NHTSA Complaint #10894601 — 2007 TOYOTA RAV4

ON JULY 31ST, 2015, THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP PERFORMED A SUSPENSION RECALL WORK TO REPLACE BOTH "REAR #1 LOWER SUSPENSION ARMS". THAT WORK INCLUDED A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND A PERMANENT SEALANT THAT PREVENTED FUTURE REAR ALIGNMENT OF THE REAR WHEELS. ON AUGUST 3RD, 2016, (APPROX. 13K MILES LATER) THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LES SCHWAB TIRE CENTER TO HAVE THE BRAKES INSPECTED. DURING THE BRAKE INSPECTION, THE TECHNICIAN NOTED SEVERE ABNORMAL TIRE TREAD WEAR ON THE INSIDE SHOULDERS OF BOTH REAR TIRES. THE INSIDE SHOULDER OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS SO SEVERE THAT IT WAS SHOWING STEEL BELTS AND WAS NEAR FAILURE (IMMANENT TIRE BLOWOUT CONDITION). LES SCHWAB NOTED THAT THE FRONT TIRES HAD NORMAL EVEN WEAR. NOTE: THE 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT PERFORMED ON 7/31/2015 WAS THE ONLY ALIGNMENT PERFORMED PRIOR TO 8/3/2016, THE ALIGNMENT CHECK ON 8/3/2016 INDICATED THE FRONT WHEEL ALIGNMENT WAS VERY CLOSE AND WITHIN TOLERANT RANGE OF THE 7/31/2015 ALIGNMENT, AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENTS SINCE BEFORE 7/31/2015. I BELIEVE THE SAFETY RECALL WORK PERFORMED BY TOYOTA ON 7/31/2015 DID NOT FIX THE STATED PROBLEM IN THE SAFETY RECALL (TOYOTA RECALL 'OPERATION 77TOZ-CSJ' REF: NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V383000). EITHER THE RECALL WORK WAS NOT PERFORMED CORRECTLY OR THE PARTS OR METHOD OF THE RECALL FAILED TO CORRECT THE ISSUE LEAVING MY CAR WITH AN UNSAFE WHEEL ALIGNMENT CAUSING SEVERE ABNORMAL WEAR ON THE INSIDE SHOULDERS OF THE REAR TIRES LEAVING MY CAR AT RISK OF REAR TIRE BLOW OUT. THE LES SCHWAB TIRE CENTER REPLACED THE TIRES AND THE REAR #1 CONTROL ARMS WITH 'APPROVED AFTER-MARKET PARTS' TO ALLOW FOR A SAFE REAR ALIGNMENT OF THE VEHICLE.