Toyota has issued a voluntary recall for 780,584 hybrids and cross-overs in the U.S. and Canada to fix faulty suspension after the problem persisted despite being fixed in a recall August last year.
Toyota Motors Corp., Japan's largest automobile company, has issued a voluntary safety recall for a total of 780,584 Rav-4 SUVs and Lexus HS 250h sedans over a potential fault with the suspension that could lead to a crash. The latest recall is in the wake of a persistent problem that was fixed in these models August last year. But the car maker found that the nuts on the rear wheels of the two models used to adjust alignment were not tightened properly.
The latest recall affects 2010 Lexus HS250 hybrid and the Toyota Rav-4 crossover model year from 2006 through 2011, ABC affiliate KVUE reports.
If the nuts are not tightened properly, rust in the arms of the suspension might occur. This could cause a suspension failure and in some cases, a crash. The company has been made aware of nine crashes and three injuries related to the recall.
After learning of the problem's persistence, Toyota notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it needs to recall the same batch of the vehicles from the August 2012 recall. Although the problem may not be found in all the vehicles but the company will inspect all the vehicles in a six-month recall period starting September.
In addition to tightening the nuts in the suspension, the car maker will also apply epoxy coating on the rear lower suspension arms to prevent corrosion.
The owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted via first class mail and the vehicles will be repaired at the nearest dealerships. According to the car maker, 100,000 vehicles in the recall were sold in Canada, while the remaining lot is in the U.S.
