Toyota Motor Corp. has announced that it’s recalling 778,000 RAV4 SUVs and Lexus HS 250h sedans in the U.S. to fix a suspension problem that could cause crashes, according to a report in the Huffington Post.
According to the report, Toyota reported nine crashes and three injuries from the problem. If rear suspension nuts aren’t tightened properly after a wheel alignment, the company said, the arms can rust and separate from the vehicle.
RAV4s from the 2006 to 2011 model years are covered by the recall, but the Lexus sedans are from 2010 only.
The Huffington Post reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the problem in June following several reports from drivers.
One driver reported swerving over four lanes of an interstate when the suspension arm disconnected. And four drivers told NHTSA they temporarily lost control of their vehicles because of the problem.
Toyota says it’s coming up with a plan to fix the problem and will notify owners by mail when it’s time to take them to dealers for a free repair. In the meantime, according to the company, drivers should contact their dealers if they hear an abnormal sound in the rear of the vehicle.
This is just the latest in a series of problems involving the RAV4.
The government is currently investigating door fires that have been linked to power window switches.
RAV4s from the 2007 and 2008 model years were recalled last year because their air bags could go off without warning. And RAV4s from the 2009 and 2010 model years were among the millions of vehicles Toyota two years ago for sticky gas pedals.
See the story here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/02/toyota-rav4-lexus-hs-250h-recall_n_1732377.html
