TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE June 23, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0063-20.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2009 Toyota RAV4 suspension problems
moderate 51 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $900 · see suspension across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
51
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$900
1crash
What stands out
Owners have filed 51 suspension complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
No new NHTSA suspension complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 15 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering suspension on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
TSB: Some 2006 - 2012 model year 4WD RAV4 vehicles may exhibit a growl type noise from the rear differential coupling when driving as a result of contamination to the front bearing. Follow the procedure in this bulletin to address this condition.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Region Letter: Toyota will be sending Safety Recall Follow-Up Notices to remind owners whose vehicles have not yet had campaign repairs completed. Please note the following information for Regional and PD associates.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Region Letter: Safety Recall completion is important not only in satisfying government requirements but also is an integral part of our commitment to meet customer expectations of Toyota products. Toyota will be sending Safety Recall Follow-Up Notices to remind owners whose vehicles have not yet had campaign repairs completed. We request your assistance in completing the applicable campaign repairs as owners receive the Follow-Up Notice and contact your dealership. Please note the follow-up activity may cause an increase in your current campaign owner appointments. Toyota will continue with additional follow-up activities in the months to come. Please take this into consideration when analyz
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗TSB: The only acceptable towing method for vehicles equipped with an Active Torque Control 4WD system is to have all four wheels off the ground. Flat towing or towing where only the front or rear wheels are supported may damage the all-wheel drive system.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of the 2009 RAV4 report recurring rear suspension failures centered on corrosion and fastener integrity. The rear lower control arms are the primary culprit: they rust through and/or fastening bolts work loose, causing arms to separate from the frame. One owner's strut eye bolt went missing during normal driving after dealer service, allowing the suspension to collapse and the rear tire to skew into the wheel well—a loss-of-control hazard at highway speeds.
Toyota issued multiple recall campaigns (13V383000, 16V596000) to address this, but the remedy—applying epoxy to coat the arms—creates a new problem: owners later discover the sealed arms cannot be adjusted for alignment. Subsequent wheel alignment attempts fail, and dealers tell owners they must replace the entire control arm assembly ($600–$900) each time alignment is needed, a cost that dwarfs the original repair.
Part shortages plagued recall completion from 2014 to 2016. Owners received urgent recall letters, scheduled dealer appointments, then waited months with no parts available. One dealership received only 5 units weekly when 300 were needed. Owners also report loose or missing lug nuts and, in a few cases, strut cup wear and anti-sway bar link breakage. Dealers generally refuse to work with independent mechanics for these repairs, and warranty coverage disputes are common.
Same Toyota RAV4 suspension reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2010 · 2011
Failure modes owners describe
Rear Lower Control Arm Corrosion and Fastener Failure
Rear lower suspension control arms corrode and/or fastening bolts fail, causing the arm to separate from the vehicle frame or become loose. This can happen despite recall repair attempts, and the underlying corrosion condition affects the part's structural integrity.
When: Typically 150,000 miles or later; can occur years after initial purchase despite recall inspections claiming parts were acceptable
Symptoms owners cite: Loud wobbling or thumping noise from rear suspension; Vehicle pulling to one side (left or right); Rear tire hanging at an angle or skewing in wheel well; Wheel rubbing inside wheel well; Loss of vehicle control at highway speeds
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers replace corroded arms or fastening bolts; some recalls apply epoxy to seal the joint, making arms non-adjustable thereafter. Repair costs cited: $600–$830 for arm replacement
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaigns 12V373000, 13V383000, 16V596000 (rear lower suspension); dealers applied epoxy coating per recall remedy, preventing future adjustment and requiring full arm replacement for alignment work
Rear Suspension Arm Non-Adjustability After Recall Repair
Toyota's recall remedy of applying epoxy coating to the rear lower control arms permanently seals them, removing the vehicle's original adjustability feature. Owners later discover that routine wheel alignment is no longer possible without replacing the entire arm.
When: Discovered months to years after recall repair is performed (e.g., during subsequent alignment attempts)
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle pulling to one side when driving; Uneven or premature tire wear; Inability to adjust rear toe alignment; Impaired handling on turns and in wet weather; Alignment check failures at rear toe
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers state the epoxied arm cannot be adjusted; only remedy is full replacement of both rear lower control arms at cost of $600–$900 per alignment event. Labels applied to arms warn they are non-adjustable
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaigns 13V383000, 16V596000; Toyota's recall 'fix' consists of epoxy application; Toyota offers 10% discount on subsequent replacement work but does not address the core design change that removes adjustability
Rear Suspension Strut Fastener Loss
The bolt fastening the rear strut eye/bushing to the vehicle's main frame goes missing, allowing the suspension strut to separate and fall away from the frame. The strut hangs down and scrapes the ground while the rear tire skews inward into the wheel well.
