Toyota Recalling Thousands of RAV4 and Lexus Hybrid Models
If you own a Toyota RAV4 or a Lexus hybrid, you may soon be getting a recall notice — nearly 800,000 of them in the United States are being recalled to correct rear suspension problems that could occur during maintenance.
About 760,000 RAV4 utility vehicles made between 2006 and 2011 and 18,000 Lexus HS 250h hybrid cars made in 2010 will be affected.
Toyota says that if nuts on the rear suspension arm are not tightened properly during a rear wheel alignment service, rust could form and the arm could eventually separate, causing the driver to lose control of the car — so the recall will involve inspecting the tightened nut to ensure proper torque specifications are met.
A Toyota spokesman in Tokyo said only cars that have had alignment work done will need to be inspected, and that the models themselves have no design or production-related defects. In addition, the automaker is investigating specific measures to prevent future errors during maintenance.
[Reuters]