Table 1 shows one common suspension related problems of the 2023 Toyota RAV4.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Suspension problems |
Had safety inspection done when having oil changed on 3/5/26. Was informed by dealer that it needed both outer tie rod ends replaced has play in it. This came to a cost of $735. 00 with alignment. Of course not covered by vehicle warranty which is useless at this point. I have never had this problem on any vehicles I have owned since starting to drive in 1975. This is a safety and quality issue and I should be reimbursed. I will seriously think about about an american owned company in the future. Having friend at another dealership tco 3/18/26 I was away last week and SUV parked in garage.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was swaying back and forth. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle became inoperable and failed to properly switch lanes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the front and rear wheel alignment had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.
After routine service at south coast Toyota in costa mesa, CA, I unknowingly drove my 2023 Toyota Rav4 hybrid for over a week with two missing lug nuts and one extremely loose lug nut on the front passenger wheel. The service performed on April 5, 2025, included an oil change, tire rotation, and full inspection. No issues were reported to me at pickup. Over the next several days, I heard increasing thumping and metallic noises from the front right wheel area, especially at highway speeds. On [xxx], while driving with children in the car, the vehicle made loud metal screeching noises and the steering became impaired—I could not complete a basic turn. I limped the car home at 4 mph. Upon inspection, I found two lug nuts missing and one so loose I could unscrew it by hand. I had the car towed back to south coast Toyota on April 18. The dealership admitted two lug nuts were missing but failed to apologize or fully document the issue. I was told via text that the only action needed was replacing the missing lug nuts. I received no formal inspection report or confirmation that the vehicle was safe. I paid out of pocket for a third-party inspection at a separate Toyota dealership, which confirmed that the previously recommended sway bar replacement was unnecessary and that my tires and components were in better condition than initially claimed. This was a clear service-related safety failure that could have led to wheel detachment and a serious accident. I drove over 200 miles on freeways with children in the vehicle. The dealership failed to follow basic safety protocols and has not taken responsibility. I am reporting this to NHTSA in the interest of safety and accountability. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
At estimated 25500 miles in the vehicle, I started to feel vibration at 65- 75 mph. Bouncy ride and slight bad bearing noise at 45 mph . After taking to the dealer, they also felt vibration and recommended tire balancing. After having that done, the problem still existed. I took the car next day and at first they where not willing to check my car but then when I forced, they test drove and confirmed light road noise and light vibration. After a little checking, they said the tires are feathering and should get new tires and or alignment. The tires only have 25500 miles and they were serviced by totota . I got new tires from from ntb and rebalanced and the issue still existed. I then also got alignment from another shop even then the vibration and bad bearing noise still exist. After searching, I have read many others had this issue with their Rav4 and dealers just say it's normal . I as years of experience know it's not normal. The origin equipment tires that came with new vehicle were dunlop grandtrek pt20. The new tires I got are cooper endeavor plus. Issue is definitely not the tires. Humbly request NHTSA to look into this as this is ongoing issue with many new Toyota Rav4.
Happened at ~644pm on 04/08/24- I heard the noise like a thump or thunk, the car initially pulled towards the roadside, then I corrected the wheel and slowly stopped the car. Upon exiting the car, it became apparent that the ball joint broke just above the plate that attaches to the axle.
Car loses traction over minor imperfections in the road. When braking and dropping speeds to 20-30 mph, car will lose traction over imperfection in the road, causing the abs to engage. The car shutters and grinds/vibrates until traction is regained. With an awd system, a minor 6-inch drop in the road due to a pot hole or dip should not cause traction to be lost. The car consistently loses traction when braking and 1 tire runs over imperfection in the road (pot hole, dip, uneven pavement, etc. ). If car drives over speed bump (which keeps tires aligned), car does not lose traction. Issue is only present if 1 tire different than the other 3 which shows instability of the vehicle. Issue has been verified by manufacturer and has shown up in the car log. Dealer said that the car recorded a loss of traction 4 times in the last month. Issue has been escalated to Toyota corporate and they do not see the sensitivity of the traction control as an issue. Issue has been persistent since the purchase of the car in early 2023. All components on the car are oem and have only been looked at by Toyota dealers. Multiple online forums have shown that other owners face the same issues. Video proof of the issue can be provided.