2007 Toyota RAV4 Suspension

MY VEHICLE RECENTLY HAD A RECALL FOR POTENTIAL RUST ISSUES WITH THE REAR LOWER SUSPENSION ARM. BOTH MY SWAY BAR ARMS ARE NOW BROKEN DUE TO RUST AND TOYOTA IS CHARGING ME $500 TO FIX THE ISSUE. THE SERVICE REP AT THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME "THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE BUT THE SWAY BARS PREVENT THE CAR FROM ROLLING OVER." THIS SOUNDS LIKE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE TO ME AND ALSO DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE RECALL ISSUE. THIS IS THE 6TH RECALL ON MY VEHICLE AND I HAVE SUBMITTED A REQUEST TO TOYOTA TO FIX THIS ISSUE AT NO COST. CONSIDERING TOYOTA DID NOT HAVE A SOLUTION TO THE REAR SUSPENSION RECALL AND FORCED IT'S OWNERS TO DRIVE WITH THE PROBLEM FOR MULTIPLE MONTHS EXPOSING US TO POTENTIAL DANGER, ASKING THEM TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AT NO COST IS REASONABLE. MY DEALERSHIP EVEN WENT AS FAR AS TO TELL ME THAT IF I WANTED THEM TO INSPECT THE RECALL SITUATION PRIOR TO A FIX BEING AVAILABLE I WOULD HAVE TO PAY LABOR COSTS. LAST TIME I CHECKED, THE CUSTOMER SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING LABOR COSTS DUE TO A RECALL. I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT THE SWAY BAR ARMS ON MY RAV4 ARE FIXED AT NO COST. IF RUST CAUSING "THREADS MAY WEAR, CAUSING THE ARM TO SEPARATE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN THE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH" THAT RESULTED IN MY RECALL THAN IT SEEMS LIKE THE TWO PROBLEMS ARE RELATED AS THE PARTS ARE IN SIMILAR AREAS OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT A LINK TO THE STABILIZING BAR WAS FRACTURED. THE DEALER STATED THIS HAD BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE. THE CONTACT ASKED ABOUT NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V373000 (SUSPENSION: REAR) FOR THE REAR TIE ROD, BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE LINK FOR THE STABILIZER BAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE CONTACT HAD BOTH LINKS REPLACED SINCE THE DEALER NOTICED THAT THE ONE ON THE RIGHT WAS ABOUT TO BREAK AS WELL DUE TO IT NOT BEING BOLTED CORRECTLY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000. UPDATED 12/5/12 *CN THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THERE WAS RUST FORMING AROUND THE BOLT. UPDATED 12/10/12

I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO LOOK AT MY REAR LOWER SUSPENSION THAT I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A LOUD ABNORMAL SOUND WHEN I'M ON THE ROAD AND GETTING WORSE AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. THEN I GET THIS RECALL NOTICE TO GET IT CHECKED OUT AND STILL NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, BUT I HAD TO PUT NEW TIRES ON MY VEHICLE AND HAS CAUSED THE INSIDE TO BE WEARING OUT, ON JUST THE INSIDE TIRE. I TOOK MY VEHICLE WHERE I BOUGHT MY TIRES AT AND THEY STATED THAT EVEN IF I ROTATE MY TIRES IT STILL WILL CONTINUE TO WEAR OUT BECAUSE SOMETHING IS CAUSING TO WEAR THEM OUT. I THINK IF SOMETHING IS CAUSING THIS BY A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM AT LEAST SOME ONE SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. PLEASE IF I CAN GET SOMEONE TO CALL ME TO GET THIS RESOLVED. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY VEHICLE ANYMORE BECAUSE I FEEL I COULD LOSE OF CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE AND HAVE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

BOTH REAR SWAY BAR LINKS BROKE ON A WELL MAINTAINED RAV4 THAT IS GARAGED NIGHTLY. *TR

I DID WENT TO DEALER NOW THEY FOUND LEAKAGE ON RARE SHOCK SUSPENSION. THIS IS BECAUSE OF RARE LOWER SUSPENSION RECALL. DEALER SAYING IT NOT PART OF RECALL. ONLY MY WIFE DRIVES CAR AND WE DID TOOK CARE VERY WELL. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE PART OF TOYOTA RECALL.. RARE SUSPENSION NOT WORKING PROPERLY NEED TO REPLACE BY TOYOTA AND MAKING NOISE.... *TR

