20TA11 – Loss of Electric Power Steering Assist – 2019-2020 Toyota RAV4 & 2020 RAV4 Hybrid

June 24, 2020 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V373000

Loss of Electric Power Steering Assist

A loss of power steering assist could increase steering effort at low vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

 

NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V373

Manufacturer Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Components STEERING

Potential Number of Units Affected 46

 

Summary

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 RAV4 and 2020 RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with electric power steering (EPS). Water may enter through the steering gear box cover and cause a loss of electric power steering assist.

 

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the power steering gear box, free of charge. The recall began August 17, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota’s number for this recall is 20TB11 / 20TA11.

 

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

 

Check if your Vehicle has a Recall

 

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Original Publication Date: June 24, 2020

To: All Toyota Dealer Principals, General Managers, Service Managers, and Parts Managers

 

SAFETY RECALL 20TA11 (Interim Notice 20TB11)

Certain 2019-2020 Model Year Rav4 and 2020 Model Year Rav4 HV
Potential Loss of Power Steering Assist

 

Model / Years	Production Period	Total Vehicles	Approximate Stop Sale Dealer Inventory
2019-2020 Rav4	Early July 2019 – Mid-February 2020	41	1
2020 Rav4 HV	Mid-December 2019 – Mid-February 2020	5	0

 

 

STOP! DO NOT SELL NEW VEHICLES IN DEALER INVENTORY. Refer to Dealer Inventory Procedures section for more details.

 

 

On June 24, 2020, Toyota filed a Defect Information Report (DIR) with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) informing the agency of our intent to conduct a voluntary Safety Recall on 2019 – 2020 model year Rav4 and 2020 model year Rav4 HV vehicles.

 

Condition

A screw attaching the cover to the electric power steering gear may not have been installed or properly tightened.  A loose or missing screw could allow water to enter and, over time, damage the steering gear, causing a loss of power steering assist.  This can result in increased steering effort at low vehicle speeds and increases the risk of a crash.

 

Remedy

Toyota is currently preparing the remedy for this issue.  When the remedy is available, Toyota dealers will replace the Steering Gear Assembly with a new one FREE OF CHARGE. At this time, Toyota estimates the remedy can be available in late June 2020 to early July 2020.

 

Covered Vehicles

There are approximately 50 vehicles covered by this Safety Recall. Vehicles covered by this Safety Recall were not distributed to Puerto Rico.

 

Owner Letter Mailing Date

Toyota will notify owners by late-August 2020.

 

Toyota makes significant effort to obtain current customer name and address information from each state through industry resources when mailing owner letters. In the event your dealership receives a notice for a vehicle that was sold prior to the Safety Recall announcement, it is the dealership’s responsibility to forward the owner letter to the customer who purchased the vehicle.

 

Please note that only owners of the covered vehicles will be notified. If you are contacted by an owner who has not yet received a notification, please verify eligibility by confirming through TIS prior to performing repairs. Dealers should perform the repair as outlined in the Technical Instructions found on TIS.

 

Dealer Inventory Procedures 

New Vehicles in Dealership Inventory 

There is 1 vehicle in new dealer inventory as of June 24, 2020

 

Under Title 49, Section 30112 of the United States Code, a dealer cannot sell, offer for sale, or introduce or deliver for introduction in interstate commerce a new motor vehicle when it is aware that the vehicle does not comply with an applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard or contains a defect related to motor vehicle safety.  Further, 49 Code of Federal Regulations §577.13 requires us to provide the following advisory:  It is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle or any new or used item of motor vehicle equipment (including a tire) covered by this notification under a sale or lease until the defect or noncompliance is remedied.   Toyota reimburses dealers for flooring costs associated with new vehicles held in dealership inventory until the recall remedy becomes available.  Toyota provides these flooring reimbursements at 60-day intervals.  Toyota reserves the right to withhold or charge-back any flooring reimbursement funds that may have been paid to the dealer if it determines that a new vehicle subject to a safety recall was sold without first being remedied.

Vehicle Safety Recall completion should always be verified through TIS. We request your assistance to ensure involved vehicles are identified and not delivered prior to performing the remedy.

