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.
Toyota issued a recall in November of 2023, claiming there would be a rememdy in December, but I have had no more communication and the dealers still can't offer a fix. It is May 2024 and I feel uncomfortable driving me car
Had issue with intermittant engine light and all warning lights going on with certain maneuvers. When lights on, car would turn off, while driving, if washers turned on. Dealer replaced alternator and thermostat, supposedly fixing, however, 3 days later same problem recurred and car turned off while traveling 70+ mph on major highway. Luckily, despite harrowing "near death" experience, we were able to maneuver off the road to await a tow.
My 2018 RAV4 caught fire and completely burned in a matter of minutes. I was sitting in traffic that had stalled because of road construction when I first smelled something hot. No dashboard lights or gauges indicated any issues. Then I saw smoke coming from underneath the hood. I immediately pulled the car over to the shoulder and got out to look under the hood. Flames already visible and fire too hot to raise hood. Vehicle was completely engulfed in minutes. Vehicle had 65000 miles and regularly serviced at a certified Toyota dealership. Original factory batteries still on vehicle.
The torque converter on my 2018 Toyota Rav4 failed and needed to be replaced according to the Toyota dealership. As an experienced driver, I became aware that something was not right with the drivetrain which prompted a service appointment at my local dealership. The problem was detected early and the torque converter was replaced by the dealer at a cost to me of $3,300. If I had not noticed this problem early, it could have resulted in a complete loss of power to the drivetrain even while driving. In addition, although my vehicle is a 2018 model, Toyota acknowledged and addressed this same problem with 2013-2015 models and offered enhanced warranty protection to cover the cost of repairs as documented by Toyota's Warranty Policy Bulletin, No. POL17-06. I contacted Toyota customer service to alert them to this issue but was told there had not been any incidents reported for model years outside of 2013-2015. My concern and the reason for my writing is that Toyota's torque converter problems might exist beyond the 2013-2015 model years.
The rear lift gate on my 2018 RAV4 failed. The lifts went out of alignment and pulled the tailgate out of alignment to the point where it's pulling the hinges off the car and will not close. This is a safety issue because I have to drive with the hatch open. There is nothing I could have done to prevent it, or cause it.
The backup camera stopped working when the vehicle is placed in reverse. The screen used to work but now goes black. The screen work fine for everything else. The display works perfect until the xar is put in reverse, then the display goes black.
The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal odor of smoke detected from the vents. The contact pulled over and the vehicle caught fire. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries or air bag deployments. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
I bought my 2018 rav4 from dolan toyota of Reno, NV in January of 2022 I also purchased both of the platinum bumper to bumper warranties they offered. Well throughout the year of 2022 I had my vehicle in the shop 5-6 times for bluetooth echoing effect happening ( making my bluetooth hands free feature inoperable). Everytime I took it in the techs say that the can't replicate the problem. Even tho a tech went on a teat ride with me and heard the issue occurring. Now my bluetooth is having paring issues and I have tried to reach out to the service department multiple times since I've had my car in last and the won't respond. I've even sent a ertified demand letter on the 28th of January giving them until March 1st to fix the problem and haven't gotten a response from them yet. I have even brought to their attention there is clearly a problem with their head units because there was a class action lawsuit file in 2021 for this exact problem happening.
While driving, the sunroof shattered for no reason. Upon inspection, one could see the glass pushed upwards. Since this is tempered glass and not lamented, glass shards were blown all over the place, big safety hazard.
UNKNOWN since insurance or fire department does not want to investigate. However car randomly caught on fire when driving. Could be due to a new battery installed a week prior. Driver and daughter claim as well an electrical issue with AC turning on by itself the morning of car fire which it has never done before. Driver suspects faulty battery since a new battery installed by dealer a week prior and the year before and it is not the first case late model RAV4s are caught on fire due to battery issues.
Sunroof just shattered/exploded while driving on highway. (Entering route I95N from Philadelphia). I did not see or was near any foreign object that could've caused this incident. Sunroof was closed, however the interior cover was open. When glass shattered, multiple fragments entered the car and fell on my body. Thankfully I was the only person in the vehicle. I was not injured by fragments. I was able to close the interior lining and continue driving to my house. Once home I was able to assess damage and vacuumed car. I took the vehicle to Thompson Toyota in Doylestown, PA yesterday 8/12/22 where it is being inspected and repaired. I am convinced this requires further investigation since I think this may be safety issue with this type of vehicle.
I am told by the Dealer, Dolan Toyota in Reno NV, that my car has TPMS sensors and an idiot light that indicates when there is a problem with these sensors. I bought a second set of wheels to facilitate winter/spring tire changes and the wheels were not equipped with TPMS sensors. The idiot light never activated to tell me there is a problem, so I went to the dealer and asked about this issue. The service department at Dolan told me there are aware of the problem of not indicating when there is an issue but there is nothing they can do about it. It's my understanding that federal regulations require TPMS to be installed AND operating on this car. I filed a complaint with Toyota corporate and all they said was there is no recall on this problem and they have noted it. The reference number for my complaint with Toyota corporate is 220531001527.
My husband and I were driving down the road when we had warning lights and signals going off in the car and the electric was trying to reset in the car. The car was sputtering and stalled out. we managed to pull the car over as white smoke came from under the hood of the car and we jumped out and grabbed our dog as flames started to shoot from under the hood. We have never had any incident happen prior to this to indicate there would be any problems. The car is available for inspection if requested. The insurance company has not inspected the vehicle yet and is transporting it to a salvage yard for inspection.
While driving I have noticed that the car slow down the speed near other cars, I understand that is the accident prevention feature, but when I was stopped at red light, I press the accelerator lightly, the car sped off, I have my daughter in the car and she told me Why are you accelerating mom? I told her I wasn't, my foot was off the accelerator and the car still speeding off. I pressed the breaks and it slow down. I do not feel safe with this car, but I have to use it, as I still have to finish paying it. My battery was replaced today, I had to pay for it, 3 years and gone! They told me it is because I do not drive much daily. My front tires are on yellow tread, not sure how driving 4-8 miles per day can cause all of this damage. I am so tired of car companies sell crappie cars. I had a Subaru before that almost burned (head gasket), of course, when I was finishing paying that happened. By the way I see by the time I finish paying Toyota, many things will need to be replaced, if I do not get into an accident because of weirdness of the car slowing down or speeding. For sure my next car won't be Toyota for safety reasons!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Davis, CA, USA