2016 Superseding Recall (Campaign 16V596000): Toyota issued a follow-up recall because some initial epoxy repairs were not enough. Dealers must replace both rear suspension arms and encapsulate the locknuts completely free of charge. These parts are severely rusted and corroded on my 2006 Toyota Rav4. It seems like my vehicle was not included in the recall when it should have been. I am not the original owner, but it seems like the issue was never addressed. The damage was discovered during routine maintenance. I purchased the vehicle on 8/1/2024. The damage must have existed before then based on the amount of damage. Is it possible for Toyota to still extend the recall to this vehicle?
2006 Toyota RAV4 suspension problems
73 complaints (10% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 100,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 73
- of this car's complaints
- 10%
- typical mileage
- 100,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 3
Which part fails
- Rear2
- Front2
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Toyota RAV4 suspension problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2006 Toyota RAV4 suspension
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 vehicles manufactured October 31, 2005, to September 7, 2010, and 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured July 6, 2009, to August 26, 2010. The affected vehicles have rear suspension arms (rear tie rods) with adjusting lock nuts that may have been improperly tightened after servicing. As a result of being loose, the arm may have thread damage and may rust, possibly leading to the failure of the arm and an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.
- Risk
- Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace both rear suspension arms and encapsulate the locknuts, free of charge. The recall began on September 30, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are G0V for Toyota vehicles and GLK for Lexus vehicles. Note: This recall supersedes recall 13V‑383, in which some vehicles were only inspected, sealed, and did not have both arms replaced. The affected vehicles were previously recalled under 13V‑383, but did not have both rear suspension arms replaced at that time. Those vehicles need to have both arms replaced as part of this recall remedy.
Recall number 16V596000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010. If the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust leading to thread damage and eventual failure. Failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.
- Risk
- Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tie rods and replace any that have rust or corrosion on the alignment adjustment threads. All of the rear tie rods will then be encased in an epoxy to prevent future environmental damage. Due to limitations in parts, the recall remedy will be launched in phases from September 2013 through mid-April 2014. All owners will receive notification of the recall, with most receiving second notifications when parts are available in their area. IMPORTANT: This recall supersedes Toyota and Lexus recall 12V‑373. All vehicles that have been inspected and remedied under the previous recall need to be re-inspected and have the appropriate remedy applied.
Recall number 13V383000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010. If the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust, leading to thread damage and eventual failure. Failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle's alignment.
- Risk
- Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear tie-rod nut for looseness and replace any suspect tie-rod found loose. Dealers will also affix instructions in multiple places to prevent improper servicing in the future. The recall began on November 30, 2012. Owners may contact Toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331 or Lexus at 1‑800‑255‑3987.
Recall number 12V373000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Rear Suspension Arm Assembly Failure
In a letter dated August 1, 2012 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (Toyota) submitted a Defect Information Report (the federal safety agency Recall No. 12V‑373) to the federal safety agency identifying a safety defect regarding possible separation of the Rear Suspension Arm No. 1 Assembly (arm) at the threaded portion (shaft and turn buckle) of the component in MY 2006 through MY 2011 Toyota RAV4 vehicles built from October 2005 through September 2010 and in MY 2010 Lexus HS250h vehicles manufactured from July 2009 through August 2010.According to Toyota, if the adjustment nuts for the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened when alignment is performed in service, backlash may develop at the threaded portion of the arm, followed by rust formation.The threads may then wear causing the arm to separate, which may result in a loss of vehicle control.In analysis of both Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) data submitted to the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) and consumer complaint data submitted to Toyota, ODI identified 131 non-duplicative reports alleging failure of the subject rear suspension arm (Note:some of the complaints and related service records refer to the arm as a rear tie rod).Six of the complainants allege the failure resulted in some loss of vehicle control.For purposes of this analysis, loss of control events involve alleged complete or partial departure from the intended lane of travel.An additional four complaints reported difficulty maintaining control of the vehicle when the arm failed.Recalled vehicles will be inspected for proper torque of the adjustment nuts and replaced as necessary.In addition, Toyota will take several actions to reduce the potential for improper torque in future alignment procedures.This includes:(1) providing proper tightening sequence and torque specification information to two major wheel alignment equipment manufacturers, who would disseminate the information to alignment shops using their equipment; (2) installation of a clip on each arm with an instructional label showing proper tightening sequence and torque specification (the clip must be removed to perform a wheel alignment); (3) installation of additional labels on the front and back vertical surfaces of the Rear Suspension Arm No. 2 assemblies; and (4) providing an instruction booklet to owners to place in the glove box.This investigation is closed.
