The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·12V373000·Announced 2012-08-02

Toyota Recalls RAV4 and Lexus HS 250h for Rear Suspension Defect

Toyota is recalling 2006-2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS 250h vehicles because rear tie rods may fail, causing loss of vehicle control.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect (rear suspension arm failure) that can lead to loss of vehicle control and crash risk, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.

Plain-English summary

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS 250h passenger vehicles. The recall covers vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010. The defect involves the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod), which may develop unwanted movement and rust if the nuts for adjusting rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service. This can lead to thread damage and eventual failure of the rear tie rod.

Failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment. This could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. No specific dates for when the defect occurred or specific geographic distribution details are provided in the source text beyond the manufacturing dates.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear tie-rod nut for looseness and replace any suspect tie-rod found loose. Dealers will also affix instructions in multiple places to prevent improper servicing in the future. The recall began on November 30, 2012. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus at 1-800-255-3987. 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.

The recalled product

Product
TOYOTA, LEXUS RAV4, HS 250 HYBRID
Brand
TOYOTA
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Category
Vehicle — SUV / Hybrid
Hazard
Affected units
780,584

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • RAV4
  • HS 250 HYBRID

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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