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

Plain-English summary

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 vehicles and 2010 Lexus HS 250h vehicles. The affected vehicles were manufactured between October 31, 2005, and September 7, 2010, for the RAV4, and between July 6, 2009, and August 26, 2010, for the HS 250h. The recall involves approximately 337,449 vehicles.

The defect involves rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. If loose, the arm may suffer thread damage and rust, potentially leading to failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment. Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

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. This recall supersedes recall 13V-383, where some vehicles were only inspected and sealed but did not have both arms replaced. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product

TOYOTA, LEXUS RAV4, HS 250 HYBRID

Brand

TOYOTA

Manufacturer

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Category

Vehicle — SUV / Crossover

Hazard

• loss-of-control
• structural-failure

Affected units

337,449

Is your product affected?

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

Distribution

Related recalls