Toyota RAV4 Complaints (2013)

262 consumer complaints on file.

#11462559April 28, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I turned the key and started the RAV4 parked in my driveway. It immediately made unusual noices (gurgling, spitting, etc.). Within a minute, there was a loud "BOOM" under the hood and fire began coming out from underneath the car. I got out of the car and got a safe distance from it. My neighbors came running over as they heard subsequent explosions and saw black smoke billowing from my direction. Within a matter of a few minutes, the entire car was engulfed in flames. The fire department came and extinguished it. There is nothing left! BTW, I am 91 years old. This could have had a very different and sad outcome!
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11457691March 21, 2022
ENGINE
While driving , the dashboard lights start flicker off first as a warning before the entire car shuts completely down. The car was start having those issues back in 2014 and delaer told us it was the battery negative wire that causing the issue. Suddenly, it start doing the same thing and in my opinion very dangerous to drive on street and highways. No one wnats to have a car that just suddenly stalled on highway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11456641March 14, 2022
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Please see letter attached. Thank you!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11454381February 27, 2022
POWER TRAIN
The car when driving around 30 to 45 mph starts shuddering. Looks apparently it's the torque converter
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11452123February 15, 2022
ENGINE
car is consuming 2 Quarts of oil in a very short time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11451539February 11, 2022
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The battery on my 2013 Toyota Rav4 burst into flames while the engine was going and I was at a traffic stop/intersection. The electrical system failed, car died in place, luckily while at a stop and smoke from the engine compartment filled the car. I had just pulled off the highway and had come to an intersection in a residential neighborhood of a densely populated city center. Residents came from the street to help put the engine compartment fire out. Driver and passenger (a dog) were able to get out safely, police and fire department came to the scene and asked people to move away from the vehicle in case of explosion. Fire was extinguished. Car was towed to local Toyota dealership, Car insurance agent has done preliminary inspection as well as dealership service manager. Both state that the battery did catch on fire. Battery installed was correct size as per service technician's initial report. At this time, total damage to the car is unclear, as a full inspection of the vehicle and electrical system has not been done. two or three times sporadically over the two days prior, the lights on the dashboard flickered on momentarily as though there was some kind of electrical short circuit happening somewhere. At present the vehicle remains at the dealership awaiting full Toyota inspection, since as a result of this office's investigation of numerous battery fires, Toyota has issued a Consumer safety recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11449455January 30, 2022
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint peeling on car. Paint could come off hood while driving and obstruct vision while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11449223January 28, 2022
ENGINE
The contact owned a 2013 Toyota RAV-4. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at an unknown speed, she detected a burning odor inside the vehicle as smoke was coming through the vents. As well as flames from under the hood. The contact's daughter pulled and stopped upon exiting the vehicle the front was engulfed in flames. The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. A fire department report was not filed nor a police department was not filed as they were on the scene. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was notified and a case was opened. The contact stated researched failure online and found an investigation by NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11447896January 18, 2022
AIR BAGS
On Jan 3, 2022 while my daughter and granddaughter were using my 2013 Rav4, traffic was stopped on Rt 11, and they stopped and the car behind them stopped. But the drunk driver in a Dodge pickup did not stop, pushing the car behind my car into on coming traffic and then slamming into the back of my Rav4, pushing it into the bumper of a dump truck. The pickup truck stopped in the back seat of the Rav4. The Rav4 stopped when it hit the bumper, just short of going through the windshield. It is unknown how fast the drunk driver was traveling, but my Rav4 was totaled. However, no airbags deployed. Fortunately, my daughter and granddaughter, although completely shaken, walked away from the collision.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11447454January 14, 2022
POWER TRAIN
While driving the vehicle it experiences an intermittent shutter in the drive train. On flat roads it is an annoyance; when driving on mountain roads or with a loaded vehicle it becomes more severe to the point the vehicle feels like it will lose control. At its worse the issue impacts the ability of the driver to maintain control (e.g., braking down a mountain), at a minimum it causes significant distraction in situations requiring constant focus on the road. The Toyota dealer diagnosed the issue as a torque converter flex lock up. Toyota corporate is aware is this defect and issued a Warranty Policy Bulleting (No. POL17-06) to address it. While the company issued a warranty enhancement to address the issue, they are treating it as a minor defect affecting customer satisfaction instead of the safety issue it is. Due to Toyota's approach, they limited the time period they would cover safety related repairs. This leaves 2013-2015 RAV4 vehicle owners to either not correct the issue and hope for the best, pay to correct the defect themselves (expensive due to the need for a Toyota drivetrain expert or master technician to perform the repair), or pass the problem off to the next owner. I contacted Toyota Corporate on and even though the vehicle has low mileage (95K), because the problem appeared after a Toyota established date they would not correct the defect. In my conversation with Toyota Corporate they confirmed it was a safety issue and advised me to have it repaired right away at my own cost. This manufacturer defect in 2013-2015 RAV 4s, in certain road conditions, creates an unreasonable safety risk to drivers. Toyota's approach to resolving the issue is insufficient and does not protect owners from unreasonable risk of an accident because of this safety flaw. Please start an investigation into this safety defect and initiate a safety recall compelling Toyota to correct the issue regardless of the vehicle's age. Thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11445036December 27, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES
