Carmaker Toyota on Wednesday announced a safety recall covering more than 1.8 million RAV4 vehicles in the U.S. due to a potential fire risk.
The recall involves some 2013 to 2018 model year RAV4s. According to Toyota, some replacement 12-volt batteries of the size specified for the affected vehicles have different dimensions than others.
“If a small-top battery is used for replacement and the hold-down clamp is not tightened correctly, the battery could move when the vehicle is driven with forceful turns,” according to Toyota. “The movement could cause the positive battery terminal to contact the hold-down clamp and short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.”
Toyota said Wednesday that it is working on a remedy for the issue. Dealers will replace the battery hold-down clamp, battery tray and positive terminal cover at no cost to owners.
Affected RAV4 owners will be notified by late December.
For more information, RAV4 owners can enter their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or license plate information on Toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls. People can also contact Toyota at 800-331-4331.
©2023 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/CFLMQ4LUU5HCROAOKUQ3FVO3IU.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/M6IRM46FOJA7DL32VHNJJNPZWM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/KEMIBRM54VAR3FT7U7ZW654ORU.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/J2FZYTZUTFFPVN5DDDZVRYUFGE.jpeg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/RAH26VI2EFFCFNAKO4AQ6KMVIM.jpg)