptly sending the wheel askew resulting in an unsafe car out of control. Because of the large number of Toyota RAV4 and Lexus HS250h involved, the safety recall is being conducted in phases from September 2013 through February 2014.
This recall stems from an earlier Toyota and Lexus recall, NHTSA 12V-373, for the same problem. Dealership technicians were supposed to check the nuts holding the rear tie-rods for improper torque during servicing resulting rear tie-rod movement and rust leading to thread damage and eventual failure of either or both rear suspension arms. All vehicles that have been inspected under the previous recall need to be re-inspected and fixed.
In an analysis of both Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) data submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) and consumer complaint data submitted to Toyota, ODI identified 131 reports alleging failure of the subject rear suspension arm also known as a rear tie rod. Six of the complainants allege the failure resulted in some loss of vehicle control. In NHTSA’s view, 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.
Toyota and Lexus dealer technicians will once again inspect the tie rods for proper torque and replace any that have rust or corrosion on the alignment adjustment threads. The rear tie rods will then covered with an epoxy to prevent future rusting. The revised recall number is 13V-383.
In addition, Toyota will provide proper tightening sequence and torque specification information to two wheel alignment equipment makers, for the use of shops using their equipment. Toyota will also install a clip on each arm with a label showing proper tightening sequence and torque specification (the clip must be removed to perform a wheel alignment). There will also be the installation of additional labels on the front and back vertical surfaces of the Rear Suspension Arm assemblies. Finally, an instruction booklet to owners will be put in the glove box.
