Problems with 2007 Toyota RAV4 SUSPENSION

While looking into a rear suspension problem, it was observed that the remedy for recall 13v-383 was not performed properly on one side of the car. not enough epoxy was used on one end of the suspension arm, so there is a gap in the epoxy that extends to the adjusting tube nut. that side is also out of alignment. the toyota service center did not redo the fix as requested. the service manager forwarded a photo to a district rep to make a decision. over two weeks now without a response.

Our 2007 rav4 was serviced at a toyota service center on 8/11/2015. the rear alignment was found to be outside of the specified range. the rear suspension arms (tie rods) were inspected and the alignment was adjusted last year as part of recall 13v-383. an epoxy was applied to make these parts non-adjustable and seal them to prevent corrosion that has led to part failures. both rear tie rods on our vehicle had actually been replaced in january 2012 after such a failure caused us to crash. correcting the rear alignment now requires replacing these parts again and re-applying the epoxy from recall 13v-383, at the owner's expense. i was quoted $750 + tax ($660 on top of the usual $90 alignment charge). we have not yet had this fixed. i wrote to daniel c. smith of nhtsa in june to point out this problem based on other reports, before realizing our vehicle would have the same issue. if the epoxy does not prevent the part from adjusting outside of specs, how well is it sealing to prevent corrosion? nhtsa informed me that toyota knows of 19 continued failures in vehicles that had remedy 13v-383 applied (the second remedy for this safety defect). 12 reports were for complete tie rod separation. toyota should also track these alignment changes as a potential precursor to failures.

Just got off the highway and was driving on city streets.started hearing some creaking noise, and then a few clunks and a bang/pop as i was going around a corner at about 3-5mph i pulled into the driveway in front of me. i see my right rear tire has caved in and is rubbing against the inside of the wheel well. after jacking up the car and taking the tire off i see the entire brake assembly is rotated in, and the bolts holding it to the rear suspension are bent out of place. perhaps this is the result of the band-aid epoxy fix for the toyota rear suspension recall. this is a major safety issue!

Sun visor is causing head injuries, this drivers side sun visor keep dropping at eye level and hit on the head while we are driving due to defective mechanism and locking parts within the sun visor this is happening for last 4 years. kindly have manufacture look into this issue and have them replace this sun visor.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under a manufacturer recall where all four tires were aligned. the dealer used an epoxy resin on the rear of the vehicle near the tie rod assemblies and the framing. months later, after the manufacturer recall repair was performed, the vehicle was not able to receive an alignment and two independent mechanics stated that the epoxy prevented the tires from receiving a rear alignment. the contact was informed that only the front alignment could be performed. the vehicle was not repaired and the dealer refused to remedy the removal of the epoxy resin. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was not available.

March 27, 2015 at 2:40 pm. sunny, 38, clear road conditions. exiting off us 43 and south onto us 41 at approx. 40 to 45 mph. the car suddenly jerked to left, then swerved to the right. i took my foot off the gas but did not brake. steering was difficult but not impossible. the car felt(althoughi am not sure) as though it went up on two wheels each time it swerved to the left or right. the car came to a stop and i was able to move it to the far side of the highway. i looked beneath the car and saw an approximately 10 inch rod with the sticker that said "recall safety". i took a photograph of the broken part, called a tow truck and the toyota dealership. i believe if i had been going 65 miles per hour i would have been unable to have any control and may have rolled over injuring, or worse myself and others. *tr

Heard "pop" sounds from rear while driving car. stopped to examine car but didn't see anything unusual. resumed driving and shortly afterwards there was a loud pop and immediately the car began swerving as if it were on a skating rink - very scary. managed to get control of the car and came to a stop. rear right wheel was inclined towards the sidewall of the car, no idea what had caused it to happen. drove very slowly to auto mechanic just 1 block away, smoke was coming from the affected area. car was diagnosed as having a broken right rear tire rod and the affected tire had been stripped since it had been leaning against the sidewall. this occurred despite having made multiple visits to the toyota dealership in february, 2014 for related recalls and action taken to prevent this type of incident. obviously, action taken by dealership was insufficient to prevent this possible deadly situation from occurring. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. while driving approximately 10 mph, there was a grinding sound coming from the tires. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the mechanic stated that the tires were wearing down and the rear suspension needed to be replaced. the failure occurred immediately after the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 13v383000 (suspension). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 185,000.

