RECALL: New Toyota RAV4 owners asked to drive with caution due to potentially broken suspension

Toyota Australia has recalled the new Toyota RAV4 mid-size SUV over a possible production defect that could cause its suspension to break. As such, affected owners are being asked to drive with caution.

In total, 1552 RAV4s built between September 25 and October 17 last year are caught up in the recall, which involves their front lower suspension arms that may form small cracks on some sections of their surfaces.

If these RAV4s are frequently operated with rapid acceleration and deceleration, the small cracks could expand and cause the front lower suspension arms to separate from the front wheel assembly.

Read More About Toyota RAV4

RECALL: More than 52,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles may have fuel pump issue, including Corolla and HiLux

In such a scenario, the driver may lose control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of an accident and therefore injury to occupants and other road users.

According to Toyota Australia, impacted owners are still able to drive their vehicles but are recommended to “drive in a manner that avoids rapid acceleration or deceleration”.

Affected owners will be contacted by Toyota Australia via text message, email and/or mail with instructions to book their vehicle in at a preferred dealership to have both front lower suspension arms replaced for free, with this process taking about three hours to complete.

That said, most replacement parts aren’t expected to be available until about August due to international airfreight delays caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Read More About Toyota RAV4

"Stop driving immediately": Toyota, Mazda and Suzuki to buy back 18,000 older cars in urgent Takata airbag recall

Those looking for further information can call Toyota Australia’s Recall Campaign Helpline on 1800 987 366 during business hours, or reach out to their preferred dealership.

For reference, a full list of impacted Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) can be found here.