 

 

NOTE:

• New vehicles in dealer inventory subject to a Safety Recall must be remedied before delivery into commerce under a sale or lease. Dealer-to-dealer trades as well as vehicle sales between dealers should not be made until a vehicle is remedied.
• Dealers can identify if any of their new and used inventory has any open campaigns in the Vehicle Inventory Summary available in Dealer Daily (Non SET and GST dealers: https://dealerdaily.toyota.com/). The Vehicle Inventory Summary may take up to 4 hours to populate information for newly launched campaigns.

 

Inspection Reminder Mirror Hang Tags for Covered Vehicles in New Dealer Stock

To easily recognize vehicles involved in this Safety Recall, each dealership should utilize Inspection Reminder Hang Tags. Inside the vehicle’s glove box are stickers containing the VIN. Apply one of these stickers to the hang tag and install the hang tag in the vehicle. A sample copy of the Inspection Reminder Hang Tag has been included for your reference.

Part Number	Description	Quantity
00411-140003	Inspection Mirror Hang Tag	25 Per Pack

 

NOTE: Dealerships can order hang tags from the Material Distribution Center (MDC).

 

Pre-Owned Vehicles in Dealer Inventory

Toyota typically requests that dealers NOT deliver any pre-owned vehicles in dealer inventory that are covered by a Safety Recall unless the defect has been remedied. In this case, until remedy parts are available, delivery of a pre-owned vehicle is acceptable if disclosed to the customer that the vehicle is involved in this Safety Recall and that the remedy is currently being prepared by Toyota.

 

Toyota expects dealers to use the attached Customer Contact and Vehicle Disclosure Form to obtain vehicle buyer information. Dealers are expected to provide a copy of the completed form, along with the most current FAQ, to the vehicle buyer. Toyota and the dealer may use this information to contact the customer when the remedy becomes available.

 

Keep the completed form on file at the dealership and send a copy to quality_compliance@toyota.com. In the subject line of the email, state “Disclosure Form 20TA11/20TB11” and include the VIN.

 

NOTE: Dealers can identify if any of their new and used inventory has any open campaigns in the Vehicle Inventory Summary available in Dealer Daily (Non SET and GST dealers: https://dealerdaily.toyota.com/). The Vehicle Inventory Summary may take up to 4 hours to populate information for newly launched campaigns.

 

Toyota Certified Used Vehicle (TCUV)

The TCUV policy prohibits the certification of any vehicle with an outstanding Safety Recall, Special Service Campaign, or Limited Service Campaign. Thus, no affected units are to be designated, sold, or delivered as a TCUV until all applicable Safety Recalls, Special Service Campaigns, and Limited Service Campaigns have been completed on that vehicle.

 

Toyota Rent-A-Car (TRAC) & Service Loaners

Toyota requests that dealers remove all TRAC and Service Loaner vehicles from service that are covered by a Safety Recall unless the defect has been remedied.

 

Customer Handling, Parts Ordering, and Remedy Procedures

Customer Contacts

Customers who receive the owner letter may contact your dealership with questions regarding the letter and/or the Safety Recall. Please welcome them to your dealership and answer any questions that they may have. A Q&A is provided to assure a consistent message is communicated.

 

Customers with additional questions or concerns are asked to please contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center (1-888270-9371) – Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 am to 4:30 pm Central Time.

 

Media Contacts

It is imperative that all media contacts (local and national) receive a consistent message. In this regard, all media contacts must be directed to Tania Saldana (859) 815-9968 in Toyota Corporate Communications. Please do not provide this number to customers. Please provide this contact only to media.

 

Campaign Designation / Phase Decoder

Examples: 19TA01 = Launched in 2019, Toyota, Safety Recall Remedy Phase, 1st Safety Recall Launched in 2019 20TC02 = Launched in 2020, Special Service Campaign, 2nd Special Service Campaign Launched in 2020 21TE05 = Launched in 2021, Customer Support Program, 5th Customer Support Program Launched in 2021

 

Please review this entire package with your Service and Parts staff to familiarize them with the proper step-by-step procedures required to implement this Safety Recall.

 

Thank you for your cooperation.

TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A., INC.

