2008 Toyota RAV4 Suspension
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V383000 (SUSPENSION), BUT THE PART NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SUSPENSION FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE AND THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE SUSPENSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,372.
COMPLAINT BECAUSE THIS IS 3RD TIME I HAVE GOT A NOMINATION! DON'T HAVE THE PARTS! REAR LOWER SUSPENSION ARMS (NO.1). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 40 MPH AND HEARD A LOUD BANGING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TO SHAKE EXCESSIVELY, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO MOMENTARILY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER WERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER'S REAR SUSPENSION ARM WAS FRACTURED. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
I RECEIVED AN "URGENT SAFETY RECALL" FROM TOYOTA SOMETIME JAN - APRIL 2014, REGARDING "REAR LOWER SUSPENSION ARMS (NO 1), ONE OF SEVERAL RECALL NOTICES I'VE RECEIVED SINCE OWNING THIS VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WHERE I CANNOT GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED AT THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP, BECAUSE THE AFFECTED PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE WHEN I CALLED IN LATE MAY AND AGAIN TODAY. AND THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT TELL ME WHEN THEY WILL GET THE PART AND ADVISED TO CALL BACK AT END OF THE SUMMER. WHAT IS THE POINT OF SENDING OUT THESE URGENT SAFETY RECALL NOTICES IF THE DEALERSHIPS DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS TO FIX THEM FOR SUCH A LONG TIME? IT SHOULDN'T BE TITLED "URGENT" IF NO REMEDY CAN BE DONE TO FIX THE CAR. IF IT IS TRULY AN URGENT SAFETY ISSUE, TOYOTA SHOULD BE WORKING HARDER TO HAVE THE PARTS READY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT STATED SHE RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V373000 (SUSPENSION) PERFORMED ON HER VEHICLE IN 2012. THE CONTACT STATED SHE WAS ADVISED ABOUT NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V383000 (SUSPENSION ) ON THE NEWS. SHE WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE FACT THAT TOYOTA FAILED TO FULFILL THE FIRST RECALL REPAIR AND THAT SHE HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED A SECOND TIME DUE TO A MANUFACTURERS ERROR. THE CONTACT ALSO WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE RECALL REPAIR BEING DRAWN OUT OVER A SIX MONTH PERIOD. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV-4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND IMMEDIATELY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS RECENTLY TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR SERVICE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V383000 (SUSPENSION) HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE PARTS NEEDED WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AFTER THE FAILURE WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION ARM WAS CORRODED AND FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,000.
WHILE TURNING LEFT, THE REAR STABILIZER LINK ASSEMBLY (RH) BOLT DISCONNECTED FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION ARM ASSEMBLY DUE TO EXCESSIVE CORROSION OF THE BOLT. *TR
LOUD NOISE FROM BACK OF CAR AND THEN RIGHT REAR SUSPENSION COLLAPSED CAUSING ME TO LOOSE STEERING CONTROL OF VEHICLE. NO OTHER CARS AROUND, ROAD WAS STRAIGHT AND LEVEL WITH JUST GRASS TO THE SIDE. BRAKES STILL WORK SO CAR WAS BROUGHT TO STOP AS IT WENT BY ITSELF TO THE RIGHT. THIS IS A ONE OWNER CAR THAT WAS NEVER ABUSED OR OFF-ROADED. CAR WAS TAKEN BY FLATBED TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER WHO REPLACED THE RIGHT REAR INNER/OUTER TIE RODS AT NO COST AND GAVE ME A FREE CAR WASH. *TR *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, A LOUD NOISE EMITTED FROM THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE FOUR TIRES HAD BEEN REPLACED TWICE PREVIOUSLY DUE TO PREMATURE TIRE WEAR. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE FOUR TIRES BE REPLACED AGAIN FOR THE THIRD TIME. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE DEFECT UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V373000 (SUSPENSION: REAR). THE VIN WAS ELIGIBLE; HOWEVER THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE A DEFECT WAS NOT PRESENT DURING THE INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 RAV 4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE SUSPENSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT THEY PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,000.
I RECEIVED A "INTERIM" RECALL NOTICE FROM TOYOTA STATING THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE REAR SUSPENSION ARM AND THAT FAILURE OF THE REAR TIE ROD COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THEY INSTRUCTED OWNERS TO CALL ONLY IF THEY EXPERIENCED ANY STRANGE NOISES COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I DID NOTICE THAT RECENTLY ESPECIALLY WHEN BACKING UP THAT I WOULD HEAR A POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I CALLED AND THEY SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK. THE DAY AFTER I SCHEDULED MY VEHICLE TO BE LOOKED AT THE REAR SUSPENSION ARM NO. 1 SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY 4 LANE HIGHWAY. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO INITIALLY START TO SWAY BACK AND FORTH AND AS I TRIED TO PULL OVER TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE I THEN LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHICH THEN SPUN AROUND IN THE DIRECTION OF ON COMING VEHICLES. FORTUNATELY WE DID NOT SUFFER ANY INJURIES AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST AT THE TOP OF AN EXIT OFF RAMP. NOW THAT I EXPERIENCED HOW SERIOUS THIS REALLY IS I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS AS TO WHY TOYOTA DIDN'T ADVISE ME TO IMMEDIATELY BRING THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS AND DEADLY CRASH. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND HEARD A SMALL THUD, AND, WITH NO OTHER SOUND OR WARNING, THE CAR WENT OUT OF CONTROL. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO STOP, AS I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY. WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND LOOKED, THE REAR WHEEL WAS HANGING OFF. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION ARM HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS WAS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE AND SURELY WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING AT A FASTER SPEED. TOYOTA HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *TR
I RECENTLY GOT MY OIL CHANGE DONE AND TIRE ROTATION FOR MY TOYOTA RAV 4. I WAS TOLD BY A NON TOYOTA SERVICE PERSON TO TAKE MY CAR TO TOYOTA TO GET THE SHOCKS CHECKS OUT SINCE THEY WERE LEAKING AND I WAS UNDER WARRANTY WITH TOYOTA. MY CAR IS ONLY LIKE 2 YEARS OLD AND I HAVE PROBLEM WITH THE SHOCKS BEFORE AT LIKE 20K MILES ONLY. TOYOTA HAD FIXED MY LEFT REAR SHOCKS ONCE BEFORE TOO. SO THIS WAS NOT SURPRISING TO ME KNOWING THAT THE RIGHT SHOCKS/STRUTS WERE MESSED UP THIS TIME. I TOOK MY CAR TO TOYOTA AND THEY SAID MOISTURE ON THE SKOCKS/STRUTS WAS NORMAL AND NOTHING WAS LEAKING. ALSO THE NEW TIRES THAT I HAD REPLACED A FEW MONTHS BACK WERE WORN OUT. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE SHOCKS/STRUTS WERE NOT A REASON FOR THAT. SINCE I WILL RUN OUT OF MY 36,000 MILES WARRANTY IN THE NEXT 3 MONTHS I AM CONCERNED IF TOYOTA IS BEING HONEST ABOUT MY SITUATION OR THEY JUST DON'T CARE. *LN
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2008 Toyota RAV4 has 64 Suspension complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.