My 2007 toyota rav4 has a "clunking/popping" noise coming from what appears to be the steering linkage somewhere between the intermediate shaft and rack-and-pinion assembly.in early 2014, a toyota dealership in indiana recommended servicing the intermediate shaft assembly via an issued toyota service bulletin. the intermediate shaft was replaced in the spring of 2014 (cost=$1000, car mileage ~65k).i have since job relocated to new jersey and the problem has resurfaced (car mileage ~75k).a dealership here told me that the rack-and-pinion assembly needs to be replace (est. cost= $2000).general signs of rack-and-pinion failure as stated by the dealership and general research are not observed in my car (signs including "play/slop" in the steering wheel, loose steering, stiff steering, etc.).further research of this issue has show multiple hundreds-of-thousands of rav4 owners inquiring about this issue either via rav4/toyota forums, or through the nhtsa and other third party auto safety agencies.the dealerships seem to be guessing at what the problem is, and they issue repair guidelines based only on service bulletins without fully investigating the issue.there is a serious safety concern with a "clunking/popping" noise with the steering assembly of these automobiles.owners of this (highly rated, abundantly sold) rav4 model should be issued a recall by toyota to have the rack-and-pinion and the intermediate shaft assembly fixed without consumer purchase.toyota is aware of the problems, as they have issued multiple service bulletins, but have yet to deem the issue a safety concern leaving their loyal owners with repair cost in upwards of $3000 for cars that are well under 100,000 miles, but outside of toyota's warranty period. protecting the safety of drivers and their precious passengers, should be the number one concern of toyota and the nhtsa. *tr

2007 toyota rav 4. consumer received a recall notice for the rear lower suspension arms, but has not been able to get the vehicle repaired. *ss the dealer gave the consumer, different excuses, as to why they couldn't repair the vehicle.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. while driving various speeds, the rear of the vehicle felt like it was fishtailing. the contact maintained control of the vehicle. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that they would have to install rear tow adjustments on both rear sides of the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact was informed that the vehicle was serviced per a rear suspension recall in august of 2014; however, the remedy failed. the independent mechanic stated that the recall repairs caused the vehicle to not have a rear end alignment and caused unusual wear and tear on the rear tires. since september of 2016, the contact had to replace the rear tires three times. the recall details were not provided. the failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact received recall notifications for nhtsa campaign number: 14v168000 (air bags) and nhtsa campaign number: 13v383000 (suspension). the parts needed to repair the vehicle were unavailable. the manufacturer was not notified. the contact had not experienced a failure.

While driving on the highway during my recent vacation i heard a loud bang from under the rear of the vehicle. immediately after while still driving, pieces of metal fell off the bottom of my car hitting the vehicle behind me. we both pulled over, my rear stabilizer / sway bar had busted and fallen from the car. now i have to pay several hundred dollars for repairs, my wife and i could of been severely hurt or worse, and now possibly pay for a cracked windshield from the car behind me. i have read several other complaints from toyota owners that experienced this same problem. this should of not happened at only 54000 miles. this is a dangerous situation. (this vehicle has never towed anything). *tr

I brought my vehicle to the dealer for the rear suspension recall and when i picked it up i was advised that the steering shaft needs to be replaced and there is a clunking sound when turning the wheel. the service advisor told me the shaft is cracked and could be dangerous. i never noticed any steering sounds but now that i'm specifically listening for it i do hear it. i believe that if this is a safety issue as the dealer stated then the vehicle should be recalled. most owners will not know they have this problem since the sound is not that noticeable and i assume that if left uncorrected loss of steering will occur. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving approximately 38 mph, the rear back wheels locked up and the vehicle swerved from side to side. also, the contact stated that the downward hill assist warning light illuminated when the wheels locked up. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the vehicle was included in recall nhtsa campaign number: 13v383000 (suspension). however, the part to do the repair was not available. the manufacturer had been notified of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

Right rear lower suspension arm snapped causing the right rear tire to turn to the side, causing us to lose control of the vehicle. i was able to gain control and stop the car due to the low rate of speed. we had a recall for this problem. toyota installed a temporary fix, however when we received an updated recall, we continually called to have the permanent fix only to be told that the part was not available we asked them to call us when the part arrived and they would not agree to this. we have called them continuously but they never had the part. called toyota today and they cannot help me today. they will not approve towing, rental car, or repair as of this date. i cannot get to work, i am handicapped and i do not have access to public transportation. the police did come to the scene of this incident we have photos and the broken part in our possession. toyota opened a case #[xxx]. they said they are not sure they can help us. we need immediate help with this. please help us. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle and steering wheel would shake violently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the intermediate shaft was defective and had to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 81,000. updated 10/7/14*cn the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired. updated 3/11/15 *js

I received a recall letter for the "rear lower suspension arms (no. 1).when i went to the toyota dealer ([xxx]) ,they told me that this recall does not apply to puerto rico as per toyota general offices instructions. the letter said this an urgent safety recall in read letters for it importance. for this situation we can implied that toyota is discriminating to the puerto rico toyota owners.if any accident occur for this situation i made responsible to toyota de puerto rico,[xxx] (dealer) and toyota general offices. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v168000 (suspension); however, the part needed for the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact received a recall notification for nhtsa campaign id number 13v383000 (suspension); however, the contact was unable to have the vehicle serviced because the part was unavailable. the dealer was unable to provide an expected date for the part to be available. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. there are no failures at this time.

