CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2013 RAV4's top complaint is that the navigation screen is impossible to see in direct sunlight.
While certainly an annoyance, it's not a big deal in the world of car problems. Luckily the fix is a $10 anti-glare screen cover.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 11
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
23,009 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.
It is nearly impossible to see the navigation screen from the normal driving position in the sunlight due to glare. This causes the driver to take his eyes off the road for an extended time. This is unsafe and could cause and accident. Toyota service claims the system is operating as designed.
Car started actin G up on May 4th. Didn't want start right away it stated after 4 5 tires after 3 days of that I took the car to local dealer they told me battery was low and they charged it. I brought this car brand new it has only 14 mile and I brought in March 31 2014. This problem started again yesterday ( 05/18/2014).
While I was driving, the car's electric system started rebooting itself a few times, and the car eventually stalled on a busy street! the power was completely shutdown and I couldn't even turn the flash light on. I had to have police officer come to the location where the car stopped to protect other drivers (until a towing track arrived). This incident appended on 4/24/12 on eastbound carmel valley road right before the intersection with el camino real. I had a similar issue with the electric system two months prior, and had a Toyota dealer look at the issue. However, they couldn't identify the root cause and simply updated the system software. As of today, 4/25/14, the car is still at a Toyota dealer and being repaired.
The installed navigation screen is impossible to see in the driver's normal driving position and in almost any daytime lighting condition. Bought a new Toyota rav 4 limited July 2013 with navigation. Ambient glare through the vehicle windows and/or sun roof wash out the display, this is definitely a distraction while driving and trying to view the screen when it is in navigation mode, borders firmly as unsafe. There is no way to safely use that item and its functions located there without significant distraction. My 2011 Toyota rav 4 limited with navigation did not present this problem.
When driving at any speed, under any condition, it is impossible to see the navigation screen, causing the driver to look, rather than glance, at the screen to determine driving instructions, road hazards, warnings, etc. The glare is almost blinding at times.
- Reading, PA, USA
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The instruments (speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge) of the car do not light up if the headlights are off. This can be dangerous when driving under underpasses or in the shadow of trees, etc., since one unexpectedly cannot see the speedometer or tachometer under those conditions.
Vehicle hesitated when shifting into gear. No power and then a surge causing the car to jerk. Happens when accelerating from stop into first and second gear. The ECM is defective and Toyota was forced to address this after class action suit see rav4ecmsettlement.com, although this resulted in an extended warranty rather than a recall. My car is 4 months passed the 10 year warranty although it has low mileage. The faulty ECM can cause the transmission to fail. This is a dangerous and unfair situation for thousands of owners. Toyota did not notify me of this issue.
When driving at any speed, under any condition, it is impossible to see the navigation screen, causing the driver to look, rather than glance, at the screen to determine driving instructions, road hazards, warnings, etc. The glare is almost blinding at times.
The installed navigation screen is impossible to see in the driver's normal driving position and in almost any daytime lighting condition. Glare from the screen and dashboard borders on unsafe. There is no way to safely use that item and the 12 or so functions located there without significant distraction. Notified the service manager 2 times and both times was told they were not aware of the problem. Because of the potential distraction this will cause accidents and some will be fatal.
On local road, accelerating from stop. Vehicle suddenly "shut-off" going into neutral and unable to put back into drive. Steering went "limp". vehicle drifted right, power steering was effected, steering difficult. Vehicle coasted into parking lot to the right, fortunately no vehicles happened to be passing on the right at that precise moment, therefore no accidents. But there could have easily been one. Attempts at restarting vehicle resulted in "take ev to nearest dealership" message and several warning indicators on dash. Vehicle was towed to originating dealership which it continues to be diagnosed and unresolved. Vehicle was purchased on 9/3/2013 < 6 days prior.
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that when the sun would shine on the dashboard, it would produce a blinding glare that caused the information panel and the navigational system to become unreadable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 320.
I have a 2013 Toyota Rav4 limited. In any significant ambient light level, the navigation screen is not visible. The glare on the screen is horrific. Notified dealership. They checked it out and confirmed that I did, indeed, have a problem. Dealership made an appointment with me to meet with a factory rep. I met with the rep, and he agreed this is a real problem, however he had no immediate solution. I contacted the Toyota "hotline" and they referred me back to the dealership. This is a very dangerous situation, trying to position my head so that I can try to get a clear view of the screen. (which is still not possible) I feel like I have spent in excess of one thousand dollars for an option that is unusable. Please help! Toyota does not seem to be listening to me.
At any speed in any weather it is impossible to see the navigation system in this vehicle...this needs addressed by the manufacture as is a paid for upgrade and due to people working to see the system accidents are going to happen.
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds during the day, she was unable to see the navigation screen due to an intense glare, even on cloudy days. The manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 6 and the current mileage was 1,000. Updated 6/4/13 updated 06/13/2013
Bought new Rav4 Toyota 2013 last month with navigation. Screen barely visible. Dealer notified Toyota field representative who does not know to repair. Dealer say it is indeed a problem and could cause accidents. I also have a 2012 Toyota highlander which has a perfectly clear screen Toyota telephoned me but not encouraging.
I bought a new 2013 rav 4 with Toyota navigation. On any sunny day it is impossible to read the map due to the glare. I plan on complaining to the dealership this week.
Purchased new 2013 Rav4 on 23 Mar 13. The entune navigation display (both day and night mode) is very difficult to see in bright daylight (in day mode) or at night time (in night mode). This is a serious distraction when using the navigation and results in the driver having to avert eyes to Focus on the display longer than necessary for details. This could result in an accident. A normal display would not have these issues. I have examined another brand new Rav4 with the same issue. The dealer also replaced my entune system; the problem still persists. It is a design flaw. Please prevail upon Toyota to fix this with either a hardware or software update.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA