Toyota RAV4 Complaints (2017)

321 consumer complaints on file.

#11514101March 27, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
A fire occurred in the engine compartment of the vehicle while the vehicle was parked in a garage with the engine off. Fire patterns and physical evidence suggest the fire originated as a result of a high resistance connection between the positive battery terminal and conductor to the power distribution center. The battery is original. The vehicle has not had any repairs beyond normal maintenance. The vehicle was not involved in a crash.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11509205February 26, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
Car will not start. Doesn't seem to be the battery. Got a jump start but same warning light illuminated.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11507169February 14, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Both of my headlights burned out at the same time. I was driving on a rural mountain highway at about 7:30pm and was using my adaptive headlights. They were working fine, I noticed no issues, until they both burned out at the same time. It was dangerous, there was no shoulder to pull over on, and a steep drop-off i couldn't see and no warning whatsoever I'd be in pitch black dark in the middle of the road. Thankfully there was very little traffic, it could have been much worse. My dash camera captured the event and I've shared it to YouTube. https://youtu.be/plJlQYcA8-A No indicator lights ever came on, before or after. I had to drive the last hour to my destination through the mountains in the dark with only fog and running lights. I had been to the dealership for scheduled interval maintenance just the week before. A multi point inspection evidently didn't catch that both headlights were about to go out at the same time. Bulbs? Wiring? Relay? Not sure what happened.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11504621January 31, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I WAS DRIVING COMING FROM THE STORE WITH MY GRAND KIDS AND MY TRUCK STALLED ON ME SO I TURNED IF OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON BUT IT KILLED ON ME AGAIN AND THIS POINT MY GRAND BABY SAID HE SMELLED SMOKE SO I LOOKED UP AND THE HODD WAS SMOKING SO I GOT MY BABIES AND MYSELF OUT THE TRUCK AND RAN TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET AND THERE I WATCHED MY TRUCK START A FIRE SO I CALL THE POLICE AND THE FIRE PEOPLE , MY TRUCK WAS TOTALED I CONTACTED TOYOTA MAIN OFFICE TO LET THEM KNOW THEY SENTED OUR THEIRE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THE TRUCK AND DECIDED THAT IT WAS NOT THERE FAULT AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME , MY TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE I DID NOT SET IT ON MY FIRE MY GRAND KIDS WERE IN THAT TRUCK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPEN HAD HE NOT SMALLED SMOED AND IT DID NOT STALL BUT CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT . BUT NO ONE WAS TO DEAL WITH IT YOU WHETHER JUST WALK AWAY WHAT IF WAS SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY THEN WHAT
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11504687January 31, 2023
POWER TRAIN
Vehicle suddenly started to develop shuddering episodes that lasted 2-3 seconds, while driving at low speeds 20-50 MPH and between 1000-2000 RPM. Condition is intermittent, usually when the engine is hot and increasingly becoming worse and frequent. Took vehicle to local Toyota dealer and they diagnosed it with a malfunctioning Torque Converter and recommended replacement. No codes were reported during diagnosis. Toyota dealer mechanic promptly recognized problem as he encountered similar problems with other vehicles of same model. Mechanic reported of a known recall for models from 2009 to 2015, but not for later models. Transmission Control Module was reset by dealer's mechanic and condition improved but not resolved. Owner contemplating replacement of malfunctioning part to avoid catastrophic damages to vehicle's transmission and potential uncontrollable vehicle's behavior while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11503036January 22, 2023
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
This and other year model RAV4s have a known and reported issue of the tail light lenses not being properly sealed with and connected to the tail light housing. This is allowing water intrusion into the tail light and electrical system and vehicle body. This is the case with both of my tail lights on my 2010 RAV4. Water has been entering the tail lights where the lens is not sealed to the housing. The lack of plastic welding / sealant can be seen at the lens and housing. Water is intruding corroding the electronics and electrical connectors as well as portions of the body. The lenses are becoming deteriorated and discolored due to the water intrusion diminishing the effectiveness of the rear lighting. Of course, this is a safety issue as well as the corrosion of the electrical connectors and electronics within the tail light that may cause them to completely fail. Toyota knows of these issues but refuses to address them.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11502679January 19, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Went out to the vehicle one day to run an errand and the warning light came on and said Electrical System Malfunction. I took it into the repair facility and was told at first it was the battery then was told no it's the alternator. I remembered I had an extended warranty on the vehicle so I took it into the Dealership. They said it's the Wire Harness and it's not covered due to corrosion. I have put less than 20, 000 miles on this vehicle. This needs to be addressed by the Manufacturer Toyota. I am asking NHTSA to do a recall on this vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11498767December 24, 2022
