DETROIT – Toyota isn’t telling homeowners of 1.9 million recalled RAV4 SUVs to park them outdoors although U.S. protection investigators have 4 lawsuits about engine fires that may get started with the automobiles’ ignitions became off.
The recall, announced Wednesday by the company, got here because the regulators had been investigating engine fires brought about by way of substitute battery issues in RAV4s, the top-selling automobile within the U.S. that is not a pickup truck.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in paperwork detailing the probe that it won 9 reports that the 12-volt batteries could have brought about fires, loss of electric energy or engine stalling. In addition, the company has 8 reports of fires that began at the motive force’s facet of the engine compartment the place the battery is situated.
Four reports mentioned “thermal events” took place with the ignition off, indicating that it can be smart for homeowners to park the SUVs outdoors till they may be able to be repaired.
But Toyota spokesman Aaron Fowles mentioned the corporate is not advising people to park the RAV4s outdoors. It is asking those that have not had their automobiles inspected to take them to a broker quickly so technicians can be sure that substitute batteries had been put in correctly and the retaining clamps are tight. They must additionally get the recall upkeep executed when they are to be had, he mentioned.
The corporate issued a shopper advisory in 2021 for homeowners to take their SUVs to a broker for inspection without charge, he mentioned.
Messages had been left Friday in quest of remark from NHTSA about whether or not homeowners must park the recalled RAV4s outdoors.
On Wednesday, Toyota mentioned it is recalling about 1.9 million RAV4s within the U.S. since the batteries can transfer all through forceful turns. That may cause the sure pole to contact a clamp, inflicting {an electrical} brief.
The recall covers positive RAV4s from the 2013 via 2018 type years. Toyota mentioned that some substitute batteries used within the SUVs have smaller peak dimensions than different batteries. If the hold-down clamp is not tightened correctly, the battery may just transfer all through arduous cornering, permitting the sure terminal to touch the clamp and brief circuit.
Documents posted Friday by way of the security company say that Toyota has discovered 22 “field technical reports” within the U.S.
The corporate did not immediately solution a query about whether or not the 22 reports concerned fires. It mentioned the sphere reports are from Toyota group of workers “which documented the inspection of owner allegations that relate or may relate to the condition for which the recall is being undertaken.”
Toyota mentioned it is nonetheless getting ready a repair. When the treatment is in a position, sellers will change the hold-down clamp, battery tray and sure terminal quilt with stepped forward ones. The corporate mentioned it’s going to notify homeowners by way of past due December.
Owners can take a look at to see if their RAV4s are concerned by way of going to www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and coming into their automobile id quantity.
NHTSA opened its investigation in February of 2021 upon getting 11 lawsuits about thermal occasions, which will come with fires, melting or smoke. “A majority of thermal events occurred during driving conditions, with four taking place with the ignition off,” the company mentioned in a record that opened the probe.
It mentioned that drivers skilled stalling sooner than any thermal match in part the instances the place the RAV4s had been in movement. “The 12-volt battery was identified as the area of origin in a majority of the incidents reviewed,” the company wrote.
In an April 6, 2021, letter in quest of information from Toyota, the company printed that the quantity of lawsuits had risen to 17.