Received a recall notice for tie rod/suspension back in september 2013. today i called local toyota dealer and asked about the fix. they told me that there was no fix yet available....obviously very disappointed and worried about how long i have been driving with potentially dangerous part/defect that could cause loss of control and wreck. i think nhtsa should force the issue with toyota now it has been too long!. local dealer advised me what sound, loud rattling in back of vehicle to listen for....really unbelievable the delay. *tr

Reference toyota recall: tis designation c2j found at: https://techinfo.toyota.com/techinfoportal/staticcontent/en/techinfo/html/prelogin/docs/cp/c2jtofaq.pdf reference question q1a and answer a1a: "....alignment will be set and the arms will be sealed with epoxy." reference question qua and answer a1c: "if the rear wheel alignment shifts out of specification, rear suspension arms or other components may need to be replaced." reference my phone conversation with toyota @ 888-270-9371 on 11 february 2014 @ 0800 and their assigned case # 1402110228: my question to toyota to the answer a1c above: who pays for the required replacement of suspension arms or other components? their answer was: the owner. my complaint deals with fairness. due to a toyota design defect, rear control arms must be encased in epoxy thus rendering rear wheel alignments impossible. if an owner hits a pothole, and rear wheel(s) are knocked out of alignment, the control arm and/or associates components might need to be replace - at considerable expense to the owner. this could generate large profits to toyota due to a remedy for one of their design defects. without the (epoxy encapsulation), a mere rear wheel alignment might rectify the misalignment. a possible $50 versus $500 repair. additionally, if the control arms must be replaced to align the back wheel(s), toyota is the only entity that has the know how and parts to re-encapsulate the new control arm(s): more profits for toyota. owners need to be made aware of the consequences this remedy will have on their vehicle so they can decide if they want a vehicle in which the rear wheels cannot be aligned without considerable expense. my question to nhsta: why should the owner pay for repairs to one of their remedies? is this fair?

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that she attempted to have the vehicle repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 13v383000 (suspension) but was informed that the parts were not available. the contact also stated that since the failure was reported in august of 2013, there should be a remedy available before february of 2014 and that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable time for repair. there are no failures at this time.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that she attempted to have the vehicle repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 13v383000 (suspension) but was informed that the parts were not available. the contact felt that since the failure was reported in august of 2013, there should be a remedy available before february of 2014. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable time for repair. the contact had not experienced a failure.

2007 toyota rav 4. consumer writes in regards to rear lower suspension rattle. *smd the consumer stated she received a letter over 2 months ago, and she is still waiting for the official recall letter, so she can get the vehicle fixed.. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 13v383000 (suspension) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that he attempted to have the vehicle repaired under nhtsa campaign number 13v383000 (suspension) but was informed by the dealer and the manufacturer that the part was not available. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact had not experienced a failure. the vin was unavailable.

I received this notice for safety recall in nov 2013 for repair of the rear lower suspension arm. at that time i was told parts were not available and call back . i called in dec 2013 same response; jan 2014 same response feb 2014 same response and was now told to call back in march. i am worried that this will be a potential hazard and they are still not repairing it. what can be done? *tr

Rear sway bar links rusted off on both sides. *tr

I have had the first recall done for the lower suspension arm recall c0j and received an interim notification for a revised recall csj saying it is not yet available in my area. this past weekend i had work done on my vehicle and was told the pin in my lower suspension arm is broke and i should have it fixed asap. i called my toyota dealer who told me the recall is not being done in my area as of yet. i called toyota corporate who informed me the recall is not being done in my area and to have it inspected at the dealer and they may or may not be able to do the recall and fix the problem. i feel unsafe driving this vehicle and feel that toyota is not working fast enough to remedy. i have been very unhappy with the number of recalls that have occurred with this vehicle and very unhappy with the amount of time off of work this has caused me. *tr

I received a letter last summer/early fall regarding a recall of my 2007 toyota rav4 due to a problem with the rear suspension arm. i've been in contact with my local toyota dealer since november 2013 and have been trying to set up an appointment. they claim they are unable to get the parts from toyota and they keep putting me off. i believe that the dealer and/or toyota has failed or is unable to remedy the defect within a reasonable time, therefore i'm filing a complaint. the recall states that the consequence of this problem going uncorrected could be "failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash". i drive a lot of miles in the fall and winter, transporting my 13 year old son and friends to soccer games. i'd really like to know that i'm driving a safe vehicle! i want this looked at asap!! *tr