I HAD HEARD A SLIGHT CLUNKING NOISE FROM THE REAR. I PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND HEARD A LOUD CLUNK, STARTED DOWN A HILL AND LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE CAR. I WENT FROM ONE SIDE OF THE STREET TO THE OTHER. LUCKILY NO CARS WERE COMING. FINALLY A GOT THE CAR STOPPED AND RETURNED TO MY GARAGE. LOOKING AT THE REAR RIGHT TIRE IT WAS BENT IN AT THE TOP. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER'S DIAGNOSIS WAS "LEFT REAR TIE-ROD PULLED APART". I HAD IT REPLACED. WE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM PHILADELPHIA THE DAY BEFORE AND HATE TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED HAD IT OCCURRED ON PENNSYLVANIA'S NORTHEAST EXTENSION, TRAVELING AT 65 MPH. I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT TO REPORT IT BACK THEN AND I AM SURE THIS IS A RESULT OF THIS RECALL 12V373000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35MPH THERE WAS A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM THE LEFT REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE AND SUDDENLY SPUN OUT AT A 180 DEGREE AND CRASHED INTO THE CURB. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATING. THE CONTACT STATED HE INSPECTS THE VEHICLE AND THERE WAS DAMAGES TO BOTH RIMS AND REAR TIRES, AND THE LOWER LEFT CONTROL ARM BROKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER BUT THE INSURANCE COMPANY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED IT WAS THE LOWER CONTROL ARM AND BOTH REAR RIMS AND WHEELS OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FOR RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V373000 (SUSPENSION: REAR). HOWEVER, HE DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR INSPECTION OF THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO STARTED A CLAIM AND THEN INFORMED HIM A REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE SENT OUT TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE REAR TIE ROD FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE AS THE CONTACT MERGED TO THE SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO INSPECTED THE FAILURE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE REAR TIE ROD WAS FRACTURED AS A RESULT OF RUST. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TIE RODS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA RV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THERE WAS A LOUD METALLIC NOISE. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND INSPECTED FURTHER. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED THAT THE LEFT REAR WHEEL WAS ON A 60 DEGREE ANGLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS FRACTURED AND THE TREAD WAS STRIPPED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND OFFERED A NEW REAR ASSEMBLY IF THE CONTACT TRADED IN THE OLD PART. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY REPLACING THE REAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND PERFORMING A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,883. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000. ..UPDATED 09/04/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS FISHTAILING SHE JAMMED ON THE BREAKS SLOWLY STOPPING WITH IN INCHES FROM PARKED CARS. UPDATED 09/12/2012 *JS

VEHICLE EXHIBITED A CLUNK AND RATCHET SOUND FROM REAR OF CAR WHEN DRIVING OVER SMALL BUMPS. PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO DEALER IN JANUARY 2010. WHILE THE NOISE WAS REPLICATED, THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. I WAS ASSURED THAT THE SUSPENSION COMPONENTS WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. A LOCAL MECHANIC WAS ALSO CONSULTED WHO COULD NOT PINPOINT THE SOURCE OF THE SUSPENSION NOISE. APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LATER I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL KICKED OUT AND WAS NO LONGER PARALLEL WITH THE VEHICLE. CAR WAS PRACTICALLY IMMOBILE. THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM WAS FOUND TO BE A LINKAGE THAT STRIPPED ITSELF OUT. THE LINKAGE (TIE ROD?) HOLDS THE WHEEL IN PLACE. I HAD BOTH SIDES (RIGHT AND LEFT) REPAIRED JUST IN CASE THE LEFT SIDE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR WEAR. CAR REMAINS SLIGHTLY OUT OF ALIGNMENT (JUST BEYOND TOLERANCE) AS LINKAGE FAILURE CAUSED SUSPENSION COMPONENTS TO WARP OR BEND. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH SHE HEARD A SNAP AND THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO SHAKE. SHE CONTINUED TO DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS TURNED INWARD AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. SHE WAS ALSO INFORMED THE REAR TRAILING ARMS AND RODS WERE RUSTED THROUGH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE HAD NOT RECURRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 43,000. .