The Recall Desk
HighNHTSA·20V734000·Announced 2020-11-25

Toyota RAV4 and Avalon Steering Column Airbag Failure Recall

Certain 2020-2021 Toyota RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Avalon, and Avalon Hybrid vehicles may have damaged steering column breakaway pins that could reduce airbag performance in a crash. Toyota will replace the steering column at no cost.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: No illnesses or injuries have been reported. The hazard is theoretical: pins 'could have been damaged' and airbag performance 'possibly' affected. Per the rubric, risk-of-harm products without reported injuries score at most 3.

Plain-English summary

Toyota is recalling certain 2020 and 2021 model year Toyota RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Avalon, and Avalon Hybrid vehicles. The steering column contains breakaway pins designed to absorb energy and reduce injury during a crash. These pins may have been damaged during manufacturing, which could reduce the performance of the driver's frontal airbag system in the event of a crash.

The vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 (Occupant Crash Protection). In a crash, an airbag system that does not function as designed increases the risk of injury to the driver.

Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace the steering column at no charge. The recall began on December 18, 2020. Approximately 161 vehicles are potentially affected. Toyota's recall identifier for this issue is 20TB17/20TA17.

Owners can contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 to schedule a replacement. They may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or visit www.safercar.gov.

The recalled product

Product
TOYOTA AVALON, RAV4, RAV4 HYBRID, AVALON HYBRID
Brand
TOYOTA
Manufacturer
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Category
Vehicle — Airbag / Safety System
Hazard
Affected units
161

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 (4)

  • AVALON
  • RAV4
  • RAV4 HYBRID
  • AVALON HYBRID

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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