 

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SAFETY RECALL 20TB11 (Interim Notice 20TB11)

 

Certain 2019-2020 Model Year Rav4 and certain 2020 Model Year Rav4 HV Potential Loss of Power Steering Assist

Frequently Asked Questions
Original Publication Date: June 24, 2020

 

Q1:	What is the condition?
A1:	A screw attaching the cover to the electric power steering gear may not have been installed or properly tightened.  A loose or missing screw could allow water to enter and, over time, damage the steering gear, causing a loss of power steering assist.  This can result in increased steering effort at low vehicle speeds and increases the risk of a crash.
Q2:	What is Toyota going to do?
A2:	When the remedy becomes available, Toyota will send an owner notification by first class mail advising owners to make an appointment with their authorized Toyota dealer to have the Steering Gear Assembly replaced FREE OF CHARGE.
Q3:	When will the remedy become available?
A3:	Toyota is currently preparing the parts for the remedy. At this time, Toyota estimates that the remedy can be available in late June 2020 to early July 2020.
Q4:	Which and how many vehicles are covered by this Safety Recall?
A4:	There are approximately 50 vehicles covered by this Safety Recall. Model Name Model Year Total Vehicles Production Period Rav4 2019-2020 41 Early July 2019 – Mid-February 2020 Rav4 HV 2020 5 Mid-December 2019 – Mid-February 2020   Q4a: Are there any other Lexus/Toyota/Scion vehicles covered by this Safety Recall in the U.S.? A4a: No, there are no other Lexus/Toyota/Scion vehicles covered by this Safety Recall.
Q5:	Are there any warnings that this condition exists?
A5:	If the condition were to occur, the Electric Power Steering System Warning Light shown below, may illuminate in the instrument panel cluster.   Electric Power Steering System Warning Light
Q6:	How does Toyota obtain my mailing information?
A6:	Toyota uses an industry provider who works with each state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to receive registration or title information, based upon the DMV records. Please make sure your registration or title information is correct.
Q7:	What if I have additional questions or concerns?
A7:	If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-888-270-9371 Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 am to 4:30 pm Central Time.

 

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◄ IMPORTANT UPDATE ►

The attached Dealer Letter has been updated. Refer to the details below.

DATE	TOPIC
07/08/2020	The loaner vehicle details in the Warranty Reimbursement Procedures section have been updated.

 

The most recent update in the attached  Dealer Letter will be highlighted with a red box.

 

Please review this notification with your staff to assure that all relevant personnel have been briefed regarding this subject.

 

Thank you for your cooperation.

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Original Publication Date: July 2, 2020

To: All Toyota Dealer Principals, General Managers, Service Managers, and Parts Managers

 

SAFETY RECALL 20TA11 (Interim Notice 20TB11) – Remedy Notice

Certain 2019-2020 Model Year Rav4 and 2020 Model Year Rav4 HV
Potential Loss of Power Steering Assist NHTSA Recall No. 20V-373

 

Model / Years	Production Period	Total Vehicles	Approximate Stop Sale Dealer Inventory
2019-2020 Rav4	Early July 2019 – Mid-February 2020	41	1
2020 Rav4 HV	Mid-December 2019 – Mid-February 2020	5	0

 

STOP! DO NOT SELL NEW VEHICLES IN DEALER INVENTORY. Refer to Dealer Inventory Procedures section for more details.

 

 

On June 24, 2020, Toyota filed a Defect Information Report (DIR) with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) informing the agency of our intent to conduct a voluntary Safety Recall on 2019 – 2020 model year Rav4 and 2020 model year Rav4 HV vehicles.

 

Condition

A screw attaching the cover to the electric power steering gear may not have been installed or properly tightened.  A loose or missing screw could allow water to enter and, over time, damage the steering gear, causing a loss of power steering assist.  This can result in increased steering effort at low vehicle speeds and increases the risk of a crash.

 

Remedy

Toyota dealers will replace the Steering Gear Assembly with a new one FREE OF CHARGE.

 

Covered Vehicles

There are approximately 50 vehicles covered by this Safety Recall. Vehicles covered by this Safety Recall were not distributed to Puerto Rico.

 

Owner Letter Mailing Date

Toyota will begin to notify owners by late-August 2020.

 

Toyota makes significant effort to obtain current customer name and address information from each state through industry resources when mailing owner letters. In the event your dealership receives a notice for a vehicle that was sold prior to the Safety Recall announcement, it is the dealership’s responsibility to forward the owner letter to the customer who purchased the vehicle.

 

Please note that only owners of the covered vehicles will be notified. If you are contacted by an owner who has not yet received a notification, please verify eligibility by confirming through TIS prior to performing repairs. Dealers should perform the repair as outlined in the Technical Instructions found on TIS.

