Both of my rear control arms failed on my 2019 rav 4. They failed at the same time, this is very unusual so I looked into it and found a recall Toyota's 2020 recall (20TA08 / the federal safety agency 20V‑286). however it only involves the front control arms. I feel this needs to be looked into. I’m asking my mechanic to take pictures and document everything.
Toyota RAV4 ball joint problems
103 of the 9,428 owner complaints about the Toyota RAV4 describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 2007 model year.
- owner complaints
- 103
- worst model year
- 2007
- typical repair cost reported
- $750
- typical mileage
- 83,000
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Harsh shifting 4Pulling 3Tire blowout 2Power steering loss 2Knocking 2No deployment 2Whining noise 1Steering noise 1
What owners say
Mechanic said he thought rear lower rearward; non-adjustable control arms, lateral arms were a recall. They were falling apart. I've been complaining about a clunky noise for a year or so. Thank you for your help [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Rear suspension control arm assembly (that supports the springs, control arm rods, shocks, as well as the the hub, brakes and wheel ) breaks completely due to rust and corrosion. It is a poor design that you can see this would happen at the weakest and narrowest section of the part. This causes the entire wheel assembly to drop or twist off, as it did mine and fortunately not on highway however on a busy local road. This vehicle was bought in [XXX], but original owner primarily had it in [XXX] where I can understand there was lots of salt on the road during snow time. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Repairs of the control arms indicated on recall the federal safety agency 16V‑596 were never done on my vehicle after the recall was issued in 2016. Smart motors Toyota in Madison confirmed that the replacement of the control arms was never done on my vehicle, but they are showing no open recalls on my vehicle in their system due to this being a re-recall. From what I've read many vehicles were incorrectly marked "complete" after the 2012 inspection, but the 2016 update (G0V) was issued specifically because those earlier inspections were found to be insufficient. I am entitled to this repair through Toyota due to this recall as Toyota has confirmed my vehicle was recalled and this repair was never completed. My rear control arms are showing signs of failure consistent with the re-recall.
Had safety inspection done when having oil changed on 3/5/26. was informed by dealer that it needed both outer tie rod ends replaced has play in it. this came to a cost of $735.00 with alignment. Of course not covered by vehicle warranty which is useless at this point. I have never had this problem on any vehicles I have owned since starting to drive in 1975. This is a safety and quality issue and I should be reimbursed. I will seriously think about about an American owned company in the future. Having Friend at another dealership TCO 3/18/26 I was away last week and SUV parked in garage.
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 contact owns a 2007 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the vehicle could not be aligned. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was previously taken to the local dealer to be repaired under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V596000 (Suspension). The vehicle was taken to a tire shop, and the contact was informed that the rear tie rods were welded, and an alignment was impossible. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 182,342.
1st: veh purchased Jan 2023 with new set of tires. Within 11k miles, about 9months: Rear tires unable to be aligned properly due to no camber adjustment. Rear tires have excessive inner rear (belts showing) with 11k miles on tires. Took veh to dealership and was told I just need a set of tires and an alignment. When the tech was questioned if it was an accurate alignment, we were told it would be off a couple degrees because the OE rear control arms did not have any adjustment. This was repaired by an independent shop using aftermarket set of rear control arms, a proper alignment and 2 new rear tires ($1200)--because Toyota dealer would not own any accountability of an error nor do the PROPER requested repair since proper repair did not involve OE Toyota parts. This was repaired, case closed and tires have 20k miles on them with beautiful, even wear. 2nd: Rear door hatch will not close electronically. 2 incidences of bent (left) hinge from forcing the tailgate closed and damaged rear taillamp from mis-alignment. Post hinges replaced: re-sets have been done, disabling door and re-enabling, and disconnected battery. Still will not close electronically. This had been occurring over a year and no one knows the fix. I will not be going back to my local stealership and the next one is 30 miles away.
Engine oil is burning with out discharging from the engine. Can find no leak anywhere in the engine compartment. Constantly adding oil to the car as the oil indicator isn’t working either. The engine compression is spot on to manufacturers specifications. If the engine runs out of oil it could lead to a crash. Suspension: Loud popping in the rear drivers side when first moving. Don’t know if it is tie rod or something else. Don’t need whatever is causing the pop to break as that could lead to a crash.
the federal safety agency CAMPAIGN ID 16v596000 AUG 12, 2016 Recalls supercedes 13V‑383 vehicles inspected but did not have both arms replaced. Vehicles need to have both arms replaced. Recall done on vehicle (RAV4 2010) were COJ - 1/9/2013 Stevens Creek Toyota CSJ - 9/21/2014 Capitola Toyota Control Arm were not replaced at these times. My car is currently being serviced at IQ Autoworks in Campbell CA. I've been told the control arm needs replacement. Quoted $1700 to replace one control arm.
Related recalls
Suspension: front: control arm: lower arm
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles. The front lower suspension arms may have cracks, which may result in the suspension arm separating from the front wheel assembly.
- Risk
- If a suspension control arm breaks, it can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower suspension arms, free of charge. This recall began August 10, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1‑888‑270‑9371. Toyota's interim numbers for this recall are 20TB08 / 20TA08.
Recall number 20V286000 · Recall details
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
Questions about the Toyota RAV4 ball joint
Which Toyota RAV4 years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2007 (33 complaints), 2008 (15 complaints) and 2010 (12 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix ball joint or control arm failure on the Toyota RAV4?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $750 (median of 19 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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