When: During normal driving, sometimes following dealer service (e.g., oil change or tire rotation)
Symptoms owners cite: Thump noise from under the car when going over rough road; Part of strut hanging down and scraping ground; Rear tire severely skewed in wheel well; Tire rubbing on inside of wheel well
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers confirm missing bolt holding strut to frame; bolt is replaced or tightened. No specific cost cited in narratives
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Subject to recall inspections; dealers have performed recall service prior to failure but fastener still let go; cause of fastener loss not fully explained in owner reports
Anti-Sway Bar Link Breakage
Rear anti-sway bar linkages crack or break, requiring replacement. Occurs at relatively moderate mileage and is a separate issue from the lower control arm corrosion recall.
When: At or around 65,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Noise and/or handling issues related to rear suspension
Repairs/costs cited: Both rear anti-sway bar linkages were replaced at dealer service; no cost cited
Strut and Cup Wear/Damage
Right strut becomes damaged and binds; both strut cups (upper mounts) wear or damage prematurely. Owner finds this unexpected at 80,000 miles on a used vehicle.
When: 80,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Noise in front wheel area while driving and turning; Right strut damaged and binding
Repairs/costs cited: Right strut replacement and strut cup replacement on both front struts required; extended warranty does not cover
Rear Suspension Arm Recall Part Shortage
Multiple owners unable to complete mandatory recall work for rear lower suspension arms because required replacement parts are on extended national backorder. Dealers report receiving only 5 parts per week when 300 are needed, and some initially claim no ETA for parts availability. Owners receive repeated follow-up recall notices despite inability to schedule repair.
When: During recall service window (2014–2016 for campaigns 13V383000 and 16V596000)
Symptoms owners cite: No mechanical failure yet, but safety recall cannot be completed
Repairs/costs cited: Parts on national backorder; dealers place owners on waiting lists but cannot provide firm arrival dates. One owner told parts would arrive in 1–2 weeks, then informed weeks later of indefinite delay. Another dealership receiving only 5 units/week vs. 300 needed. Some owners waited over 1 year
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaigns 13V383000 (2013), 16V596000 (2016); Toyota corporate confirms parts on backorder but cannot provide ETA; multiple owners contacted customer service and corporate with no resolution offered
Shimmy and Loose Lug Nuts
Vehicle exhibits persistent shimmy/vibration complaint from purchase onward. During routine dealer service, technicians discover missing lug nuts and broken lug studs. Multiple lug nuts are lost or replaced over vehicle ownership, suggesting fastener retention issue.
When: Began shortly after purchase (Sept 2009); lug nut/stud issues discovered at 19,265 miles (Nov 2011) and continuing
Symptoms owners cite: Persistent shimmy/vibration in handling; Missing lug nuts discovered during service; Lug studs broken/missing
Repairs/costs cited: Alignments and tire rotations performed by dealer; 3+ lug nuts replaced; one lug stud replacement performed; dealer noted these issues are common on RAV4s of this model
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Multiple recalls issued; dealer acknowledged these are known issues on the model; Toyota corporate denied these issues are related or their responsibility; warranty coverage dispute
Synthesized from 51 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
2009 Toyota rav4. Consumer states that there is something wrong with the vehicle. All four tires had to be replaced because they were bald, and one of the tire pressure monitoring sensors (TPMS) had to be replaced. *kb updated 02/04/11*jb updated 02/16/11. *jb
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Toyota rav4. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v596000 (suspension). The part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer (rodland Toyota everett, 6816 evergreen way, everett, wa, 98203) was contacted and confirmed that the…
Had suspension trouble with your 2009 Toyota RAV4?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the suspension problem on the 2009 Toyota RAV4?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 51 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $900 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the suspension typically fail?
Across the 15 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most suspension failures cluster between 45,365 and 89,406 miles, with the median around 71,700. A quarter of owners report trouble before 45,365; a quarter make it past 89,406. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $900 for suspension repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to suspension?
No active recalls currently cover suspension issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2009/Toyota/RAV4.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.