 

Dealer Inventory Procedures 

New Vehicles in Dealership Inventory

There is 1 vehicle in new dealer inventory as of June 24, 2020

 

Under Title 49, Section 30112 of the United States Code, a dealer cannot sell, offer for sale, or introduce or deliver for introduction in interstate commerce a new motor vehicle when it is aware that the vehicle does not comply with an applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard or contains a defect related to motor vehicle safety.  Further, 49 Code of Federal Regulations §577.13 requires us to provide the following advisory:  It is a violation of Federal law for a dealer to deliver a new motor vehicle or any new or used item of motor vehicle equipment (including a tire) covered by this notification under a sale or lease until the defect or noncompliance is remedied.   Toyota reimburses dealers for flooring costs associated with new vehicles held in dealership inventory until the recall remedy becomes available.  Toyota provides these flooring reimbursements at 60-day intervals.  Toyota reserves the right to withhold or charge-back any flooring reimbursement funds that may have been paid to the dealer if it determines that a new vehicle subject to a safety recall was sold without first being remedied.

Vehicle Safety Recall completion should always be verified through TIS. We request your assistance to ensure involved vehicles are identified and not delivered prior to performing the remedy.

 

 

NOTE:

• New vehicles in dealer inventory subject to a Safety Recall must be remedied before delivery into commerce under a sale or lease. Dealer-to-dealer trades as well as vehicle sales between dealers should not be made until a vehicle is remedied.
• Dealers can identify if any of their new and used inventory has any open campaigns in the Vehicle Inventory Summary available in Dealer Daily (Non SET and GST dealers: https://dealerdaily.toyota.com/). The Vehicle Inventory Summary may take up to 4 hours to populate information for newly launched campaigns.

 

Inspection Reminder Mirror Hang Tags for Covered Vehicles in New Dealer Stock

To easily recognize vehicles involved in this Safety Recall, each dealership should utilize Inspection Reminder Hang Tags. Inside the vehicle’s glove box are stickers containing the VIN. Apply one of these stickers to the hang tag and install the hang tag in the vehicle. A sample copy of the Inspection Reminder Hang Tag has been included for your reference.

Part Number	Description	Quantity
00411-140003	Inspection Mirror Hang Tag	25 Per Pack

 

NOTE: Dealerships can order hang tags from the Material Distribution Center (MDC).

 

Pre-Owned Vehicles in Dealer Inventory

To ensure customer satisfaction, Toyota requests that dealers complete this Safety Recall on any used vehicles currently in dealer inventory that are covered by this Safety Recall prior to customer delivery. However, if the campaign cannot be completed (for example, due to remedy parts availability), delivery of a covered vehicle is acceptable if disclosed to the customer that the vehicle is involved in a Safety Recall.

 

Toyota expects dealers to use the attached Customer Contact and Vehicle Disclosure Form to obtain vehicle buyer information. Dealers are expected to provide a copy of the completed form, along with the most current FAQ, to the vehicle buyer. Toyota and the dealer may use this information to contact the customer when the remedy becomes available.

 

Keep the completed form on file at the dealership and send a copy to quality_compliance@toyota.com. In the subject line of the email state “Disclosure Form 20TA11” and include the VIN.

 

NOTE: Dealers can identify if any of their new and used inventory has any open campaigns in the Vehicle Inventory Summary available in Dealer Daily (Non SET and GST dealers: https://dealerdaily.toyota.com/). The Vehicle Inventory Summary may take up to 4 hours to populate information for newly launched campaigns.

 

Toyota Certified Used Vehicle (TCUV)

The TCUV policy prohibits the certification of any vehicle with an outstanding Safety Recall, Special Service Campaign, or Limited Service Campaign. Thus, no affected units are to be designated, sold, or delivered as a TCUV until all applicable Safety Recalls, Special Service Campaigns, and Limited Service Campaigns have been completed on that vehicle.

 

Toyota Rent-A-Car (TRAC) & Service Loaners

Toyota requests that dealers remove all TRAC and Service Loaner vehicles from service that are covered by a Safety Recall unless the defect has been remedied.

 

Customer Handling, Parts Ordering, and Remedy Procedures

Customer Contacts

Customers who receive the owner letter may contact your dealership with questions regarding the letter and/or the Safety Recall. Please welcome them to your dealership and answer any questions that they may have. A Q&A is provided to assure a consistent message is communicated.

