Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 2.87 million SUVs worldwide after a Transport Canada investigation found a defect that may result in the rear seatbelt being severed in a crash.
The recall includes 150,000 RAV4s in Canada from the 2006 to 2012 model years.
Transport Canada engineers discovered the defect when they reconstructed a fatal crash involving a 2011 RAV4 that occurred in Canada. The crash was unusual because the front occupants from the car survived as the rear passengers didn’t.
During the exam, both rear seatbelts were severed due to connection with the metal seat-cushion frames.
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Toyota confirmed the problem and has launched a recall to fix it.
“This is more than only a case of Transport Canada finding a safety problem and carrying out a thorough investigation,” Transport Minister Marc Garneau said in a statement.
“These findings possess a real-world impact and it’s measured in human life. – These bits of information underscore the importance of our crash-test and safety oversight programs, and i am very proud of the department’s research engineers and investigators – they’ve done some tremendous work with Canadians.”
The RAV4 is built in Woodstock, Ont., and it is certainly one of Toyota Canada’s best-selling vehicles. In 2015, an archive 42,246 of the SUVs were sold in Canada, up 15.3 per cent from the year earlier.
