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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
62,054 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Toyota RAV4 electrical problems

electrical problem

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2008 Toyota RAV4 Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #5

Jan 182009

RAV4

  • 42,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Hello, on Jun 26, 2009 my wife and I purchase a certified Toyota Rav4. We have had nothing but problems. Electrical problems: ABS light, brake, and egf light remain lite. Repairs are: Brake switch replacement, igy relay replacment. In addition the cruise control would not function and sometimes the transmission would be stuck in reverse. Unable to shift out of this gear position. A local mechanic found the problem in that the connections in the wiring harness are filled with water. He was unable to determine how the water got there. A few days later, the same problem returned.. I am writing to share with you my concern of the electronic problems with the 2008 Rav4 from Toyota. Town Toyota service manager, wenatchee, wa told us not to worry aboutit as it is still safe to drivewith ABS, brake, and egf lights illuminated. I did contact Toyota (via emai) but no response. I question the validity of that statement in light of recent recall news and thought you should know.

- Ephrata, WA, USA

problem #4

Nov 302008

RAV4 6-cyl

  • 1,000 miles
During normal driving, my wife and father-in-law have experienced multiple incidents of unintended acceleration or surging on our 2008 Rav4 (AWD, 6-cylinder). This is typically occurring at highway speeds or light acceleration above ~25mph. This has been occurring since right after we purchased the vehicle in October 2008. Dealer could not verify problem and no error codes were found. The anti-skid control comes on randomly and applied the brakes also, usually while vehicle is stopped. When foot is removed from brake, vehicle stays stopped until accelerator is push and then system releases the brakes and anti-skid light goes out. Dealer could not find any error codes for this either. This is a vehicle with a VIN number beginning with J, which has been excluded from recent recalls.

- Placerville, CA, USA

problem #3

Jan 252010

RAV4

  • 33,574 miles
2008 Toyota Rav4 taken in for normal service schedule. Dealer found rodent nests and chewed wiring/insulation under the engine cover. Had to replace wiring harness. Dealer said Toyota uses soy based covering/insulation instead of plastic which he has seen many instances of rodent chewing. This poses a fire/safety hazard as well as a performance issue if the wires are damaged, cut or shorted. There are websites dedicated to this issue for all the money people have spent in repairs.

- Greenfield Center, NY, USA

problem #2

Sep 212009

RAV4 6-cyl

  • miles
2008 Toyota Rav4 self-combustion in driveway in the early a.M. of Monday, Sept 21, 2009. Car had not been driven since Saturday night at 11 P.M. and arson has been ruled out by fire and police departments. Car was less than 2 years old and had been recently serviced and inspected on Sept 5, 2009 by an authorized Toyota dealer. All other warranty service requirements were fulfilled by an authorized Toyota dealer at the appropriate intervals. There were no problems noted by owner during the past two years. The fire department report mentions that the most extensive fire damage occurred at or near the vehicle battery. Updated 03/08/10

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #1

Jun 232009

RAV4

  • miles
On several occasions, my new 2008 Rav4 would not start. The battery is brand new. When I turned the ignition, there was no sound / signal at all. Sometimes, when I put down the hand brake, and try to start the car again, it works. Other times, it doesn't. there are different things that can trigger it to start. How can a brand new car be so unreliable!? we've gotten it towed to the Toyota dealership and they can't seem to find the problem. It's been at the dealership for 2 days and nothing has been done to fix the problem.

- Mississauga, 00, USA

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