 

Customers with additional questions or concerns are asked to please contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center (1-888270-9371) – Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 am to 4:30 pm Central Time.

 

Head Unit Notifications

Head unit notifications are electronic messages that are displayed in the vehicle’s audio system screen. Customers who receive head unit notification regarding this Safety Recall are requested to schedule an appointment with their authorized dealer to have this Safety Recall completed.

 

When these messages are received by the vehicle’s Data Communication Module, the head unit will display a pop-up prompt stating that the vehicle has a new Safety Recall. The prompt will contain options to ‘Snooze’ or to ‘View’ the message. If a customer chooses ‘Snooze’, the message will continue to reappear every 20 minutes until the customer chooses ‘View’. If a customer views and then closes the message, the message will be available in the Notification App if the customer chooses to review it again. If the vehicle’s completion status remains incomplete for a period of 90 days from the message being viewed, the head unit may display a renotification pop-up prompt as an additional reminder to the customer to have this Safety Recall completed.

 

The message will completely clear from the vehicle once the following conditions are met: The Safety Recall is completed, the dealer has filed a claim, and the claim is approved by Toyota. Then the message will be cleared at the next clearing cycle, which currently happens weekly.

 

Owners who receive a head unit notification after having this Safety Recall completed can be advised to ignore the message.

Owners with additional concerns can be directed to the Toyota Customer Experience Center (1-888-270-9371) – Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 am to 4:30 pm Central Time.

 

Salvage Title Vehicles

Every attempt should be made to complete an open Safety Recall when circumstances permit, unless noted otherwise in the Safety Recall dealer letter.

 

For complete details on this policy, refer to Toyota Warranty Policy 4.17, “What Is Not Covered by The Toyota New Vehicle Limited Warranty”.

 

Media Contacts

It is imperative that all media contacts (local and national) receive a consistent message. In this regard, all media contacts must be directed to Tania Saldana (859) 815-9968 in Toyota Corporate Communications. Please do not provide this number to customers. Please provide this contact only to media.

 

Parts Ordering Process – Non SET and GST Parts Ordering Process

It is possible that parts for this campaign are either required to be ordered in Campaign Part Order Request (CPOR) on Service Lane, or have been placed on Manual Allocation Control (MAC) due to potential limited part availability. Please check the CPOR/MAC report on Dealer Daily for the most up-to-date parts ordering information.

 

All Safety Recall, Service Campaign (SSC/LSC) parts are eligible for the Monthly Parts Return Program. Please refer to PANT Bulletin 2011-087for campaign parts that are currently returnable under the Monthly Parts Return Program and for additional details.

 

Part Number	Part Description	Original Equipped Wheel Size	Quantity
44250-0R011	GEAR ASSY, ELECTRIC POWER STEERING	17” / 18” Wheel	1
44250-0R021		19” Wheel
95381-03025	PIN, COTTER	–	2
90177-A0012	NUT, LOCK	–	4

 

Technician Training Requirements

The repair quality of covered vehicles is extremely important to Toyota. All dealership technicians performing this repair are required to successfully complete the most current version of the E-Learning course “Safety Recall and Service Campaign Essentials”. To ensure that all vehicles have the repair performed correctly; technicians performing this repair are required to currently hold at least one of the following certification levels:

• Certified Technician (Chassis)
• Expert Technician (Chassis)
• Master Technician
• Master Diagnostic Technician

 

Always check which technicians can perform the repair by logging on to https://www.uotdealerreports.com. It is the dealership’s responsibility to select technicians with the above certification level or greater to perform this repair. Carefully review your resources, the technician skill level, and ability before assigning technicians to this repair. It is important to consider technician days off and vacation schedules to ensure there are properly trained technicians available to perform this repair at all times.

 

Remedy Procedures

Refer to TIS for Technical Instructions on repair. Conduct all non-completed Safety Recalls and Service Campaigns on the vehicle during the time of appointment.

 

Repair Quality Confirmation

The repair quality of covered vehicles is extremely important to Toyota. To help ensure that all vehicles have the repair performed correctly, please designate at least one associate (someone other than the individual who performed the repair) to verify the repair quality of every vehicle prior to customer delivery.

