NHTSA Complaint #10449116 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

MY 2007 TOYOTA RAV4 HAD A REAR RIGHT WHEEL TIE ROD BREAK WHILE I WAS DRIVING WITH MY WIFE AND OUR ONE YEAR OLD CHILD IN THE VEHICLE. WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO SEE MY WIFE'S DOCTOR FOR HER MEDICAL CONDITION AT THE TIME. THANKFULLY WE HAD JUST MADE A TURN ON TO THE ON-RAMP OF THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY AND WERE MOVING AT A RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF WE WERE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED WHEN THE TIE ROD BROKE, I MIGHT HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD A TERRIBLE CRASH WITH SERIOUS INJURY (OR WORSE) TO OUR FAMILY AND POSSIBLY OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD. AFTER SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET ABOUT TOYOTA RAV4 TIE ROD INCIDENTS, IT SEEMS THAT IT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER RAV4 DRIVERS MANY TIMES ON ALL DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS OF THE VEHICLE. JUST LIKE US THEY ALL SAY THEY DID NOT HIT ANY POT HOLES OR OTHER OBJECTS TO HAVE CAUSED THE TIE ROD TO BREAK. THIS FAILING OF TIE RODS ON RAV4S SEEMS LIKE A MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT. SOME ACTION NEEDS TO BE TAKEN TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY INJURED FROM THIS TIE ROD FAILURES ON TOYOTA RAV4 VEHICLES. *TR