Brakes failed to stop while parking vehicle with a speed of less than 5 mph hitting landscaping with a young pine tree that made the vehicle stopped. Hit and went over some matured bushes on the landscaped parking lot. The SUV cannot be stopped even brakes were depressed all the way. I needed to have my vehicle towed out of the bushes and the broken young tree in order to get out of the rubble. I need to have my brakes inspected by the dealership this week as it happened this Christmas Eve and the service are closed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11443340December 10, 2021
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while his wife was driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift automatically to the next gear. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to drive to her destination. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the torque converter to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11443396December 10, 2021
POWER TRAIN
11443340 FILE number please add this commentary. Toyota provided and extended warranty for this vehicle due to torque converter defects. I was not notified because I was not owner at time. Extended warranty expired on 10/13/21 . My car developed problem around 11/22/21. Toyota now refuses to help in any form.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11438047October 25, 2021
STEERING
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that an abnormal clicking sound was coming from the steering column without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where he was informed that the steering gear and rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that there were no recalls associated with the VIN. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who provided the same information as the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11435867October 7, 2021
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that the front driver’s side windshield wiper was not functioning properly when activated. The front driver’s side windshield wiper would get stuck in the upright position. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V577000 (Visibility/Wiper). The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11433739September 20, 2021
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
On June 17 the tread separated on a tire that was purchased on 4/2/21. I was driving on the interstate at 65 mph with the tire separated.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11432802September 13, 2021
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Note: This is a fully electric vehicle. It was made by Toyota, but the drive train (electric motor, battery, etc.) is made by Tesla. Earlier this summer (Around June 2021) while starting the vehicle from a stop, the vehicle either shifted to neutral (halfway through an intersection) or stalled. The vehicle displays a message saying "Check EV System". We have since taken it to two Toyota dealerships. The first (Toyota of Tacoma in Tacoma WA) said the 12V battery needed to be replaced, but the issue happened again almost immediately after we took the vehicle off the lot and completely stalled in the middle of a busy intersection. We brought it back to the same dealership who then said nothing was wrong with the vehicle. We also took the vehicle to a local auto repair shop that specializes in electric vehicles where they were able to recreate the issue but unfortunately were unable to work on the car as Tesla had locked the codes needed to diagnose the issues. The second dealership (Titus Will Toyota in Tacoma WA) was able to reproduce the issue, but they didn't have the equipment to work on the vehicle. They said that they spoke to the Toyota engineering team who told them that the speed sensor had moisture on it, and the coolant on the right side was low which indicates that coolant was leaking into the electric motor and the vehicle needed a new drive train. Toyota said that since the drive train was made by Tesla, they are unable to work on the vehicle and we would need to figure out how to get the vehicle from Washington to California to find a shop that could service the vehicle and completely replace the entire drive train - a diagnosis made and given over the phone. We purchased the vehicle just over a year ago in Washington and now it has a dangerous safety issue that neither Toyota nor Tesla is wanting anything to do with and that local repair shops cannot address.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427495August 2, 2021
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The Fuel Pump entire system failed. I have a receipt of $731.50 to have it fixed. I was stranded coming off Belt Parkway in New York City, I feared for my car as the cars came flying off of the exit ramp. The Toyota Company has sent recalls on most of their Fuel Pumps except my 2013 Toyota Rav4. All of my alerts went on immediately but then the car just stopped and I managed to coast to the off the ramp. There were no warnings but when I looked up Toyota Recalls the main problem is their Fuel Pump Injectors in most of their cars and I had no knowledge of this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11427012July 29, 2021
POWER TRAIN
My 2013 RAV4 is having torque converter issues and shudders at low acceleration. Toyota issued a customer bulletin with an extended warranty deadline of 8 years of first use or 150K miles. My car started having this issue sometimes in 2018 and Toyota dealership diagnosed it as replace bolts. I explained to Toyota but they said extended warranty has expired and will not cover costs to get torque converter/transmission fixed. Now the issue on my car has gotten worse and brought it up with dealership again this year and they linked it to the customer notice which had expired. Now, Toyota corporation won't make an exception and assume that I had tried to get it fixed the first time within an active warranty in 2018. Issue is with torque converter and transmission shudder at low acceleration.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11422084June 24, 2021
SERVICE BRAKES
The brake line on the on the driver's side leaked brake fluid on the rotors and pads leading to an increased risk of crash due to lubricated brakes
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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