 

Parts Recovery Procedures

All parts replaced as part of this Safety Recall must be turned over to the parts department until appropriate disposition is determined. The parts department must retain these parts until notification via the Parts Recovery System (PRS) is received indicating whether to ship or scrap the parts. These parts are utilized by various departments for defect analysis, quality control analysis, product evaluation, as well as other purposes.

 

To help minimize dealer storage challenges, Toyota recommends that dealers:

• File the campaign claim accurately and promptly. The time a dealer is required to hold parts is based on when the campaign claim is paid by Toyota.
• Monitor the Warranty Parts Recovery Notifications and Part Scrap Report regularly.

 

Refer to Warranty Policies 9.3 and 9.6 for additional details.

 

Warranty Reimbursement Procedures

Warranty Reimbursement Procedure

Op Code	Description	Flat Rate Hours
20TA11	R&R Steering Gear Assembly	5.1

 

• The flat rate times include 0.1 hours for administrative cost per unit for the dealership.
• A loaner vehicle or alternative transportation through the Toyota Rent-A-Car (TRAC) can be claimed up to a maximum of 1 day as a sublet type “RT” under 20TA11
  • For rentals that exceed the maximum number of allowable days and/or dollars per day, refer to the Toyota Transportation Assistance Policy (TTAP) for DSPM authorization requirements.
  • Rental invoice MUST be attached to all rental claims. These claims may be subject to debit if rental invoice is not attached.
• Towing can be claimed under Op Code 20TA11 for a maximum of $250 as sublet type “TW” in the event the customer requests vehicle pickup.
  • Towing invoice MUST be attached to all towing claims. These claims may be subject to debit if towing invoice is not attached.

 

Claim Filing Accuracy and Correction Requests

It is the dealer’s responsibility to file claims correctly for this Safety Recall. This claim filing information is used by Toyota for various government reporting activities; therefore, claim filing accuracy is crucial. If it has been identified that a claim has been filed using an incorrect Op Code or a claim has been filed for an incorrect VIN, refer to Warranty Procedure Bulletin PRO17-03 to correct the claim.

 

Campaign Designation / Phase Decoder

Examples: 19TA01 = Launched in 2019, Toyota, Safety Recall Remedy Phase, 1st Safety Recall Launched in 2019 20TC02 = Launched in 2020, Special Service Campaign, 2nd Special Service Campaign Launched in 2020 21TE05 = Launched in 2021, Customer Support Program, 5th Customer Support Program Launched in 2021

 

Please review this entire package with your Service and Parts staff to familiarize them with the proper step-by-step procedures required to implement this Safety Recall.

 

Thank you for your cooperation.

TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, U.S.A., INC.

 

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SAFETY RECALL 20TA11 (Interim Notice 20TB11) – Remedy Notice

Certain 2019-2020 Model Year Rav4 and certain 2020 Model Year Rav4 HV
Potential Loss of Power Steering Assist
NHTSA Recall No. 20V-373

Frequently Asked Questions
Original Publication Date: July 2, 2020

 

Q1:	What is the condition?
A1:	A screw attaching the cover to the electric power steering gear may not have been installed or properly tightened.  A loose or missing screw could allow water to enter and, over time, damage the steering gear, causing a loss of power steering assist.  This can result in increased steering effort at low vehicle speeds and increases the risk of a crash.
Q2:	What is Toyota going to do?
A2:	Toyota will send an owner notification by first class mail by late-August 2020, advising owners to make an appointment with their authorized Toyota dealer to have the Steering Gear Assembly replaced FREE OF CHARGE.
Q3:	Which and how many vehicles are covered by this Safety Recall?
A3:	There are approximately 50 vehicles covered by this Safety Recall. Model Name Model Year Total Vehicles Production Period Rav4 2019-2020 41 Early July 2019 – Mid-February 2020 Rav4 HV 2020 5 Mid-December 2019 – Mid-February 2020   Q3a: Are there any other Lexus/Toyota/Scion vehicles covered by this Safety Recall in the U.S.? A4a: No, there are no other Lexus/Toyota/Scion vehicles covered by this Safety Recall.
Q4:	How long will the repair take?
A4:	The repair takes approximately 5 hours. However, depending upon the dealer’s work schedule, it may be necessary to make the vehicle available for a longer period of time.
Q5:	Are there any warnings that this condition exists?
A5:	If the condition were to occur, the Electric Power Steering System Warning Light shown below, may illuminate in the instrument panel cluster.   Electric Power Steering System Warning Light
Q6:	How does Toyota obtain my mailing information?
A6:	Toyota uses an industry provider who works with each state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to receive registration or title information, based upon the DMV records. Please make sure your registration or title information is correct.
Q7:	What if I have additional questions or concerns?
A7:	If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-888-270-9371 Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 am to 4:30 pm Central Time.

