Toyota’s RAV4 Seatbelt Recall: How To Get Your Car Fixed

Today, Toyota has issued a recall for 98,000 of its RAV4s in Australia, with a potential issue of seatbelts becoming damaged in a crash. Here’s how you can book your car into get checked and any potential issues resolved.

What’s The Issue?

Toyota’s recall for the RAV4 concerns the outboard seatbelts in the second row of seats inside the car; in a crash, specifically a high-speed frontal collision, “there is a possibility that the seatbelt webbing could contact a portion of the metal seat cushion frame, become cut and separate”. That could lead to the belts themselves fraying or snapping, releasing passengers’ restraints and increasing the chance of injuries. 2.87 million RAV4s around the world are affected, but only 98,000 of those are cars in Australia. The cars affected were built after August 2005 and until November 2012.

What’s The Fix?

The repair, which will be free of charge and will take approximately an hour per customer, will be offered to customers that Toyota is contacting via mail. In the fix, Toyota will add resin covers to the metal seat cushion frames in the affected RAV4s, protecting those frames from damaging the seatbelts in the event of a crash. Toyota is taking this action after receiving reports of two separate incidents where RAV4 seatbelts were damaged in front-on collisions.

What Can I Do?

To book in a time at your nearest Toyota dealer to have the car assessed and the issue resolved if necessary, call Toyota on 1800 987 366 or visit Toyota’s website for more details. You can also look on the ACCC’s nationwide Recalls website. There may be a waiting list of until June to have the issue fixed, so get in quick if you’re short on time.


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