AIR BAGS
We owned 2 Toyota cars, highlander and RAV4( this is our second RAV4), we bought both time new, the first one after one year has some break and noise issues and my wife did not like it and we traded and got 2017 RAV4, from her experience, she did not wanted Toyota but different car, though I told her that it has longevity and she should get another Toyota and she agreed and gotten RAV4 2017 new car. However, this RAV4 cars have issues and my wife was right and I was wrong and will never buy RAV4 again. Today, in Portland, there is rain and raining and that small snow also now start melting with the rain, I parked my wife car in our driveway and went in, after lunch came back to drive, saw water was dripping, immediately looked for the sun roof locks, it was completed closed, reach my hand to the place where is the leak is coming, its from headliner areas by driver side where sun visor located. This is 2017 RAV4 with 26k mileage, I drop the car by the dealer where did we bought this car, their tech will be back on Monday, I cannot wait what they have to say for this obvious defect from the factories, I read more about it and there are a lot of this issues with RAV4 and needs factory attention for recall. MY MAIN CONCERN IS NOW: The real danger with this roof leak is not so much cosmetic , the real danger is damage to the airbags over the door and corrosion to the wiring harness, it should warrant recall!!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11496822December 9, 2022
AIR BAGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have attached a letter that I wrote Toyota but did not mail. Vechicle is a 2017 Rav Hybrid. We bought it in CA April 2021 and it had 28230 miles. Car went to Renton WA in August, 2021. Vechicle was serviced a couple of times, but in October 2022, dealer gave us a bill for $9700 due to a faulty wire halter. The Toyota people said the car is out of warranty. Please read the letter with lots more details. Thanks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11495352November 29, 2022
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owned a 2017 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while the wife was driving approximately 35 MPH, the odor of smoke was present inside the vehicle. After stopping to inspect the vehicle, smoke and flames were seen coming from under the hood. The fire department was called to the scene to extinguish the flames. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed and later towed away. A fire report was taken at the scene. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11494219November 19, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The door lock actuators failed I was locked out of my car
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11491512October 30, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
While driving at about 55mph on an open highway, the moon roof exploded. There was a loud explosion inside the car by my right ear. The noise was deafening and distracting and caused a momentary loss of concentration on driving, a situation that was very dangerous and could have resulted in an accident with serious injury. I immediately pulled over and checked the tires, the body and underneath the vehicle, finding nothing. When I began driving again, I heard a loud wind noise and other strange noises above me. I started to open the cover of the moon roof, but shards of glass fell on me, so I closed it again. Pulling over again, I climbed on the door threshold to look at the roof of the car. Unbelievable! It looked like a volcano with the glass pointing upwards around a big hole. Toyota Corp. is claiming it was caused by an outside source. That is definitely not true. I was in the car, nothing landed on the roof. The highway I was on has no bridges, no overpass, no multi-story buildings, no schools or no place that would enable someone to drop or throw a large item on top of a car. And, there was nothing on the inside cover except broken glass. The glass on the roof was definitely pointing upwards. The result of my research on exploding roofs shows that this problem has affected multiple car brands and multiple sun/moon roof manufacturers. I'm asking the NHTSA to help protect USA drivers. If there had been a warning that the roof could suddenly explode while I was driving, I definitely would have selected a car without a glass roof. If the cover had not been closed, I would have been sprayed with glass in addition to the loud blast. Because this is a major safety issue, I'm begging the NHTSA to look into the problem and at the very least immediately issue warnings so drivers of vehicles with sun/moon roofs will be aware that this could happen. It would be much better to find out what defect is causing this to happen before anyone is killed! The consumer stated he feels that moonroof exploding