 

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June 24, 2020

 

DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT

 

1. Vehicle Manufacturer Name:

Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. [“TMMK”]

1001 Cherry Blossom Way, Georgetown, KY, 40324

 

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. [“TMMC”]

1055 Fountain Street North, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada N3H 5K2

 

Affiliated U.S. Sales Company:

Toyota Motor North America, Inc. [“TMNA”] 6565 Headquarters Drive, Plano, TX 75024

 

Manufacturer of Power Steering Gear Assembly Robert Bosch Automotive Steering LLC.

15 Spiral Dr. Florence, KY 41042

859-568-1143

Country of Origin: USA

 

2. Identification of Involved Vehicles and Affected Components:

Based on production records, we have determined the involved vehicle population as in the table below.

Make/Car Line	Model Year	Manufacturer	Production Period
Toyota / RAV4	2019-2020	TMMC	July 2, 2019 through February 11, 2020
Toyota / RAV4 HV	2020	TMMC, TMMK	December 17, 2019 through February 11, 2020

 

Applicability	Part Number	Part Name	Component Description
MY2019-2020 Toyota RAV4/RAV4 HV	44250-0R011	Gear Assy, Electric Power Steering	Power Steering Gear Assembly
	44250-0R021

 

Note:

(1) Although the involved vehicles are within the above production period range, not all vehicles in this range were sold in the U.S.

(2) This issue only affects the vehicles listed above that were assembled with steering gear assemblies that were manufactured by a specific supplier on a specific production line during a specific time period.  Other Toyota or Lexus vehicles sold in the U.S. are not equipped with steering gear assemblies that were potentially manufactured by the specific supplier on the specific production line during the specific time period.

 

3. Total Number of Vehicles Potentially Involved:

Toyota RAV4:	41
Toyota RAV4 HV:	5
Total:	46

 

4. Percentage of Vehicles Estimated to Actually Contain the Defect:

Unknown.  Toyota is unable to provide an estimate of the percentage of vehicles to actually contain the defect.  Whether a missing screw or a screw that was not properly tightened will, over time, lead to certain components inside the steering gear corroding and causing a loss of power steering assist depends on the steering loading conditions experienced by each particular vehicle.

 

5. Description of Problem:

The subject vehicles are equipped with an electric power steering (EPS) system, which includes a steering gear assembly containing a steering gear box cover that is attached with five screws.  One specific screw of the five may not have been installed or properly tightened.  This could create a gap between the steering gear assembly and the steering gear box cover under certain steering loading conditions, allowing water to enter. Over time, certain components inside the steering gear could corrode, resulting in a loss of power steering assist.  In the event of loss of power steering assist, the steering system will revert to manual steering mode, and steering control can be maintained at all times.  However, suspension of power steering assist results in increased steering effort at low vehicle speeds and increases the risk of a crash.

 

6. Chronology of Principal Events:

February 2020 – March 2020

In early February, 2020 Toyota was notified by the supplier that a steering gear assembly had been assembled with a missing screw but had passed through the quality checkpoints in the production process.  The supplier began an inspection of steering gear assemblies within their facility and identified two additional steering gear assemblies that had a missing screw.  The supplier stopped shipments to Toyota and began a 100% inspection for this screw.  Around this same time, Toyota also identified a vehicle that was assembled with a steering gear assembly that had a missing screw.  As a result, Toyota began inspecting additional vehicles in which the steering gear assembly had already been installed and steering gear assemblies that had arrived from the supplier; no additional steering gear assemblies with missing screws were found.

 

The supplier continued their investigation and began reviewing production records containing the torque data for the process where the missing screw was found.  They found that the assembly equipment had also passed assembled parts through the quality checkpoint with screws below the torque specification.  As a result of this data review, the supplier identified 65 steering gears assemblies that either had a potentially missing screw or a screw that was tightened below the specified torque value and were shipped to TMMC and TMMK.  TMMC and TMMK checked the production records for those steering gears and found that the affected steering gear assemblies had been installed in Toyota vehicles during the vehicle assembly process.  The supplier began a failure analysis to understand the potential impact of a missing screw or a screw that was tightened below the specified torque value.

