# Toyota Fix means car cannot be aligned ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390 "2016-08-29T13:29:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/1 "2016-08-29T13:29:06Z")
I just had 2 tires go bad fast after a RAV4 recall fix. Mechanic tells me the dealer sealed up the part of the control arm that is adjusted for alignment. And that it was sealed up with the car way out of alignment. Why on earth would the fix make the car not be able to be aligned? That seems like a major,major screw up. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/2 "2016-08-29T13:39:49Z")
Definitely contact the Toyota dealer that the recall fix was done at … that does sound like a screw-up … mind if I ask what the recall was for? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/3 "2016-08-29T13:41:08Z")
Is the mechanic with the dealership that did the recall fix? If not, if I were you, I’d go back to the same dealership and ask them to align the vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/4 "2016-08-29T13:44:24Z")
recall was to avoid rust issues. So what they did was put epoxy over the arm. The mechanic who told me this is not at the dealer. He said he doesn’t see how it can be aligned with the epoxy. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/5 "2016-08-29T14:13:32Z")
yep, that was the “remedy.” if you’re out of alignment, it sounds like it’ll need the control arms replaced (and I assume re-sealed.) > [@NHTSA](#): > > Report Receipt Date: AUG 28, 2013 > > NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V383000 > > Component(s): SUSPENSION > > Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing > > SUMMARY: > Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2011 RAV4 and 2010 Lexus HS250h passenger vehicles manufactured from October 2005 through September 2010. If the nuts for adjusting the rear wheel alignment are improperly tightened during service, the rear suspension arm (rear tie rod) may develop unwanted movement and rust leading to thread damage and eventual failure. Failure of the rear tie rod will cause an abrupt change in the vehicle’s alignment. > > CONSEQUENCE: > Failure of the rear tie rod could cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. > > REMEDY: > Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tie rods and replace any that have rust or corrosion on the alignment adjustment threads. All of the rear tie rods will then be encased in an epoxy to prevent future environmental damage. Due to limitations in parts, the recall remedy will be launched in phases from September 2013 through mid-April 2014. All owners will receive notification of the recall, with most receiving second notifications when parts are available in their area. IMPORTANT: This recall supersedes Toyota and Lexus recall 12V-373. All vehicles that have been inspected and remedied under the previous recall need to be re-inspected and have the appropriate remedy applied. > > 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](http://www.safercar.gov). ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/6 "2016-08-29T15:26:10Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I just had 2 tires go bad fast after a RAV4 recall fix. This sounds like the root of your problem. Presumably the alignment was okay with the original parts in place, but in doing the recall it was misadjusted. Leaving the affected parts difficult or impossible to adjust isn’t a huge problem – either the epoxy can be cut off where needed or the arm can be replaced. But letting the car leave the dealership with the alignment so far off that it chews up tires rapidly sounds to me like inexcusable incompetence. I’d be asking Toyota to rectify the alignment, whatever it took, and replace the tires. Get all your evidence in order (anything related – receipts for previous tires and new tires, recall paperwork, statement and or printout from shop that advised you of misalignment/inability to adjust, etc.) Start with the dealer, and if necessary go up the organization to higher authority. Be polite and insistent. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/7 "2016-08-29T17:35:29Z")
they put out a new recall for this 2 weeks ago. The new fix says they will replace the control arms. They admit the older fix was a big screw up. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/8 "2016-08-29T17:47:11Z")
Wow. I used to work in a shop that did front ends, alignments and tires. What a big design flaw. The epoxy fix was pure jerry-rigging. It’s up there with a coat hanger holding up your muffler. They need to redesign the part, and replace the old design with the new ones. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/9 "2016-08-29T18:15:53Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > This sounds like the root of your problem. Presumably the alignment was okay with the original parts in place, but in doing the recall it was misadjusted. > > [Snip] > > Get all your evidence in order (anything related – receipts for previous tires and new tires, recall paperwork, statement and or printout from shop that advised you of misalignment/inability to adjust, etc.) Start with the dealer, and if necessary go up the organization to higher authority. Be polite and insistent. Good advice in my opinion. > [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > they put out a new recall for this 2 weeks ago. The new fix says they will replace the control arms. They admit the older fix was a big screw up. I found the new recall here. [http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchResults?prodType=V&searchType=PROD&targetCategory=A&searchCriteria.model=RAV4&stats=220716%2C14%2C4%2C797%2C37%2CRAV4&makeStats=&jsonBaseURL=%2Fdownloads%2Ffolders%2F&searchCriteria.model\_yr=2007&searchCriteria.make=TOYOTA&searchCriteria.prod\_ids=220716](http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchResults?prodType=V&searchType=PROD&targetCategory=A&searchCriteria.model=RAV4&stats=220716%2C14%2C4%2C797%2C37%2CRAV4&makeStats=&jsonBaseURL=%2Fdownloads%2Ffolders%2F&searchCriteria.model_yr=2007&searchCriteria.make=TOYOTA&searchCriteria.prod_ids=220716) > [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Wow. I used to work in a shop that did front ends, alignments and tires. What a big design flaw. The epoxy fix was pure jerry-rigging. It’s up there with a coat hanger holding up your muffler. They need to redesign the part, and replace the old design with the new ones. It sounds like Toyota will replace the control arms as part of this recall but they will also “encapsulate the locknuts” at the same time. Do you think that is still a problem even with the new parts? ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/10 "2016-08-29T19:09:49Z")
After the latest fix I’m selling this car. It had a bunch of other recalls too. It’s a pure lemon. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/11 "2016-08-29T21:04:03Z")
I was thinking pretty much the same as Toyota v2.0 - if you can’t adjust the current arm, replace it. Replacing an arm every time an alignment is needed - not good design. Shows how non-mechanic I am. I thought only front wheels had tie-rod ends. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/12 "2016-08-29T21:11:11Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > After the latest fix I’m selling this car. It had a bunch of other recalls too. It’s a pure lemon. Yeah, I did try and look up the recall you’re talking about … but with 127 in the list I thought to just ask instead. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/13 "2016-08-29T22:02:30Z")
> [@md2000](#): > > I thought only front wheels had tie-rod ends. I believe it should properly be called a lateral link. I suspect someone decided that since it could be adjusted like a steering linkage tie rod, it made sense to call it a tie rod. If they had asked me first I would have told them how wrong that was. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2016, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/14 "2016-08-29T23:23:56Z")
they even put a sticker on the arm that says “safety recall, cannot be adjusted. Contact toyota dealer for more information.” I guess they left off “Will shred your tires after 3000 miles” ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2016, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/toyota-fix-means-car-cannot-be-aligned/764390/15 "2016-08-30T03:07:00Z")
Well, that part goes without saying. Apparently. 😃