2013 Toyota RAV4

BRAKES FADING AND OVERHEATING. DURING A LONG DESCENT ON HIGHWAY THAT REQUIRED FREQUENT APPLICATION OF BRAKES TO MAINTAIN SPEED, I EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT BRAKE FADING AND OVERHEATING. AT THE END OF THE HILL BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED REQUIRING MORE PRESSURE AND PEDAL TRAVEL TO ACHIEVE ADEQUATE BRAKING ACTION. BRAKING WAS ALSO ACCOMPANIED BY VIBRATION THAT COULD BE FELT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. BRAKING PERFORMANCE WAS RESTORED AFTER THE BRAKES COOLED DOWN. AFTER THE INCIDENT I DID A BIT OF RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT RAV4 LE IS EQUIPPED WITH SMALLER FRONT BRAKES THAN XLE AND LIMITED MODELS. LE FRONT ROTORS ARE ONLY 10.8", SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER THAN 11.7" ROTORS ON THE XLE AND LIMITED, AS WELL AS MOST COMPETITIVE VEHICLE WHICH COME EQUIPPED WITH ~12" OR BIGGER BRAKE ROTORS. BASED ON THE FADING / OVERHEATING EXPERIENCED AND THE FACT THAT RAV4 LE BRAKES ARE MUCH SMALLER THAN MOST OTHER SMALL SUV, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE BRAKES ROTORS ARE UNDERSIZED FOR THE SIZE / GVWR OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR

DEAR SIRS, I DON'T HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, WE HERE ON THE ISLAND OF CURACAO HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING MANY VEHICLES WHICH ARE CHINESE AND THEIR VIN NO, ARE ALSO CLONED, I BELIEVE THIS IS A WORLD PROBLEM, AND ALSO US MANUFACTURERS HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A WORLD PROBLEM, AND THEY CAN ALSO HELP TO EXPOSE THIS SITUATION. I HAVE POSTED MANY ON BLOGS, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH THE CLONING OF CARS. THERE WAS ALSO AN ISSUE WITH SOME ONE BOUGHT A VEHICLE AT THE TOYOTA DEALER A RAV4 2013 AND WE CAME TO FIND OUT THAT IT IS A 2010 MEXICAN CLONE CAR. AND I HAVE REPORTED THESE ALSO TO OTHER AGENCIES IN USA , ONE OF THEM IS THE SEC SECURITIES EXCHANGE COMMISSION WHISTLE BLOWER DEPARTMENT. *JS

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). *JS

I PURCHASED THE 2013 RAV4 LIMITED WITH NAVIGATION AND A BLIND SPOT MONITOR, HOWEVER I DO NOT BELIEVE THE MONITOR WORKS CORRECTLY, IT DOES NOT GIVE ANY INDICATION THAT SOMETHING (ANOTHER VEHICLE) IS APPROACHING UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS AT THE SIDE DOOR OF MY VEHICLE, WAY TOO LATE TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT TO YOUR CHANGING LANES. I HAVE HAD IT BACK TO MY TOYOTA DEALERS TWO TIMES, ON THE FIRST VISIT THE CAR WAS IN FOR A 6 MONTH CHECK UP AND I SAID SOMETHING ABOUT IT AT THE TIME, BUT NOTHING SHOWS ON MY VISIT THAT IT WAS CHECKED SO I ASSUMED THAT IT WAS CORRECTED. AFTER THAT VISIT I REALIZED THAT THE BLIND SPOT MONITOR WAS STILL NOT WORKING, SO ON MY ONE YEAR INSPECTION AND CHECK UP I SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR THE BLIND SPOT MONITOR TO BE CHECKED AGAIN. THIS TIME WHEN I GOT MY BILL FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA EMISSIONS TEST I NOTED THE BLIND SPORT MONITOR WAS NOT PART OF MY REPAIR BILL, SO I QUESTIONED THE SERVICE REP, WHO EXPLAINED THERE WAS NO ADJUSTMENT FOR THIS PART. I WENT TO THE SALES MANAGER ABOUT IT AND SHE SAID SHE WOULD HAVE TOYOTA CONTACT ME. WHEN I WAS NOT CONTACTED BY TOYOTA I SENT A EMAIL TO TOYOTA OWNERS WEB SITE AND MADE A COMPLIANT, THEY RESPONDED THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT BACK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND TELL THEM I NEED AN ADJUSTMENT ON THE BLIND SPOT MONITOR, WHICH I DID, WHEN I RETURNED TO PICK UP MY RAV4 I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM AND THERE WAS NOTHING COULD BE DONE. MY COMPLIANT IS IF IT IS NOT ADJUSTABLE THEN IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. THANK YOU *TR