 

April 2020 – Early June 2020

The results of the supplier’s failure analysis identified some of the theoretical effects that may be caused as a result of the missing screw or a screw that was tightened below the specified torque.  One of the potential effects was that, over time, a gap could be created between the steering gear assembly and the cover; this gap might allow for the intrusion of water into the assembly.  In theory, water intrusion could potentially corrode components of the steering gear assembly, and cause a loss of power steering assist.  At this time, it was unclear whether any of the potential effects could occur in real world vehicle use.

 

To understand the nature and extent of potential safety risks, Toyota decided to conduct a series of tests.  Toyota removed the aforementioned screw from the steering gear assembly cover on a test vehicle in order to conduct the testing.  Toyota’s testing plan involved multiple drive patterns and turning scenarios, as well as impacts with common obstacles (e.g. curbs, medians, speed bumps), to simulate various steering loading conditions on the vehicle.  The testing did not create a “gap” condition, or identify or quantify the potential effects or risks that were identified in the supplier simulation.

 

June 18, 2020

While the testing was unable to identify a risk scenario theorized by the supplier’s simulation, Toyota could not eliminate the possibility that, over time, certain components inside the steering gear could corrode due to water intrusion, potentially resulting in a loss of power steering assist.  Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, Toyota decided to conduct a voluntary safety recall campaign for the vehicles identified above.  In the event of loss of power steering assist, the steering system will revert to manual steering mode, and steering control can be maintained at all times.  However, suspension of power steering assist results in increased steering effort at low vehicle speeds and increases the risk of a crash.

As of June 17, 2020, based on a diligent review of records, Toyota’s best engineering judgement is that there are no Toyota Field Technical Reports or warranty claims that have been received from U.S. sources that relate or may relate to this condition and which were considered in the decision to submit this report.

 

7. Description of Corrective Repair Action:

All known owners of the subject vehicles will be notified by first class mail to return their vehicles to a Toyota dealer.  For all involved vehicles, Toyota dealers will replace the electric power steering gear assembly with a new one at no cost to customers.

 

Reimbursement Plan for pre-notification remedies

As the owner notification letters will be mailed out well within the active period of the Toyota New Vehicle Limited Warranty (“Warranty”), all involved vehicle owners for this recall would have been provided a repair at no cost under Toyota’s Warranty.

 

8. Recall Schedule:

Notifications to owners of the affected vehicles will occur by August 23, 2020.  A copy of the draft owner notification will be submitted as soon as it is available.

 

9. Distributor/Dealer Notification Schedule:

Notifications to distributors/dealers will be sent by June 24, 2020. Copies of dealer communications will be submitted as they are issued.

 

10. Manufacturer’s Campaign Number:

[Interim / Remedy] 20TB11 / 20TA11

 

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3 Affected Products

Vehicles

MAKE	MODEL	YEAR
TOYOTA	RAV4	2019-2020
TOYOTA	RAV4 HYBRID	2020

 

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10 Associated Documents

Recall Acknowledgement

RCAK-20V373-4534.pdf 333.656KB

 

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Remedy Instructions and TSB

RCRIT-20V373-6130.pdf 1591.506KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)

RCMN-20V373-0629.pdf 320.602KB

 

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Recall 573 Report

RCLRPT-20V373-9554.PDF 215.721KB

 

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Manufacturer Notices(to Dealers,etc)-20TB11-DL-Final-Pub 6.24.2020

RCMN-20V373-4924.pdf 267.149KB

 

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DEFECT INFORMATION REPORT

RMISC-20V373-4795.pdf 31.486KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #2, 2020-4

RCLQRT-20V373-6695.PDF 211.246KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #1, 2020-3

RCLQRT-20V373-3515.PDF 211.145KB

 

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Recall Quarterly Report #3, 2021-1

RCLQRT-20V373-1011.PDF 211.331KB

 

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ISSUED Owner Notification Letter(Part 577)

RCONL-20V373-2547.pdf 362.006KB

 

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Latest Recalls Documents

https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs/documentList.xhtml?docId=20V373&docType=RCL

 

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Last update on 2026-06-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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