2012 Toyota RAV4

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE, TRACTION CONTROL, AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CAPITOL TOYOTA (783 AUTO GROUP AVE, NE, SALEM, OREGON 97301) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN TURNED OFF THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR AND PERFORMED AN OIL CHANGE; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,655.

POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS IN ALL DOORS HAVE FAILED. THE DRIVERS DOOR ACTUATOR FAILED FIRST. THE ACTUATORS IN EACH REMAINING DOOR INCLUDING THE TAILGATE DOOR HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED AS WELL. (THE DATE USED IN THIS REPORT TO INDICATE WHEN THE PROBLEM HAPPENED IS APPROXIMATE AND REFERS TO THE INITIAL PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVER'S DOOR.) TWO DIFFERENT TOYOTA SERVICE CENTERS HAVE DETERMINED THE ACTUATORS NEED TO BE REPLACED. ONE DEALER NOTED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS ISSUE IN MANY OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES. A QUICK INTERNET SEARCH TURNS UP SEVERAL PAGES DISCUSSING THIS ISSUE. A SEARCH OF THIS SITE ALSO REVEALED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WITH OTHER MODEL YEAR RAV4'S. EACH TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER ESTIMATED A COST OF APPROXIMATELY $400 FOR EACH ACTUATOR PLUS LABOR COSTS TO REPLACE THE PART. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WHILE THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVERS-SIDE AND PASSENGER-SIDE DOORS HAVE MANUAL LATCHES INSIDE THE VEHICLE, THE TAILGATE DOOR DOES NOT. THE LACK OF A MANUAL LATCH AND KEYED LOCK IN THE TAILGATE DOOR MEANS THAT THE TAILGATE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED AT ALL. THIS IS VERY PROBLEMATIC FOR BOTH CONVENIENCE AND SAFETY, PARTICULARLY IN THOSE RAV4'S WITH THE THIRD ROW SEAT. IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR VEHICLE FIRE, PASSENGERS IN THE THIRD-ROW SEAT WOULD BE FORCED TO EITHER EXIT THROUGH ONE OF THE OTHER DOORS OR BREAK A WINDOW TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. WHEN I CONTACTED TOYOTA REGARDING THIS ISSUE, I WAS TOLD INITIALLY TO HAVE MY LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER EVALUATE THE PROBLEM AND CALL BACK TO TOYOTA TO DISCUSS AND SEE IF TOYOTA WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP AT ALL. WHEN I CALLED BACK TO TOYOTA, I WAS PUT ON HOLD FOR AN INCONVENIENT AMOUNT OF TIME, THEN SIMPLY TOLD THAT TOYOTA WOULD NOT HELP, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE MY VEHICLE'S WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. I HOPE THAT TOYOTA WILL WORK WITH THE NHTSA TO TAKE A PROACTIVE APPROACH TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM FOR ALL AFFECTED TOYOTA VEHICLES AND OWNERS.

2013 TOYOTA RAV4 W/ 40K MILES HAD THIRD ACTUATOR POWER DOOR LATCH FAIL ON A THIRD DOOR IN 5 MONTHS. LOOKING AT OTHER RECENT COMPLAINTS, OF A SIMILAR NATURE, THIS MAY INDEED BE THE RESULT OF A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. PLEASE CONSIDER ISSUING A RECALL. MOST RECENT FAILURE IS THE DOOR MY 2 YEAR OLD USES, I WOULD HATE TO THINK OF AN EMERGENCY WHERE I COULDN'T GET HER OUT OF THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS LOCKED. WHEN THE FIRST DOOR, DRIVER, WENT OUT (DEC 2016), I HAD IT FIXED AT MY MECHANIC THINKING IT WAS A FLUKE. WHEN THE SECOND DOOR, PASSENGER, WENT OUT MAR 2017, I CONTACTED TOYOTA & WAS TOLD TO GET THE PROBLEM CONFIRMED BY THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH I DID. THEY OFFERED ME A GOODWILL PYMT FOR THE SECOND DOOR ONLY, NOT THE FIRST, DESPITE HOW RECENTLY THE FIRST DOOR FAILED. IN MAY 2017 THE THIRD DOOR, BACK DRIVER, IS NOW FAILING & THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE REP SAID THEY "ARE DECLINING TO OFFER ME ANY ASSISTANCE IN FIXING THIS ACTUATOR OR ANY FUTURE ACTUATOR LOCKS BECAUSE THEY GO OUT LIKE LIGHTBULBS EVERY 4 YEARS." I CANNOT BELIEVE TOYOTA KNOWINGLY MANUFACTURES VEHICLES W/ A PART THAT IT 'EXPECTS' TO FAIL EVERY 4 YEARS, LEAVING THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH A $2500 BILL THAT FREQUENTLY. WE ESCALATED THIS FROM THE INITIAL "CUST SERVICE" REP, ALEX S., TO HIS SUPERVISOR, ASHLEY, AND THEY BOTH SAID THEY ARE CHOOSING NOT TO HELP US ANY FURTHER WITH THIS PROBLEM ON DOOR NUMBER 3 (OR 1) OR DOORS 4 AND 5 WHEN THEY INEVITABLY GO OUT AS WELL. MY HUSBAND ALSO OWNS A 2013 RAV4, SO WE ARE BEING TOLD TO EXPECT TO PAY $5000 EVERY 4 YEARS IF WE WANT OUR DOORS TO LOCK. WE HAVE PURCHASED TOYOTAS BASED ON THEIR REPUTATION OF QUALITY AND I AM BAFFLED TOYOTA IS KNOWINGLY STICKING THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH EXPENSIVE PARTS THAT FAIL WITH THIS FREQUENCY. IT IS ALSO WORTH NOTING, MY CAR ISN'T EVEN 4 YEARS OLD YET AND WAS JUST OVER 3 YEARS OLD WHEN THE I EXPERIENCED THE FIRST FAILURE DEC 2016.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD, THE FLUID FAILED TO EXIT THE WINDSHIELD WASHER RESERVOIR. ALSO, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE IN THE SNOW AT 5 MPH, THE ABS FAILED TO ENGAGE AND THE CONTACT HAD TO REPEATEDLY DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP THE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE TIRE PRESSURE INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

DRIVER SIDE REAR QUARTER PANEL STARTED ON FIRE. THIS OCCURRED AFTER AN APPROXIMATELY 4 MILE DRIVE. I BELIEVE THE FIRE STARTED ON THE DRIVE. I PARKED THE VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT WITH ONLY ONE OTHER VEHICLE. WHEN I WAS WALKING INTO THE STORE I SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC BUT DID NOT RELATE IT TO MY CAR BURNING. I WAS IN THE STORE ABOUT 5 MINUTES. WHEN I WALKED OUT I SAW THE FIRE. THERE WAS NO OUTSIDE INFLUENCE TO THE FIRE AND NOTHING INSIDE THE VEHICLE VEHICLE. THE ONLY THING IN THAT AREA OF THE VEHICLE IS WIRING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V577000 (VISIBILITY). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS WERE NOT YET AVAILABLE TO ANY OF THE DEALERS. A RECALL NOTICE WAS ALSO RECEIVED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V096000 (SEAT BELTS). THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE PARTS FOR THE RECALL WERE ALSO NOT AVAILABLE AND COULD NOT PROVIDE A TIME FRAME IN WHICH THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000. UPDATED 06/23/16*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AVS WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V054000 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000.