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. *TR

AFTER READING SEVERAL NEWS STORIES TODAY (04/09/14) ABOUT THE RECALL OF 27 TOYOTA MODELS (INCLUDING 2013 RAV 4), FOR: ?CABLES FOR THE DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE THAT CAN BE DAMAGED, DISABLING THE BAG, THOUGH A WARNING LIGHT WILL COME ON (3.5 MILLION VEHICLES, 1.67 MILLION IN THE U.S.). ?SEATS THAT DON'T LOCK IN PLACE (2.32 MILLION, 670,000 IN NORTH AMERICA) ?STEERING COLUMN BRACKETS THAT MAY BECOME LOOSE OR FAIL (760,000, EUROPE AND ASIA ONLY) ?WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR (160,000, ASIA ONLY) ?STARTER MOTOR FIRE HAZARD (20,000, ASIA ONLY) I CALLED THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT MY CAR - TOYOTA OF ROCK HILL. I WAS INFORMED THAT RECALLS ARE "COMING," BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE SPECIFIC INFORMATION FROM TOYOTA YET. I SHOULD BE GETTING A LETTER IN THE MAIL AND THEN I TAKE THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. FRUSTRATING TO SEE THAT THE MEDIA HAS MORE INFORMATION ON THE ACTUAL RECALLS THAN THE TOYOTA DEALER. SO, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS BETWEEN NOW AND THE TIME I GET "MY LETTER," (MY AIR BAGS FAIL OR THE SEATS BECOME DISLODGED DURING AN ACCIDENT), I'M PRETTY MUCH SCREWED. *TR

I HAVE STATED MY COMPLAINT FOR THE THIRD TIME. TWICE WITH CLEARWATER TOYOTA AND ONCE WITH SUN TOYOTA IN HOLIDAY FL. BUT NOTHING COMES OF IT. IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER. EVERY MORNING ,THE SIDE WINDOWS ON OUR VEHICLE ARE WET WITH WATER DROPLETS FROM NATURAL MORNING DEW. WHEN I LOWER THE WINDOW TO CLEAR THEM ,IT DOESN'T DO IT. UNLIKE ALL OTHER CARS I HAVE OWNED OR SEEN, THE SQUEAKY IS IN CONTACT WITH THE WINDOW WHICH IN TURN "CLEARS THE WINDOWS". IT IS A DEFINITE DANGEROUS SITUATION. AS I REACH THE POINT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN OR A RIGHT TURN I AM CONFRONTED WITH A COMPLETELY BLIND SPOT .I DON'T KNOW IF I CLEARLY EXPLAINED... IT REQUIRES THE DRIVER TO GO OUT AND CLEAR THE SIDE WINDOWS BEFORE ONE CAN SAFELY DRIVE THE CAR. I HAVE MEASURED THE SPACE BETWEEN THE GLASS AND THE RUBBER SQUEAKY AND IT IS AS THICK HAS A PIECE OF PAPER FOLDED IN EIGHT. A LARGE SPACE! WHEN THE WINDOW IS RAISED , AT THE LAST FRACTION OF AN INCH ,BEFORE CLOSING, IT MAKES A QUICK JERK TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THE SQUEAKY. THE SALES PERSON AGREED THE IT WAS A FAULT BUT REPLIED "THAT'S HOW IT IS..." WHEN I'M DROPPING OFF MY DAUGHTER AT SCHOOL ,IN THE MORNINGS IT'S STILL DARK OUT, AND WHEN I REACH THE POINT TO TURN I MUST LOWER MY WINDOWS TO GET A VISUAL. THE DEALERS DON'T GIVE A [XXX]! CAN YOU CHECK INTO IT? OR DO YOU JUST FILE INFORMATION.... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE CENTER CONSOLE TOP ARM RESTING PAD BETWEEN THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER DOES NOT LOCKED IN POSITION SO IT MOVES BACK AND FORTH DEPENDING ON HOW YOU ARE LEANING ON IT, IF YOU HAVE YOUR ARM ON IT AND YOU MOVE YOUR BODY IT SLIDES BACK AND FORTH. IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE HAND ON THE STEERING WHEEL WITH YOUR ARM ON THE CONSOLE PAD, IF THE TOP PAD MOVES BACK IT WILL MAKE YOU GO RIGHT INTO THE DITCH OR IF IT MOVES FORWARD YOU GO LEFT INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA RAV 4. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,600.