Rear sway bar linkage broke. very corroded. $240 fix. *tr

While driving car on highway, i heard a low noise from the passenger side rear of the car that sounded like something in the right rear suspension broke. since this time, the car sounds like something is loose and makes a knocking sound from the passenger side rear of the vehicle when driving between 10 mph and 30 mph when you go over small bumps. it sounds like a broken spring or shock absorber or some other component of the rear suspension system is loose or broken. i am concerned about driving the vehicle, or letting other family members drive the vehicle, especially at high way speeds. *tr

Hit a car in front of me and wreck the front right corner of the rav4 and no air bags went off. and my ins company total the rav4 and don't know what happen to the other car. *tr

About 4-5 months ago i received a letter from toyota regarding problem with the rear lower suspension arm no. 1. the problem could "result in the loss of vehicle control and a crash." *tr each time i check with them they say they are not ready to remedy the problem and just continue to drive the vehicle i believe that it is very negligent of them to suggest that i continue to drive a vehicle that according to them could "result in the loss of vehicle control and a crash." does the national highway traffic safety administration have any power to require toyota to fix the problem at once or find another remedy for me driving an unsafe car? *tr

Turning from one street onto another at <5mph a pop occurred in the rear of vehicle and immediately i felt a drag and stopped. on the street, exiting vehicle i observed rear driver's wheel tilted significantly from the vertical. had vehicle removed to my garage where rear suspension support was replaced. now jumping hoops to get reimbursement from toyota. i never received any notice of recall only to find after local repair that toyota was planning a recall and then receiving today (sept. 7, 2013) from nhtsa the official recall notice (nhtsa campaign id number : 13v383) the issuance finally of such a recall. given that toyota, over a year ago ("toyota is going to recall some 778,000 vehicles sold in the united states because of a rear-suspension failure. but not just yet. first, it has to figure out how to fix the problem." -by laurent belsie, business editor / august 2, 2012 , christian science monitor) knew of the problem it is unconscionable that such a delay occurred. had this malfunction occurred on a major, high-speed highway, more likely than not i would not be composing this message today.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav 4. the contact received two recall notifications for nhtsa campaign id numbers: 12v373000 (suspension) and 13v383000 (suspension). the vehicle was not been repaired because the necessary parts were unavailable. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact received three recall notices in the mail several months ago and stated the dealer did not have the parts for the repair. the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was not available. the contact had not experienced a failure. *tr

We were driving 55mph on highway 168 in north carolina north towards virginia coming home from vacation in the outer banks, nc. we were driving in left lane passing a jeep, pulling a small trailer, in the right lane when we heard a pop and the car started to swerve to the right. our car struck the jeep on the driver's side turning the jeep so it ended up in front of us. both vehicles finally came to a stop after i applied the brakes. after checking on the passengers (my wife, two children and our dog) in our car and jeep passengers, i went to move the car at the request of the police and the driver's side rear tire collapsed in at the top at about a 45 degree angle. thankfully nobody was hurt. after having the car put onto the flat bed tow truck by aaa, the aaa employee and i could see under the car and noticed the rear tie rod was completely separate in two pieces. received a preliminary recall from toyota back in october/november about the tie rod. took the car to our dealership, in november. they inspected it and said nothing was wrong so it didn't need to be replaced. the car is currently waiting to be fixed by my insurance company and i have filed a incident report with toyota, who will be looking at the car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2007 toyota rav4. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, she noticed a vibration under the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 99,000.

The toyota dealer states they do not have the parts and we need to check back. they have done this on other recalls for the same vehicle. *tr

We were on a major highway going home from one part of the state to another when we thought we had a flat tire. suddenly we lost control of the car going from the slow lane, crossing the passing lane and ending in the snowy median. the rear lower suspension arm no. 1 totally failed. our home toyota dealer was suppose to inspect it on dec. 5 when we had our car in for an earlier recall. they had mentioned that we were going to get a notice in the mail and it would be taken care of that day. that did not happen since the repairing toyota dealer charged back the costs plus the towing costs to our home toyota dealer. we just got our recall notice today. *tr updated 02/26/13*l's

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

2007 toyota rav 4. consumer writes in regards to problems with recall notices for rear suspension and power window switch. *smd the consumer stated did not believe the recall was performed, as he is still experiencing problems with the power window switch. also, the water pump was replaced. the consumer stated there were still problems with the suspension, after the dealer it was fixed. due to the ongoing suspension problems, it was affecting the steering shaft, rack and pinion and tie rod. updated 03/12/13

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 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

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

Both rear sway bar links broke on a well maintained rav4 that is garaged nightly. *tr

We became aware of a recall for the vehicle for rust formation that could lead to separation of the rear suspension arms in august 2012. it's january 2013 and toyota tells us that they are still working on a "fix." they use a lot of salt to keep our local roads clear and, as you know, salt and unprotected steel are a recipe for failure for structural components. my point? it's been long enough to come up with a solution to the problem and even when toyota does, it will take months to effect repairs. we would appreciate your looking into to the matter. *tr