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11491354October 28, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
While driving the vehicle I smelled something burning and saw smoke coming out of the air vents. I immediately pulled to the side of the road and got out. I noticed fire and smoke coming from under the hood. I called 911 and the Fire Dept. arrived to put the fire out. It was towed to a nearby storage yard until the insurance company could be notified. After talking with and submitting photos to the insurance company the vehicle was considered a total loss. We are waiting to hear back from the insurance company concerning our claim. Upon researching engine fire related to defective battery in these vehicles I learned that almost 2 million 2013-2018 Toyota RAV4 have been affected. I am just thankful everyone was able to get out of the vehicle safely before it caught on fire.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11489479October 16, 2022
SERVICE BRAKES
Front brakes needed replacement at 40k miles. 24k miles later, I'm being told they need replacement again. At May 2022 ispection the measurements were 11/32 for all four brakes. Less than 6 months & less than 5k miles later, the right front is at 6/32, left front 9/32, rear are 11/32 & 10/32. I'm being told the right front pads & rotors are bad and the discs(?) are extremely rusty. How does this happen so quickly? Forums I've read say this is an issue with many 2017 RAVS. Apparently, Toyota used low-grade rotors on that model and year. I had complained of a slight grinding noise coming from the front wheels on several occasions only to be told they can't find anything. I've had no safety issues yet but this ongoing problem is unacceptable and may eventually result in a collision.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11484726September 15, 2022
STEERING
Although just aligned, steering consistently pulls to the right.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11481542August 27, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My vehicle is on it's 3rd replacement in less than 5 years because it randomly fails. It will not start. This is after I had recently taken my vehicle in for service, where the service technicians have checked the battery performance as "Good". There have never been any warnings before my vehicle would not start. Absolutely no symptoms prior to the failure. When I pressed the start button, the vehicle gave no indication that it would turn over. It's been a terrible inconvenience and very unsettling, because now that it's happened to me twice. The original battery and now the replacement in less than 5 years. I'm not sure when it will happen again.....it's so unpredictable. This last time, I was stuck in a parking lot and had to be towed to the nearest Toyota dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11480603August 22, 2022
AIR BAGS
While traveling around 40 mph on a roadway another vehicle ran a stop sign approximately 2 feet in front of my vehicle. This vehicle came onto the roadway from a side road at a sustained speed with no braking. I swerved to avoid impact and went over an embankment. The vehicle sustained extensive damage to the front and underneath. It is a total loss. The airbags did not deploy during the accident. There were also serious injuries to the driver and passenger. The driver sustained a broken neck in 4 places. The passenger sustained massive hematomas, a fractured arm, and 7 fractured ribs in the chest and separated sternum. There were no warning lights or messages displayed. An inspection has not been performed on the airbag system. The vehicle is currently located at the insurance company's salvage yard.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11477466August 3, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving the vehicle, the sun roof glass shattered. The cover of the roof was closed, so no glass spilled into the car, but could have been dangerous if it the cover was open.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11476721July 30, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
6 months after warantee expired passenger front door lock actuator failed. Dor can only be locked /unlocked from manual rocker lock inside door. Electrick lock doesnt function. Within 6 months of that failure, drivers door developed same problem. Door can only be locked from inside and unlocked from outside with key.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11465710May 23, 2022
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Discoloration/fogging of tail light lens on driver side. Picture uploaded.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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