NHTSA Complaint #10672340 — 2006 TOYOTA RAV4

I BROUGHT MY 2006 RAV4 TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR TWO DIFFERENT RECALL NOTICES INCLUDING THE SUSPENSION AND AIRBAG. UPON INSPECTION, THEY NOTIFIED ME THE WATER PUMP NEEDED REPLACING AND THAT THE STEERING COLUMN BRACKETS WERE LOOSE. THEY SAID THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND TRIED TO TELL ME THAT IT IS CAUSED BY NORMAL WEAR & TEAR. MY LAST VEHICLE I HAD FOR OVER 190,000 MILES AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. UPON RESEARCHING, THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE FIXED IMMEDIATELY AS FAILURE TO FIX IT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. PREVIOUSLY I HAVE BROUGHT THE LOUD POPPING NOISE TO VARIOUS TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS AND HAVE NEVER BEEN TOLD OF THIS ISSUE IN 9 YEARS. THIS ISSUE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN CAUGHT IF IS WASN'T FOR THE RECALL ON THE AIRBAG. ANYTHING THAT APPEARS TO BE A "COMMON" ISSUE IN A VEHICLE THAT CAN RESULT IN LOSS OF STEERING IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND FIXED BY TOYOTA AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. THE COST IS ESTIMATED AT $600+ TO REPAIR. *TR