PE12013
What 2006 Toyota RAV4 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My 2006 Toyota RAV4 was supposedly repaired under the rear suspension arm recall (C0J / G0V), but the rear tie rod ends still have yellow stickers reading “this is a recalled part” and no epoxy on the bolts. A Toyota dealer refused to inspect the vehicle and relied solely on the VIN record. The car now rides roughly, and I believe additional suspension components have been damaged due to the unresolved recall. I am concerned for my safety and request the federal safety agency investigation.
The vehicle is owned and operated in Costa Rica. I submitted the vehicle for the 4 incomplete recall items associated with its VIN. I was told by Grupo Purdy Toyota of Costa Rica that Manufacturer Recall Number G0V the federal safety agency Recall Number16V596 does not apply in Costa Rica and they declined to complete the recall remedy. Is this correct or should they be completing the recall remedy?
As a result of having recall 16v596000 performed, rear toe arms are no longer adjustable for alignments. Contacted toyota customer experience and was told they would not repair at their cost the manufacturing defect that causes premature rust, offered no solutions. Causes premature tire wear, loss of traction.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. The contact stated that each time the vehicle was driven, it shook intermittently. No warning indicator lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure has progressively worsened. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for a diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130, 000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. The contact stated that both rear wheels were wearing out the tires due to the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v596000 (suspension) regarding the rear suspension arm. The vehicle was taken to naguabo auto sales (272 naguabo pr 00718), but an alignment could not be completed due to the seal on the rear suspension. The dealer was supposed to replace both suspension arms, but they were sealed instead. The contact also stated that the tires would slide while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was determined that an alignment could not be completed due to the seal on the rear suspension. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 182,999. The VIN was invalid.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v596000 (suspension), however the parts for the recall remedy were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to repair the vehicle. Heritage toyota catonsville (6324 baltimore national pike, baltimore, md 21228, (844) 315-0964) was contacted and confirmed that parts were not available. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. The contact stated that the rear and front axles were rusted out and rust covered the bottom of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to curry water town toyota (832 straits turnpike, watertown, ct 06795, (203) 758-8261), but the mechanics refused to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not assist. The failure mileage was 180,000. .*bf consumer stated the toyota dealer in watertown, ct (curry) refused to do a safety recall on the rear lower suspension arm due to axle rust. This rust was never brought to my attention previously.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota rav4. While depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle shook. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 16v596000 (suspension). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to toyota de ponce (urbanizacin perla del sur, carretera 2, esquina calle rafael lugo gonzalez, ponce pr 00716, (787) 651-8800), but the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Frame has severe corrosion rotted through. This problem must have been progressing for some time, but the indicator of a rattling was most evident recently. I began hearing a clanging sound under the rear of the drivers side when I went over small bumps in the road, such as a manhole or small pothole. It got progressively worse in a matter of days, occurring over small cracks in the road so I brought it to my local mechanic. He has deemed it unsafe to drive with sever rotting through of the frame. My research online indicates this is similar to brian warner et al. V. Toyota motor sales, u.s.a., inc., class action settlement on the tacoma, tundra and sequoia and recent investigation into the 4runner by the federal safety agency.
Questions about the 2006 Toyota RAV4 suspension
Does the 2006 Toyota RAV4 have suspension problems?
Owners have filed 73 complaints about the suspension of the 2006 Toyota RAV4, 10% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2006 Toyota RAV4 suspension problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 100,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Toyota RAV4 suspension?
Yes, 3 recalls: 16V596000, 13V383000, 12V373000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Toyota RAV4 have bad suspension?
The Toyota RAV4 model years with the most suspension complaints are 2007 (125 complaints), 2010 (101 complaints) and 2008 (81 complaints).
Other 2006 Toyota RAV4 problems
Steering 230Engine 149Acceleration 74Airbags 57Transmission 53Electrical 42Brakes 32Visibility 30Fuel system 25Body 23Driver assistance 12Wheels 12Tires 10Seat belts 8Lights 5Seats 5Locks 2
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