2012 Toyota RAV4

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 16V096000 (SEAT BELTS) AND 15V577000 (VISIBILITY/WIPER). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BOHN BROTHERS TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 3800 LAPALCO BLVD HARVEY, LA, 70058) ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHO STATED THAT THE RECALL REMEDY PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER, BUT THE WAIT TIME WAS LONG AND THE LINE DISCONNECTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

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.

TAKATA RECALL I HAVE RAV4 2012 FWD BASE WITH 41000 MILES, AND HAVE A REGULAR MAINTENANCE. - WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEED (30-40 MPG) IN CITY, THE DRIVING IS NOT COMFORTABLE BECAUSE I FEEL ALL OF THE VIBRATION IN WHEELS. ALSO, SMALL OSCILLATION DOES NOT DISAPPEAR AND MAINTAIN IN LONG TIME. - WHEN DRIVING IN A HIGHWAY, IT IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE A LITTLE BUMPY ROAD MAKES MY RAV4 OSCILLATED VERY VERY SEVERELY SO THAT I SHOULD BE VERY CAREFULLY IN ORDER TO CONTROL MY CAR FOR DRIVING IN STRAIGHT DIRECTION, AND NOT TO BEING TURNED OVER. - WHEN MY CAR IS IN STATIONARY, I CAN SHAKE MY CAR WITH MY HAND. I THOUGHT IT WAS A CHARACTERISTICS OF SUV BECAUSE I HAD DRIVEN A SEDAN BEFORE RAV4. BUT, I ASKED TO INSPECT MY CAR IN A TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER, AND A MECHANIC SAID THAT THE REAR STRUTS AND SUSPENSIONS ARE WORN OUT, AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, HE SAID THAT THE FRONT SHOCK ABSORBERS WOULD SHOW A MALFUNCTIONING IN A NEAR FUTURE. THE MECHANIC SHOOK MY CAR WITH HIS HAND, AND MY CAR WAS SHAKEN ACCORDING TO HIS HAND. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT CARS SHOULD NOT BE SHAKEN BY HANDS. IT IS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH TOYOTA AUTO. I SHOULD SPEND MORE THAN 2,000 DOLLARS TO FIX THE FRONT AND REAR SHOCK ABSORBERS WITH AFTER-MARKET PRICE. I HEARD THAT TOYOTA RECALLED FOR REAR SUSPENSION PROBLEM 2006~2011 RAV4. BUT, I THINK THIS RECALL SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO 2012 RAV4.

TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ICON HAVE BEEN SHOWING AFTER I GOT NEW SET OF TIRES, ALL TIRES GOT THE PROPER AIR, 2 MONTHS AFTER OF THE NEW TIRES INSTALLED, THIS ICON SHOWED AGAIN SO, I BROUGHT MY CAR FOR OIL CHANCE ABED ASKED TO CHECK THE AIR ON THE TIRES, THE MECHANIC PUT THE MANDATORY AIR ON EACH TIRE, THE ICON STILL SHOWING IT, IT DID NOT GO AWAY SO, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS. I AM VERY CONCERN... THANKS [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT PRETENSIONER TIGHTENED INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT HAD TO BE CUT BY ANOTHER DRIVER. THE SEAT WAS REPLACED BY THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. A TOYOTA TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD PERFORMED ACCORDING TO FEDERAL MOTOR SAFETY STANDARDS. THE CONTACT'S SUFFERED BRUISING FROM THE SEAT BELT, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 49,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE FASTENING THE SEAT BELT ON THE DRIVER SIDE, THE BUCKLE FAILED TO RELEASE THE SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO LUBRICATED THE BUCKLE, BUT THE FAILURE WAS PERSISTENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000.

I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO TAKE CARE OF THE RECALL FOR MY CAR REAR SEATBELTS SINCE LAST FALL (2016). IT SEEMS THAT TOYOTA UK COULD NOT WORK WITH THE VIN I SUPPLIED AND FINALLY REQUESTED A PHOTO IN FEB 2017; , I SENT THE PHOTO ORIGINALLY ON 14 FEB. I HAVE HAD TO RESEND THE PHOTO THIS MORNING, APPROX. (1 HOUR AGO 1018 GMT 21 APR) TO STEVEN EAGELL TOYOTA, CAMBRIDGE UK (WHO WERE JARDIN MOTORS GROUP WHEN I STARTED TRYING TO GET THIS SORTED OUT LAST FALL.. THE LARGEST SNAFU SEEMS. TO BE THAT TOYOTA UK MUST HAVE AUTHORIZATION FROM TOYOTA US TO GET THE PARTS AND PERFORM THE WARRANTEE WORK I AM HOPING THAT MY FILING THE COMPLAINT FROM THIS END MIGHT EXPEDITE TOYOTA US AUTHORIZING THE REPAIRS. SO THAT I CAN GET THE SEATBELT REPLACEMENT COMPLETED. THIS IS BECOMING URGENT ON MY END AS I NEED TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK COMPLETED BEFORE I CAN HAVE THE CAR SHIPPED BACK TO THE US. I CANNOT SHIP THE CAR UNTIL THE RECALL HAS BEEN PROCESSED. I PCS SHORTLY AND NEED TO SHIP THE CAR SO IT CAN BE USED UPON ARRIVAL.